Under a Starless Sky

Chapter 36

Loxy was aware Shen was looking at her strangely. She encouraged him to speak his mind.

“Would you do something for me?” Shen asked.

“Jon, I love you. I will do anything for you, but I will not kill you, not in this present context, if that’s what you’re getting at,” TL said.

He waved that off. “I am not talking about death.”

“Okay. What would you like?”

Shen swallowed. He was embarrassed.

“What? You’re afraid to ask me for sex?”

“No,” Shen said. “No! It’s not about sex. I am okay with sex.”

“We haven’t had sex,” TL said.

“I am not wanting sex,” Shen said.

“You have never not wanted sex,” TL said. “I am worried.”

“I will have sex when I am ready to have sex,” Shen said.

“Fair enough,” TL said. Softly. “I am sorry. What did you want ask me?”

Shen was mad. “Give me a moment. I am trying to stop thinking about sex,” he said.

“Everyone thinks about sex,” TL said.

“I know! I think about it all the time and tech so exaggerates that,” Shen said.

“And, for the first time ever, you’re what, exercising discernment?” TL asked.

“I am older, wiser, and- I want Loxy,” Shen said.

“Nice,” TL said. “That’s a gift that will make her smile when she downloads it.”

“I want to do something else for her,” Shen said.

“What’s that?” TL said.

“Promise not to laugh at me,” Shen said.

“I would never laugh at you,” TL said. The look he gave her made her retract. “I will endeavor not to laugh at you.”

“Would you teach me to dance?” Shen asked.

TL laughed. Shen frowned. “Seriously. I tell a joke and you say I am not funny but I put my heart out and you laugh?”

“Seriously? All of that lead up just to ask me to teach you to dance?” TL said.

“I never learned to dance. I was always afraid I would be laughed at so I refused every instance and Loxy knows how to dance and she loves swing dance and all sorts of dance and I am from Texas and can’t even two step without tripping over myself and aggravating partners who assured me they could teach me and ended up just getting angry and dropping the matter and not being able to dance has seriously impeded my ability to connect because most women want to dance and I suck and I don’t want to live another life sitting at the table watching other people dance…” Shen said. He made himself stop and breathe. “And, I was thinking. I am young again. My brain is more plastic now than it ever was and so, maybe if we focus entirely on dance and yoga, I can learn both, and be more flexible, and maybe next time I am old I will be a little healthier, but mostly- I would like to be able to dance with Loxy.”

away, and

“What?” Shen asked.

“Let’s dance,”

now?” Shen

“Got anything better to

“But…”

Backup singers danced in place, swing hips, serenading a shared mic. A weird, extended intro into an ELO song was in play. If Jeff was irritated by the cycling of intro, he gave no indication- with the dark glasses, he was Spock blended with Elwood Blues. The music was the invitation

going to work,”

“No one here to

so tall,” Shen

She was now TL, 12, and almost the same height as Shen. Loxy was taller than him as an adult, and so it was appropriate she was taller than him in childhood. She was dressed to dance in a Winter Formal, short blue dress, gold belt, and ballerina slipper. Her hose was dark, sparkly gold. It

“Gosh,” Shen said.

approve?” TL

beautiful woman ever,” Shen

blushed. “You made

“I didn’t…”

and brought him to his feet. She walked backwards leading him to the middle of the Hall. She placed his hands, moved in close,

is beating,” Shen

supposed to,” TL

“This fast?”

You will survive,”

do we dance?”

“Shhh,” TL said.

“No, seriously, why do we

“I am not forcing you.

in the other

survive failure, who can laugh things off and hang in there, those

Tears moved.

are you crying?”

this, too,

“Seriously,

I want this

song manifested. ‘Shangri-La’ by

TL’s eyes filling with tears. He stopped. “What? Am

experiencing synchronicity with you. This moment is perfect. Jon, you’re not just giving her the gift of this dance and future dance, you’re giving

“I am going to kiss you

“If you don’t do it soon, I am going

He felt her assisting his movement by directing his Uniform. It started as a direct pressure that over time became subtle, allowing him to respond to the direction with gradually less input. He almost protested, wanting to say he wasn’t a horse to be guided, but this was exactly

of his eyes. Twirling of light and shadows. They both stopped dancing. There were others present. Shen looked to TL to determine if she was seeing what he

not laughing,” TL

are you?” Shen asked

came forward. “Forgive us for intruding on your perfect solitude. May we

“You want to dance?” TL

please,” she

She looked

okay,” Shen

The man that took over was a sailor from a bygone era. There was food. There was magic. There were people that didn’t belong in this world. A rush of songs and people and styles came to the floor, reminding Shen of a scene in the Disney film ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks,’ “Portobello Road.”

a dance to stare at your

This is exclusive content from Dramanovels.com. Please visit Dramanovels.com to support the author and the translation team!

Comments ()

0/255