Chapter 7 - Playing Guess The Twin
Looking at the sign for hot salsa I felt my lips turn into a smile as I stood before the building. I reached for the doorknob and opened the door, feeling the music surround me as soon as I entered. I walked to the spot where my friends were always busy discussing something, and sat down beside them.
"Hey." They all looked at me and smiled, Alyce and Elisa─since they were the closest─both wrapped me in a hug.
"Should we get used to you coming late everyday?" I heard Lexxie ask, a playful expression painting her face. I pulled out my phone from my purse and checked the time.
"I'm on time today Lex!" I mock yelled at her. She chuckled as she waved her hands at me dismissively. The topic of her wedding was immediately brought up as she suggested several ideas, some of which weren't as bad as some of her previous ones─she had suggested an amusement park as the venue one time.
We were all laughing about a remark that Elisa had made toward's Lexxie's crazy plans, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Hey Cadence." I turned around at the sound of a familiar voice and felt my lips turn into a smile as I saw the face of one of the twins.
"Dennis?" I asked, wanting to make sure. To my relief, he nodded his head before offering me his hand. I reached for it and he helped me up.
"I'm sorry for running off like that the other day, something came up," he explained. I shook my head at him and dismissed his apology.
"There's no need to apologise." He smiled at me.
"I enjoyed our little dance." I chuckled at his words─it was definitely not just a little dance.
"Me too." He was about to say something when Ryan entered the room and walked to the front. Immediately, everyone went to their positions but I stayed at the back with Dennis, waiting for my partner.
"Why are you still standing here?" he asked.
"Nate's not here," I replied. He smiled slightly and took my hand in his.
"I'll be your partner for tonight."
I wasn't sure if I should've been happy about it or not. But regardless, I followed him to an open spot before Ryan began to demonstrate the first move. If it was going to be anything like our previous dance, I was prepared to enjoy the class.
We were practising a new slightly more complicated move when Dennis came to a halt. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. After looking at the person who was calling, he looked back to me with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry Cadence but I have to take this, I'll be right back." I slowly nodded my head before he quickly walked out, answering the phone on the way. I stood on the side and watched everyone as they enjoyed the class.
It had been a week since Lexxie had been proposed to, and from the look on the couple's faces, they couldn't be happier. I couldn't stop the smile which formed on my face as I imagined how happy they would be after they were married.
I looked from them to Elisa and Jason as they danced away. They looked like they had been dancing salsa ever since they were born from the way they moved in sync to the beat. All of my friends had started the class around the same time, yet those two seemed the most natural at it.
I felt a tap on my shoulder for the second time tonight, causing me to drag my eyes away from them to look at Alyce who was looking at me questionably.
"Where did your partner go?" she asked, her eyes roaming the room.
"He had a call." She nodded her head and leaned against the wall.
"Where did yours go?" I asked her when she didn't return to dancing. She motioned her head to the other side of room where he was seated on the floor, nursing his ankle.
"It looks like he danced too hard." She chuckled slightly as a reminescient look crossed her face, her small smile disappearing instantly. I turned to face her as I looked at her worriedly.
"Is everything alright Alyce?" She looked at me and plastered a smile onto her face, trying to look as if everything was alright, when I could tell that that was the opposite of how she felt.
"You don't need to worry about me Cady."
"Alyce." I urged. She sighed and ran a hand through her short hair before walking towards her partner, most likely to help. As soon as she left, the front door opened, bringing in cold air from the outside.
"Was it something urgent?" I asked Dennis when he came back. He looked at me confused.
"What?"
"The phone call," I answered. Suddenly, he looked as if he had remembered something.
"Oh yeah, that. It was nothing too important. Come on, let's dance." He reached for me and we got into position before returning to practicing a different technique. As we danced, he seemed very stiff; the complete opposite to how he had been dancing before the call.
I looked at his face and it wasn't as relaxed as it was before. I squinted my eyes to get a better look and came to a conclusion: they may look alike but their personalities and mannerisms were very different.
I was certain at that moment that I was now dancing with Dylan. So what had happened to Dennis?
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I sat behind my computer, typing away while my mind went back to the night before. How could Dennis switch with his brother? Did he have something so urgent that he needed to do that?
I knew I shouldn't have been annoyed by it but I couldn't help it. I had started to enjoy dancing with him and I couldn't believe it when the feeling disappeared.
I sighed as I saved my work. Noticing the time, I signed out of my computer and picked up my bag, walking towards Elisa's office. When I walked in, I could see that she was busy with her work and I didn't know if I should bother asking her to lunch. She probably would've welcomed the break but judging from the large pile of papers on her desk, and her focused expression, it was something which needed to be done soon.
"Cady." I heard her say as I was about to turn to leave. I remained in the doorway and looked at her, showing my full attention.
"Can you give me a minute? I'm just finishing one right now but I want to go with you." I nodded my head and returned to my office to wait for her. I sat down on my chair and pulled out my phone, sending a message to Lexxie explaining that we would be late. As I was sending it, I heard a knock by the door and raised my head to find Nate standing in the doorway with some folders in his hands.
Please don't let it be more work, I thought to myself, forcing a smile and gesturing for him to enter. He walked in and placed the folders on my desk.
"Can you finish these for me before you leave today?" he asked. I inwardly sighed; I should've known that it would be more work, why else would he come here? I nodded my head and picked up a folder.
"Sure." He nodded his head curtly before leaving. My sigh filled the silence moments before Elisa walked in with her things.
"Ready to go?" she asked. I nodded and stood up, picking up my bag and joining her at the doorway.
We were all digging into our food when a familiar figure walked past our table. I turned to follow his movement and stood up to follow him when I finally realized who it was, ignoring the odd looks I was receiving from my friends.
"Dennis!" I called after him. He stopped and slowly turned around to face me.
"Hey Cadence," he said with a smile, walking towards me. I felt my lips turn into a smile when he was in front of me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him. It had been a while since I had last seen him here. His eyes widened and he blinked a few times before rubbing the back of his neck.
"I uh... I work here," he replied, nodding his head.
"How come I rarely see you here then? I come here for lunch everyday." I was starting to get suspicious by his behavior now.
"I work part time." I continued to look at him without saying a word, hoping that he would tell me the real reason he was here─I found it very hard to believe that he worked here part time. When he didn't say anything, I asked him what had been on my mind.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" He looked taken aback.
"Notice what?"
"That your brother took your place at salsa." A look of disbelief crossed his face as he shook his head.
"That's not true," he said.
"You were wearing black shoes but he was wearing a white pair. I'm not that gullible Dennis." He chuckled at my observation from yesterday.
"Wow you're good." I shook my head at him in a disapproving manner.
"You could've just told me you had to go, instead of doing that."
"I know, and I'm sorry. How about I make it up to you?" he asked with a grin.
"How?"
"How about I take you out?"
"What?" I asked, expressing my surprise.
"She'll go." I turned around at the voice of Alyce and shot her a glare. How dare she answer for me? She ignored my look and smiled at Dennis.
"She'll call you." Alyce continued, causing my eyes to widen. I frantically shook my head, trying to tell her to stop but she walked up beside me and wrapped an arm around me.
"So is that a yes Cadence?" Dennis asked. I turned around to face him and gave him a sympathic look.
"I'm sorry but I don't think I ca─"
"She'll go with you Dennis. I have your number so I can give it to her." He flashed an appreciative grin towards her before walking away.
Alyce engulfed me in a hug as soon as he was out of sight, while I still stood in place, stiff from what my friend had decided to do.
"Why did you do that Alyce?" I almost yelled at her. A large smile appeared on her face.
"I just helped you land a date with Dennis. What's so bad about that?"
I continued to glare at her as I dreaded the thought of going on a date with Dennis. If he had switched with his brother at the salsa class, why wouldn't he do the same thing on a date if something urgent came up again?
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