The Belly Dancer

It was little, like a dancing light. It moved so quickly and yet was graceful. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. Perhaps I looked like a creeper sitting in the back of the class, eyes fastened on the little instructor with the jeweled belly piercing, at the front of the room. I probably did, but there was no way I was going to actually make an effort to dance and pretend I was in the room to do anything but stare at her.

Last week, I had been going past the mirror room in the gym like I normally would on my way to the track and then I heard the strangest music. I first heard the heavy throb of the drums. I’m a drummer so this attracted me to the source of the sound and then I heard bangles. A class was finishing up and the girls were taking off their hip scarves. I am a man, so of course I paused to look at all these women in sports bras and yoga pants with hip scarves jingling, laughing and having a good time. They filed out of the room past me and I was about to move on when I caught a glimpse of a shorter girl I hadn’t seen because of the rush of women leaving the room. (Needless to say, there were no men in that class.)
She was dressed in a royal blue, simple yet rich looking, belly dance costume. After the costume, I first noticed the simple jewel hanging from her bellybutton. She had noticed me watching and smiled. She gathered her bag, retrieved her ipod from the sound system and put a jacket on. When she came to the door, seeing I was still there she nodded at the sign on the door.
“If you are interested in the class, men are allowed.” I started and shook my head.
“Nah, I don’t dance…” I said quickly. “…but thanks.” I added when I realized my reply had come out harsh sounding.
“Suit yourself.” She returned. “But just because there is only women in the class right now doesn’t mean that guys don’t belly dance. Look it up. It’s not just for women. That’s a social construct.” I shook my head again.
She shrugged. “Well, see ya.”

So that is how I found myself lurking, for that is the only word for what I was doing, at the back of the mirrored room in my gym.
I got a couple awkward side glances from some of the other women in the class but I disregarded it. I was here for one reason and one reason only. To watch the little lady.

As the class drew to an end I was thankful that I had worn super loose shorts over compression underwear. It was doing what it could to make my throbbing erection stay as out of sight as was possible. I watched as the class collect their stuff and filed out. I was about to slip out, hopefully unnoticed, when she raised her voice. “Hey you, wait.”
I paused and then turned. Today her outfit was a beautiful emerald green with dark blue trim. As my eyes traveled up her body to her face I noticed that her it nicely off set her blue grey eyes, narrowed blue eyes. My brain kicked in as I realized that the little lady was pist.
“I said that you could join the class not act like some weirdo sitting in the shadows! Being in a class means participating! Not ogling!”
“Uh…” I was at a loss for words. My blood was trying to get from my groin to my brain and it simply wasn’t moving fast enough for my brain to have the adequate thinking power to talk to her yet.
“Furthermore, if you actually had some interest in this class I’m sure you would have at least tried a couple of moves towards the end or something! All you are here to do is ogle the girls!”
Here she paused for breath. My eyes fell to her still bare belly as it flexed.
“Please stop!” She said. I dragged my eyes back up to her face. It was a very pretty face too.
“Uh… stop what?” Yup, I thought, not enough blood in the brain yet. What an idiotic thing to say. I knew what she meant.
“Stop sitting in the back and creeping the girls out by watching them.”
“But I wasn’t watching them.” I stated coolly. My brain had regained its’ thinking power…finally.
She opened her mouth to say something but I interrupted her thought.
“I was watching you. I could care less about them and how they are dancing.”
Her mouth opened and then closed, she said in a low voice.
“I would appreciate if you would not grace us with your presence next time.”
I took a step closer to her and growled. “I wouldn’t count on it.”
“You can’t intimidate me.” She growled back, stepping closer to me. It was then I realized just how little she was. She barely made it to my collarbone. But her shortness she made up with fierceness. Her eyes were completely grey now, a much colder color from her previous blue.
“You can’t stop me.” I stated. I was confident in this fact. I was friends with the owner of the gym and he and I had already had a discussion about her. I was chastising him for not telling me that there would be a lot of ladies running around a gym normally frequented by mostly men.
Evidently the gym needed more members and a belly dancing class seemed to be the best way to get them to come in.
“Watch me.” She growled. Her voice was low and her nostrils were flared. I noticed absently that she had a nose piercing as well.