Shall We Dance?

“Dance lessons?” I asked, barely concealing my distaste.

Edward just smiled, knocking me breathless with his celestial contentment. He didn’t even have to look at me- he kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead as we drove towards my idea of living hell.

“Isn’t it customary for the bride and groom,” He stated aloud, stressing the last three words, “To learn something for their first dance together as man and wife?”

I opened my mouth, waiting for a perfectly formed argument to pop out- but I was disappointed. I looked wildly around the car, trying to focus on anything but the two tickets for an hour long dance session that I held between clasped fingers. Edward began to notice my panic, but he was too late to head off a rant now.

“That may be true,” I began, trying to copy his perfect level of articulation and failing miserably, “but there isn’t much customary about you and I.” I let out a loud, disgruntled sigh. “This is prom all over again.”

“You can’t expect me to do all the work,” he pointed out in a reasonable tone of voice. “I know you struggle with dancing bu-“

“Struggle!” I exclaimed, cutting him off mid sentence. “I struggle walking across a room without falling flat on my face. ‘Struggle’ does not begin to describe how I feel about dancing!”

Edward shrugged, his smile fading slightly now. As if in reaction to our mood, the car began to slow too. Or at least, it became slow for Edward’s driving. The needle drifted to just below seventy.

“Rosalie bought the tickets, as pre-wedding gifts. I thought it only polite to use them.” He explained, deliberately not looking in my direction this time. He then took a hand off the steering wheel and lifted them out of my grasp. “No matter, I’m sure she’ll understand. She’s seen you in gym, too.” Edward continued, muttering the last part.

I could see that I’d upset him. The chance to miss it out, to just spend the afternoon back at home with him and his family would be bliss. The idea hovered in my mind, golden and unattainable for a few seconds. I shook my head to dispel the thought, and gave in.