Chapter 21
"022," the speaker calls. Pershey kissed Leighden.
"002," she said to clear it to Pershey. She thought that 022 is her number.
"143," the speaker called again. A few more seconds before Pershey spoke.
"What?"
She looked at the back of her card and she read 143.
"143 girl," he called again. Pershey's partner is already in the middle. He is wearing black mask.
"M-me?"
Pershey was hesitated to get up and go to the center.
Many were already dancing in the middle and she was already there. She is facing her partner. The man was taller than her.
The man stepped closer to her. She just stood there and looked around at the dancers.
Later, she turned to the man who was looking at her.
He put his hand on her waist. She followed that look before turning her gaze back to the man.
The man was also holding her right hand, he looks at her. It took him a while before he spoke.
"Put your hand on my shoulder," he commanded.
She was silent so the man just took her hand and laid it on his shoulder.
He began to step sideways, she followed. He stepped backward and was followed by stepping forward by Pershey.
His pace quickens so Pershey catches up.
The music stopped so everyone stopped too.
Next, the number 002 was called. Leighden got off and went to the center. She was a bit far from Pershey.
The man removed his grip on her waist. He lowered Pershey's hand as well.
A few more seconds before the man spoke again. "Do you know how to dance, my Lady?"
Pershey's tongue twitched. She was speechless. She was unable to speak.
"Show me how you dance," he said before the song played again. He put his hand back on Pershey's waist and took hold of her right hand again.
He looked at Pershey and waited to what she would do.
He got what the man meant so she put her left hand on his shoulder.
"Dance with me, my Lady," he said softly.
He stepped sideways again followed by Pershey. Next, he stepped backward so Pershey stepped forward. The man stepped forward so Pershey stepped backward.
Pershey stepped sideways while still resting her hand on the man's shoulder.
They danced slowly until the music ended.
Everyone was on the ground floor with their partners.
The host spoke again on stage. "Perfect moment! You found your partner. Now, let's move to final dance!"
The slower song played again so everyone danced.
"Who are you," the man asked her.
"You, who are you?" Pershey asked too.
The man did not speak, she did not speak either.
The chacha dance was replaced by the tango dance.
"What's your name, my Lady?" the man asked as they continued to dance.
"You, who are you?" She also asked so the man didn't say another word.
The music ended so everyone stopped.
Pershey left and drank some juice. Leighden followed her then offered the juice she was holding.
"How is your partner?"
"I don't know him," she replied before she took the juice Leighden was holding. "Is this juice or wine?"
"Drink so you'll know," she replied. She drank the juice and closed her eyes again.
"Wine," she said before drinking the water.
"That is not wine," she clarified. "That is a juice with mixed wine," she added.
"My queen," her partner wearing a black mask called softly to Leighden.
The man approached them so they both frowned.
"Your partner?" Pershey asked weakly. Leighden just stood up while not taking her eyes off the man.
The man stopped in front of them with two wines.
"I'm looking for you, my queen," he said.
Pershey looked at her then asked, "My queen?"
"Yes, she's my partner, my queen," he explained then smiled and looked back at Leighden.
Pershey just took a wine held by the man. Leighden looked at her.
She already knew what was on Leighden's mind so she said first, "I'll mix juice to it." She left, leaving Leighden and her partner behind.
The man handed the wine to her, she took it.
"Why did you leave me right away?" the man asked, she frowned.
"Excuse me, what do you mean?"
"You left after our dance," he replied. She nodded before drinking the wine.
"I need to talk to my bestfriend," she replied before lowering the glass.
"She's your friend?" he asked. She nodded. "Her name is?"
She drank again before answering, "It doesn't matter. You shouldn't ask her name again ... because," she stopped to wait for the man to finish what she was saying.
"I'm your partner, your king and you're my queen."
"Well," she walked first before she continued what she was about to say. "Nice to meet you," she stopped and turned slightly. "My king," she continued before she finally left to follow Pershey.
Pershey was sitting while drnking, sh watched the dancers in the middle.
Leighden sat down next to her then took the wine Pershey was holding.
"I thought you weren't drinking?" she asked before she drank the wine.
She quickly turned to Leighden and immediately looked back at the dancers.
"This wine is tasty," she commented. “It doesn’t seem like ordinary wine,” she added.
"I mixed juice to that wine," she replied. She still does not take her eyes off the dancers when she looks at her partner.
He was talking to a man wearing a black mask.
"Is that your partner?" she asked.
"Where?"
She pointed to the whereabouts of the man she was referring to.
"Perhaps," she replied.
She couldn't take her eyes off the man she had danced with before.
She was about to get up to approach when the two men walked towards them.
They looked at each other. They both ask questions in their minds.
She took the wine Leighden was holding without taking her eyes off the two of them.
“He’s familiar,” she said. "His walk, you know, he is familiar," she said.
The two men stopped in front of them and then reached out their hands.
They looked down at the hands of the two men in front of them.
"Dance with me, my Lady," Pershey's male partner said.
"Dance to your King, my Queen," Leighden's partner said.
Pershey stared at the man as she slowly stood up and placed her hand on the man's hand.
Leighden stood up, smiling.
They danced a Ballroom dance together. Pershey is in the middle.
They both don't take their eyes off each other. The man smiled then tenderly asked, "May I know your name, my Lady?"
Pershey shook her head and laughed, she replied, "You called me 'my Lady."
"I called you 'my Lady' than to call you 'my baby'."
"I'm glad to meet you," she said before she stopped dancing. She also removed her hand from the man's hand. She walked away.
"Wait!"
She did not stop.
"My Lady!"
She kept walking.
"Wait! Come back here!"
She stopped. She remained turned away. She waited for the man to speak.
"Why you're leaving?"
"I have a lot of things to do," she replied. The man stopped at her side. "I have to go. I need to take a rest," she added. She was about to leave when the man held her tightly.
She stopped. She looked at her hand the man was holding.
It took a few more seconds before she could look at the him.
Her palms were sweaty so she stepped forward but the man pulled her back.
They both stared at each other.
"Dance, my Lady," he said softly. He couldn't wait for Pershey to answer. He immediately grabbed her waist to dance.
Pershey couldn't take her eyes off the man as they danced.
The music stopped so she thought of speaking when someone spoke on stage.
"We found sweet couple!"
Everyone focused their gaze on the speaker on stage. Meanwhile, the two of them standing in the middle, the man was still holding her waist and he was still holding her right hand, staring at each other as if they could hear nothing. They just focused their gaze on each other.
The speaker continued speaking. "Our chosen King and Queen ..."
"Who are you?" Pershey asked.
"You, my Lady, who are you?" the man also asked.
"No one," she replied.
The host resumed his announcement. "King and Queen number ..."
"I hope to see you again soon," said her partner.
"I hope too," she replied and smiled broadly afterwards.
"King and Queen number 143!" Host's cheerful shout.
Everyone is asking who the number 143 is.
The two of them were still staring at each other.
The host called the number 143 again.
Pershey turned so the man turned too. They even looked at each other before they started walking.
Everyone was staring at them as they walked up the stage.
They walk together while holding hands.
"We won," Pershey said softly.
They stopped in the middle and looked at the man.
Pershey had already removed her hand from the man's grip. Her gaze searched for Leighden.
Leighden waved so she smiled.
"Congratulations," greeted the host before approaching them. "Now, take off your mask to see each other," he ordered.
The former king and queen also approached them.
They face each other. Pershey turned her gaze back to the audience especially to Leighden.
Leighden smiled and nodded which meant she would.