Читать книгу Gentle Persuasion - Cerella Sechrist - Страница 11

CHAPTER FOUR

OPHELIA COULDN’T KEEP from smiling as Leilani’s boyfriend, Sam, continued to demonstrate the steps of the hula to her. Their friends gathered around the golden circle cast by the bonfire’s light, alternating between shouts of encouragement for Ophelia and playful teasing toward Sam.

“You have no rhythm, brah! You’ve got to move your hips more!” one of Sam’s friends called out.

“That’s it, Ophelia! You were born to hula, girl!”

Despite the compliments, Ophelia knew the group was being kind. Her awkward movements couldn’t compare to the elegant demonstrations Leilani and her friends had offered earlier. In fact, she suspected Sam’s goofy flailing beside her was merely to draw attention away from her own lack of grace. It didn’t bother her, though. Sam and Leilani, along with their friends, had been so warm and welcoming that she felt completely at ease among them. She had sustained mild teasing about her attire—after all, practicing the hula in business-casual pants and blouse hardly embraced the laid-back spirit of the islands. But she had endured the ribbing good-naturedly and wondered whether her professional dress had any sort of influence on Dane’s decision, anyway.

As Sam segued into the next part of the hula, she held up her hands. “I think Sam and I have embarrassed ourselves enough for one night.”

There were several calls of disappointment, but Ophelia shook her head. “You’ve all been a terrific audience.” She bent at the waist and then straightened, flashing them a grin. Sam grabbed her hand and tugged her down into another brief bow.