Diva Dismayed: Chapter 11 – At the hop
Rachel had been correct in her guess about the lack of partners male. The mere sprinkling of masculine faces around the room bore out her surmise. As might be expected, women who were partnered with men were intent on keeping them on a tight rein in the presence of so much female competition. That left just one or two free spirits who were all that our immediate circle were left to contend for. Notwithstanding this deficiency the girls at our table appeared to be happy with their fate even if for the bulk of the evening they were limited to dancing with each other. They did so with evident enjoyment. The music was up-beat, exclusively fifties rock and roll and the dance floor was never empty.

After a time one of the young women in our party was asked to dance by one of the solo guys. After a couple of dances he walked her back to our table and then to my surprise he invited me to dance with him. I walked out with mixed feelings. I didn’t know the guy so I was a little nervous at dancing with a stranger. The girls exchanged glances and rolled their eyes meaningfully at me, but it was quite something to be the one asked out from among so many available partners. That aspect made me feel good. Now perhaps I would be no longer be regarded as the baby of the group! I have to confess that these sentiments were tinged with disappointment because… well I had been hoping that Harvey would be there. No particular reason. I just wanted to dance with someone I knew, that’s all!

My new partner proved to be an agreeable enough dancer and I soon picked up how to follow his leads. Becoming absorbed in the dance was something I always found really satisfying. I had to concentrate and there was little opportunity for conversation. That was just as well as the guy’s attempts were pretty limited. I smiled my best smiles to encourage him but he soon ran out of ideas. In any case my tight undergarment didn’t leave me much breath for chatting. The usual two numbers were over too quickly for me and I was left wanting more but like the other ‘females’ there, I had to be content when they came to a close.

I thanked my partner demurely before returning to my seat, to be greeted by more teasing from the other girls.

“Ooh! We’ll have to watch her!”

“She’s not as young and innocent as she looks.”

“I reckon it’s just an act she puts on, the little minx!”

I didn’t mind. I actually liked the attention I was getting and could reflect smugly that I was doing as well as any of them.

What surprised me most was that Rachel had remained unasked all this time. In my estimation, she was by far the most attractive woman in the room. Perhaps the perfection of her looks might have made her a little unapproachable, who can tell. She seemed happy enough pairing off with the other girls, and with me as often as any. Each time she and I got up to dance I had the intention of taking the male lead, only to find seconds later that it was she who unaccountably had slipped into that role. I found myself twirling and spinning for most of every dance. Her eyes contained a knowing twinkle while my skirts were flying everywhere whether I liked it or not. It was as if she wanted to show me off to the entire room!

I didn’t really care. Moving in sync with her beautiful body gave me quite a thrill, and the knowledge that I was regarded as her particular friend made me feel special. More surprisingly my friend appeared just as content to dance with me. Perhaps she was consoled by the thought that though nobody realised it, she actually had a male partner for most of the evening. Well more or less male! Who knows, I might be meeting one of her own needs, as much as I was able.

When not dancing ourselves we were well entertained watching some of the other couples, in particular, a young man and his partner from a neighbouring table. They had been among the most stylish on the dance floor all night. Every time they got up their flamboyant moves had drawn oohs and aahs from the onlookers. But later in the evening the girl looked less than happy as she hobbled back to her seat. “Probably a twisted ankle” was the consensus of opinion diagnosed by our immediate circle of medics.

The girl removed her shoe and massaged her sore foot but to no avail. Rather than expressing sympathy, her friend merely looked sulky, making little secret of his frustration when it became clear that any exercise was finished for his partner that evening. He glanced around the room and catching my eye, indicated with a jerk of his head that he was inviting me onto the floor.

I pointed at myself to verify he meant me. He gave a curt nod. Naturally I made no objection at all and got up to dance. Mom had always insisted I appear modest so I tried to look more surprised than I felt as I left the table. After all, I hadn’t done anything to be so singled out. Well, I might have smiled when our eyes had met earlier on. That was all. Unless you include the time when I’d returned to my seat not long before. The speed at which I’d turned around could have been termed a flounce, I guess and it may have caused my hemline to have lifted an inch or two. Okay, perhaps a little more than that, I don’t know. Well, even if it was a lot more, that didn’t actually count as flirting! Did it?

As I walked out I could see his girlfriend looking daggers out of the corner of my eye, but was undaunted. I fancied the prospect of an opportunity to impress my new friends, for one. The guy was really good, and dancing with such an accomplished partner proved to be ‘something else’, in the words of Eddie Cochran, my favourite rock n roller. The time flew by and before I knew it, after three dances I needed a break. They had been the most energetic I’d ever engaged in. Excusing myself breathlessly, I made my way to the powder room to freshen up. I was soon to find trouble meeting me there.

On emerging from the stall, I headed for the sink to wash up. I was joined there by the girl with the sore foot. Her face bore a pained expression as she hobbled towards me and I could tell she was unhappy, most probably with me
.
Indicating her injury, “It’s such a shame for you” I smiled, trying to retrieve the situation by conveying sympathy.

She ignored my remark with a look of disdain.

I persevered. “You and your boyfriend are wonderful dancers.”

If I hoped the compliment might win her over I was disappointed.

“Yes, and if you think you can muscle in just because I’ve hurt myself, you can think again” she almost spat at me.

“I’m sorry” I faltered. “We were only dancing.” My words fell on stony ground.

“Well, you had better remember that and keep it that way.” Her parting shot was fired over her shoulder as she left the restroom. On my own exit I beat a hasty retreat in the direction of my table. I didn’t need to be falling out with strangers. Somewhat chastened I seated myself, trying to hide that anything unpleasant had occurred. Part of me actually felt flattered that the woman regarded me as a rival. If she only knew! Thankfully, only my best friend was in possession of my little secret.

More tension was to follow. At the close of the evening, the MC stood up, resplendent in his evening dress. He announced “There will now take place tonight’s dance competition, with a prize for the best couple. Entrants step forward please!”

Straightaway I heard the words “That’s you and me babe” spoken behind me. I turned my head in surprise to discover that they’d been uttered by my late partner. His laconic invitation was almost the only words he had spoken to me. Before I could respond I was drug unceremoniously out to the middle. I summoned up the courage to glance across the room only to see disapproving faces on his table. His girlfriend regarding me with a look that would have curdled milk. I shrugged at her helplessly but that cut no more ice than I expected. Apparently it had been confirmed that I was regarded as an enemy.

Her boyfriend and I waited in the centre until another couple joined us, then another, and another. I still hadn’t been told his name. Standing there and being so exposed to scrutiny felt very uncomfortable, especially as I knew that some of it was hostile. It seemed an age but eventually the signal to start was given.
Altogether there were a dozen pairs of competitors, by that time.

When the music began we started and I could tell that my companion was really trying. The gyrations I was put through were breath-taking, quite literally. How I regretted wearing the constricting undergarment that I had on. My partner was seriously competitive and before we were through tried every lift and spin I’d ever seen, and some more. I was hard put to it to keep up with him. By the close I was speechless. As I stood there gasping I hoped that I’d acquitted myself as well as anyone could have expected, unrehearsed as our pairing had been.

When the result was announced it turned out we had been ranked in second place. To me that result was intensely satisfying, but my partner was not happy. He returned to his girlfriend with a scowl on his face. Failing to conceal her smiles as she comforted him, she was clearly not too displeased that we hadn’t won. Doubtless she would be able to blame his impromptu partner and assure him that, had she been able to compete instead of me, victory would have smiled on them instead.

When the evening finally ended Rachel and I said our goodbyes and set out on our walk home together. I was tired but very content. For me the evening had been a great success. My friend’s mood was harder to understand. We walked on arm in arm. After a silence between us, the reason became clear.

“Not a single partner!” she shook her head sorrowfully.

I didn’t know what to say.

“I really ought to have known that if you were around I wouldn’t get a look in with the men” she teased. “Upstaged again!”

We laughed but I knew that though intended as a joke, there was a serious element to the remark. I gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze.

She continued “I can see you have nothing to learn about the art of flirting. You little heart-breaker, you!”

“Me?”

“Yes, you! It’s just as well I haven’t got a boyfriend, right now. He wouldn’t be safe for a minute!”

We walked on some more.

“Do you think I scare them off?” she worried.

I could see that this idea was really bothering my friend but was unsure how best to reassure her.

“Not scare them off, exactly” I hazarded. “You know, you look so perfectly stunning that only a really confident guy would feel up to asking you to dance.”

“What? Go on! You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

It was a complete reversal of roles to find that it was my turn to be the one doing the comforting.

“No, I think that is actually quite true. Honestly.” I was serious. “Does it make you feel any better?”

“Perhaps. Not much!” she laughed ruefully. “Well, I won’t lower my standards, even if that should be the case. The trouble with confident guys is that, usually, they’re such jerks.”

We laughed. She hugged me tightly to her then leaned back to look into my eyes. “Thank goodness I’ve got you!”

I’d never felt so close to Rachel. It was a special moment and we walked on a couple of blocks before our talk resumed. There was plenty to discuss about our evening. When we got to the apartment block it was very late so instead of calling the elevator we climbed the stairs.

“Don’t you miss home at all?” she asked when we had reached my floor. I opened my door and invited her inside.

“I do and I don’t” was my qualified answer. “What’s really odd is that recently, besides my mom, the person I’ve been thinking about most is Tom, my little brother. My feelings about Mom are a bit mixed, as you would expect. But Tom! Can you believe it?”

“I can, actually. It would be great to see Chris right now.”

“Well, yes, why wouldn’t you. He’s so…” I stopped myself from adding “gorgeous” just in time. Fortunately my companion seemed too preoccupied to notice, so the teasing about my past feelings for her own younger brother which would otherwise have come my way didn’t materialise. Well why should it? He was just another boy after all!

We continued to reminisce about our home town. It was obvious that my friend was feeling homesick, so I indulged her as much as I was able.

Eventually, “Here let’s get you out of that corset” she offered. The next few minutes were spent undressing me. The degree of intimacy between us seemed natural but when I was down to just my panties I grabbed my robe and loosely wrapped it around me. Next thing was that I found myself enveloped in a prolonged hug. I wasn’t sure whether my friend was crying on my shoulder.

I held her for a while then, trying to lift her mood, I gently suggested “You need something to take your mind off these things. Like… a man. It’s time you had a boyfriend.”

To my surprise, my friend didn’t raise her usual objections. She was in open agreement. “You know, you’re absolutely right.”

She was gazing at me with a wistful look across her pretty features that I found a little disconcerting. I didn’t know what to say or do.

She continued, “It’s that time. You know.”

I understood her meaning at once, recalling an occasion a year ago when the friendship between Rachel and myself had nearly become something more intense. That it hadn’t done so was only thanks to an untimely interruption by my mother. She had told me that there were one or two days each month when one thing preoccupied all her waking thoughts. Today must be one of those days. I broke the awkward pause that ensued. “You know I’d do anything to help.”

My friend regarded me wonderingly. Though I was unsure where we were heading I nodded in confirmation.

Rachel hesitated and then with decision “Turn around for a second.”

Moments later “You can turn back now.”

The light was low but the sight that met my eyes was one that imprinted itself on my brain. Rachel sat reclined on my bed. She was wearing only bra and panties and her eyes seemed to glow hauntingly.

She motioned me to come and sit beside her. “We can’t go all the way of course, but…” she hesitated “do you remember those ‘lessons’ Madeleine used to give you?”

“Vividly!”

“Turn out the light, please. Now let’s see what you learnt!”

Though indeed we didn’t go all the way, the skills I’d been ‘taught’ hadn’t deserted me and before long my bedfellow tensed and uttered that stifled cry. Again it happened. Eventually sleep overtook us.