“By all means,” she said. “I’ll wait out front for you.”
When Colin finally exited the locker room, he spotted Maria just outside the doors, talking on the phone. In her sunglasses, she resembled a glamorous fifties-era movie star. She hung up just as he approached.
“That was Serena.”
“Is she all right?”
“She’s having dinner at the house tonight with the director of some scholarship thing, so she’s a bit nervous, but other than that, she’s okay.” She shrugged. “Do you feel better?”
“I feel cleaner. Temporarily, anyway. I’m still sweating.”
She touched his arm. “I’m glad I came. It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be.”
“Are we still on for seven thirty?”
“I hope so,” she said. “And just to warn you, when we go dancing, I might be a little rusty.”
“I wouldn’t worry. It’ll be my first time ever. And Maria?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for coming today. It meant a lot to me.”
As soon as Colin got out of his car, Evan stepped onto the porch holding a plastic shopping bag.
“Here,” he said, holding the bag out. “This is for you. And you owe me some money.”
Colin stopped in front of the porch. “For what?”
“Lily thought you might need something to wear tonight.”
“I have clothes.”
“Don’t blame me. I said exactly the same thing to her. But she’s Lily, and she dragged me through the stores anyway, and like I said, you owe me some money. The receipt is in the bag.”
“What did she buy?”
“It’s actually not as bad as it could have been. I had visions of her selecting something with tassels or bells or whatever, but she didn’t. It’s black slacks, a red button-down shirt, and black shoes.”
“How did she know my size?”
“Because she bought you clothes last Christmas.”
“And she remembered?”
“She’s Lily. She remembers things like that. And would you take the bag, please? My arm is getting tired.”
Colin reached up to take it. “What’s going to happen if I don’t wear them?”
“For starters, you still have to pay me. Then, you’ll also hurt her feelings, which is the last thing you should do after all the dance lessons. And, of course, you’ll have to explain to Lily why you’re not wearing them.”
“How will she know whether I wear them or not?”
“Because she’s here. And she insists that you drop by before you go out. She wants to talk to you.”
At a bit of a loss, Colin said nothing.
“Just wear the damn clothes, all right?”
When Colin still didn’t respond, Evan squinted slightly. “You owe me.”
Colin stood in front of the bathroom mirror, acknowledging that it could have been a lot worse. The shirt was actually more burgundy than red, and though it wasn’t something he would have picked out for himself, it wasn’t half bad, especially with the sleeves rolled up. He’d been planning all along to wear black slacks – more leftovers from his courtroom days – and the shoes were a lot like the ones he already owned, without the scuffs, which meant he’d probably needed a new pair anyway. How Lily had known was beyond him, but he’d long since given up being surprised by anything she did.
In the kitchen, he scribbled out a check to Evan, grabbed his keys, and turned off his lights on the way out the door. Rounding the house, he went up the steps, noting that the door had been left ajar. Pushing it open, he saw Lily and Evan in the kitchen, each holding a glass of wine. Lily set her glass on the counter with a smile.
“Well, aren’t you handsome?” she declared as she approached. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “The color is perfect on you, and I’m certain that Maria will find you quite dashing.”
“Thank you,” Colin said.
“It was my pleasure. And I’m hopeful that you remember everything we practiced. I assume you went through the steps today?”
“Not today.”
“What on earth did you do?”