Who Doesn't Want To Samba?

Groaning, I leaned back and stretched out my neck, feeling it crack as I twisted it from side to side. Ethan paused next to me as everyone else filed silently out of the room.

"Hey, you OK?"

I nodded, tired. "Yeah, I will be. Just wasn't the most inspiring first meeting back, right?"

"You can say that again..." He muttered, eyeing up our group project advisor as he left the room. Although all of us in the group had had work to do over the holidays, it was no surprise that it hadn't been done. At least, not to me - but apparently, it was the ultimate sin to Dr Lee. We'd just endured a full thirty minute lecture on our utter laziness, culminating in the threat that he wouldn't waste his time with us at our meetings any more if we didn't put the effort in, and then where would that leave us for the project?

Probably in a better position considering the complete lack of help you are... I grumbled silently in my head. So far, the only 'help' he'd provided was either telling us to research topics that we'd already identified or sending us off on wild goose hunts to find 'very useful textbooks' that were no longer in print or available anywhere online. If he suddenly disappeared from our group meetings, they'd probably last half the time without him waffling on.

Seeing that I wasn't really in the mood for talk, Ethan flicked my ponytail and headed out. I began packing up my stuff in the empty room, preoccupied with planning everything I needed to do to get this project going. After getting most of my university credits covered last semester, I had significantly more free time up until Easter, and I planned to use all of it to make sure our project was perfect. Everyone had their specific sections to work on, but I knew I could start the more admin side on things by setting up a draft copy of the main report and sorting out the structure. I'd run it through with the group next week and see if any changes were suggested (I wasn't a complete dictator!), but I knew it would be so much smoother if someone (i.e. me) had already put some effort in before.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I jumped a mile when someone rapped on the door. My heartrate immediately slowed when I saw it was just Ian.

"Oh, Ian! Sorry, I was a million miles away..."

"No, my fault! I just wanted to talk to you about maybe starting a bit of extra work ourselves - maybe about sorting the structure of the report, and maybe getting an overall diagram made of the process on Visio?"

I grinned happily as we started discussing all the work we could get started on in detail. It was good to know I wasn't the only perfectionist control freak in the team - and having Ian as invested as me meant that I was far less likely to burn myself out and enter scary meltdown territory - a good thing for all involved.

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I bounced into our computer lab room and plonked myself down on a chair next to Ray and Bob, who were giggling away at some funny picture on 9gag. Seeing me, Bob immediately grabbed the arm of my hoodie and pulled me over.

"Jane, Jane, I have to show you this, this is HILARIOUS, put my headphones in..."

Laughing at his infectious enthusiasm, I rolled my chair over and squeezed in next to him, taking the headphones as he typed 'children's orchestra space odyssey fail' into YouTube. Giving him back the second earphone so we could listen together, I was soon crumpled over in laughter at the hideous sound being produced. Suddenly reminded of another funny video that my brother had shown me, I leaned over Bob and started typing myself, struggling a little to reach the keyboard from my awkward position.

"Aww, is the little hobbit struggling with her little hobbit arms?"

I wrinkled my nose at him. "Shut up, you, else you don't get to see this awesomely funny video, and then where would you be?"

"Hmmm... maybe actually doing work... You're such a distraction, you need to go back into the hobbit hole!"

Ray looked over in confusion. "The hobbit hole?"

We started talking over each other. "The hobbit hole, it's where she lives, we found it during Christmas revision -"

"Ignore him, he's so mean! There's this random cupboard near the roof of their kitchen -"

"It's perfectly sized for someone of her hobbit stature, I really don't know why she complains about it so much -"

"And he wants me to go live in there! All cramped and dusty and covered in spiders -"

"What, so no different than you are normally?"

I gasped in mock horror and swatted Bob on the arm as Ray shook his head at us and turned back to his research.

It was some time later when Ray leaned over and interrupted us. "Uh, Bob, didn't you have a group meeting... about ten minutes ago?"

Bob swore and jumped up, throwing his untouched books back into his bag. "Seriously Jane, making me late for meetings! Just what a hobbit would do..."

I stuck my tongue out at his back as he left, knowing that he'd turn around and see me just before reaching the doors. He burst out laughing and narrowly avoided walking face first into the glass, causing me to burst out in giggles. I sighed happily, and turned back to roll my chair back to my computer, only to come face to face with Ray's reproving stare.

I opened my mouth to start protesting, but the words died in my mouth, the happiness bubbles I'd had in my stomach a second ago suddenly disappearing.

"I don't even need to say it, I can tell from the look on your face that you know, but I'll say it anyway. You two haven't looked away from each other for the past hour. You know you can't keep doing this."

"An hour? It can't have been, it's only been about fifteen minutes..." My voice trailed off as I saw that it was actually quarter past three, not two like I'd thought. The afternoon had disappeared in a blur.

"Oh."

Ray smiled sadly at me. "I'm sorry, dear."

I sighed again. "Don't be - this is what I asked you to do." The side of my mouth quirked. "Maybe revising together every day for a month wasn't the brightest idea..."

He put his arm around me and squeezed. "We all make mistakes - you just got to learn from it from now on. No more personal revision parties, OK?"

I laughed weakly. "I promise!"

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Curled up on my bed later that evening, I opened up my email and started writing a new message. I'd promised Dave that I'd keep emailing him the entire six months he was away so he didn't miss out on all the incredibly exciting drama in my life. Teasing him, I started an incredibly descriptive paragraph of what my soup for lunch had tasted like, before even I couldn't stand it any more. I started writing away, telling him all about the first week back at uni, about how weird it was not to be in constant lectures this semester, and of course how my new flatmates were stacking up against the incredibly high standards he'd left me with. I'd ended up lucking out with the new flat - a family friend from home had bought a flat for their daughter at Edinburgh University, and due to difficulties with one of the flatmates, they had needed someone to take the room immediately after Christmas. I'm not sure who was happier - me that I'd found a decent place to live with good rent, or them that they had a tenant they'd known since I was born who they knew they could trust to look after the place. I got on really well with their daughter, Emilia, and so far living with her had been great fun. The only 'but' was the other flatmate, a guy who I'd only seen once since moving in a week ago. He stayed permanently hidden away in his room, and the one time I'd seen him in the kitchen, he'd run away as soon as I entered the room. Still, I figured I just had to break him down with friendliness - he couldn't keep avoiding me for the rest of the year, right?

Before I knew it, the email to Dave had exploded into a massive essay and it was 10.30pm. Well, I had warned him! I quickly sent it before I accidentally lost the entire thing, and checked all the ignored messages on my phone. Renae had sent one out to all the girls in our friend group: Thursday night girls, who's up for heading out?

Most people had replied saying they had other things on, but Renae and Elsa seemed really keen. I groaned, thinking of just lying back on my bed and absorbing myself in more Buffy on Netflix - after all, I had uni the next day. Admittedly not until the afternoon, but I hated being exhausted from nights out during the week. However... the conversation with Ray was still bouncing round my head. If I was serious about proving that I wasn't interested in Bob, wouldn't a night out be a good place to start?

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I stared around as we entered the club. Renae had been over the moon to hear I was coming out too, and after the three of us had finished off most of a bottle of Malibu, we were more than ready for a night out on the town. Elsa, another girl from my course, had decided that we needed to head to Espionage as it was 90's night. I'd never been there before, but at that point as long as it was inside and warm, it could have been a cowshed and I'd have been happy.

It was still early and so the floor was pretty deserted, apart from a few guys out on the dancefloor. I followed Elsa and Renae over to the bar, only to feel a hand land on my shoulder from behind. Squeaking slightly from surprise, I spun around defensively, only to be faced with what can only be described as Brazilian guy heaven.

"I... uh... I..." I stuttered, half extending my hand to shake his before realising and shrinking back in embarrassment. However, before I could he grabbed my hand in a warm, firm grip and expertly spun me around on the spot. Flushed, all I could do was smile as he pulled me close, leaned in towards my ear and asked, "Beautiful lady... would you care to learn to samba?"

Overwhelmed, I nodded as he pulled me towards the centre of the deserted dancefloor. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see Elsa and Renae looking worriedly towards me, but I smiled and waved at them to let them know I was fine. In fact, I was more than fine, albeit freaking out a little - I was never the girl who guys approached on nights out, I had no experience in this kind of thing - what was I meant to do? My train of thought was interrupted as he placed his hand on my waist and started showing me the basic samba steps to the music. I'd always loved dancing, and who wouldn't want to be taught how to samba by a gorgeous sexy man? It was way better than a creepy guy just feeling you up and assuming that he could kiss you any time he - what?!

Taking me (again) by surprise, Brazilian Dude swept down and started kissing me. I froze slightly, but feeling his lips on mine - I hadn't kissed anyone since Gary last year, and it was so nice - and this is what I was meant to be doing, right? This was me proving I could go out there and pull with the best of them, I mean, Bob who?

With those thoughts continuing, I held on to Brazilian Dude as he leaned me over backwards and held me ever closer to him. We continued that way, alternating between dancing and making out, until before I knew it the dancefloor had filled up and we were surrounded by people. Leaning in to my ear again, he asked if I wanted to move out of the crush, then pulled me along with him before I could answer. He found a secluded booth at the edge of the dance floor and sat down. I moved to sit next to him, but he held up a hand to stop me and then pulled me onto him so that I was straddling him.

"Oh, oh, OK..." I muttered to myself, not sure where he was going. It was a public place, he couldn't be expecting that much... I instantly froze as one hand went down the front of my skirt, jumping off quick and accidentally kneeing him in the process. He glared up at me, indignation clear on his face, motioning for me to get back on him.

I leaned into his ear before yelling "Sorry! I, uh, I need to go find my friends, right now! Exhibitionism isn't really my thing!!"

I turned and ran off without waiting for his reaction, my brain incredulously running over what had just happened. Really? He'd tried to feel me up down there in a public place?! If this is what I'd been missing out on at clubs, then I did not mind at all - I can get as freaky as the next girl in private, but in public all my clothes are staying very much on!

Bright red, I eventually managed to find Elsa and Renae. They'd joined up with a group of engineering guys who'd appeared, and were all playing limbo in the middle of the dancefloor. I appeared behind Renae and tapped her on the shoulder to let her know I was back. Both her and Elsa turned around and burst into hysterics at seeing me.

"Fastest. Pull. EVER!" Elsa yelled into my ear, holding herself up on my shoulder. "And even better - it was YOU!" I started making a face back at her, but a giggle burst free and before I knew it we were all holding onto each other, tears running down our faces. "Seriously, never again!" I shouted over the music, making a cut throat movement with my hand. "Not worth it!" The two of them nodded in agreement, before we got back to the important business of the night - 90's style limbo!

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 I stumbled into the computer lab room the next afternoon to the sound of cheers from all of my friends. A couple at the other end of the lab glared over as I bowed unsteadily, accepting my dues.

"Elsa and Renae get you all up to date then...?" I laughed along with them, giving in to the inevitable teasing.

"Ohhh yes, yes they did!" Ethan grinned over at me. "Heard someone got a little Brazilian action last night - and that he even got in your pants..."

"Uh no!" I exclaimed loudly. "Not true! Well, he tried to, but I am a classy lady, and a nightclub is not the place for that kind of activity!"

"A classy lady who pulls in less than ten seconds..." stage whispered Renae across the room, prompting another wave of laughter. Shaking my head, I headed to the free computer next to Ray, who gave me another personal round of applause as I sat down. As soon as the others looked away, he poked my shoulder urgently.

"Jane, quickly, there's something I need to warn-"

I was distracted by Bob calling my name from across the room.

"Jane, come over a second?"

I motioned to Ray that I'd be back in a second, and walked around the bank of computers to the corner Bob had taken over, along with a random girl he was sitting next to. Or not so random, as he placed a hand over hers...

"Jane, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Frankie."