I always wore my long frizzy blonde hair back in a plait and wore as my uniform a long grey skirt and frumpy sweatshirt.
One bright sunny day, Daddy came into the office in a navy blue suit looking all cheerful and dapper about something.
"Clarie, honey, make more of an effort of your appearance. A great latin ballroom dancer is coming to teach ballroom dancing, isn't this exciting?"
"Erm.. when is this?" I asked. I adjusted my glasses on the bridge of my nose.
"Today. I told you ages ago that he was coming. Oh, Clarie, what am I going to do with you," he replied. Daddy peered round his office door and turned back to me, face beaming with excitement. "He's arrived. Look sharp, Clarie, don't slouch." He walked out and I followed.
"Mr Cox, lovely to see you again," a tall young man with a slender but strong physique and dark hair came walking over to us from reception desk. He shook hands with my father and hugged.
"You too, Enrique, how is your father, recovering I hope," Daddy said, with a chuckle.
Enrique smiled widely and nodded, "Recovering well, thank you sir," he replied. His blue eyes went towards me, "Who is this shy woman?"
Daddy pushed me forward, "This is my daughter, Clarie, she's rather shy, but a very good assistant," he told the latin dancer.
Enrique lifted up my right hand to his lips and kissed it. His eyes met mine sending my heart into overdrive.
"Pleasure meeting your acquaintance, mademoiselle," he said.
"Let us show the ballroom," Daddy said leading the way.
A few hours later after tidying up my father's office, he came back in a flaming bad mood with a bottle of whisky in his hand. He looked at me and yelled at me to get out and I scurried away quickly. Tears forming in my eyes.
I heard voices coming from the ballroom so I quietly wen to the door and peeked in and saw the handsome dancer, Enrique, practicing with a pretty redhead in a pink leotard but he was getting irritated with her.
"You're doing it all wrong, Sylvie!"
The redhead threw up her hands "I quit! Find someone else," she said, before storming out the door. I hid behind the door as she past.
I looked back into the ballroom and watched shyly as my heart pounded. I wanted him so much.
Enrique looked up and saw me, "Hey, come here," he said.
I shyly walked forward with head down.
"Why are you always so shy?" he asked.
I looked at him and shrugged my shoulders.
Enrique lifted up my face to his and looked deeply into my eyes.