MYSTERY OF THE TEXAS TWOSTEP

CHAPTER FOUR:

THE DANCE CURSE

Written by Rick Archer 

MOONLIGHT MADNESS

Lead me not into Temptation.  I can find it all by myself. 

Victoria's Cold Feet at the start of July initiated week after week of endless Car Talk.  Victoria's Husband List had killed any thought of a long-term relationship.  I simply did not trust this woman enough to dare open my heart.  If she could betray a man who by her own admission had treated her well, Victoria could just as easily do the same thing to me.  However, for fear that Victoria would leave the studio if I stood up to her and told the truth, I decided to appease her instead.  Rather than risk infuriating Victoria, I decided to wait her out. 

I realize I have painted a dark picture of Victoria.  However, there is a big difference between Talk and Action.  Victoria may have talked scandal, but she never acted on it.  As August rolled around, not once had we kissed or hugged in an intimate way.  Considering how many times we had been alone at the studio, at her house, or in her car, I assumed Victoria respected the invisible barrier between us.  Unfortunately, that barrier disappeared one night in mid-August. 

As usual, we were in Victoria's car after dance class.  Without warning, Victoria launched herself across the front seat and kissed me.  I was stunned.  I had known Victoria for eleven months and not once had she made a move like this.   Unfortunately her provocative move worked its magic.  Instantly turned on, I reciprocated with passion.  Fortunately I came to my senses at the last moment and pulled away.  I opened the door and staggered to my car.  Although we did not cross the End Zone, the ball was resting on the one-yard line when I left.  I was deeply ashamed of myself.

I hate to say it, but now that the genie was out of the bottle, I had considerable trouble regaining control of my overpowering lust.  My conscience tried to put up a fight, but right now my Libido was fully in charge.  If Victoria made one more move, I feared I would be a goner. 

POOLSIDE REVELATION

Three days after our night of Moonlight Madness, I was scheduled to drive with Victoria to a country club.  She wanted to spend the afternoon with her girlfriend Darya.  I dreaded this adventure for fear that being alone together would provoke another showdown.

Darya and Victoria immediately headed to the poolside, then ordered drinks.  For whatever reason, the pool was deserted.  Just the three of us.  Given my bad mood, I preferred to sit alone in a lounge chair ten feet away.  The girls didn't care that I was missing.  In fact, I think they liked it that way.  The moment Victoria took off her robe, I was instantly turned on by the sight of her amazing body.  Quivering with excitement, I felt like I was at Victoria's mercy.  She had way too much power over me.

Let me be clear about something.  Although Victoria was the aggressor, I was far from pure.  No matter how much I disliked this woman, I was out of control.  Three nights ago my lofty morals had turned to mush when Victoria got too close.  As I sat alone by the pool, my temptation and my conscience began a serious wrestling match.  My heart wanted to do the right thing, but my body disagreed.  My desire was so strong, if Victoria got too close, I doubted I would resist.  I could not bear the thought of letting Victoria win this test of wills, but right now I felt like a fish on a hook being reeled in.  Surely you judge me.  Go right ahead!  I don't blame you.  I had no trouble doing the right thing when there was no pressure.  However, once Victoria turned seductress, I couldn't handle it.  When a sex goddess comes calling, no one understands how difficult it is to control one's sex drive unless they have been in a similar position. 

At that moment, the oddest thing happened.  My ears perked up when Victoria and Darya's conversation drifted onto the topic of sex.  Victoria and Darya were having a grand time.  Laughing their heads off, no doubt their steady supply of daiquiris contributed to the merriment.  The girls were getting royally drunk.  To be honest, Darya was so drunk I think she forgot I was even there.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Or maybe she didn't care.  .

Since the girls had no idea how loud their voices were, I had no trouble overhearing the risqué chatter that followed.  The moment Darya began talking about her affair with Roberto, I became privy to a highly indiscrete conversation. 

Giggling and highly amused, Darya revealed that several women at the country club were having affairs.  Apparently having an affair was the thing to do among these bored and pampered women.  Darya made it sound like it was a status symbol for women of leisure to take a lover.  I was shocked to hear Darya laugh so casually about cheating on her husband.  Darya's words dripped with contempt any time she spoke of the man.  This was all just a game to her. 

I had never heard a more cynical description of the joys of fooling around.  Darya's jaded comments about adultery upset me greatly.  Given my values, it was disgusting to hear that marriage was such a joke to this spoiled, over-privileged winner of the genetic lottery. 

Perhaps I was overly idealistic about the tradition of marriage, but I believed in one man and one woman uniting together to create a family.  Call me naive, but I believed in commitment where spouses face life's challenges as teammates.  I also believed marital fidelity was the absolute foundation of trust.  Consequently it was tough to hear how hilarious it was for Darya to fool her husband.  I had no idea what this man had done to deserve this unfaithful wretch, but I felt sorry for him. 

As Darya bragged on and on about her football coach lover, it occurred to me that Victoria's recent boldness might have something to do with Darya's encouragement.  That was the moment I began to think about Victoria's daughter Stephanie.  I suddenly realized why I was so upset.  Like me, Stephanie was an only child.  My father's affair had ruined my life.  Thanks to his evil mistress, the man had abandoned me after the divorce.  I doubted seriously Michael would do the same thing, but I imagined something quite terrible could happen to Stephanie if Victoria continued down this path.  Did Victoria realize this?  Not at the moment, that's for sure.

That left it up to me to put my foot down.  For nearly a year I had successfully resisted Victoria, but the moment she threw herself at me in the car, the ecstasy had been so powerful I could not help myself.   They always say "use your head, think about it before it's too late", but that is bullshit.  Victoria demonstrated my resistance was useless in the clutch due to a sudden tidal wave of passion.  So what went wrong?  Victoria had caught me off guard.  Now that I had been warned, would I do better the next time?  

That is when a novel idea struck.  What about Prayer?  At the time, I could only think of one other prayer I had said before.  And it had worked.  If ever there was a time to try again, this was it.  Right there at the pool I put my hands together and prayed to God to release me from temptation. 

"God, I do not want to have an Affair with Victoria.  I think it is wrong.  I have reached the conclusion that Victoria is not the right woman for me.  I also believe these recent dance accidents are a sign that You do not approve of our relationship.  However, I fear that temptation will overwhelm me.  Therefore I am making a sacred vow to You that I wish to avoid making this mistake.  Please remove my temptation."

To my surprise and great relief, my prayer worked.  I suddenly felt invulnerable.  I had been weak, but now a sense of steel magically returned to my willpower.  Grateful for the lucky break that had allowed me to listen to Darya's lurid poolside conversation, I vowed to put a total halt to any further thought of having an affair with Victoria.  However, that is when something strange happened.

At the exact moment I told myself I was safe from further worry, a terrible warning crossed my mind.  A whisper from some corner of my mind suggested the affair would happen anyway.  I was stunned.  Something told me that no matter how hard I tried to avoid this Affair, I would have it anyway.  I was shaken to the core of my being.  This warning felt so much like a Premonition, my mind raced to the story of Oedipus, the ancient Greek who swore to the Gods he refused to fulfill his terrible prophecy.  Only one problem... his prophecy came true.  What about me? 

When I made my sacred oath by the swimming pool, I mentioned the 'Dance Curse'. 

"I also believe these recent dance accidents are a sign that You [God] do not approve of our relationship."

What was I referring to?  My Dance Curse began in June 1978.  I was performing at a night club known as The Ritz with a woman named Suzy.  I estimate a crowd of 300 people.  Despite our inexperience, we were doing pretty well.  Our confidence grew when the crowd began clapping for us.  Halfway through our performance, the Deejay turned out the lights, thereby plunging the floor into complete darkness.  Why would this man do something so insane?  Because he obviously lost his mind.  The Ritz had an amazing light show that featured loud thunder and brilliant lightning bolts.  Every now and then to pump up the crowd, the Deejay flipped a switch.  After a brief darkness, the lightning display was more than sufficient for people to see again.  However there was a 10-second delay during the transition from light to dark.  Suzy and I were in the middle of an acrobatic move.  Instantly blinded, Suzy fell.  She was not hurt badly, but in the darkness we became disengaged.  Hearing her start to sob, I screamed at the Deejay to turn the lights back on.  But it was too late.  Suzy fell to pieces, so we had to stop. 

Starting in March 1979, every Saturday afternoon I drove to Clear Lake to teach Disco partner dancing to seven couples, aka the 'Clear Lake Seven'.  These people would play a significant role in two of my next four accidents.   

Clear Lake is an affluent suburb 23 miles southeast of downtown Houston.  The area is best known as home to the NASA Space Center.  When they say, "Houston, we have a problem," in the Apollo 13 movie, they were actually calling Clear Lake. 

Each class was held in the community center of a luxurious gated community known as Bal Harbour.  Situated on the shoreline of Clear Lake Bay, there were yachts everywhere.  I have a strong hunch that some of these yachts belonged to my couples.  Several of the people in the room were very wealthy.  But you would never know it to talk to them.  These were down-to-earth people who were incredibly modest about their accomplishments. 

Each couple paid me directly, so the money was fabulous, especially considering there was no rent.  I lucked into a great situation.  So what if my girlfriend Patricia complained that this new class sabotaged our Saturday night plans?  Hey, Patricia, this is how I make a living.  Patricia finally yielded and gave me grudging permission to drive down each week for our 5 pm class. 

"Just don't expect me to come with you."

It was a long drive from my house, close to an hour.  Considering how well it paid and how nice these couples were to me, I did not mind going alone.  In fact, the long drive was therapeutic because it gave me a much-needed respite from listening to Victoria and Patricia constantly bitch about each other.  I wanted to invite Joanne to help me, but she was still sulking after her mistreatment at Victoria's March dance party.  So it was just me and the seven couples.  Treating me like a Rock Star, the couples never failed to remind me that this class was the highlight of their week.  Guess what?  Mine too.  I had a blast teaching them.  The camaraderie was wonderful.

The seven couples were very serious about learning to dance.  Dance Fever was the hot TV show and they wanted to look just like the couples who performed.  When they discovered that I was training with Victoria with the goal of performing, they begged me to show them what I knew.  So I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.  It was such a pleasure to teach them.  They were so dedicated to excellence, they hung on my every word.

I became close friends with my students.  I teased them, they teased me, we made jokes and grew close.  The dancing just added to the fun.  Anytime someone asks me why I teach, the satisfaction is what really matters.  It was pure joy to interact with this warm, highly motivated group and see them improve. 

Age 29, I was the youngest.  Dave and Mona were in their early 30s, Tommy and Hazel mid 30's, Bruce and Margaret late 30's.  The other four couples were in their 40's.  What impressed me was how hard they concentrated.  I should not have been so surprised.  A person does not purchase a condo and a yacht in this gated luxury community without having something on the ball.  These people were affluent professionals who were used to excelling at whatever they did.  That included their dancing.

The Clear Lake Seven wrapped their Saturday evenings around my class.  First they met for class at 5 pm.  Then at 630 the group would go out to dinner together.  Afterwards they drove to a nearby Disco for a night of dancing.  Hanging out together every Saturday, over time this group became very tight knit.  I might add that their weekly night of practice at the local Disco increased their learning curve dramatically.

Each week my friends invited me to join them for after-class festivities.  However the thought of facing a fuming Patricia back in Houston was a strong deterrent.  One weekend Patricia went to visit her parents out of town.  That allowed me to join the group for dinner and dancing.  Having dinner together really solidified our connection.  They peppered me with questions.  I got to know them, they got to know me.  During the dancing afterwards, I made sure to dance with every lady.  When I sat down to watch, I noticed each couple was superior to everyone else by a wide margin.  I could not have been more proud as I watched them dominate the dance floor. 

No other dancers in Clear Lake could hold a candle, so the seven couples competed amongst themselves instead.  They had a friendly competition to see who could learn the new move the fastest or who could best demonstrate the pattern from the previous week.  Since I was the judge, there were many times when I would call it a tie.  Needless to say, these were very competitive people.  Bribes were frequently offered followed by counter-offers for more money.  This was all done out in the open, so everyone knew the arguing was done in jest.  No matter what the outcome, they loved to blame me.  Half the fun was deciding if my verdict was fair or not.  Whenever someone lost a close decision, my integrity was invariably called into question.  I didn't mind.  I enjoyed the light-hearted banter.

The desire to be the best produced excellent results.  Their learning curve was so swift I was forced to teach intricate patterns I had never taught before.  While I helped them to grow as dancers, they forced me to grow as a teacher.  These seven couples were beyond a doubt the finest group of dancers I ever taught. 

Thanks to a series of dance contests, the Clear Lake Seven became a legend in local dance circles.  Their fame began on Saturday, June 5.  A Disco named Spats decided to sponsor a Saturday night dance contest.  Unwilling to compete in public against each other, the group nominated Tommy and Hazel to represent them.  A wise choice.  Tommy and Hazel were incredibly good, by far the best of the group.  When I showed up for class the following Saturday, June 12, there was a giant Teddy Bear waiting for me along with Hazel's dog. 

Laughing, I said, "What is this bear doing here?  Good grief, he's bigger than Hazel.  Is he a new student?  If so, I will have to charge him."  ha ha ha.

Hazel replied, "That bear was our prize for winning last Saturday's dance contest.  We are going again tonight.  Why don't you come and watch?"

I begged off, citing Patricia as my reason.  When I returned the following week, this time there were two giant bears waiting for me. 

"Okay," I said, "who won this time?"

This time Dennis replied.  He and Linda were the class leaders. 

"After class last week we returned to Spats.  To our surprise, the contest was still being continued.  This time the group nominated Bruce and Margaret to do the honors.  They won handily." 

Smiling at Bruce and Margaret, I made sure to compliment them.  "Well, I'll be darned!  Good for you guys!"  Surveying the group, I added, "Who's the nominee for tonight's contest?"

"Rick, why don't you enter?" Dennis said.  "I will loan you my wife, but you have to promise to give her back after you win."

That suggestion brought on gales of laughter.  This was the second week in a row my Clear Lake students had asked me to consider entering the contest.  They really wanted to see me in action.  Seeing my students win so easily, I resisted because it just didn't seem fair.  However, I was tempted.  As they say, flattery will get you anywhere.  Seeing me falter, Bruce chimed in. 

"You should take Dennis up on his offer.  Linda is so good, you would be a cinch to win.  For that matter, I will loan you Margaret.  I would love to see Margaret dance with you.  Or Hazel.  Or Lisa.  Or Elizabeth, Carmen and Judy.  In fact, you could dance with me and we would still win."

I smiled.  "Which one of us will be the girl?"

"Why, you, of course.  Margaret will loan you her wig.  But you will need to do something with the mustache.  And wear a dress."

That brought the house down.  What these people really wanted was to see me show off.  Since someone from the group was bound to win anyway, what difference did it make who won?  Finally I gave in. 

My secret agenda was to use this contest as a way to rescue my failing relationship with Patricia.  I had to do some serious arm-twisting just to get her to come with me.  Fortunately, the moment I threatened to call Victoria to replace her, Patricia surrendered.  Patricia was at best an average dancer, so we decided to practice every night that week after I finished teaching.  To my relief, Patricia started to enjoy herself.  We got along better than we had in ages.  On Saturday Patricia joined me for the long ride to Clear Lake. 

Unfortunately, it was all for naught.  With the Clear Lake Seven in attendance, we did not win.  Why not?  Because I the Dance Curse came along for the ride.  This was the night the drunk lady caused me to strike Patricia's mouth with my elbow.  Her face covered in blood, I had no choice but to drive Patricia home.  That was the night we broke up.

When I returned to Clear Lake the following week, I was greeted with another Teddy Bear.  One of the couples had substituted for us after the accident, so I didn't feel quite so bad for letting them down. 

The Clear Lake couples continued to enter the weekly Teddy Bear contests throughout July.  By the end of the month, every one of the seven couples had won.   One night Tommy mentioned there was a new Disco opening up in Clear Lake called the Lighthouse.  He and Hazel had been asked to perform on opening night. 

"We were very flattered, but I told them we knew someone who was better.  I hope you don't mind, but I gave them your phone number.  You should hear from them soon."

Tommy was being modest.  He and Hazel would have been perfect.  Nevertheless, I appreciated the compliment.  As for the Lighthouse, the manager did indeed call.  Victoria was incredibly excited for this opportunity, so we practiced like crazy to get ready.  Unfortunately, yet again the Dance Curse followed me to Clear Lake.  This was the night Victoria nearly broke her neck. 

We had just completed the first part of a dangerous move known as 'Jackknife'.  As Victoria balanced upside-down on my shoulders, the blade of a ceiling fan barely nicked her toe.  The contact was just enough to caused her to topple over behind my back.  Somehow I was twist around and catch her body as she fell.  However, it was very close.  Victoria later said her nose was an inch from the floor when I pulled her sideways to safety.   Victoria was not hurt, but she was beyond terrified.  As well she should be.  Here is what bothered me.  We had tested the height of those ceiling fans when we practiced earlier that afternoon.  The Jackknife had worked fine.  So why didn't it work during our performance? 

GREASED LIGHTNING ACCIDENT

A few days after the Lighthouse incident, Victoria and I were scheduled to do a weekday dance exhibition at the Foley's store downtown.  Foley's  was Houston's answer to Macy's.  It served as Houston's major fashion store of the day.  Foley's had decided to introduce a new line of Disco dancewear.  The store wanted to use a dance performance to help lure their female customers to come check out the dance apparel section. 

Perhaps the Reader wonders why new Disco apparel was being sold in a city that was trending Western.  Indeed several Houston fashion stores were already selling fancy Western merchandise.  The thing to remember is that this new Western trend was unique to Houston only.  Meanwhile Disco was raging out of control in every other city in the country.  Hmm.  Maybe I should move to Dallas.  Don't think the idea didn't cross my mind.  

Always the fashion plate, Foley's was Victoria's second home.  One of Victoria's dance students worked there.  Louise had recognized Victoria as she strolled the aisles and the two women struck up a friendship.  Louise came up with the idea of asking Victoria to perform.  Victoria said yes without hesitation, but after the Lighthouse she had second thoughts. 

Our performance started well.  Our routine proceeded flawlessly and the crowd began to clap.  Then came Around the World.  They call it 'Breakneck Speed' for a reason.  For me to succeed, I had to whip Victoria around my body as fast as possible to maintain the critical centrifugal force.  If I failed to catch her legs properly, she would dangle helplessly.  But this time, something different happened, something that felt weird.  Just as I tried to snag the back of her legs with my left arm, Victoria's legs slipped right through my grip. 

I was stunned.  What the heck had gone wrong?!  This mistake had never happened before.  Previously all Victoria did was dangle.  Not this time.  For some unknown reason my left arm and her legs did not connect properly.  Unable to break her momentum, Victoria went flying into the air with her arms flailing wildly in front of her. Thanks to her considerable momentum, Victoria briefly resembled Supergirl in flight.  She flew about four feet before hitting the floor on her stomach with a giant thud.  From here, she skidded on her belly till she knocked her head against a display stand on the edge of the floor.  The collision knocked the wind out of her and left her crumpled up in a ball.  Victoria laid there motionless as the frightened crowd screamed in horror.

I raced to her side to see if she was all right.  Victoria had still not moved when I arrived.  No doubt she was stunned.  Several anxious seconds passed.  Finally Victoria turned her head to see me standing over her.  Filled with fear, she tentatively moved an arm, then a leg.  Thank goodness everything worked.  I was so relieved and so was she.  Once Victoria realized she was okay, she slowly sat up.  However she said nothing.  She just sat there dazed from her latest accident.  I was incredulous.  I did not have a clue what had gone wrong.  Nothing like this had ever happened before.  

Victoria had taken quite a jolt, but she only needed a couple minutes of sitting to recover.  Perhaps she got up too soon.  Victoria stumbled as she got up and fell back down.  She cursed softly under her breath, then succeeded on her second try by letting me help her up.  People began to clap for her, but that ended abruptly when Victoria lost her temper and screamed at me in front of the crowd.

"What the hell did you do wrong this time?!?!  Why didn't you catch me?  How stupid can you be?  This is the last time I am ever going to trust you!!"

It took a while to figure it out, but I suggested the culprit was Victoria's brand new, skin-tight dance pants.  Victoria began to feel the smooth fabric with her own hands.  Sure enough, her tight pants were slick as snake oil.  Finally she nodded.  This made sense.  Neither Victoria nor I had any way to know ahead of time that her brand-new super cool Disco outfit would cause a problem.  If there was any lesson to be learned, it would be to have a 'dress rehearsal' to avoid wardrobe malfunctions.  Who knows, maybe if we had practiced beforehand in that outfit, we would have caught the problem ahead of time.  As it is stood, here we were with yet another freak accident. 

Once Victoria realized her 'Greased Lightning' dance pants had caused her demise, she eased up on me.  Maybe it wasn't my fault after all.  Nothing further was said while we made our way to the car.  Although Victoria's sleek outfit was to blame, that didn't stop me from feeling guilty.  I reminded myself I had NEVER experienced a problem with this move before.  But Guilt does not always respond to reason.  This made two occasions where Victoria had gotten hurt on my watch. 

Victoria half-accepted my explanation that her slick Disco pants were the likely culprit, but I could tell she still carried considerable doubt.  Victoria was convinced I had to be responsible in some way.  However, as we talked it over, Victoria felt her pants repeatedly and slowly convinced herself that I was telling the truth.  Now she changed her tune.  Realistically, I was not to blame, but Mystically-speaking this was all my fault due to the Dance Curse.  Ritz, Spats, Lighthouse, Foley's...  four accidents in a row! 

"I'm sorry, Rick, but I just can't believe anyone can have four accidents in a row and not be responsible somehow.  I want you to listen to me.  Let's say I have a girlfriend who keeps having car wrecks.  My friend has a perfectly reasonable explanation for the first accident, so I extend sympathy to her.  Then she has a second accident... but she says wasn't her fault... and a third accident... but she says it wasn't her fault... and a fourth accident... but it still wasn't her fault.  Four car wrecks and she claims that not one single time was it her fault.  At some point I have to wonder if my girlfriend is changing the facts or leaving out some of the details.  Four accidents is lot of accidents.

Is my girlfriend telling the truth?  Some part of me believes she must be fibbing.  No one has four accidents in a row where they are guiltless!  It defies the imagination, it defies the odds.  Surely my girlfriend has to be responsible in some way.  That is why I have trouble believing you.  I have no way of knowing what went wrong with your first two accidents, but surely you must be leaving something out."

I was so upset at Victoria's accusation I was shaking.  I did not agree with Victoria's conclusion, but at the same time this latest accident had me spooked.  After a moment to calm down, I replied.

"I see your point.  On the surface, your logic makes perfect sense.  But just because you say the odds are against me, I am not going to back down.  All four accidents were out of my control.  I did not turn out the lights at the Ritz.  A woman shoved me in the back at Spats.  You were perfectly balanced at the Lighthouse.  At Foley's, my arm was in the same position it has always been.  Go ahead, you tell me why these accidents were my fault.  You and I train together and we never have a problem.  So it makes no sense to me what is going on."

"All right, Rick, maybe you are blameless.  But what if you have a Curse?  If you are cursed, then the odds don't matter anymore.  Bad things happen anyway.  I hate to talk this way, but I think you are jinxed somehow.  Have you ever wondered if you have some sort of black cloud hanging over you?  Four consecutive accidents where you claim to have done nothing wrong makes no rational sense."

As far as I was concerned, this time I agreed with her.  There was something about these accidents that had Supernatural overtones.  Four accidents in a row due to problems out of my control.  Let me add they were all SERIOUS.  Suzy was so traumatized she had a nervous breakdown after the Ritz accident.  Patricia had a busted mouth.  Victoria nearly broke her neck two times.  Now she too was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.  The combination of marital problems, this out-of-control sexual tension plus these weird dance accidents left Victoria scared out of her wits.  It felt like there was a very dark cloud hanging over not just me, but both of us.  Were these accidents a message from God?  As far as I was concerned, this Car Talk situation had become intolerable.  Something had to give.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 A HEAVY HEART

It was Saturday, August 25.  For the past six months, every Saturday afternoon I had driven to Clear Lake to give lessons to my seven couples.  Visiting this tight-knit group had long been the highlight of my week.  Not only did we have great fun teasing each other, seeing how much they enjoyed their lessons made me proud to be their teacher. 

Unfortunately, I had a heavy heart today as I drove down to see my friends.  There was a good chance this would be the last time I would ever see them.  Two reasons.  I was still upset over the recent Greased Lightning mishap at Foley's.  Four times in a row I had seen my dance partners get hurt, so 'danger' was on my mind.  I worried that the Clear Lake group was thinking the same thing.  They had seen me fail twice in spectacular fashion, first with Patricia, now with Victoria at the Lighthouse.  Surely they had their doubts about me. 

The other reason to quit was my empty cookie jar.  After today's lesson, I had nothing left to teach.  Well, actually, that was not completely true.  I still had material left to teach, but it was competition-level acrobatics that Victoria and I used in our routines.  With nothing left appropriate to the group's skill level, this would probably be my final visit to Clear Lake. 

My problem was that this group had become too good for their own good.  They reminded me of the Ms. Pac-Man video game where a ravenous monster gobbles up everything in sight.  Indeed, their progress had exceeded any previous group of students I had ever taught.  That included the talented group of dancers who took my Monday Night Acrobatics class.  Now the day had come when the Clear Lake Seven had exhausted all my moves through the Advanced level.  The only material I had left were difficult acrobatic moves I performed with Victoria.  These moves were tricky to learn and carried considerable risk.  Other than Tommy and Hazel, my star couple, the difficulty-level was way over their heads.  I doubted these husbands would want to risk their wives' necks on advanced Disco acrobatics, especially after what happened to Victoria at the Lighthouse.  Nor would their wives wish to risk their own necks, not with the memory of Victoria crashing to earth fresh in their minds.  For this reason I was full of regret at the bad news I would have to share tonight. 

I did not want to quit.  I would miss my friends terribly.  Besides, I had a sentimental reason to continue.  So far Clear Lake had been immune to the Urban Cowboy insanity that had caused most of the Houston-area Discos to close.  If this trend continued, in two months the Clear Lake group could very well be the last Disco class of my career.  For sentimental reasons, that was a major incentive to continue, but not if it meant someone getting hurt. 

At the end of today's class, I gathered everyone around.  Due to my mixed feelings, I faltered when it came time to speak.  I loved them too much to unilaterally cut the cord.  Rather than tell them this was the end of the line, I shared my dilemma. 

"I have to be honest, you guys are so good you have cleaned me out.  There are no easy moves left in the can for me to teach you.  All I have left are aerials which involve lifting the ladies off the floor.  This entails a certain amount of risk.  You have seen the danger with your own eyes, so you know what I mean.  What do you wish to do?"

Dennis spoke up.  "Are these aerials you refer to as dangerous at the one where Victoria almost got hurt?"

"No.  I might add that the Jackknife is not dangerous unless there is a ceiling fan in the vicinity.  But I will avoid teaching that one."

Now Hazel spoke up.  "We know that your accidents were not your fault.  We saw that woman stumble into you.  And we saw Victoria firmly perched on your shoulders.  We also saw her suddenly begin to topple for no reason.  I trust you completely and I know the other women do as well.  Besides, I will never forget the effort you made to save Victoria from injury."  

When the other people nodded, I almost started to cry.  I was grateful that their loyalty remained firm.  At this point, these people were no longer my students, they were close friends.  But if we continued, how would this work?  Considering we had two 48 year old women in the group, I expected some reluctance.  Not so.  To their credit, the two older women did not blink an eye.  In fact, none of the women seemed worried.  No one wanted to quit.  It was unanimous.  

Hazel again took the lead.  "If you think we can do it, Rick, then let's give it a try!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.  If I could teach it, they would learn it.

"All right, I'm game if you are.  Now I have another question.  What do you want to do about next Saturday?  That is Labor Day Weekend."

Everyone looked at each other.  Since only one couple was going to be out of town, the other six couples definitely wanted me to teach their usual lesson.  Afterwards they would go to dinner and dancing as was their habit. 

I grinned.  Talk about brave!  "Okay, fine.  If you guys are game, then I will see you next Saturday."

As I drove home, I mulled over this unexpected development.  The upcoming move for next Saturday was a difficult aerial known as Scissors.  This was a spectacular move well worth the effort to learn.  The end result would place the woman on the man's shoulders.  Although I did not consider the move dangerous, it was not easy to learn.  I had only taught this move once before, but in a private lesson, not a group lesson.  To my dismay, it had been difficult to explain to the woman what she should do.  It would have been much easier if the lady could have seen the necessary contortions ahead of time.  It was tricky enough getting the girl up on my shoulders.  It was even trickier getting her back down gracefully.  Plus there was intricate timing involved.   That said, once the man and woman figured out what to do, the move was not all that difficult.  The dangerous part was in the 'Learning'.  After that private lesson, I concluded some Acrobatics had to be demonstrated first in order for the explanations to make any sense. 

Without seeing what the move looked like in advance, I was still fearful someone in my Clear Lake group could get hurt during the learning phase.  I would die if that happened.  I hate to say it, but this Curse nonsense had gotten under my skin, sapping a lot of my confidence in the process.  These people trusted me and I felt a serious responsibility to ensure their safety.  What could I do?  A demonstration would definitely make the move safer to learn.  I wondered where Joanne was these days.  I could use her help again as my demonstrator.  But then I dismissed the idea.  After Victoria had exiled her from the studio, Joanne had gone Country.  Besides, the last time we spoke, Joanne had been really angry at me for letting Victoria push her around.  It would be easier just to let her be.  I could not think of anyone else, so I put it out of my mind for the time being.

Annabelle's was an attractive Disco on the top floor of a fancy hotel in the Galleria area.  Management was looking for a way to boost attendance on Sunday evenings, always a slow night.  In early July Victoria and I were hired by to teach Disco on Sunday evenings at this high in the sky location.  It was a smart move to hire us.  The place did good business now that Victoria and I were teaching there. 

The manager liked us a lot.  As he hoped, each week we brought our Friday night Camelot entourage with us.  I would estimate at least 30 of the guests each Sunday were students who came along for another evening to dance with their friends.  

I liked Annabelle's.  It was a lovely club and I enjoyed the spectacular view of the Galleria area.  It felt like Heaven up here in this lofty skybox.  Due to the continuing onslaught waged by the Country-Western death march, Annabelle's was one of the few Discos left in Houston.  As the Disco lights flickered out one by one around town, Annabelle's had become an anachronism from the land time forgot.  Dancing up here was a happy reminder of how much I loved Disco.  Knowing the days of Disco were shrinking, I cherished every moment.  

The date was Sunday, August 26.  As I rode the elevator, Clear Lake and my exiled friend Joanne were on my mind.  When I met with the Clear Lake group yesterday evening, Joanne had come to mind when I realized I needed an acrobatics demonstrator for next week's lesson.  Annabelle's was the place where Joanne had lost her temper back in June.  She was unfairly criticized by the Disco crowd for choosing Country over Disco.  No one but me knew that Victoria was the reason Joanne was no longer welcome at the Pistachio Club.  

Joanne was not just angry at the rudeness of the Disco group, she was angry at me for inadvertently setting up the ambush.  That was three months ago.  Considering we had not spoken since, I doubted I would ever see her again.  What a shame. 

As for Victoria, she was meeting me here tonight.  Victoria had yet to recover her confidence following the back-to-back Lighthouse and Foley's accidents.  Victoria was giving free rein to her fears.  Based on my four previous dance accidents, Victoria believed I had a Dance Curse hanging over me.  She was certain I was bound to hurt her again despite my fervent promises that she was safe. 

Due to her belief that accidents happen in Threes, Victoria was terrified a third mishap was certain to befall her.  Victoria was determined to avoid her Fate.  By being extra careful, Victoria was going to avoid her third dance accident.  Accordingly, Victoria made a new rule that simple acrobatics were okay tonight, but nothing difficult. 

She knew Annabelle's wanted us to strut our stuff, but drew the line on risky acrobatics.  The manager liked how our weekly performance really stirred up the crowd so Victoria allowed me to throw in some easy dips and flips to keep him happy.  Fortunately, we were good enough at this point that we no longer needed to depend on death-defying acrobatics to entertain.  Thanks to eight months of training with Glen, we were sleek, graceful, and fast.  We had excellent timing, precise footwork, and stage presence.  Possessing a countless array of complicated Hustle patterns that were pleasing to watch, it was gratifying to know Victoria and I had completed our dream of becoming top-flight dancers.  Alas, just when we had reached this pinnacle, I was upset that Victoria refused to allow us to show our best stuff any longer.  All that work down the drain.

For our dance lesson that night, I taught a pattern known as Sweetheart.  This was a popular pattern and not too tough to learn.  With our usual crowd of 30 experienced dancers plus 20 beginners, my class was well attended.  Many of the students already knew this move.  They came anyway mostly to hang out.  They were here to see friends, scout for lovers, do some dancing.  Teaching dance moves in a nightclub was always a headache because veteran dancers and beginners took the class side by side.  No matter what I taught, some of the beginners were overwhelmed.  If I catered to the beginners, the veterans were bored out of their mind.  I did my best to overcome the handicap by telling a lot of jokes and doing the best I could to entertain.  Laughter always made things go better.

After I finished our dance lesson, it was time for Victoria and I to give our dance performance.  Our performance was good entertainment and we enjoyed making people smile.  This was Victoria's dream come true.  She loved being the center of attention in a glamorous setting like this Top of the World dance club.  She said it was like dancing on a cloud.  And of course Victoria had her fan base along to cheer for her.  Victoria definitely enjoyed her popularity, but as always I was skeptical it justified risking her marriage.  I feared that Victoria was spending one night too many away from home.

As the manager cleared the floor prior to our exhibition, Victoria pulled me aside. 

"Rick, I want to remind you of your promise to be extra careful when we dance tonight.  Can we limit the Acrobatics to the easy stuff?"

I nodded.  The specter of the recent Foley's accident was on both our minds.  "I'll tell you what, Victoria, let's skip acrobatics completely until the end.  We can finish with the Explosion pattern that leads to the Flying Flip.  That's a flashy move which is also very safe.  Will that work?"

Victoria smiled gratefully.  "Yes, that will be perfect.  Thank you."

As we entered the floor to warm applause, I noticed our dancing area was smaller than usual.  Now that word of our weekly performance had spread, tonight's crowd was the largest I had ever seen.  There were many people crowding the edge of the floor when the music started. 

Soon the problem grew worse.  As we danced, I noticed people behind the front row were trying to get a better view.  Due to the crowd pressure behind them, several people in front had inched closer to the dance floor.  This meant we had even less floor space to work with.  Fearful someone might accidentally trip Victoria, I made sure to stay close to the center of the floor.  Victoria's accusations that I had a Curse hanging over me made me feel paranoid.  Consequently I was on alert trying to avoid the next accident Victoria was certain was bound to happen.  In other words, yes, I was trying to avoid Fate just like Victoria. 

Victoria was totally into her dancing.  She meant to dazzle our audience and tonight she was on fire!  At the very end of our performance, I led Victoria into the Explosion Position, the set-up for the 'Flying Flip', Victoria's favorite acrobatic move.

Victoria's job was to roll to the very end of her left arm and hit an eye-catching arm pose for styling.  As Victoria rolled to the end of her arm, her eyes were focused on me.  As always Victoria snapped her right arm sideways to hit the dramatic pose.  Unfortunately Victoria was so intent on looking at me she never noticed a female spectator standing directly behind her.  Flinging her arm out with power, Victoria's right hand struck this woman full force in the jugular. 

It was a brutal hit.  Victoria had landed a dangerous karate chop to the woman's throat.  The slapping sound of Victoria's hand striking the woman was so loud I could hear it over the music.  Everyone in the room saw what happened and collectively gasped in horror. 

Victoria's lethal blow must have hurt like hell.  The woman tried to scream, but her injured windpipe would only permit some sort of terrible gurgling sound.  With both hands gripping her damaged throat, the poor woman collapsed to the floor in agony.  She fell so hard for a moment I was afraid Victoria had killed the woman.  The Deejay saw it happen and stopped the music immediately.  In a way, that was a mistake because now everyone could hear those awful gurgling, rasping sounds from a woman who was barely able to breathe. 

The entire audience screamed in horror as the woman writhed in agony on the floor.  It was really ugly to watch and the woman's rasping noises sounded like a death rattle.  Standing five feet from the fallen woman, I suddenly recognized her.  Benita was one of Victoria's favorite students.  Clutching her throat the entire time, Benita coughed and wheezed.  I winced as the poor lady rolled around gasping for air.  Sickened by that gulping sound as she tried to suck air in, I could not bear to watch.  Then I felt guilty, so I forced myself to turn back around.  It hurt so much to watch poor Benita struggle.  Victoria watched too.  I could see she was just as horrified as me.  Victoria's guilt-ridden face was contorted into a terrible death mask.  I felt sorry for Victoria.  I could not imagine the nightmares about Fate that were racing through her mind.

Victoria saw me looking at her and whispered, "Benita is one of my Tuesday students.  In fact, Benita was here tonight because I specifically invited her."

Hmm.  How's that for irony?  As I watched Benita writhe on the floor, I could not help but wonder why crazy stuff like this kept happening over and over again.  But I would think about that later.  Right now I was more worried about Benita.  Fortunately after several tense minutes, Benita recovered her ability to breathe normally.  The pain eventually subsided and she was able to sit up on the floor, an act that was accompanied by much applause from the concerned audience.  The manager probably applauded the loudest.  He wasted no time offering Benita a glass of water complete with straw.  With a wan smile, Benita accepted the water gratefully. 

Benita was more or less okay.  Once she was able to take a deep breath again, color returned to her face.  Thank goodness!  She was woozy and her throat was sore, but there seemed to be no permanent damage.  We helped Benita to a chair and a line of well-wishers passed by to offer encouragement.  I think she appreciated the kindness.  Victoria got down on her knees in front of Benita to beg forgiveness.  There were huge crocodile tears in her eyes.  She took Benita's hands and apologized profusely for hurting her. 

Benita was so nice.  In a rasping voice, Benita whispered, "Oh, it wasn't your fault, Victoria, I shouldn't have been standing so close.  You are such a wonderful dancer that I wasn't paying any attention!  I'm just glad you aren't Bruce Lee!"  ha ha ha. 

Benita's small joke brought smiles to the nervous crowd.  However Victoria did not laugh.  She felt terribly guilty, yet this lady was being so sweet.  Victoria kissed her friend on the cheek and gave Benita's hands the most tender squeeze.  Victoria whispered, "I am so sorry, Benita.  I can't bear that I have hurt you.  I never saw you there.  Please forgive me."

Benita beamed at this visit from her heroine and said she would be okay.  Victoria was so relieved she started to cry.  I was proud of Victoria.  Comforting Benita was a very classy gesture.  Whenever Victoria wasn't busy being a jerk, she had tremendous warmth and love about her.  Victoria was a very complicated woman and that's putting it mildly. 

As for me, Guilt is a funny thing.  Even though I did not cause the accident, I still felt guilty.  I thought I was keeping Victoria in the center of the floor, but maybe I should have realized in advance that the Explosion Position takes up a lot of room.  That's how Guilt works.  We always find a way to blame ourselves.  To be honest, I could not believe this had happened.  The memory of hearing Benita gurgle and choke for air continued to haunt me.  Nor could I forget how much pain she had been in.  The Karate Chop Accident felt like a very bad omen.  And so it was.  There would be immediate repercussions, all of them bad. 

THE DANCE CURSE: FIVE ACCIDENTS IN A ROW

Serious

Strange Accident
Dance Curse 5

Serious

Strange Accident
Dance Curse 4

Serious

Strange Accident
Dance Curse 3

Serious

Telekinesis
Dance Curse 2

Suspicious

Cosmic Blindness
Dance Curse 1