The Homewreckers(100)

“Only the best movie soundtrack song in the world,” he said. “‘The Time of My Life.’ Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. The climactic dance scene from Dirty Dancing?”

“Oh yeah,” Hattie said. “Now I remember. I think I might have watched that once, years ago, on late-night TV.”

“Only once?” he said, feigning outrage. “How can that be? I saw it in the theater, then bought the DVD, so I could watch it whenever I wanted.” He hesitated. “Want to hear an embarrassing-as-hell true confession?”

“Love to!”

He took a deep breath. “Okay. I bet I watched that finale, where Johnny and Baby are doing the dance they’ve rehearsed, with the lift, a hundred times. I even talked my high school girlfriend into doing it with me. The run, the leap, the lift and spin—we had it down to perfection. We were the hit of the prom.”

“And then what happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“So, did you and the girlfriend take the show on the road, get a job at a resort in the—where did the movie supposedly take place?”

“The Catskills. No, we, uh, I guess, we drifted apart.”

Hattie eyed him suspiciously. “You cheated on her, didn’t you?”

“No! Well, not cheated really. More like, moved on. I was seventeen.”

“Whatever.”

“I still can’t believe you’ve only seen Dirty Dancing one time.”

“That whole eighties thing, it’s not really my era,” Hattie said.

“We should do it,” Trae announced.

“Dude, that’s the least sexy proposition I’ve ever heard. And I’ve worked with horny subs for the past fifteen years.”

That got a chuckle from Trae. “I was referring to the dance. From Dirty Dancing.” He pulled his phone from his back pocket and scrolled. Suddenly, Bill Medley’s deep baritone voice filled the room. Now, I’ve had the time of my life …

“Oh yeah. That’s also the song from Crazy, Stupid, Love. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Now that one I’ve downloaded and watched a gazillion times.”

He reached for the light switch and dimmed the overhead lights. “C’mon, let’s dance.” He pulled her into his arms as the music swelled.

“I feel stupid,” she protested, but she reluctantly took his hand and allowed him to dip her backward, then slowly swing her around.

“Whoooo!” Hattie couldn’t tell if it was the blood rushing to her head or the champagne, but suddenly she was definitely dizzy and light-headed.

He quickly brought her back upright. “Now, break forward with your left foot, rock back with your right, then quick left and break back right,” he instructed. “Just a basic mambo.”

Hattie found herself consumed with giggles as she attempted to keep up with his lightning footwork. “Are you kidding? I don’t know how to do a mambo.”

“Follow my lead,” he repeated, and he drew her closer as he effortlessly swung his hips and shoulders to the music as they glided across the freshly sanded floor. After a moment, Hattie found herself relaxing, even singing the Jennifer Warnes verses.

“You’re the one thing I can’t get enough of,” Trae declared. He backed away and pulled her to him again. “Okay, now in just a couple more verses, you’re gonna run toward me and launch yourself into the air.”

“No way,” Hattie said, still breathless.

“Way. Come on. You’ve gotta trust me.”

“I saw where Emma Stone said they used a stunt double when she did this dance with Ryan Gosling.”

“We don’t need no stinkin’ stunt double,” he insisted. “C’mon. Just run, leap, and I’ll catch you and lift you up and spin you around. You won’t fall.” He sang the next verse. “I swear, it’s the truth…”

“Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod,” Hattie chanted.

“I’m counting you down,” Trae said, still swaying to the music. “Three … two … one…”

“Go!” Hattie launched herself toward him and closed her eyes. His hands grasped her waist and she felt herself miraculously being hoisted into the air and spun around …

And suddenly, crashing toward the floor.

“Aiiyyyyyyy!” Trae’s high-pitched scream drowned out her own and frightened her as much as finding herself flattened on top of him.

She was motionless for a moment, with the wind knocked out of her.

“Owwwww.” She was conscious of Trae, moaning loudly. She slowly rolled to one side.

Trae raised himself up to a half-seated position. “That … didn’t go as planned.”

“Are you okay?”

He gingerly touched first one hip and then the other. He lifted his pelvis and groped his own butt. “My tailbone hurts like a mother.”

“Do you think it’s broken?”

“Maybe? I mean, I’m able to move, so that’s probably a good sign, right?”

“Roll over and pull down your pants,” Hattie said.

It was Trae’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Seriously, girl? If that’s your idea of a proposition, we need to talk.”

“I just want to look at your tailbone, to see if it’s red, or bruised … or whatever.”