As he walked away, she felt dizzy and clasped one hand on the corner of the wooden table to keep from swooning.
Violet leaned over and whispered, “You know him?”
Sonya heard a note of concern in Violet’s tone, which both intrigued and touched her. Having just moved back into town after many years away, she needed a friend, one that cared, but hopefully wasn’t too nosy.
“No, not really,” she responded in a low tone. “I just saw him around on campus.”
Back at the front of the room, Trent placed his massive hands, palms down, on the table.
“Now that I’ve told you a little bit about me, I want to hear about you. Let’s start at the front,” he said, pointing at her.
Sonya smiled inwardly at the chorus of groans among the women, heartened that she wasn’t the only one who hated to talk in front of a group of strangers. Still, she was tickled that he’d chosen her to go first.
“I’m Sonya Young and I grew up in Bay Point. I just moved back about three months ago. I’m a former dancer with the San Francisco Ballet. I’m in the process of opening up a dance studio at the corner of Seascape Drive, right across from the beach.”
She exhaled slowly and hoped the confidence in her voice didn’t sound as forced as it felt inside.
One of the women exclaimed, “Wonderful. My daughter has always wanted to take ballet. Will you have lessons for children?”
Sonya cleared her throat. Though she loved to dance, the ending of her career was still too new, and too raw. She had plenty of savings, so there was no need to rush the opening of the studio. She was also still questioning her decision and needed time to make sure it was right.
“Children and adults. I’m not sure when I’ll be opening. I’m working on launching my studio website, so there will be more details soon.”
If ever, she told herself.
“Oh, it’s unfortunate that’s it’s not open right now,” the woman responded.
“Is that the storefront that’s had the Grand Opening Soon sign in the window for over a month?” asked another woman in the back of the room.
Sonya shifted in her stool and tossed a glance over her shoulder.
“Yes. I plan on opening soon. There’s a lot to do.” The list of tasks, like design and decorating, marketing and advertising left her with knots in her stomach most days. It was so overwhelming that she continually procrastinated on most, or left others half-completed.
Sonya blamed her own fears as the primary reason for the delay. Making the leap from a career in the arts to opening a small business was scary, but she was determined to be successful.
At least now she’d be in control of her own destiny.
“Hurry up, honey, the butts and thighs of Bay Point need you,” Violet chirped.
The room erupted in laughter and there were nods of agreement among the women.
“Hey, I recognize your last name,” a third woman piped up. “Your father owned a jewelry store, didn’t he?”
Sonya’s heart sank at the mention of her dad, who’d owned his store in downtown Bay Point for over twenty-five years. It had been a bone of contention between them ever since she was a little girl. Before she could interject, the woman continued to rain down comments.
“One day it was open, the next day it wasn’t. Odd.”
Sonya ignored the opportunity for an explanation. She felt a tinge of sadness, realizing that anybody who paid attention to the local gossip hounds knew that he’d lost the store due to his gambling debts.
But more than that, she was deeply ashamed of her father. Now that she was back, she realized that her negative feelings still loomed. In the past, she’d been able to work out her frustrations on the stage, but that was no longer an option. If she didn’t deal with them, she wouldn’t be able to move past the pain.
Trent clapped his hands and adjusted his tool belt, drawing all eyes back to the front of the room. Sonya could have kissed him. The only time she liked being the center of attention was when she was on stage.
Every now and then, as each woman introduced herself, Sonya stole glances at Trent. He listened patiently, his arms crossed loosely on his chest, as if he had all the time in the world. When the round-robin was complete, he moved around his worktable.
“Ladies, there are two things you need to be successful in this class. Number one, there’s the quick way to do things and there’s the right way to do things. The latter is always the best and safest choice. Number two, there’s a lot of dangerous equipment in this room, and I don’t want anyone touching it without permission.”
He leaned against the edge of the worktable, which must have been bolted to the floor because it didn’t budge. Beneath his jeans, she imagined tightly muscled thighs and calves. His powerful body radiated strength, drawing her forward in her seat, as if she couldn’t get enough of his words. In truth, she was enjoying the unobstructed view of him.
“During this class, you’re going to work on a large project and a small project,” he continued. “The large project could be at your own home or that of a friend or relative, and the smaller project will be done right here. There’s a list of project ideas in your syllabus that will start your brains turning. Please email me your project proposals by next Friday for approval.”
Violet raised her hand. “How are we going to know what tools we should be using or materials we should be buying for our projects?”
“Why don’t we all go shopping together at the local hardware store?” Sonya suggested amidst the concerned murmurs of the women.
Trent snapped his fingers. “Brilliant idea. Why didn’t I think of it myself?”
“Probably because most men hate to shop,” Sonya mused, and everyone burst out laughing.
Trent cast her an amused grin, and she was relieved that he’d taken her harmless comment in stride. He seemed to be the type of guy who would be patient with her and with everyone. He was easy on the eyes, too, and would provide some much-needed distraction on a weekly basis. Taking the class had been the right decision, and for the first time in a long while, she relaxed.
* * *
Trent locked the door to the workshop. Since his was the last class of the day, he’d been given a key. He wasn’t sure he’d call his first day of teaching a class a success, but at least he’d gotten through it.
He knew the name of the mysterious woman he’d collided with in the coffee shop. He also knew that was where the association would stay. There were a lot of pretty women in the class, which made it even stranger that Steve had shoved his duties on to him.
“On second thought,” Trent muttered under his breath, “it’s better this way.” While Trent preferred to date women who did not live in Bay Point, his brother held the opposite point of view. Steve’s scandalous relationships had gotten the Waterson family named dragged through the rumor mills more times than Trent cared to count.
He slung his backpack over his shoulder. After class, he’d been surrounded by his students, all jostling for attention, that he’d lost sight of Sonya. He wasn’t sure he could wait a week to see her again.
He’d instructed everyone to email him their contact info so he could send out a mass text message and email if he had to cancel class. He’d have Sonya’s info soon enough. What he didn’t know was if she was single.
The class lasted twelve weeks. That was plenty of time to get to know her in a setting that took the pressure off both of them. He felt certain there had to be a rule at the college that he couldn’t date the students he was teaching. The possibility almost made him want to quit, but then