Rob glances at me and I give him the thumbs-up before shooing him out of the room. I want a moment alone with Christopher, just us two.
“How was your last show?” he asks, grabbing my hand. He pulls me to the dance floor.
“It was good,” I say, nodding at the back of his head.
“Only good?” His face scrunches up when he turns to face me.
“Well, I’d rather have been here with you, if I’m honest. I was thinking about dancing with you, and I’d hoped I’d get a moment with you tonight, but it seems we’re out of luck.” I nod at where the DJ setup was.
“Fear not.” Christopher raises his finger. “I have the answer.”
He dashes back over to his chair, waving his phone in his hand as he returns. He types something on the screen before he places it on a table next to the dance floor.
“Sir,” he says, bowing. “Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?” He stretches his hand out toward me.
My chest feels like a shaken soda can—too much fizz—nowhere for it to go.
I reach for his hand as he extends his other to press play on his phone.
“Let me be your hero,” he whispers in my ear as the opening line of Enrique Iglesias’sHeroplays. I rest my head on his shoulder as he tenderly holds my sprained hand in his. His other arm goes across my back.
I soak in each moment as we gently glide across the dance floor.
Our feet move slowly in time; the sound of his heartbeat issoft in my ear.
My chest rises and falls in unison with his.
He spins me outward, as the song hits the instrumental part, before rolling me back in, catching me in his arms and leaning in to kiss me. The taste of lime is on his lips.
I tilt my head backward as he holds me, and decide I could get lost in his arms, in those hazel eyes, forever. He pulls me back up and in for another kiss, but I jolt as I hear a creaking sound behind us, snapping me out of the moment.
In a panic, I look at the door I came in through, but it remains closed. I know that Rob is outside guarding it, so no one can enter, but paranoia still creeps into my head.
“Did you hear that?” I ask Christopher.
“Hear what?” he asks, turning back toward me.
I shake my head. It must be my ears playing tricks on me, or maybe it’s the tinnitus.
I lean back into Christopher, placing my head back on his shoulder, and for a moment I let myself dream of a life where we can be just two guys dancing together and no one bats an eyelid or makes a fuss.
As the last line of the song plays, Christopher slows to a standstill, grabbing my face in his hands and singing along with the last line. He goes in to kiss me, before stopping himself. His shoulders and chest jerk and a pale look comes over his face.
He lets go of me and runs toward the table, but stops just short and vomits all over one of the chairs. He reaches for a napkin to wipe himself clean before turning back to me.
“Come on,” I say, heading over to him. “Let’s get you back to the room.”
I help him to the door and pick up another napkin, just in case he goes for round two. It’s nice not to be the one who’s a hot mess for a change.
Another hour has passed by the time we get ready for bed.Rob had to call on local security to help us back to my room, to avoid any suspicion. And Christopher takes an extra-long shower before I jump in after him.
“God, your fans are extra loud tonight,” Christopher says, drawing the curtains closed before climbing into bed with me.
“Here, put these on,” I say, giving him my earbuds from the bedside table.
He grabs them, letting out a yawn as he puts them in.
“I’m going to set my alarm for eleven. That works for you, right?” I scroll down through the alarms I have stored, and switch on the appropriate one.
