Time After Time: A heart-warming novel about love, loss and second chances. Hannah McKinnon Mary
How could he not know Patrick Swayze’s name? The man was a god. The way he danced and his American accent were so hot. The first time she saw the film – and the four times after that – she wanted to claw her way into the screen and be Baby. She’d have fought Jennifer Grey with her hands tied behind her back. And she’d have won.
‘Swayze. Yeah, that’s it,’ Chris said. ‘It’s a bit of a girly film, isn’t it?’
‘Girly?’ She sniffed. This was sacrilege. ‘You make it sound crap. And it isn’t. It’s about a girl who meets a guy at a stuffy holiday resort and he teaches her to dance. It’s ace.’ She crossed her arms and stuck out her chin.
Chris’ eyes twinkled. ‘So … it’s not a favourite of yours or anything then?’
Hayley dropped her shoulders. ‘Definitely.’ She smiled. ‘The music’s brilliant and the dancing’s amazing. It’s so cool and –’
Chris nodded and shouted, ‘Give me a minute.’ He walked away.
He’s going. You stupid idiot. You blew it!
Hayley watched him weave his way through the crowd to the DJ and yell something in his ear. They both looked at her, then the DJ nodded.
Oh no, what’s he doing? Telling him he met Little Miss Dull?
She started looking around for Ellen so she could tell her she wanted to leave, but when Yazz’s ‘The Only Way Is Up’ faded and the next record started playing, Hayley recognised it immediately. ‘The Time of My Life’, the Dirty Dancing theme song. Chris stood in front of her and held out his hand, then he leaned in towards her.
‘You said the dancing’s good, yeah?’
She nodded.
‘Show me.’
They moved onto the dance floor and Hayley thought she might throw up. This kind of stuff didn’t happen in real life, at least, not to Hayley. She wondered if it was a dream or some kind of hallucination. Maybe she was actually lying in hospital, running a high fever, or even dying, her family gathered around her, weeping, and all the while she was being whisked off her feet by a demi-god. Or a god. Who was she to tell the difference?
Breathe.
Chris held her hand tightly, an encouraging smile playing on his lips.
Oh help. I’m not dreaming. This is ridiculous. Everyone’s staring …
‘It’s a bit, uh, sexy …’ she said.
‘Show me.’
Hayley placed her right leg between his and moved in close. She took his hands and put them on her waist before slipping her arms around his neck. Then they started moving to the music. A rush of excitement travelled through her body, making her tingle. She realised that, while she could dance well, Chris was far better. He got the moves right away, guiding her, pulling her even closer. Hayley’s pulse quickened.
Oh heck. His crotch is almost touching mine.
Other couples started watching and then copying them, until the room looked like the Kellerman’s resort itself. Hayley couldn’t believe she was dancing with this cool and handsome stranger. She caught sight of Ellen and Mark who were a few feet away.
Ellen winked at Hayley, pointed at Chris and mouthed, ‘Wow.’
The exhilaration kept on going for each new dance. When the slow songs came on, Chris pulled Hayley even closer and she could smell his deodorant and minty breath. She smiled.
This is so much better than standing in a corner. And nobody puts Hayley in a corner.
‘I’m glad we met today,’ he said as they swayed to the music.
‘Me too,’ Hayley whispered as she closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulder.
They didn’t stop dancing until the crowd thinned out, the lights came on and the music stopped. Chris helped Hayley into her coat and they walked up the stairs behind Ellen and Mark, who were holding hands.
‘Right then,’ said Chris, ‘I’d better go. See you next Saturday?’
‘Yes please, that would be ace.’
Oh shut up you pathetic, desperate cow!
Chris grinned, then leaned over, gently put his index finger under her chin and softly kissed her cheek.
‘I’ll look forward to it,’ he said.
Hayley’s legs trembled and she leaned against the wall. As she watched Chris walk away, he turned and winked at her, and the butterflies in her stomach turned into psychotic bats.
Ellen rushed over. ‘Well? Did he kiss you? Did he? What was it like?’
Hayley shook her head. ‘Only on the cheek.’ She sighed. ‘I’m still waiting for my first kiss.’
‘You’ve been kissed before,’ Ellen said, the corners of her mouth twitching.
‘No I haven’t!’
Ellen put her hands on her hips. ‘Oh yes you have,’ she said in a pantomime villain voice.
‘Oh no I haven’t.’ Hayley laughed. ‘Bobby Hill behind the bike sheds doesn’t count. That slimy tongue and his groping hands. Ugh.’
‘Wotcha!’ Mark appeared behind them, making Hayley jump. ‘You were showing Chris some right old moves.’
‘You know him?’ Hayley said.
‘We went to the same comprehensive for a while.’ Mark shrugged. ‘He’s got a bit of a reputation. With the lay-dees.’
Hayley’s heart sank.
Of course he’s a player. He’s probably forgotten me already.
While Ellen and Mark said goodbye with a rather long and very public snog, she sat on the wall, swinging her legs and thinking about what Mark had said. So Chris had a reputation – that was hardly ground breaking news, surely. He was gorgeous, all the girls would be after him, they’d be mad not to. She frowned. There had been dozens of prettier girls at the disco and yet Chris had chosen her, danced with her, only had eyes for her.
Hayley sucked in a lungful of cold air and puffed out her cheeks, then felt herself sit up that little bit straighter with an inch of freshly grown backbone.
Hayley stood perfectly still in Chris’ kitchen, unable to move despite her instincts telling her to get the hell out of there. The steady tick-tock from the clock on the kitchen wall was deafening.
What the … how …? Did I meet Chris somewhere and go home with him?
She shook her head. That wasn’t something she’d do. Maybe she’d spotted Chris on her way home, asked the taxi driver to give him a ride and ended up at his place? She tried forcing her memory but nothing came.
It doesn’t make sense.
Nothing made sense. Cold sweat trickled down her back and the dressing gown stuck to her body, making her shiver, so she pulled it away from her skin.
I need to get back to Rick and the kids. Oh shit.
She’d never cheated on Rick, never even kissed another man since they’d met.