The Wrong Girl

Chapter 30: Dance the Worry Away

Picture of Phoebe
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Steve loved his job, at 3 in the morning he was brewing fresh coffee beans for the group of young students busily preparing their assignment, whose due was obviously nearing. Steve Brown was the half owner of the Perk Café, lavishly handsome man of 46. The wrinkles on his face did nothing but accentuate the striking features of his face. He loved his morning shift, since he liked to believe that he wasn't a people person, even though he wasn't rude, he could never handle the customers as well as Mary- his wife and part owner of the café or Phoebe- his adopted daughter and the future owner could.

Looking at his 21-year-old daughter, he was immensely proud of the way she had handled her life. Steve and Mary had always wanted a daughter of their own, but even if it were possible they knew she wouldn't be able to compare with the boon that Phoebe was to their life.

Steve had found what could be called complete satisfaction in his life. He was still tremendously in love with his wife. Most of his love came from the fact that she was the one who decided to bring young Phoebe in their lives. Phoebe was only 12, when she became Phoebe Caliber Brown. She had completed the incomplete yet heavenly life of the high school sweethearts turned husband and wife's life. When Phoebe had entered their house for the first time, she had fallen in love with the garden and Mary had found a new gardening partner in her, while Steve found a daughter who shared the same love for football as he did. Within a week, Phoebe was the center of their universe.

Steve and Mary had never found such joy and happiness in their matrimonial universe before.

While Steve was busy with his journey down the memory lane, the five of them - Phoebe, Evan, Elena, Aaron and Nina were also busy in their scrunched up booth neck-deep in assignments. Elena, Aaron and Nina were now in their sophomore year, with their own stress of having to choose a major by the end of the month, the decision that would mold the rest of their life. Phoebe and Evan had recently started their freshmen years, enjoying each others company whenever they found themselves sharing a same lecture. The year they were free to learn anything and anything at all.

"Guys, you need to take a break already!" Steve announced with a full coffee mug.

The young heads stopped their hands for a second, before finding it impossible to not start again.

"Phoebe?" Steve grumbled.

Phoebe sighed loudly and finally took her eyes off the laptop screen to say, "Yes, dad... I could use a break."

"Dad?" Everyone stopped and eyed both of them from head to toe, as if looking for a sign board.

"Yes, he's my dad..." was the only explanation Phoebe granted.

Steve? Steve?? But he's so nice!! Elena shrieked in her mind.

"Well, I'm in love with your father..." Nina said while smiling at Steve sweetly.

"What? This old thing?" Steve laughed as he kissed gently on her cheek.

"Oh c'mon... Dad, give, yourself some credit..." Phoebe smiled as if she was about to crack open a long hidden secret and turned towards Nina.

"Do you know he literally swept mom off her feet? He can dance like a pro!" Phoebe and Steve started laughing as if they had a secret of their own.

"C'mon show us!" Elena found herself saying.

"Yeah show us what you've got Steve..." Evan added.

Phoebe had already walked up round the corner and turned on the stereo. Music filled the deserted café and suddenly the dead silence of Perk Café disappeared in thin air, it came into life.

"Shall we?" Steve stretched his arm in front of Nina which she gladly accepted.

The few employees present in the restaurant left their work at bay and quickly found their seat where they could once again witness the magic so many had heard of, Steve and Mary's dance.

As soon as Nina caught Steve's hand, he started spinning her letting her hold only the tip of his finger. Nina and Steve reached the center of the small restaurant's hall, when suddenly Steve caught Nina by her waist and for a second it seemed like she was about to fall, but he caught her right on time. Phoebe laughed as the drama of that move never failed to take her by surprise. The first time she'd ever seen it, she could've sworn Mary was about to fall.

The sound of the pleasing upbeat music was mixed with laughter as Steve lived his undying pleasure of dancing once again. Nina had never loved being led by a man so much before. She wasn't sure of the steps she was taking, but even so she found herself laughing and loving it all the same. As Steve dipped Nina, announcing the grand ending, everyone in the room applauded.

Suddenly the café turned into a dance floor, and one by one everyone started joining. Evan showed off the classic square steps with Phoebe, while Aaron blew Elena's mind away with his dirty dancing trick. One by one they stepped inside the invisible circle and started flaunting various dance steps they'd mastered over the years. They forgot their worries and their assignments all their mind worked for was to remember what next dance step to do.

Nina found her partner in Steve, while Phoebe couldn't let go of Evan's arms as Aaron swayed Elena like they were in their high school prom. The beat of the Steve's dance collection track changed and the leads started switching their ladies accordingly.

Elena found herself being spun around furiously by Steve until her hands had no grip to his fingers; he had moved on to hold his daughter to his arms. I'm about to fall was the last thought that crossed her mind before she ended up in the familiar arms of Evan.

"You're okay?" Evan asked as Elena found the world a little dizzy.

"That was amazing!" Elena yelled to Steve as she caught Evan's arm unknowingly.

"You're welcome honey!" Steve yelled as he held his laughing daughter in his arms.

"You just cannot, not love this man, can you?" Phoebe laughed as Steve contently swayed her around.

"Are you okay?" Evan said leaning into her ears.

Elena's smile disappeared and her eyes flew wide open as she felt the familiar tinge of chill run down her spine. Before she could even think up of a reply to Evan's question, the door to the small restaurant opened inviting a gush of uninvited cold morning air to the coziness of the café.

A guy of about six feet tall, stood there moving his hands and lips furiously, looking embarrassed while everyone in the room, except for Elena and Evan, stared at him without hearing a word he was uttering. Steve let go of his daughter and turned off the loud music.

"... Didn't know if it was open!" The guy was yelling simultaneously grabbing Elena and Evan's attention in the process.

"Oh I'm sorry about that... yes we are open... what would you like to have?" Steve apologized as he started to take his order.

Everyone was about to take their place in the booth looking happily abashed, when they heard the guy ask, "Is that you Evan?"

It took a second look of the guy, for all the ladies present in the café including the employees to notice just how good-looking this guy was.

"Kyle?" Evan said a little too loud from excitement.

Evan moved to hug his buddy when he saw him getting a little awkward.

"Umm guys... Why are they staring at me like that?" He asked quietly smiling at Steve and Evan.

Both of them turned to look at what Kyle was talking about. All the girls, including Macy - the chef, Ronda - the baker, Patricia - the waitress on duty had stopped on their heels and were staring at Kyle as if he was a piece of meat.

Kyle started blushing immediately for he realized he was attracted to one girl more than the others...
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So a new guy in the picture! Who do you think he was attracted to? What did you think of Phoebe?? l know i introduced a lot of new characters in this chapter... but it's their college days and I just figured it'll change the typical storyline a little! Hope you like it! Let me know what you think! Thanks for everyone reading =)