“The Thriller dance?” she repeats back.
“...or something.”
“Is everything okay out here?” Ben asks, peeking his head out the door. We both look at Charlotte, and all she does is swallow. So I step in.
“Totally. We’re good. Right?” I ask with a nod, and she copies.
We head back inside, and I decide it’s best if I stay behind the wheel. “So!” I say, clapping my hands together to get everyone’s attention. “We’ve hit a bump in the road, but it’s only a small one. The choreographer mixed up her dates and won’t be coming,” I say. An audibleawesound fills the room. “I’mlooking around and I see a lot of good-looking people. Good-looking and talented people. I have no doubt we can come up with something!”
“I’ll look at TikTok trends,” one of the bridesmaids says while pulling out her phone.
“See, look at that!” I say with a smile.
“I was hoping for something a little more original,” Holly says, and it’s the first time I’ve seen her fret. Her reaction to the choreographer's absence has a direct effect on Charlotte, and I see her fret as well.
“What did you have in mind?” I ask. “What is your vision?”
Jesus, listen to me.
I sound like the wedding planner. Considering the planner is currently out of commission due to short-circuiting, someone’s got to take over. I guess that someone is me.
“Well…I was hoping for some kind of east coast swing mixed with modern music,” Holly says, and I grin.
“Well then, you won’t be needing a choreographer anymore, anyway. We happen to have a couple in the house that can help with that,” I say.
“We do?” Holly beams.
“We do,” I answer, holding my hand out to Charlotte. At first, she just stares at me, then blinks. Then shakes her head. “Come on, you were great the other night when we were recruiting the band. Let’s show these kids how the Lindy Hop is done.”
Charlotte shoots me a look that clearly says,absolutely not.But when the room erupts in clapping and cheering, she has no choice but to take my hand.
It’s almost amusing how we fall into step and seem to predict each other’s movements as the music plays. It’s wild how well the song Cake By the Ocean works for the lindy and the bridesmaids and groomsmen song.
Holly chooses Uptown Funk for her dance with her dad. Ben and Holly copy mine and Charlotte’s footwork to figure out their dance. They chose Bruno Mars too, but decide on Treasure for their first dance.
After that, music continues to play, and everyone is dancing just for fun. I can’t help the grin on my face as Charlotte goes from frazzled to carefree. The same carefree way she was in my truck when we were stuck in traffic. She’s as carefree as she was the night she thought multiple tequila shots were a good idea. And as the song ends, I pull her against me before dipping her low and smirking down at her.
For a moment, it’s like there’s no one else in the room except us.
Until I realize there are indeed a lot of other people in the room, and they’re all watching us.
I pull her to her feet fast, and she clears her throat, going back to her tablet. As I run my hand through my hair, I can see Elias chuckling. I also see a look on Ben’s face that I can’t quite read. I wonder if it’s true that the chemistry between Charlotte and me is actually strong enough to be noticeable.
Chapter 28
Gavin
“Bunny hill is around the corner,”Ben nods over at me before putting on his helmet, and I raise the screen on mine.
“I don’t know, kid. It might be a little advanced for you,” I toss back at him, and he grins.
“You wish, old man,” he says.
We are at the top of the slope, geared up for snowboarding. Activity number one of the pre-bachelor party. The girls are using the entire day for the bridal shower, so we guys are doing our own thing. It’s been a minute since I’ve been up here, but I’m no beginner.
“I’ve been snowboarding since before you were born. It’s like riding a bike; you don’t forget how,” I tell him as I slip my hands inside my gloves.
“Tell that to your bad knees,” he jabs.
