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A waitress passed us carrying drinks and gave Jade a questioning look.

“Science,” Jade told her.

The waitress looked at me. “Good luck.”

“I’m getting that a lot tonight.”

Jade stopped and looked down at my feet. “Those come off.”

I took them off, tucked them beneath the edge of the stage and followed her up the side steps.

Barefoot, I was still taller than Jade by a lot.

She looked me up and down once. “You’re built for spins.”

“That sounds fake.”

“It isn’t.”

Behind us someone from our table yelled my name.

I did not turn around.

Jade smiled. “Ignore them.”

“I’ve been practicing that my whole life.”

She showed me the first turn slowly. One leg stepped through while the other caught the pole, momentum bringing her around in an easy circle before she landed exactly where she’d started.

It looked simple. That should have warned me.

My first attempt ended with both feet hitting the floor much sooner than intended and my body rotating approximately six inches.

Jade stared at me.

I stared back. “Shut up.”

That got another laugh out of her.

The guys behind us were laughing too.

I ignored them.

“Again,” I said.

“Oh.” Jade’s expression changed. “You’re one of those.”

“One of what?”

“You made it a competition.”

I considered denying it. “Again.”

I tried again. For one brief second I was actually spinning.

I landed badly but upright. Something exploded behind me.

Cheering.