For a split second he thought she was hesitating because she was trying to find a polite way to reject him, but then when she answered he thought he understood the delay. His cheeks flushed. He had not thought when he'd asked her that he would be her first dance of the night. Admittedly, he had not actually thought anything when he'd asked her to dance; he'd just blurted it out.
"You don't have to — er, if you don't want — I could take one of your later dances," he offered, painfully aware of how much he was stumbling over his words. She must have agreed because that was what women did when you asked them to dance, but perhaps if he gave her a polite out she'd take it graciously. Surely for her first dance she'd want someone older, more established, more eligible than he was.
"You don't have to — er, if you don't want — I could take one of your later dances," he offered, painfully aware of how much he was stumbling over his words. She must have agreed because that was what women did when you asked them to dance, but perhaps if he gave her a polite out she'd take it graciously. Surely for her first dance she'd want someone older, more established, more eligible than he was.
