Summary

In "The Dance," it is January’s evening to teach Gus a romance writing research lesson. She plans to take him line-dancing and is determined to carry on with the evening's plans even though she is still thinking about Gus’s marriage. January feels that he neglected to share important information that explains his perspective on love.

During the evening, January says that Gus has a closet full of two-gallon hats. When he laughs, she thinks about how he laughed the same way at the college party. January and Gus make up stories as they trip over people. She tries to control her feelings for him as they do so, but she senses that he is lighter than before. They visit the bar for a drink. Gus says they should drink to January’s happy ending. Hearing this makes January...