Chapter 17: Céleste

“The competition has two parts, the Ballroom dances and the Latin dances. You get to choose two of each. There’s the Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Foxtrot, and the Viennese Waltz for ballroom and the Cha-Cha, the Samba, the Rumba, the Paso Doble, and the Jive in the Latin dances,” she explained. “We have to determine which ones are your strongest and work on them. We don’t have much time as the qualifier is in three weeks.”

“Whoa! Hang on there! What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you and me dancing in the Senior division of the World Ballroom Championships. The next qualifying competition is in three weeks. If we win there, we go to Blackpool,” she explained some more.

“Who said I was going to dance in a competition?” I asked.

“Cynthiana said you might if I asked you real nice,” she replied as she stepped into my personal space.

I just stood there thinking. Did I want to take on something this time consuming and physically demanding right now?

Jeanne raised her eyes to look at me with a hopeful expression on her face.

“Why don’t we have something to eat and you can tell me about yourself?” I suggested.

“It’s just nine o’clock. We can’t eat lunch this early,” she said.

“I was referring to breakfast. I haven’t had anything to eat today and I need the energy,” I countered.

“Well, okay then. But I ate breakfast already,” she replied.

“Then drink some juice while you tell me about this dance stuff. How long have you been dancing?” I asked as I led her to the kitchen. Somebody saw me and soon there was coffee in front of me and breakfast on the way. Meanwhile, Jeanne told me about dancing.

“I started dancing when I was five and loved it. Mostly ballet and tap and stuff. Recitals and a few talent shows each year. When I was twelve, I started studying ballroom, but it was hard without a partner. We only got to dance with someone else at class once a week, and then it was usually other girls.

Then when I started ninth grade, we moved to Fort Lauderdale, and I found this retired ballroom dancer to give me private lessons.”

“Fort Lauderdale?”

“Yeah. I’ve lived all over Florida. I was born in Orlando, moved to Miami, then Fort Lauderdale, and then to Jacksonville. My dad’s company builds stuff for big ships. He used to do stuff for the Navy, but now it’s mostly for mega yachts,” she said.

“How did you end up in Paris?” I asked.

“My dad is originally from here but he met and fell in love with my mom at the French Open and then followed her back to Florida. They had me and then got a divorce so she could travel around and play tennis. My dad’s the one who raised me,” she supplied. “Then when I was fourteen, dad sold his company and we moved here so he could work with Cynthiana. Some top secret stuff for the French Navy. Cynthiana helped dad get the contract.”

“So tell me about winning this Junior World title,” I said.

“Well, when we moved here, Daddy was working these really long hours, so Cynthiana helped me to find someone to teach me ballroom. Roberto is the one who paired me up with Marcus and he coached both of us through the Junior Worlds and we won. Then Marcus cracked his spine goofing off on his neighbors dirt bike last Thanksgiving and I lost my partner. I’ve been looking for one ever since.”

She stopped and looked at me with a gleam in her eye.

“Until yesterday. That’s when I found you. You are the first boy that has ever been able to keep up with me. And I have auditioned dozens. I called Roberto last night and he said if you would do it, he and Giselle would coach us. Daddy will pay for it, all you have to do is say you’ll try.”

Cynthiana!” I called out loudly. The girl from the kitchen came out.

“I will call her, Monsieur,” she said and disappeared back into the kitchen.

While we waited I looked at Jeanne. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail again. This time she had a cloth headband encircling her head to catch the sweat. She wore a thin summer top with spaghetti straps that didn’t reveal much except for two small raised points. And white short-shorts that showed off her long tanned legs. I decided that she had an athletic build and was in great physical shape, probably from all the dancing. She wore the same dancing shoes from yesterday.

“Why was my heart beating so hard?” I wondered to myself.

The most captivating thing about Jeanne was her face. It lit up when she was happy, and she was happiest when she was dancing. I didn’t know how she ranked, talent-wise, but her drive and her enthusiasm had to account for a great deal.

“You need me, Alex?” Cynthiana asked when she came in the room.

“Tell her,” I motioned to Jeanne. Then I got up to get more coffee from the sideboard. I also brought Cynthiana a cup.

When Jeanne finished, Cynthiana looked at me.

“Go study your sailing books, Alex. Jeanne and I have to talk.”

And that’s what I did.

I was lying on my bed with three different books spread out around me and a piece of line in my hands trying to tie all the different sail hitches, when someone knocked on the open door.

“Come in,” I told Jeanne

“Cynthiana and Isabella said I should kiss you before I make up my mind about dancing with you,” she said. “But I don’t understand why.”

“I could try to explain, but it would be simpler to show you,” I replied.

“You’re not going to shock me or something,” she asked.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed.

“No, Jeanne. I will not hurt you. In fact if you don’t like it, you can walk out at any time.”