“Let me guess. A picture?” Maven waited for them to pose themselves. April looked Maven up and down, admiring her turquoise dress and soft makeup. She was a little concerned why Maven was going when Henri wasn’t going to be there, but before she could say anything she was blinded by the flash of the camera. She straightened up. Slipping one hand behind Nick’s back, pressing her cheek against his. In her heels she was the same height as him.
“One more,” Nick instructed. Maven pushed the button on the camera again and then handed it back to her brother.
“Nice dress,” April said, quietly slipping out of Maven’s room before Maven could offer her the same kind words. Nick lingered for a moment.
“What?” Maven asked, he was acting strange.
Nick shrugged. “Nothing, I just wanted to say you look beautiful, Maven.” He headed down the stairs.
Maven raised an eyebrow. She fluffed her shiny waves, eyeing her makeup. She was trying for natural yet chic. She wanted Henri to smile at the sight of her.
Her phone chirped. It was Henri.
Fifteen minutes.
She couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. The dance had started twenty minutes ago and Henri and Flynn were just showing up. She stood on the porch, hands on hips wondering what the holdup was. But all that was just as soon forgotten when she saw Henri.
Her mouth fell open. Flynn grinned. He shoved Henri forward. He apprehensively stared at the ground, looking a bit shy yet pleased to be on her porch step she thought.
“A bow tie.” She touched his neck a big smile filling her face. “Henri you look really great.”
“I’ve always wanted to try a bowtie,” Henri said, causing everyone to laugh. He was wearing a black dress shirt, with a dark gray bow tie and matching gray slacks. At the compliment he smiled, but quickly pushed it aside to compliment her now.
“Not as great as you.” He lifted her hand, kissing the top of it ever so gently, a small grin creeping up on his face. Formal events made him a bit silly.
Flynn cleared his throat, slinging a hand around Tori, his girlfriend. “I think it’s safe to say we all look amazing.”
They introduced the girls before heading to the Hop.
Walking through town, through a swarm of fellow townspeople, Henri had to admit he was nervous. His parents and Flynn’s weren’t there of course, but that didn’t mean someone else wouldn’t recognize him being there. Flynn had to keep reassuring him that anyone who saw him wouldn’t break the news until the weekday once business resumed. It took a lot of reminders from Flynn for Henri to believe it and just enjoy the night.
As the four of them approached, it was very obvious a gathering was happening. A lively trumpet medley sounded, flowing through the streets. Kids and adults of all sizes and shapes laughed and danced, everyone was full of summer bliss. It always reminded Maven of a time, long before any of the kids her age were around, when people danced to songs with no words, songs fueled by instruments and nothing more and just had plain old fun. Maybe that was why everyone enjoyed it so much—it was simple and easy.
Just as Miss. Lisa had promised, tiny twinkle lights hung from the willows, making a beautiful canopy of lighting overhead. Candles perched in windows, turquoise and black balloons swayed in the breeze as they got closer. It was perfect.
Henri stole Maven’s hand as they slipped into the crowd. It wasn’t hard to see that soon they were an insignificant part of the community. There were too many people to pick Henri out. And the only thing that mattered to anyone was the music.
“Do you want to dance?” Maven said in his ear, talking louder than usual so he could hear her.
“Let’s get it over with.” Henri joked, taking hold of her waist. He kept telling himself not to step on her toes. He smiled, watching Maven smile back, showing him just how to enjoy himself as they began dancing, she held on to his neck as they circled the floor—which was a task with so many people in the way.
“See...fun right?” Maven asked him. She poked his bowtie. “You’re light on your feet, Henri.”
Henri smirked. “I might know a thing or two about the art of slow dancing. Just don’t ask me to break dance.” He took her hand, securing his other hand on her back and dipped her. Maven giggled, her hair spilling down across her shoulders when he set her on two legs again.
They spun in a circle, a little too fast and a little too playful, but neither of them cared. It wasn’t about the music it was about the moment and they both were in this one together.
As the song ended and another one began, Maven noticed this one had lyrics. She raised an eyebrow. Henri smiled even bigger than he was already smiling at her. “Sound familiar?” he said.
Maven kissed his cheek. “How did you…?”
Henri nodded. “If you look to the left you will see my cousin. He is responsible for the song choice.” Henri guided Maven in the direction of Flynn. Flynn waved.
Days after knowing Henri, he told her about the song. How it spoke to him. How for weeks on end, he played it on repeat. It meant a lot to him, more than she understood she was sure. And because it meant so much to Henri it meant a lot to her too.
“Good choice,” Maven said, Henri dipped her once more and as soon as she gained her footing he raised her hand, twirling her in a circle. The night and the lights made her more adorable than she already was to him as he stared into her eyes.
“I’m glad we’re here together,” he said in her ear, holding her close. He was tired and a little too hot, but being part of the night, being with Maven, it kept him going.
Flynn watched Henri and Maven dancing the night away, a big grin on his face. It was great to see Henri enjoy himself for once.
Tori, his girlfriend, elbowed him in the side. She hoped he didn’t think she hadn’t noticed his sudden disappearing act. “Where did you run off to? I was standing with the old people. I looked like an idiot, Flynn.”
Flynn took Tori’s hand. “Don’t be mad at me. I was doing good things.”
Tori sighed. “What kind of good things?” But she was only met with a child-like smirk.
Flynn pushed through the crowd. Tori coming up the rear, he was hot and growing a bit concerned that the high temperature and all the dancing was going to take its toll on Henri.
“Henri, my man,” Flynn said once he located him in the crowd.
Henri and Maven slowed their dancing. “What’s up?” Maven’s golden hair stuck to the side of her face, her cheeks flushed with color. Henri was just as flushed, but more spent than any of them.
“Have you had your fill of the Hop?” Flynn asked, touching Henri’s forehead. His eyes filled with concern. “You’re tired. You got to know when to quit. Maven knows when to quit.” He shot a look at Maven giving her the opening to bail Henri out of his commitment of dancing the night away.
“Of course.” Maven’s eyes were filled with distress, she shook her head. She cursed herself for not noticing how tired Henri was. “We can go right now. It’s not a problem.”
Flynn smiled, pleased there was no argument. But as soon as they escaped the throng of dancers Henri put on the brakes.
“I promised Maven we would sit by the water.” Henri told them. Maven waved a hand trying to object. “Sitting is a good thing. I promise I’ll be home in no time.”
Flynn sighed. “Tori and I will hang out for a little while longer, Henri. You give me a call when you’re ready to go.” Flynn squeezed Henri tightly as if he was a proud father sending his son to school for the first time.