Kaja, an avid swing dancer, found herself at one of her usual haunts, Clifton’s— a 1930’s cafeteria turned nightclub with a 3 story sequoia tree, 4 bars, multiple dance floors, and a ballroom dedicated just to swing music. Blue had heard of Clifton’s but had never been before (he didn’t go out much), and only found himself there after being dragged out of his regular isolation by his friend Vincent. He had promised Blue an old DTLA adventure and told him to dress to the nines, but after ambushing Blue with a surprise 1.5 hour pregame at Oil Can Harry’s, a gay line dancing bar, Blue was ready to call it night. Thankfully, Vinny is a persistent little guy and convinced Blue to proceed to their original destination. Once they arrived however, a line around the block stood as yet another barrier between Blue and his unwitting destiny. Blue once again attempted retreat, but Vinny prevailed upon him to curb his pessimism and they took a chance on walking straight past the line and up to the bouncer. Strangely, the bouncer did not turn them away but instead noticed their vintage attire and simply asked, “You here to dance?” And just like that, they were in. The moment that Blue walked into the Brookdale Ballroom, Kaja noticed him. Tall, bespectacled, and extremely well dressed— he was just her type. She promptly pointed him out to a friend nearby, who confirmed that he was, indeed, very handsome. Staring at him from across the room, he suddenly glanced her way, their eyes met… and they both immediately looked away. They continued sharing glances for several hours, neither daring to approach the other directly, but both slowly, cautiously orbiting closer to one another. As the night wore on, the drunken denizens of the downstairs club slowly made their way up to the ballroom, enticed by the live jazz band and seasoned swing dancers. As one of these seasoned veterans of the Clifton’s scene, Kaja knew this was her cue to step off the dance floor to make way for the spilled drinks and bumping bodies. She took a seat, and noticed Blue now sitting just two tables away (having migrated table to table in her direction throughout the course of the evening). Just then, a gentleman came up to Kaja and asked if she knew how to dance. Misinterpreting this as a relatable search for someone, anyone, left that late in the night who knew the Lindy Hop, she agreed to a dance. She quickly discovered that he was not in fact a Lindy Hopper, and certainly no type of gentleman, and immediately quit his company. She stormed back to her seat, and emboldened by the rage of being manhandled, she turned to Blue (now sitting at the table next to hers) and rather forcefully asked, “Would you like to dance?” With a look of absolute terror and bewilderment, Blue replied that he would like to, but admitted that he didn’t know how. Disarmed by his honesty and sincerity, Kaja offered to show him the ropes. They danced for a couple of songs and then retired to finally sit next to one another. They shouted the customary getting to know you questions over the din of the DJ’s final set, and before they knew it, it was closing time. Blue asked for Kaja’s number on the way down the grand staircase, and they talked at more reasonable volume amidst the aromas of the late-night hot dog vendors. Finally, they said their bashful goodbyes as their friends dragged them off into the night. They saw each other nearly every day for the next week. Saturday and Tuesday were spent dancing. On Wednesday they saw a terrible play about the experience of the 2008 recession in urban Detroit and almost held hands. On Thursday they danced once again, and shared their first kiss. With each passing day that they spent together, they realized that their lives had been irrevocably changed, and that for each of them the absence of the other would be intolerable. Eventually, they decided to get married.