In Tune At The Silent Disco

A team-building exercise sparks a new friendship in this cheerful short story by Sharon Haston.

LUCY felt that the sad expression on the King Charles spaniel’s face mirrored her own. She sighed. She had to drag herself out of this quagmire of self-pity she’d been stuck in since Jon left.

It didn’t help that he’d called round yesterday to collect the last of his bits and pieces.

Her already broken heart had shattered even further when she saw him again.

She’d felt as if they were strangers instead of a couple who’d spent two years together.

Lucy picked up a heavy metal CD which must have fallen out of the box Jon had carried out, and hurled it across the room.

She wouldn’t miss the din of screaming guitars from his music, or his mocking when she sang along to ABBA songs.

They hadn’t been in tune with each other in more ways than one.

Lucy looked again at the photo of the mournful dog in the local paper.

They were asking for volunteers to help at the animal rescue centre.

She dialled the number. At least it would get her out of the house at weekends.

Janey, the centre’s boss, interviewed her, then showed her around.

“Welcome aboard, Lucy,” she said. “I think you’ll fit in really well.”

Lucy nodded and stopped outside the pen which housed the dog she’d seen in the photo.

Unlike the other dogs, this one stayed at the back of her pen, looking melancholy.

“This is Lola. We found her abandoned by the side of the road. She’s still a little scared and unsure,” Janey explained.

Lucy gave Lola a sympathetic smile.

Over the next few weeks, Lucy worked at her office job as usual. But instead of spending the weekend on the sofa watching sentimental films, she kept busy at the centre.

She also took the dogs for walks, groomed and petted them.

Lola was hesitant at first, but Lucy persisted, talking gently to her, letting Lola come forward to her.

By the end of the month, she’d made up her mind.

“I’d like to adopt Lola,” she told Janey, after they returned from a stroll around the yard.

The little dog’s ears perked up.

Janey looked up from spooning food into bowls.

“I thought you might. You’ve really formed a bond. It’s lovely. You’ll be good for each other.”

The first time Lucy took Lola for a walk in her local park she was amazed to see that buds had appeared on the trees.

There had been snow on the ground when Jon walked out.

“It’s not working, Lucy,” he’d said. “We’ve drifted apart.”

“We can fix it,” she’d cried, but he didn’t love her enough to try.

Lola stayed by Lucy’s side, even when she took off her lead.

Lucy bent down and hugged her.

“You’ve been hurt, wee dog, but you’ll get better.”

Bright yellow daffodils swayed in the breeze.

“William Wordsworth knew a thing or two,” she said, remembering the poem she’d learned by heart at school.

Her heart wasn’t quite “dancing with the daffodils” yet, but she felt it was beginning to mend.

After a tough few months, Lucy was ready to let go and dance!

****

“He’s a breath of fresh air,” Charlotte, her work colleague, said, nodding towards the new IT guy as he approached.

He held out his hand and they shook it in turn. His grip was firm.

“Hi, I’m Oliver. If you need any help, give me a shout.”

He smiled, flashing a dimple in his left cheek.

“You were right,” Lucy surprised herself by saying. “He is handsome.”

She hadn’t noticed any other men since Jon left.

She sensed another stage in her recovery.

Next day, at the rescue centre, Lucy was brushing a yellow Labrador called Orkney when a man with short blond hair and glasses walked in, shaking his enormous golf umbrella.

Lucy recognised him, but from where, she wasn’t sure.

“I’m looking to adopt a

dog,” he said.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Janey smiled. “Let’s have a look round, then we’ll go through the regulations.”

The man peered at Lucy. “Hi. It’s Lucy Hill, isn’t it? I haven’t seen you since school.”

“Harris West?” she asked, not quite sure.

“Yes, lovely to see you again.”

He’d been one of the computer whizzes, a couple of years above Lucy.

Lucy had thought him and his pals geeky.

Orkney rose, walked to Harris’s side and held up his paw for Harris to shake.

“I think I’ve been chosen, rather than the other way around.

“Very pleased to meet you . . .?”

He looked at Lucy in enquiry.

“Orkney,” she supplied. Janey was right. It was heartwarming to see new bonds being forged.

“See you around!” Harris waved goodbye after he’d completed the paperwork.

A home visit and some background checks and Orkney would have a new life.

****

Lucy hadn’t expected to see Harris again so soon.

This time he was bounding after an excited Orkney in the park.

“He’s loving the freedom.” He laughed, catching up with Orkney at last.

Orkney sniffed Lola, but she ignored him, walking in the opposite direction, her nose in the air.

“Lola, how rude! She has abandonment issues and finds it hard to make friends,” Lucy explained. Harris sighed.

“Yes, it takes time, right enough.”

Lucy wondered how many people were wandering around this park, secretly nursing broken hearts.

“I can see you’re getting on well.” Lucy nodded at Orkney.

“Best thing I ever did.” He patted Orkney’s head.

“Me, too,” Lucy said. “Even if she is a bit of a diva.”

They often met in the park with their new companions.

The buds on the trees turned into glorious cherry blossom.

Lola continued to ignore Orkney’s paw of friendship.

****

Meanwhile, Oliver fitted into the office as if he’d always been there.

Lucy’s heart beat a little faster when he leaned over to fix a glitch on her PC.

One Friday evening, the team enjoyed drinks after work, and she discovered she and Oliver both loved Martin Scorsese’s films.

“Next one that comes out, we’ll go to see it together.” He flashed his dimple.

Lucy grinned and Charlotte glowered.

“We’re looking for ideas on team building,” their boss announced at their next team meeting.

Please don’t let it be an outward-bound course or an escape room, Lucy thought.

“Why don’t we have a silent disco in the park?” Oliver suggested.

“We could ask for sponsors and donate the money to Lucy’s animal rescue centre.”

Lucy could have kissed him.

“What on earth is a silent disco?” Mr Green frowned.

“We put on headsets, listen to pre-recorded playlists and dance along to them.”

Mr Green looked even more perplexed.

“But we’ll only hear the music in our headsets?” Oliver nodded.

“That’s the best part. Everyone sings along and dances, forgetting they’re the only ones who can hear their tunes.”

“Let’s do it, Mr Green, it’ll be fun and it’s for a good cause!” Charlotte fluttered her eyelashes at Oliver.

Mr Green looked round at the expectant faces.

“It’s not what I had in mind, but let’s give it a go!”

****

On the day of the silent disco, the sun streamed through Lucy’s curtains and

Lola licked her face.

“You’re not supposed to be allowed on my bed,” she protested.

Lola gave her an imperious look as she cuddled in.

In the park, Oliver handed out their headsets.

“We have three different playlists. You can listen to Seventies, Eighties or Nineties music,” he explained, “and when I give the sign, we’ll set off through the park, dancing as we go.”

Mr Green looked selfconscious as he put on his huge headset.

All 12 of them set off, a little hesitant at first, humming along to the music in their ears.

The park was busy, with people eating ice-cream, enjoying the blue skies.

Soon, they forgot others couldn’t hear their music, just as Oliver had predicted.

They danced and sang along in loud voices, some more tuneful than others, all singing different songs.

People in the park, stopped to watch, caught up in their infectious joy.

A mother pushing a buggy danced along and others began to join in, even though they couldn’t hear any music.

Lucy belted out “Walking On Sunshine”, wiggling her hips and smiling at Oliver, but he was dramatically waving his arms, singing, “Don’t Stop Me Now”.

Then he played air guitar. They never seemed to be in sync.

Although they both loved Martin Scorsese films, it seemed they didn’t have the same taste in music.

Lucy thought about Jon’s CDs and a cloud passed over her happy mood.

Suddenly, a familiar yellow Labrador bounded up to her.

Harris followed a few steps behind, laughing as everyone in Lucy’s team danced around him.

By this time, Lucy was singing “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees, doing her best John Travolta moves from “Saturday Night Fever”.

Harris joined in a duet with Lucy, following her moves perfectly.

Who would have thought that Geeky Harris would be such a wonderful dancer?

Once the silent disco ended, they agreed it had been the best team builder ever. Plus, they’d raised over £200 for the centre.

As they said goodbye and split up, Lucy noticed Oliver and Charlotte leaving the park together but found

Soon, they forgot others couldn’t hear their music

she didn’t care.

Orkney still jumped around, wagging his tail.

“He doesn’t need music,” Harris said. “Why don’t we fetch Lola, then we could have lunch in the park café? It’s a glorious day.”

He ran a hand through his hair, looking unsure of Lucy’s response.

“That sounds like a plan,” she said.

As they enjoyed lunch in the sunshine, Lola finally gave in and lay down, snuggling into Orkney.

“There’s a new Martin Scorsese film at the cinema. Do you fancy going to see it?” Harris ran his finger around his teacup.

Looking at Lola, Lucy decided she could learn from her little dog.

There was no-one she’d rather go to the cinema with, not even Oliver.

“I’d love to,” she said. “Wait, though! Do you like heavy metal music?” She had to know.

“No way.” Harris put his hands over his ears to demonstrate his feelings. “I much prefer ABBA, even if I do get teased about it.”

At last, Lucy’s heart danced with the daffodils.

“We’ll need to watch ‘Saturday Night Fever’ together to perfect our moves.” Harris winked.

They laughed and started to belt out the theme song, perfectly in tune with each other.

The End.