Chapter 7

The evening went on quite well with Claire and I performing our demonstrations, and then Jimmy taking over for the rest of the hour. While dancing, I talked to Claire about learning more than Jimmy had asked of us and she asked, “What specifically do you want to learn, X-man?”

I spoke to her quietly, “There’s a very difficult dance called the Quickstep. It’s much more challenging than anything we have learned so far, but it looks like fun. I want to learn it without anybody knowing it. I will call you to arrange a time, all right?”

“OK X. That sounds like fun. Besides the Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep, what other ballroom dances are there?” Claire quizzed.

“Well Claire, there are the Cha-Cha and Tango which are coming up next. Besides all of those, there’s the Viennese Waltz, Polka, Samba, Rhumba, Jive and ... uh, oh yeah, the Paso Doble. I think I forgot one or two, but I will go online and check.”

“Are we going to learn all of those this summer? That’s a lot of different dances that probably all have a bunch of distinct steps to them.”

“Don’t worry, if I can learn it, I can teach it to you. I was going to ask Jimmy about that next week. Oh, exactly when is the Summer Memories dance?” I asked again.

“Not this Saturday, but the Saturday after that,” she explained.

“Cool. When you first asked me, I was a bit nervous, but now I have gotten so confident in my dancing — I can’t wait for it. My mother got me the coat along with a blue dress shirt and a deep red tie. We’re going to look as good as we dance, Beautiful.”

Brian’s mother stayed and watched this week. She was interested in seeing how well her son was progressing. To be honest, I don’t watch Brian and Susan as much as I look into the brown eyes of the redhead that I love! Did I just use the L word?

As the tone sounded that ended our hour of Cotillion, Jimmy made an announcement, “Next week, at some time during the evening, I will expect each of you to find a different partner for one dance.”

I asked Claire to go and find Susan. She did, knowing exactly what was on my mind. Susan came up to me dragging Brian with her, “Yes, Charles — I will dance with you next week. Is that all right with you, Brian? Claire?”

Claire said putting her hand up on her forehead like a southern belle, “If Charles is going to cheat on me, it might as well be with my best friend!”

Giggles abounded.

Brian OK’d it with the proviso, “No googly-eyes with my girl. You understand me, Charles?” he said with a fake punch to my face and a big smile.

“Brian,” I asked, “Did you get the green shirt and a coat for the upcoming school dance?”

“Got the shirt, but my mom is holding out until I stop growing to buy me a nice coat,” he answered. “I may yet end up taller than you, Charles!”

Shirley came up to us and told us it was time to go.

“I’ll call you tomorrow about practicing that dance we talked about Claire.”

“Bye, X — until we meet again.” She kissed me. I must be getting a little used to it because I didn’t feel myself blush. The moment we separated, I started to ache.

On the way home, Brian turned to me and asked, “Which dance were you talking about with Claire?”

“Just wanted to work on the Foxtrot steps a little. We fumbled on some of our transitions,” I said meekly.

“You know, Charles,” my best buddy remarked, “I’m getting excited about the Summer Memories dance. I was scared shitless when we were first asked by the girls, but now.”

“BRIAN!” his mother projected from the front seat, “Language!?”

“Sorry Mom,” he responded.

As I got out, I turned and said, “Bye, Flemings.”

Mom was sitting on the sofa, knitting and watching TV. Yep, that’s how she relaxes, by knitting, unless she is cooking.

“Hello, X.”

“MOM!”

“How was the future Charles & Claire Newman Cotillion, tonight?”

“Now, you have got us married, and running the cotillion? Well, I guess our first girl could be Sarah Antoinette, our second could be Sally Claire, while our boys could possibly be, Brian or Richard?”

“That sounds like you have given that some thought, Charles?” she said, sounding a bit concerned.

“No, Mom,” I said laughing, “Just rambling off the top of my head. It’s kind of fun actually thinking about what could be. Maybe Kalista Anne instead?”

“That little girl has gotten under your skin a little, hasn’t she?” she remarked getting back to her knitting.

“When I first met her, I immediately thought that she could have been my sister so easily,” I said sitting and coming to tears.

Mom answered, her eyes moistening as well, “I know, Charles. I wish you had a little sister, too.”

Standing back up, I put out a hand and asked, “Mrs. Newman, would you care to dance?”

“Why Mr. Newman, I would love to. What music are we dancing to?”

“How about “Moon River?” I offered.

“Oh Charles. If I were only twelve years old again.” She responded putting down her knitting.

I started humming the song, while starting the song and dropping it back in my shirt pocket and we danced.

I am almost as tall as her, but I am able to hold her and see her pretty face as we danced together.

The song continued on. Mom leaned her head on my chest until it was over. When it ended, we bowed and curtsied to each other, and I said, “I can’t thank you enough for sending me to Cotillion, Mom. I have become more confident. I found something I really enjoy doing, and I may have found the girl I end up with. I love you.”

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks. It is the east and Antoinette is the sun!”

She responded,

“O Charles, Charles.

Wherefore art thou, Charles?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name.

Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love

And I will no longer be a Moynihan.”

Laughing together for a moment I took her hand and softly kissed it, saying, “Goodnight, my fairest Antoinette.”

“Goodnight, my sweet Charles.”

I woke up the next morning to hear my mother speaking somewhat loudly, “The phone, Charles. Pick up the phone — it’s your fair lady.”

“Hello, this is Charles?” I answered, rubbing my face with my other hand forcing myself to be ready to talk to my girl.

“Hey, X.”

“Hey ... you!”

“I thought you were going to call me?” she said.

“I was. I just hadn’t completely woken up yet,” I admitted.

“Ohhh, did I wake you? I’m sorry. You can go back to sleep?”

“No, No, No, No, no ... that’s OK; I’m up now,” I said scratching my head feeling a dull pain.

“Well?” she said.

A pause.

“Well? What?”

Now, that was a pregnant pause.

“What are your plans for today?” she asked.

“Oh. I hadn’t ... given any thought to it, yet. My eyes are still coming into focus.”

“What time do you want me to come over, so we can work on this new dance you want to teach me?”

“Hold on CC,” I put the phone down and ran downstairs to my mom in the kitchen, “Claire and I wanted to practice a new dance. Can she come over?”

She looked at her watch and said, “Sure. I can take her home when you’re finished. I wanted to check out this new Junior High School you two are all agog about.”

“Perfect Mom, can we look at it too?”

“Sure. Get back on the phone. Never keep a girl waiting on the phone ... Ever!”

Chuckling, I said, “Sure Mom.” I ran back up the stairs skipping two steps with every stride.

“Hey. I’m back. Sorry? I was talking to my mother.”

“Well?”

“Yeah, Come on over any time? We can start work on the Quickstep and then tackle the Cha-Cha and Tango until we’re tired of it. After that, we will take you home by way of Independence Junior High.”

“Great X. See you in about thirty minutes.”

“Bye, pretty girl.”

Mom had walked into my room saying, “She’s already got you wrapped around her little finger, hasn’t she, Honey?”

“What’s wrong with that, Annie? There are worst things that could happen. Leave, I need to take a quick shower before she gets here!”

I showered, brushed my teeth and tongue, sprayed my pits, and got into some comfortable clothes, and waited outside for Claire. She arrived in a very expensive looking car, a Mercedes Benz, I believe.

After opening the door for her, getting a peck on the lips, I walked around to her father and said, “My Mother and I will bring her home, Sir. Is that all right with you?”

“No problem, Son. Someone will be home all day — there’s no hurry.”

He drove off.

Walking inside with her on my arm, I said, “You look nice, Claire.”

“You say that as though you weren’t expecting me to, Charles,” she replied.

“Sorry, I can tell right now I won’t win this discussion. Let’s go inside.”

“OK X. Hello, Mrs. Newm ... Annie.”

“Hello Claire. What are you two up to today?”

“Mom. It’s kind of a secret for Cotillion,” I responded.

“Well, all right. I will gather intelligence and we can reconnoiter later,” she responded.

“Huh?” we both said to her in confusion.

“Have fun you two,” she smiled and left.

“I like your mom, Charles, she’s really neat,” Claire said with a grin.

“Yeah, she’s kind of cool most of the time. When I can make sense out of what she’s talking about?”

We went to the living room, that I had made large enough to dance in. I explained to Claire that the Quickstep was different from anything we had yet done. I also suggested to her we would take things as slow as necessary.

I described the first step, Quarter Turn to Right, as slow — quick - quick — slow. This took some time for us both to get.

After about a dozen or so tries at it, we finally got it — sort of. Next up, were the Progressive Chasse and Checked Chasse. Again, it was also a bit of a struggle for us at first, but we persevered and eventually got it. We practiced these three steps for about forty minutes and decided to take a break.

As soon as I said “Break,” mom entered with refreshments saying, “That sounds very difficult, whatever it is your learning.”

“If you can keep it a secret, we will tell you.”

“I can keep a secret. Your father didn’t know I was pregnant with you until I was almost five months along, young man!”

This made Claire laugh out loud.

Claire spoke, “It’s called the Quickstep, Annie. I often hear on TV dance shows that it’s easy to learn, but really difficult to master.”

“The Quickstep! They plan on teaching twelve-year-olds how to Quickstep? That’s a difficult dance for even adults to learn. Why on earth are you trying to learn something so difficult?” mom asked.

“Actually, it’s all your fault, Annie!”

There was a long pause in the room.

“Explain yourself, Buster,” she said with a sly grin.

“Well, you said there were colleges that let you specialize in dance.”

“That’s right. I did. So?”

“Well, I thought Claire and I should ‘Learn ahead, way ahead’ and be prepared for when it’s ‘officially’ taught to us.”

“Are you sure you are only twelve, young man?” Mom said, looking at me with a cocked head for a minute.

“I don’t know anymore, Mom. With both a beautiful mother and an equally attractive girlfriend — I feel much more confident, and older these days.”

Claire broke the short silence with, “When’s your birthday, Charles?”

“The day after the Summer Memories Dance, Claire — July 28th.”

“Oooh! My birthday is only five days before that; July 23rd. Maybe we could have a BBQ on that Sunday in between the two birthdays? Daddy certainly loves to have BBQs.”

Mom came back into this conversation with, “That’s fine, Claire. We’re planning on having a special dinner for Charles. Would you like to join us for Charles’ Birthday Party?”

“Mother!” I said berating her a little, “Could you leave us alone for a moment, please?”

With a flourish, my mother said in a French accent, “I believe I have overstepped my authority, Mon’ Capitan,” she saluted us and left.

I sat down next to Claire first taking both of her hands and saying, “I was going to ask you over for my birthday, but I guess my mom beat me to it? Could you please come over? Brian will be here. I told him to ask Susan. No dancing, I promise! Unless you want to?”

“I would love to, although I will have to ask my parents, but they will say ‘Yes.’ What do you want for your birthday, anyway?” she asked me with a slight tremor in her voice.

My voice seemed to drop in timbre as I spoke, “You! All I want, is for you to be there, Claire.”

I found myself getting very emotional.

I knew what was about to happen before she even did it right on my lips. This kiss lasted nearly a full minute. I am starting to get used to this. Is that a good thing?

“It won’t be as fancy as one of your BBQs,” I offered as we separated our lips from each other.

“Let’s practice the Quickstep some more. We can do it better,” Claire said getting up and pulling me by the hand. She cleaned my lips and re-glossed hers.