This one life

Ein Geschenk

Dein Lächeln geht durch die Decke
Da gehen die Sterne für auf
Und zeige ich Zeichen von Schwäche
Gleichst du das gleich wieder aus

"Ein Geschenk", Ewig

I almost drop my fork and have to suppress a shudder. Okay, that's it. I cannot eat any more. I put down my fork and take a long look into Jasmin's eyes. She looks at me very seriously, which doesn't really help. There is fire in my cheeks, and in my loins, too.

My mind, being almost ahead of my body, argues that there is a double bed in my hotel room and that we would probably not be missed much if we just disappeared for a quarter of an hour. Thankfully, at that moment, my prudence and sanity return and I simply lower my eyes and take a deep gulp of water to distract myself. What in God's great name am I thinking?!

I take off my jacket and place it over the backrest of my chair, but it doesn't help much. Jasmin is watching me and seems to be very amused by my behaviour. This gives rise to another emotion that I did not expect tonight: The wish to get back at her; to make her fight the same fight that I am struggling with.

Following an impulse, I take her hand and get up.

„Komm, wir tanzen", I say and don't wait for her reaction.

„Gertrud... Wolfgang... entschuldigt uns bitte, ich möchte gerne mit eurer Tochter tanzen..." I say a bit louder over the table towards Jasmin's parents and am rewarded by an irritated look (Wolfgang) and a happy smile (Gertrud).

„Warum tanzt du eigentlich nicht mit mir?!", I can hear Gertrud ask her husband as I drag Jasmin towards the floor. Oops.

Jasmin giggles, but I cannot tell whether it is because she also heard the question or because I am forcing her to dance with me although I don't have the slightest idea of dancing.

She puts her small hand into my left one and I place my right hand onto her spine. So far, so good. What sort of dance is this? The band is playing a four-four-time, but I have no clue as to what would be appropriate dancing steps to this song. I am saved by Jasmin who starts to move slowly, and I try to follow along.

„Ich kann übrigens überhaupt nicht tanzen", I say after a few seconds, and am rewarded by a cheeky smile.

„Ich weiß."

She briefly looks at me, then resumes our slow movement. „Wird Zeit, dass du es lernst....!"

I answer with a fake laugh. „Das hat Alvaro schon probiert..."

She smiles again, and I can tell by the way she looks that she knows what I am referring to.

„Vielleicht lag es an der furchtbaren Hose....", she says and nudges me playfully.

„Meine Hose?", I am totally flabbergasted by this idea, and try to sidestep her attack at the same time.

She stops the nudging and pulls me closer. I try not to step onto her toes, but fail miserably.