They walked slowly back into the frigid establishment her arm wrapped around his and her head resting against his bicep. Her other hand was occupied in tracing the locket at her throat. Neither of them spoke.
They hadn’t entered yet when they were met by loud music pulsing in the now darkened barroom. Maya looked up when Phoenix hesitated at the door. He was frowning.
“Nick?”
“They’ve never had a DJ before,” he said.
“It’s probably Olga’s iPod shuffle,” Maya said, “she’s been trying to sneak it into the sound system ever since she got that weird compilation of Euro Techno.”
Phoenix still didn’t move to enter the Borscht Bowl Club, “Um, Maya…”
“Yeah?”
“You’re not going to ask me to dance, are you?”
Maya put her head down and touched the locket. After everything. Their little arguments, the revelations, their acceptance of the inevitable—she didn’t want to pressure him into doing something he wasn’t comfortable with.
But then, she did like dancing.
“Oh don’t you dare look back. Just keep your eyes on me.”
Phoenix frowned apprehensively when Maya didn’t answer. He couldn’t dance—not really. He certainly didn’t want to jump up in front of everyone there and show off how terrible a dancer he was—not when he’d just won over the establishment with his serenade.
He let her pull him back inside. They’d turned off the main lights and the room was lit only by the moving colored track lights and the reflections off of the mirrored ball hanging above the floor.
Some obnoxious couple was showing their moves while the crowd surrounded the stage cheering them on. Phoenix watched the guy spin his girl around and then lift her bodily into the air. Her slender figure arched gracefully and her arms extended—just like in Dirty Dancing…
Maya was gaping at the dance floor.
“Hey, Nick is that—”
“Come on,” he said steering her back to their table.
He was shocked to find Gumshoe and Larry sitting alone.
“Hey,” Phoenix said joining them at the table, “Where’d Edgeworth and Franziska—”
Larry just nodded toward the crowd and the obnoxious dancers.
Phoenix’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head.
I said, “You’re holding back,” She said, “Shut up and dance with me!”
This woman is my destiny
She said, “Ooh-ooh-hoo, Shut up and dance with me.”
Maya grabbed his arm excitedly, “Nick!”
“Huh? What happened?”
“Is that—?” she pointed. This couldn’t be. Was it really them?
Gumshoe chuckled, “Yeah that’s Mister Edgeworth and Franziska. We usually don’t let him have liquor. Wine or beer, sure. But liquor makes him brave.”
Phoenix was frowning at the big detective as he shook in silent laughter. Maya punched him.
“You never told me that Edgeworth could dance!”
“I didn’t know!” Phoenix said rubbing his arm where she punched him.
We were victims of the night,
The chemical, physical, kryptonite
Helpless to the bass and the fading light
Phoenix was eyeing Maya with a nervous sidelong glance when Larry returned with more beers for the group. He loved her—that much was true. But there were some things about her that he was less than enamored of. Like her insatiable appetite for burgers and her ability to punch. He was definitely going to have a bruise.
Oh, we were bound to get together,
Bound to get together.
The next song was a slow song and Phoenix nodded in greeting when Edgeworth and Franziska returned to the table. Both of them were flushed and breathing hard. He’d never seen Edgeworth so unguarded. Ever.
“Edgeworth,” Phoenix said, “When did you learn how to dance?”
Edgeworth was in the middle of undoing his cravat and shot him a heated glare. Well, that at least, was familiar. Edgeworth pulled the white length of cloth from his neck and toyed with it in his hands, “It’s not as if it’s very difficult,” he said with a smirk.
Franziska pushed past him and squeezed into the booth, “Oh my poor feet!”
Gumshoe chuckled and she glared at him.
Phoenix put his head down, but he was watching Maya surreptitiously and noting the hungry look in her eyes as she listened to Franziska go on about Edgeworth’s dancing. He frowned a little—one thing at a time. They’d already had a pretty crazy night. There would be time for dancing later, right?
She took my arm,
I don’t know how it happened.
“Are you really finished, Franziska?” Edgeworth asked with only the smallest hint of longing in his voice.
She looked up at him and smiled, “You should save some for later.”
Larry grinned.
Phoenix blushed. Maya kicked him under the table.
“Ow,” he said, “What?”
“I know you don’t want to Nick, but would you be upset if I went and danced?” Maya said.
Phoenix couldn’t hide his relief, “No, not at all. Take one of these bums up there with you.”
He jerked his thumb at Larry and Gumshoe. The big detective startled and looked at the two of them, Larry was already leering at Maya.
Edgeworth cut in like a knight in shining magenta, “I’ll dance with you. If you don’t mind?”
Maya grinned but she paused to look at Franziska. The other woman was stirring her drink, but she smiled and nodded.
“If it’ll get me off of my feet for a few minutes,” she said laughing.
We took the floor and she said,
Maya followed behind him as he led the way toward the dance floor. He’d discarded his jacket and Maya couldn’t help noticing that he kinda looked like a young John Travolta—a la Saturday Night Fever.
She turned once to look back at Phoenix. He was watching her from the booth.
She smiled.
“Oh, don’t you dare look back.
Just keep your eyes on me.”
Edgeworth took her hand and spun her into his arms. Phoenix couldn’t help the small prickle of envy that washed over him. He shot Franziska a meaningful look.
“You worry too much, Phoenix Wright,” she said and sipped her drink.
Phoenix grimaced and turned to watch Maya and Edgeworth on the dance floor. What if this changes things? Would she forever resent him if he couldn’t dance with her like that?
I said, “You’re holding back, “
She said, “Shut up and dance with me!”
Maya smiled up at him. He was ridiculously handsome. That made her feel guilty. But maybe Nick would notice this and maybe get a little stirred up. She liked him stirred up.
This woman is my destiny
She said, “Ooh-ooh-hoo,
Shut up and dance with me.”
Phoenix was so distracted watching the newly discovered love of his life dancing her heart out with his greatest rival. What the hell, Edgeworth?
He didn’t notice that Franziska was shoving Gumshoe along the curved seat of the booth. Pushing the big detective into Phoenix.
He did notice when they tumbled out of the booth, Gumshoe’s bulk all but crushing him into the floor.
Phoenix glared.
A backless dress and some beat up sneaks,
My discothèque, Juliet teenage dream.
I felt it in my chest as she looked at me.
Franziska was laughing as she hopped over them. Phoenix noticed that she’d discarded her shoes.
Oh man…
“Come along, Scruffy!” She called with a flip of her hand.
I knew we were bound to be together,
Bound to be together
Phoenix grunted in surprise when Gumshoe grabbed him around his trunk and carried him to the dancefloor, following Franziska’s beckoning.
“Oh, God…” He closed his eyes, “Not this…”
She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened.
We took the floor and she said,
“Oh, don’t you dare look back. Just keep your eyes on me.”
Gumshoe propped him upright and Phoenix found himself jammed between the burly detective and a very happy Edgeworth and they proceeded to go-go-boy him. He could see Franziska in flashes between the two men dancing with Maya.
I said, “You’re holding back, “
She said, “Shut up and dance with me!”
Edgeworth grabbed his arm and tugged him away from Gumshoe, he motioned at the detective with his other hand. He started going through the steps slowly.
Phoenix was too irritated to notice right way that Edgeworth was trying to show him what to do. Gumshoe was following along on the other side of him. Phoenix had no choice but to move along with them.
This woman is my destiny
She said, “Ooh-ooh-hoo, Shut up and dance with me.”
Maya and Franziska joined their line. So did the other random dancers. The group moved in one formation. Moving with the pulsing beat.
Phoenix couldn’t help but grin. This wasn’t so bad.
Oh, come on girl!
Franziska broke from the group and grabbed Edgeworth. They moved away from the group, eyes locked, bodies pressed together and moving to the music.
Maya was watching them hungrily, she turned and looked up at Phoenix.
Deep in her eyes,
I think I see the future.
I realize this is my last chance.
He was locked in that gaze for an unquantifiable amount of time.
He couldn’t fight when she led him off away from the group.
She took my arm,
I don’t know how it happened.
We took the floor and she said,
He spun her around, it just seemed like the natural thing to do. Then he pulled her close and let her dance.
“Oh, don’t you dare look back.
Just keep your eyes on me.”
I said, “You’re holding back, “
She said, “Shut up and dance with me!”
Comments