Heh. I’m going to love the mess out of mine.
“Well, I know this is supposed to be random, but why don’t the two of you kick off tonight’s shindig?”
Lucy begins a chant that spreads throughout the room. “Do it. Do it. Do it!”
Hadley stands then yanks me to my feet. I nod my head to the crowd and walk towards my man, who is currently the only thing keeping me from puking because of the nerves. I’m wearing an anxious smile alongside my black dance shoes, black leggings with silver swirl designs, and red halter-style sports bra—forever sporting my favorite brand from my favorite boutique, which has become a national icon, alongside Tease Jewelry, for all us middle-class girlies in the span of the week. The yawn that escapes me as I stand in front of everyone has everything to do with working late hours and trying to keep up with my school work.
“Someone had a long night with her beau,” Stone wiggles his eyebrows just as Lucy slaps him on the forearm.
My face heats, but Mason is quick on his feet. “Nah. It’s not me. My woman here is a hard-working marketing specialist.” He grabs my hand and then leads us to the center of the dance floor. “Let’s get this night started. What will we be dancing to?”
The DJ in the corner whispers in Stone’s ear, and he perks up. “Let’s find out!”
Music blares through the sound system, a country twang that at first, I suspect to be one of Mason’s songs. But, it’s not, and as Chris Stapleton’s new song, “I Think I’m in Love with You,” plays, Mason begins to lead me in a sensual swing dance that has the audience going feral.
Much like me at the moment…
The way Mason moves against me, my word.
Our dancing chemistry is very much intact from years ago, but this… It’s the grown-up version of what we used to do. Mason doesn’t shy away from hand placement. His hands touch me…
All. Over.
He dips me and tugs me close. He spins me and gives me room to do little quirky, albeit sexy, moves that the audience eats up. No doubt this dance will be all over social media soon.
The song lyrics dictate and guide us, a song we are both familiar with because it perfectly describes our situation: a man who was ignorant to his feelings towards a woman in the past but now has blissfully accepted them and pursued her.
As we dance, Mason leans in and whispers, “You should wear that pink tasseled dress you wore to my concert in Biloxi last year. Imagine swing dancing in that. I almost stopped the entire show for you that night, Vroom.”
Last month’s version of me would have died of embarrassment at being caught in one of the most conflicting, emotional moments of my life. A moment that I view as my lowest in my desperate pursuit to get over him.
But now…?
I lean in and press my lips against his ear as our bodies sway to the ending music. “I still have it. Tucked away in the back of my closet. I’ll wear it just for you, Peppermint. To your next concert.Where I’ll be standing in the wings waiting to kiss you senseless after the show.”
He doesn’t blush, nor does he gawk at my boldness. Instead, he manages to pull me closer against him and kissesmesenseless as the song comes to an end.
This is us. The real version of who we are together. Unashamed. Confident.
In love.
The crowd is chunking pillows at us left and right, and when we break apart, we both wave at the crowd and take little bows. We take our seat back on the floor with our friends, and Stone goes on and on about how it would be nearly impossible to beat our performance tonight.
“And the next contestant is…” He draws a name from the bowl. “Oh, wow. It’s me! How did my name get in here?”
We all chuckle at his genuinely shocked expression. The DJ in the corner points to himself, eliciting more laughter from the audience.
Lucy plunges her hand into the female name bowl. “And Stone’s partner will be…”
She plucks a name, not unlike Effie Trinket fromThe Hunger Games.Her smile drops and she scans the crowd. “Who put my name in here?”
Beside me, Hadley points to Lorelei, who simply shrugs.
“No, I can’t do this. Let me draw…”
Stone interrupts over the mic. “Rules are rules, Lucy May.” He holds out a hand. “Shall we dance, my lady?”
Lucy is moving the mic from her face as she grimaces at Stone’s hand, but it still catches her saying, “Never in a million years.”
