Page 20 of Head Over Wheels
I turn to follow her and check her out while we walk. “I love your red dress! And it’s perfect against this decor.”
She does a little shimmy. “Thanks! I’m so happy I finally have an occasion to wear it.”
“I know, right? It’s so fun to dress up.”
We get to the table, and I see some familiar faces. I wave at my friends and notice that everyone looks great. Jeff is there too, and he pats the empty spot beside him. Before I can move towards him, Tara pulls me in the other direction and plunks me into the chair next to her. I look over at him and mouth the word sorry. He immediately looks away. My spine tingles—seems like a weird reaction. Before I can give it too much thought, Lisa is exclaiming over my sparkly eyeshadow, and I’m being asked for makeup advice.
We hang out at the table, laughing and chatting while the room fills up. Music plays gently in the background, a jazzy baseline to the conversation. There’s one seat left at our table, and I’m wondering if it’s being saved for an Elevate instructor. Maybe the rumours were true. Lisa is giving us a play by play of her tread class with John today when a hush descends over the room.
We all turn toward the door just as the Elevate instructors enter. They look amazing, dressed to the nines. The women are shining brightly, wearing sparkly dresses and fabulous heels each in a different colour. The men follow them in slowly, letting the women have their moment before they enter. I know they’re all there, but I only have eyes for Jace. He’s in all black (as usual), shirt and suit, no tie, and I can’t look away. His blue eyes pop from across the room. He catches my eye and winks, and I am immediately reduced to a puddle. Lisa and Tara are both watching the instructors, so I know they didn’t see it.
Once they’re all through the door, they split off and start stopping at tables, chatting people up. We’re seated farther into the room, so some time passes before anyone visits us. I’m both hoping for and dreading Jace coming to our table. If he’s the one sitting with us, I know I won’t be able to hide my feelings. I’ll end up either staring at him all night like a love-sick schoolgirl, or babbling on and on, trying to look like I’m not affected. Neither is a scenario I want to put into play.
I let out a small sigh when Deb stops by our table first. She’s wearing an emerald green dress that’s short and fitted and sets off her perfectly styled blonde waves. Her makeup is dramatic, and I’m wondering why I think Jace would even notice me when she’s the one he was dating last. She’s stunning.
“Hi, Ella!” She leans between me and Lisa.
“Hi, Deb. Your dress is incredible.” I mean it too. Now that she’s up close I can see all the detail, and the fabric’s shimmery hue really emphasizes the simple cut.
She thanks me and introduces herself to the rest of the table.
“Has anyone claimed this spot yet?” She points a perfectly manicured hand at the seat beside Jeff.
“No, it’s all yours.” Jeff gives her a smirk.
Why does it seem like I’m competing with her and already losing before we’ve even had dinner?
The first course is served soon after. It’s Jerusalem artichoke and kale pesto soup, which is surprisingly delicious. I absolutely love Jerusalem artichokes, but I wasn’t sure about them in a soup form. The whole room gets quieter as we tuck into our bowls. I cast a surreptitious glance across the table at Deb. and she even eats soup perfectly. Not a drop spilled or an errant splash. I hope no one is judging my performance as I can already see some soup on the tablecloth beside my bowl. For a moment I’m glad Jace is at another table.
The bowls are whisked away as soon as we’re done, and we chat some more while we wait for the next course. Everyone has lots of questions for Deb.
“What’s it like to be an Elevate instructor?” Lisa asks from beside me.
“It’s as great as you’d imagine! I absolutely love the team I work with and getting to know all the members. It’s a dream come true.” Her eyes are soft, and I swear she has an inner glow.
“Do you mind the lack of privacy that has come from being part of such a high-profile company?” Jeff raises his eyebrows.
“It’s definitely been an adjustment, but I wouldn’t trade this job for anything else.”
Was it my imagination or did her grin just dial down a few watts? Interesting. I guess the instructors all have scripted answers they need to follow pretty tightly.
There’s a break in conversation as the next course is set onto the table. There were two options, but I went for turkey. I love turkey more than just about any other food, and I’ll jump on any opportunity to enjoy it. The plate is full of all the fixings of a traditional turkey dinner. There’s the meat of course, a mix of dark and white, mashed potatoes, root vegetables, and cranberries. I look around and have to chuckle because everyone at our table got the same dish. Even Deb. It’s nice to see she eats real food just like all of us.
Deb strikes up a conversation with the table as we enjoy our main courses, asking us what our favourite class has been so far. Everyone has a different answer, and it’s nice to hear about the different experiences. When she gets to me, I’m not sure what to say.
“They’ve all been so great. It’s been really fun experiencing them live with the different instructors. If I had to pick one though, I think it was my spin class this morning. It had such a great vibe to it, and I loved the energy.” I bite my lip, worried I’ve overshared.
“Who was the instructor?” She smirks and raises an eyebrow, and I wonder if she’s baiting me on purpose, or if she’s genuinely curious.
Tara jumps in and answers before I can figure out what to say. “Jace, of course! He’s her favourite, and the vibe in his classes is always amazing.”
A small shadow crosses over Deb’s face, and I wonder if I’m imagining it as it’s quickly replaced by a bright smile.
“You’re definitely not the first person to say that.” She laughs and adds, “Everyone loves Jace.”
I can’t even imagine how awkward this turn in the conversation is, so I do my best to change the topic quickly. “What’s your favourite class to teach, Deb?”
Her eyes brighten, and I’m happy that my distraction worked. Can’t have the whole table talking about how much we all love Jace, I giggle inwardly.