Reasons To Dance

Hearing the music, Ethan slowed nearing their resting place. The closed door muffled the sounds of the music within causing it to sound almost tinny. He could also hear the elevated heart rate of his wife dancing in time to the music. With a hint of a smile, he entered causing her to pivot to face him. He liked that she always came to greet him, and he placed his usual triad of kisses on her face as she continued to breathlessly sway in time to the music. Sitting on the plush fur rug that covered the corner of the room, Ethan motioned for her to continue and kicked back to watch her bounce about the room.

Rather than her usual unfocused bouncing, Brit circled the room walking in time with the music. Her eyes never left his and she started to dance again while wondering why he did not ask her to dance. Her dark, sooty lashes framed her mossy green eyes and she held his gaze while starting to sway. Ethan watched. He noticed her hair moving in a sine-wave rather than bouncing against her back. Her fingers and toes were gracefully positioned and her body moved fluidly. “Has Larissa been dancing with you of late,” he asked. Brit shook her head and told him that she had not danced with Larissa since before Abby was born.

His thoughts returned to when he saw her dancing slowly in the shower. Tonight, her dancing was not so slow, but it maintained a level of sensuality that caught him by surprise. Brit swayed and ran her hands through her hair brushing it back just moments before turning to look at him again from over her shoulder. She held this position and moved her hips before bringing her arms up the wall. She pressed against the wall and repeated the motion before pushing away to turn and lean against it with her back. Ethan’s finger pressed against his lips silently watching her. Brit peeled herself away from the wall and shuffled left and right across the room. Tilting his head, he changed the word “shuffled” to “strutted.” He observed her with no little interest. How did she learn to move so? And if someone did not teach her, how did she learn to move like this. Observing her body, he could envision her stomach muscles moving beneath her clothing. “Baby, why do you dance tonight?”

The question caused her to stop her dance. Her music player continued and the singers chanted in unison, “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir.” Ethan blinked hard and was tempted to give an answer. His finger pressed harder against his lips to prevent his mouth from opening or closing while he wanted for her response. She pondered, “Um…what reasons are there to dance?”

Her response caused him to grin and he turned off the blaring rendition of Lady Marmalade sung by a quartet of women. His grin faded as he realized that Brit mouthed the rest of the stanza which indicated that she knew the rest of the words. Momentarily sidetracked, he wondered whether she understood the meaning and his eyes rounded as she continued to sway to the song now silenced. “Well, Brit, people dance at ceremonies and for rituals. They dance to celebrate and for entertainment. Some dances even tell stories.” He watched as she processed and noted that she continued to sway. Ethan did not add that dance was sometimes used to show feelings toward another and was linked to more physical pleasures in some cultures.

She slowed down her motion. Turning, she walked toward him slowly and said with a soft lisp, “Maybe..I dance for you, Ethan.”

Ethan looked up quickly wondering whether his baby beloved was developing the ability to read his thoughts. When Brit reached the rug, she slid to her hands and knees playfully advancing toward him as if she were a stalking kitten. Finding his voice, he said, “Maybe you dance for me?”

She continued her slow crawl toward where he was sitting. Her hair was slightly dragging across the rug and she reached toward him. His hand met hers and used it to pull closer. “I dance for you, Ethan.” Speechless, he touched her hair and her cheek. “Since you are not dancing with me…I dance for you,” she whispered. Ethan’s fingers barely moved as he considered her response. He pulled her dark mahogany hair from her neck where it was pasted to the light sheen of sweat. She watched silently. He could smell her light scent and hear her heartbeat that was starting to slow.

His touch and the cool air on her neck caused Brit to close her eyes and tilt her head. Ethan pulled her closer and stroked her throat. Brit paused to press the button that turned the music on again. Etta James’ full voice pumped from the small speakers. Brit pulled off Ethan’s jacket as Etta bellowed, “Baby, take off your coat……real slow.” Ethan kicked off his shoes at Etta’s second line.

((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xNE54tr4cU))