FRIDAY FREE READ (on Saturday!)

SHALL WE DANCE?

Ross stood at the back of the line.   He couldn't believe Stevie had talked him into this.  He huffed for the tenth time in ten minutes, ignoring the daggers that Stevie shot at him.  He didn't dance - at all - ever.  He had two left feet and no rhythm, so he wasn't exactly dancing material.  Yet here he was, in the line waiting to go into a, he shuddered, ballroom dancing class.  He thought back to the conversation he had had with his best friend - and he used the term “best friend” very loosely – Stevie Peterson, every Thursday for the last three weeks.

”Stevie, I am not going to ballroom dancing classes with you just so you can hit on lonely women.”

”I resent that remark,” Stevie had huffed, ignoring the raised eyebrow that was Ross' only comment. “Come on Ross, please,” Stevie had whined, turning remarkably convincing deeply hurt blue eyes in Ross' direction.  “Just think of all the lonely singletons out there and if you can't think of them, think of me! I'd do the same for you.”

”No you would not,” Ross snorted, running his hands through his hair exasperatedly.  “Doesn't it bother you that if two men turn up – together — for a ballroom dancing class, all the lonely singletons will think you're gay?”

Stevie had pondered this for about a nanosecond before replying, “No – don't be stupid, I'm not pretty enough to be gay.  You on the other hand......” he trailed off.

”I am gay moron.”

Stevie grinned and pointed a finger at him, “Exactly.  Now come on.......please.”

”Oh for God's sake stop looking at me like that, you're gonna make me hurl,” Ross put his hand over Stevie's face and pushed him away from him. “One week.  I will do this for one torturous week, then you can latch on to some poor woman with no taste in men and I'm outta there.”

So that's how he found himself in the line, slouching at the back with Stevie – who had already cast his appraising eye over the women in the group, putting them into categories according to age, height and looks.  Ross rolled his eyes as he watched a small dark-haired woman cast an appraising eye back over Stevie.  He was obviously right about his not being pretty enough theory.  The woman certainly wasn't looking at Stevie like she thought he was gay.  He sighed heavily, huffing his breath out between his lips; he did not want to be here.

Ross picked absent-mindedly at a loose thread in his Zeppelin t-shirt, his brow furrowed above his moss-green, gold-flecked eyes as he concentrated on his task.  He was so intent on what he was doing that he didn't notice everyone else going into the class until a deep voice, with a slight Texan twang to it said close to his ear, “You comin' in dude or what?”

Ross' gazed left at black lace-up shoes, travelling slowly up extremely long and muscled, don't forget muscled, denim covered legs, to a tight black Metallica t-shirt stretched taut across a muscled torso and then up to a heart shaped face, full kissable lips and beautiful tilted hazel eyes, all topped off with a mane of shaggy chocolate coloured curls, falling in disarray to the man's collar.  “Huh?” was about the most intelligent thing Ross could come up with, which wasn't bad when you consider all of his blood had just left his brain and pooled around his crotch area.

Tall, dark and gorgeous nodded his head to the open doorway, “You comin' in to class?”

Ross pushed himself away from the wall and swallowed his mouth suddenly dry. “Erm....yeah – sorry, I was miles away.”

The shaggy mop tilted to one side and the lips curved up in a smile, “Yeah – you looked like it.  Anyway,” he motioned to the door, “shall we dance?”

Ross blushed and quickly strode into the room, his eyes searching for and finding Stevie, still talking to the same dark haired woman from the line.  He sidled up alongside them and shoved his hands into his pockets as hazel eyes closed the door behind him.

“Okay everyone,” he said, clapping his large hands together, “I'm Clay and I'd like to welcome you to ballroom dancing 101.  We're going to be learning the traditional waltz tonight.”  Clay moved over to the stereo system against the wall and switched it on. 

Ross's eyes widened as did everyone else's when the strains of AC/DC and Highway to Hell bounced around the walls.  Clay blushed and smiled apologetically, “Sorry, wrong cd,” he said, turning it off and searching through the pile on the table.  He lifted his head and caught Ross's eye as he put in another cd and Ross couldn't help his lips twitching at the flush on Clay's cheeks.

God! Ross took another good long look at Clay whilst his back was turned.  His lips lifted in an appreciative smile when he saw that Clay was as hot from the back as he was from the front.  The man’s jeans fit him like a glove, his t-shirt rocked up a little in back, showing off the curve of his tight ass.  Clay chose that moment to look up into the huge mirror that covered the wall and his hazel eyes locked with Ross'. He smiled, revealing a row of slightly uneven white teeth as he caught Ross checking him out. 

Ross blushed and lowered his eyes, trying to look anywhere but where his eyes were seemingly drawn to – which looked to be about 6ft 4” of pure muscle packed into the prettiest package he had ever seen.  He snapped out of his drool fest as Clay clapped his hands again and motioned to them all, “Okay everyone, find a partner and then we can get this show on the road.”  He waited until everyone had paired up, everyone except for Ross – who had tried to get Stevie to dance with him.  Stevie had just looked at him like he was nuts and moved a little further away from him, taking the dark haired woman, who was apparently called Kara, by the hand.

Clay grinned, casting his eye up and down Ross' body – making him shift nervously from one foot to the other – until Clay's eyes locked with his.  “Well – looks like it's you and me then,” he drawled, moving across the floor to stand in front of Ross and holding out his hand.  “I'm Clay.”

Ross swallowed hard and shook the hand that Clay held out to him, “Ross,” he mumbled, almost choking on his tongue when Clay slid one of his big hands around his waist, his other hand grabbing Ross' and curling his fingers around it, holding his arm into position. 

“Sorry dude,” he grinned, “you're shorter so you get to be the girl.”  He looked over Ross's shoulder at the rest of the class, “Okay everyone if you could get into position.”

Ross certainly blushed like a girl as Clay smiled down at him, mumbling quietly, “I'm not that much shorter.”  A small gasp left his lips as Clay pulled him in tightly to him, their hips fitting snugly together.

Clay smirked, his hazel eyes filled with a mischievous glint, “Well it would have to be because you're prettier then,” he murmured, loud enough for only Ross to hear.  Ross's eyes locked with Clay's momentarily before Clay addressed the class again, although Ross didn't hear him, because his gay-dar was clanging too loudly in his ears.  “Okay, make sure you have a firm grip on your partner gentleman, for the dance to work you need to be a strong lead.” He waited for the right moment in the song and then counted them in, his hand tightening on Ross's waist as he manoeuvred him around the dance floor. 

“Sorry,” Ross mumbled as he stepped on Clay's foot for the third time in five minutes.  “Not really a dancer.”

Clay grinned, “Yeah, my feet kinda get that.”  He manoeuvred Ross to the left so that they avoided bumping into an elderly couple and tilted his head slightly, “Is that why you came to a class? - Keep your head up Mr Freeman.”  Clay's eyes swept the room as he moved around it with Ross held securely in his arms. 

Ross shook his head, “Good God no,” he blushed, when Clay raised a quizzical eyebrow, “I mean....erm....no, my friend over there,” he nodded towards Stevie – who was busy making goo-goo eyes at Sophia, “talked me into coming because he didn't want to come by himself and he thought it would be a good way to meet women.”

Clay snorted inelegantly as he twirled Ross around, managing to narrowly avoid getting his toes stamped on again, “Well it worked for him – shame you had to dance with me.”

Ross blushed, yet again, inwardly cursing that annoying tendency before muttering, “Not really.”

Clay raised his eyebrows and a slow smile spread across his face, “So you don't like.....” he trailed off.

Ross shook his head, “Nope.  Is that a problem?” His eyes flew to where Clay's fingers were clasped firmly in his.

Clay leaned forward slightly until Ross could feel his breath on his cheek, “Nope.  I don't like 'em much either.”  Ross blushed again as he and Clay continued to move around the floor.

Half an hour later, the class came to an end and Ross had just about managed to grow a set of balls and ask the gorgeous drink of water in front of him out for a coffee, when Stevie grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him with him out the door.  Ross threw a look at Clay over his shoulder, the taller man standing there with his mouth open as if he had been about to say something.  Ross batted at Stevie' hand when he was outside, “What the fuck are you doing?”

“What?” Stevie said confusion in his eyes, “I got Kara's number, we're going out tomorrow night.  What's your problem?”

“My problem?” Ross ground out, “My problem?  My problem is that I've just spent forty-five minutes in the arms of the hottest guy I have ever seen and you dragged me out of there!  Jesus Stevie, do you have any idea how long it's been since I went on a date, never mind had sex?  Of course you do, but it wouldn't have occurred to you to give me a break would it?”  He ran his hands through his hair as he zipped up his jacket and shoved his hands in his pockets.  “I've been tripping over my tongue all evening and then I finally get to the point where I've plucked up enough courage to ask the guy out for a coffee and before I get a chance you.....you......” he sighed heavily.  “Let's just go home.” 

Stevie stood where he was, not moving – staring at a spot over Ross's shoulder.  Ross' face dropped and he felt his cheeks flush hotly, “He's standing right behind me isn't he?”  Stevie nodded slowly, smirking.  “He heard every word I said didn't he?” Stevie nodded again and the smirk grew wider.  Ross swallowed hard, “Even the hottest guy I've ever seen part?” 

“Yep – even that part,” the tall Texan voice drawled behind him.

Ross closed his eyes as Stevie gripped his shoulders and slowly turned him around, muttering in his ear, “Go get him Tiger,” before walking away to his car.

“Hey,” Clay said, smiling softly, “you kinda ran out there.”

“Pulled out really,” Ross replied, nervously shuffling his feet, “Stevie isn't the most subtle of people.”

“I noticed – don't worry, I have a Stevie, his name is Chad. So......” Clay looked down at his own feet, “you think I'm hot?”

Ross flushed, “Erm....yeah.....sorry.”

“Don't apologise 'cos then I'd have to apologise for thinking about kissing you for the last forty-five minutes and I don't want to do that,” Clay grinned widely.  “So......” he bent his head swiftly and captured Ross' lips in a slow, sweet kiss. “How about that coffee?”

Ross smiled and nodded towards the coffee shop up the block, “Shall we?”

Clay grinned, falling into step beside him, their shoulders brushing as they walked, “So Ross, you gonna come back to class next week?  It's the two step,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

Ross chuckled as Clay opened the door of the coffee shop, his big hand warm in the small of Ross' back as they walked in.  Hopefully he'd be seeing a lot more of Clay than his two step.