She Fell In Love With a Dancer Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One | Painting the Town

  Chapter Two | Facebook Friends

  Chapter Three | Dancing at Strike

  Chapter Four | Nothing to Wear!

  Chapter Five | Movie Magic

  Chapter Six | Ice Cream Twist

  Chapter 7 | To Dance or Not to Dance?

  Chapter Eight | A True Friend

  Chapter Nine | Catch That Woman

  Chapter Ten | Her First Night in Brooklyn

  Chapter Eleven | Three Little Words

  Chapter Twelve | A Brave New World

  Chapter Thirteen | Ultimatums

  Chapter Fourteen | Mixed Signals

  Chapter Fifteen | Bad News

  Chapter Sixteen | A New Leaf

  Chapter Seventeen | Swiping Left

  Chapter Eighteen | Someone New

  Chapter Nineteen | Another First Date

  Chapter Twenty | Head Over Heels

  Chapter Twenty-One | As Seen on TV

  Chapter Twenty-Two | Mama Drama

  Chapter Twenty-Three | Swinging Back to Salsa

  Chapter Twenty-Four | Salsa in the Sun

  Chapter Twenty-Five | One Last Dance

  Chapter One

  Painting the Town

  Ashley yawned and stretched at her desk. It was the end of the quarter, and she had been pouring over documents all day. She just couldn’t stand the thought of another hour at her desk. It was one thing to go home to an empty apartment after working an ordinary day, but it was another thing entirely when dealing with end-of-quarter reports. She was mentally exhausted, and desperately needed a break. She picked up her phone and texted her friend Megan. They hadn’t spoken on the phone in ages, and they hadn’t seen each other since a brief encounter at a holiday party.

  “Want to do something tonight?” Ashley texted. “These reports are killing me.”

  She didn’t have to wait long for Megan’s reply.

  “Heat Feet,” Megan replied simply. Ashley laughed at her friend. It was far past time for them to go paint the town red together, like they used to in college, and Ashley was happy to go along with any of Megan’s plans. Megan continued, “It’s that new Salsa dance club.”

  Ashley responded, “I’ll put on my red dress and my favorite shoes with the red soles and meet you there!”

  “See you soon - I’ll head there straight after work.”

  Ashley turned her phone over on her desk and finished the last document review, all the while knowing Megan was struggling to keep her mind on her work and not on the handsome men she hoped to see at Heat Feet.

  Several hours later, Ashley was in her apartment, surrounded by cans of hairspray, tubes of mascara, and bold red lipstick that matched the dress she had splayed out across her bed. She didn’t work as late as Megan did, so she took her time getting ready and hoped she still didn’t beat her friend to the club. The last thing Ashley wanted was to show up alone to a dance club with her two left feet in tow.

  When she was satisfied with her look - eyes shaded dark, hair curling softly down her back, and red dress hugging every inch between her collarbone and the tops of her thighs - Ashley ducked out of her apartment, checking her phone for directions to the new dance club. She saw the address on West 54th Street. She laughed; It was near the Iguana. Ashley knew that if all went according to Megan’s spur-of-the-moment plan, they would be dancing their way down West 54th Street and being tossed out of a club at closing time.

  Ashley scurried through the throng on the sidewalk to meet up with Megan at the appointed hour. She could feel the beat of the music a half block away. The city was alive, and she was excited to be a part of it. It would be a night to remember, Ashley was sure of it. Megan had always been the instigator of their memorable adventures. Ashley had been the anchor that kept Megan from making monstrously bad decisions, and Megan had been the scrofulous influence that had kept Ashley from being a stick in the mud. The two of them made a good pair. Ashley made a mental note to ensure they saw each other more.

  Ashley knew Megan’s plan was to drag her to Heat Feet’s infamous dance floor whether Ashley complained about her lack of dance skills or not. If she bumped into a cute guy, stumbling over her own feet, then all the better. Megan was born into a family of matchmakers, and she couldn’t wait to push Ashley into the line of love’s arrow... again. She didn’t mind watching love blossom from the sidelines.

  Ashley found Megan twirling the umbrella in her drink and looking around the room, sizing up potential hookups for Ashley and herself. Ashley settled onto a tall stool beside her friend and looked out at the swirl of dancing pairs, gliding over a colorful dance floor beneath softly glowing lights. One handsome man in particular caught her eye.

  His red silk shirt was rolled up to reveal muscular forearms, and the way he moved his hips made the hard planes of his stomach visible through the clinging fabric. He was by far the best dancer she had ever seen, but he definitely knew that - evidenced by the way he was smiling at the sea of fans that was watching him from the edge of the dance floor.

  Ashley couldn’t stop watching him as he quickly moved his feet in time to the beat, his pale skin flushed with exertion. He must have felt her watching, because his eyes found hers. He looked away quickly, but his eyes kept darting back to her, almost like he couldn’t help himself. Finally, with a grin, he held her gaze and winked at her. Ashley’s olive skin blushed a deep shade of red. He wove his way across the dance floor to her table, effortlessly keeping his feet shuffling in time with the music. “May I have this dance?” he asked with an exaggerated bow before her.

  Ashley blushed to the roots of her hair. “Uh,—”

  Megan interrupted her and shoved her off her chair. “Of course she will. She’s delighted to learn salsa with such an excellent dancer.”

  Ashley glared at Megan. “But, I don’t—” her words were swept away as the man gently took her hand and grinned devilishly as he led her to the dance floor.

  He quickly understood why Ashley had been daintily sitting on the sidelines, but he was patient, and seemed to find her lack of skill endearing. “Just follow my lead,” he said, his voice smooth and foreign.

  His charisma enveloped Ashley. His cologne and musky scent intoxicated her. She couldn’t look away from his eyes as she copied the sway of his hips, the freedom of his arms. She could only feel the rhythm and move with it. She was caught up in the man, the music, and the dance’s repetitiveness. The man, who Ashley learned was named Sasha, led her expertly as he put the moves and cues on her hands and in the small of her back.

  Sasha pulled her in close and held her for a dip. Megan, who was watching from the sidelines, looked a little speechless at the way Ashley and the mysterious dancer moved together, unable to keep their eyes off one another.

  Ashley became the envy of all the other single ladies in the club. Sasha was their prize, and it was obvious that Ashley was the winner.

  Sasha knew everyone was watching, so he pulled Ashley to a secluded table in the corner, never letting go of her hand. She felt a little guilty at abandoning Megan, but a quick glance showed her that her friend, who was laughing sensuously at a brunette at the bar, was doing just fine.

  “You sure got the hang of that fast,” Sasha commented after he waved down a waiter.

  “I had an excellent teacher.” Ashley smiled at him. Her face was flushed with excitement and exertion, but she now realized that maybe salsa was something she could really get into – especially if someone as handsome and talented as Sasha was her partner.

  The waiter returned with two fruity drinks, piled high with garnish and rimmed with salt. The icy taste was a welcome refresher after dancing
for so long.

  “You know, I didn’t expect to be any good when you pulled me off my stool.”

  “Yes, what happened to those two left feet of yours?” Sasha asked with a chuckle.

  Ashley laughed and lifted her right shoe displaying the signature red sole. “It seems I’m here with a right foot after all.”

  Sasha smiled. “Indeed you are. Will you be bringing both those feet back here again?”

  “I think I can put that on my calendar,” she said, looking up at him through thick lashes.

  “Next Friday night?” he asked with the lift of his glass.

  “Next Friday it is,” she agreed and lifted her glass as well.

  Chapter Two

  Facebook Friends

  Sasha had made a lasting impression on Ashley. The next morning, he was all that she could think about. She spilled her coffee because she was sashaying across the kitchen floor, pretending that she was still in his arms. She cleaned up the mess with a smile on her face. If one night was making her this giddy, she could only imagine what it would be like to really know him and spend time with him.

  She hoped her morning run would help her clear her head. Ashley put her hair up in a tight bun and fastened it. She laced her tennis shoes and took off out the door, letting the bustle of New York City distract her from her thoughts, but it was no use. She was comparing every man to Sasha, and every woman in red brought her mind back to the dance floor. As her feet pounded against the pavement and she dodged commuters and dog-walkers, Ashley could only hope that Sasha was thinking of her as much as she was thinking of him.

  ON THE OTHER SIDE OF the city, Sasha woke up with the woman from the night before on his mind. He couldn't quite put his finger on why Ashley had gotten under his skin so quickly. But after he had seen her sitting on that barstool on the edge of the dance floor, soft curves beneath a sinfully red dress, he knew he would not be able to resist her.

  He jumped into the shower and drifted back to the moment that he pulled her snugly into his embrace for a dip. A slow smile graced his lips. There was something about her that was different from the other women at the club. The fact that she had been brave enough to dance with him even though she had no experience made her even more enticing, especially now that he knew she had natural talent.

  He shook off the sweet memory and finished his morning routine. He checked his watch. He was ten minutes ahead of schedule. He lingered over his coffee before stretching and walking out the door. For the first time in longer than he cared to remember, he was smiling as he began his daily jog.

  ASHLEY’S PHONE BEEPED with the tone for Facebook notifications. Ordinarily at work she would have ignored her phone, but her mind wasn’t on anything but Sasha and dancing, so she turned her phone over and looked at it.

  Butterflies zipped through her stomach when she saw his name. Without hesitation, she accepted his friend request. “Mmmm, best looking new friend I’ve got,” she murmured to herself as she scrolled down his page.

  She gasped, immediately stopping her browsing and zooming in on one of Sasha’s tagged photos. Someone had posted a photo of the two of them dancing together! And, if she hadn’t known that it was herself in the photo, she would have thought the photo was the screenshot of a sexy couple from a movie. But, there was no mistaking her profile in the photo.

  She continued to browse his photos, but her smile quickly slipped away. There were lots of photos with beautiful women in skin-tight dresses, always at clubs or competitions. Sasha must be a professional dancer. Even though the only claim Ashley had on him was one amazing night and a friend request, she still felt jealous of the women in the pictures.

  Ashley’s profile prowling was interrupted by the ding! of a new Facebook message.

  “Hi, what are you up to?” Sasha had written.

  Ashley’s heart leapt into her throat, and she tried not to seem too eager as she typed out her reply. “Working but not really. You?”

  “Same,” read Sasha’s response. Ashley hoped that meant he had been as distracted all morning as she had been.

  Sasha’s next message was quick. “Are you thirsty? What’s your favorite drink?”

  Ashley barely had to think through her reply. “Diet Dr. Pepper. And you?”

  “Well it used to be ginger ale, but now it’s whatever I drank last night that led me to you.”

  Ashley bit back her smile.

  “Cheesy,” she typed.

  “But it made you smile, didn’t it?”

  She didn’t even try to hide her grin. Ashley replied with a few emojis, and Sasha kept up his barrage of seemingly random questions, just trying to get to know her. She told him about her disastrous childhood ballet lessons, her favorite burger joint in the city, her sweet younger sister Bailey, and what kind of dessert she would bring to a deserted island. For every question she answered, he gave his response as well, and Ashley found herself quietly chuckling at his replies. Sasha was from Russia, and his opinion of the American hamburger was particularly contentious. He had moved to New York a few months prior to pursue dance, a talent he had been honing since he was a child.

  With everything new Ashley learned, Sasha became more and more endearing. She wanted to know everything about him. She wasn’t even sure she could make it to Friday without seeing him, but she knew if she talked to him as often as she wanted to, those end-of-quarter reports would become end-of-year reports.

  “Meet you at Strike for our salsa date night?” he asked.

  “What happened to Heat Feet?” Ashley replied.

  “I’m trying to impress you - let me take you somewhere you’ve never been before.”

  Ashley couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face.

  “Meet you there,” she texted back. She pushed herself out of her chair and twirled around the office.

  Ashley and Sasha continued to chat, though Ashley tried her best to limit it to when her job gave her downtime. The days that had seemed to drag were flying by now that the two were just fingertips away from one another through the phone.

  Chapter Three

  Dancing at Strike

  Sasha arrived early and waited for Ashley outside Strike. She walked up to him in her black dress and strappy red heels, loving the way his eyes skimmed over her body. He smiled seductively as he led her into the bar.

  Ashley had never been to a dance club quite like it. The floors were glossy, dark wood and the bar was lit with classy warm lights. The dance floor was illuminated by sultry red lights that made all the couples swinging together look mysterious and magical.

  They also all looked like they knew what they were doing. Ashley halted at the edge of the dance floor, her heart hammering. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of Sasha or all these experienced dancers.

  Sasha could feel her hesitation, and he reached for her hand and caressed her palm with his thumb. Ashley bit back a sigh as the swirling of his thumb lit a fire deep within her soul. She turned to him, taking in his confident smile and dark hair that glowed in the red light, and knew she could trust him to lead her through the moves, just as he had before.

  He turned to face her with a half bow. “May I have this dance?”

  Ashley smiled and nodded with a curtsy. “Lead the way.”

  Sasha did just that. He led her to the center of the small dance floor and pulled her in close as the bachata music filled the air. Ashley was right to trust him - as the night wore on, she grew more comfortable with her partner, allowing him to dip and swing and twirl her with abandon. His hands slid over the sides of her body as she swayed her hips from side to side, tracing her curves and encouraging her softly as she grew more and more comfortable with her dancing skills. Everywhere he touched burned her skin, and she felt more alive than ever. They danced the entire night away, scarcely missing just one dance to sit it out for a breather.

  All night, all Ashley could think of was more, more, more. So when the club closed and Sasha escorted her to a cab, she was e
cstatic when he said, “I’d like to call you later?”

  “I’d like that,” she said, biting her lip to hide just how much she liked it. She plugged the numbers he recited to her into her phone and let him help her into the cab.

  Right before he shut the door, Sasha leaned in to press a soft, lingering kiss to Ashley’s cheek. She felt her eyes go wide with shock, heat flooding through her body from the place his lips touched her skin, and watched him shut the car door and grow smaller as she drove away.

  Chapter Four

  Nothing to Wear!

  Ashley woke early the next morning to a text alert. Sasha was already up and planning for their next date.

  “Good morning.”

  “Good morning,” she texted back. She yawned and stretched, waiting for her phone to buzz again. She took the time to examine her body for soreness: the moves she had performed last night were not those her body was accustomed to. Despite all the lunges, spins, and quick footwork that salsa dancing required, Ashley found she wasn’t sore at all. Maybe she really was a natural.

  She was smiling when Sasha’s reply came in.

  “Can I see you today?”

  Ashley’s smile widened, her heart leaping at the thought of someone like Sasha wanting to be with her.

  “What did you have in mind?” she wrote back. She half-hoped his answer would be inviting her to his apartment, but wasn’t that disappointed when he responded with a different idea.

  “Want to go to the movies? There’s a new comedy I think you’ll really like.”

  That must mean he was thinking about her, if he thought it was a movie Ashley would enjoy. She quickly typed out an enthusiastic “yes,” and the two made plans to meet at a theatre in Times Square at eight o’clock. Her whole day was rearranged now that she had to prepare herself for a date with Sasha. She couldn’t get any work done, instead trying to imagine what sitting beside him in a darkened theatre for two hours would feel like. Ashley wrestled over the decision of what to wear to a movie date. He had seen her dolled up twice in her favorite sexy dresses, but she was beyond the teen angst years of dressing up for a movie.