AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Preston slips his fingers between mine as we move through the mass of people. A prick of electricity stings my fingers. His calloused skin is so rough against mine, and I can’t stop myself from wondering how his hands would feel on other parts of my body.
After Shannon confirms our spot in the competition, I untangle my fingers from Preston’s, already missing his warmth.
I smile. “Wish me luck.”
He gives me a crooked smile that sets my insides on fire. “Good luck. Remember what I said. If you get nervous, look at me. And no one else. It’s no different than playing in a game or a tournament. You’ve had thousands of people watch you over the course of your college basketball career.”
“True. But I’m good at basketball. That comes natural to me. Dancing doesn’t.”
“It’s one dance. No one will even know you were up there after tonight. The money is for charity. That should give you more incentive to win.”
I flash a reassuring grin at him. “Thanks, Preston.”
He winks. “Anytime.”
I turn away from him now following Shannon and her friends to the back of the club. A bouncer ushers us into a large open room with vanities on one wall where a few girls are seated. Others stand behind them fixing their hair or makeup in the mirror.
I recognize some of the girls, and I have no idea why.
“Do they look familiar to you?” I ask Taylor, motioning to the girls in the right-hand corner of the room.
She tilts her head to the side, taking her time to look them over. “Yeah, I know them. Those are the girls from Kappa something or other. I can’t remember the full name of their sorority.” Taylor glances around the room, her eyes landing on another team of girls in the center of the room.
“Hello, have you not seen all the lights out there?” a girl says from behind us, talking loudly to her friend. “They’re filming this for the senior project. It’s in high def.” She tugs on the girl’s arm helping her to an open chair. “C’mon, I need your expert blending skills. This concealer is being a real bitch. I don’t want to go out there looking like a pumpkin.”
I shudder at the mention of the senior project.Will I be included in this footage?For my sake, I hope not.How would I explain this to my dad?
I feel so out of place around these girls. My childhood was spent at either an ice rink or on a basketball court—not at Neiman Marcus. They are the kind of girls Preston would date—beautiful and made up like Barbie dolls.
Shannon introduces us to the girls in our dance group, seven in total. I can’t remember any of their names. Mostly because I know I won’t need to after this dance is over. We will go our separate ways after tonight.
Once it’s our turn, a bouncer leads us out of the room and down the creepy back hallway. He pushes open a door that leads to a long bar, the one we’re expected to dance on. He helps each of us onto the bar. There are so many people in the crowd.
Why did I agree to this?
I shouldn’t have bet Preston. But why not? I should have won. H-O-R-S-E is my jam. It should have been a slam dunk. But Preston had other plans, and with a mom like his, the game was probably already in the bag for him before I even knew it.
I squint when the bright lights hit me in the face now realizing why the girl in the dressing room was so concerned about her makeup. Poles line the bar, each of us stepping forward to grab hold of one. I glance over at Taylor, my body shaking from fear. No amount of alcohol could have prepared me for the throng of drunken idiots staring up at me.
Recalling Preston’s encouraging words, I scan the crowd for him. He’s three rows back from the edge of the bar when his eyes find mine. I bite my bottom lip trying to contain my nerves. He must notice my reaction because he taps Jamie on the shoulder telling him to move forward.
Preston’s friends follow his lead, and I can’t take my eyes off him. Because of Preston, I don’t care about the people in the audience. The only person who matters is staring back at me, keeping me grounded.
I smile, and this time I feel more confident like I can handle this. One dance. One song. And it’s for a good cause.
An announcer, with a microphone in hand, stands at the center of the bar. He introduces us as House Theta. Once the song starts, the girls next to me sway to the beat. And I freeze up. Staring at them in horror, I tell myself to move, but I can’t budge. Then, it hits me. I look worse standing up here, frozen in place, so, I find Preston again.
His eyes burn a hole through me. He licks his lips as if he likes what he sees. I’m dancing for him—and only him. Moving my hips to the beat, I go with the flow, allowing the rhythm to take over. Preston inches through the crowd until he’s standing below me. I drop to the bar shaking my ass along with the rest of the girls.
I laugh, and once I do, I can’t stop. This is fun, way more fun than I had realized. All I had to do was lighten up and lower my guard. But everything comes to a screeching halt when someone drops a glass. My shoe collides with a puddle of spilled liquid, and I lose my balance. The sudden disruption causes me to fall forward.
Except my body never hits the floor. Preston’s strong arms wrap around me, his muscles tightening as he holds me. The scent of sweat, musk, and laundry detergent fill my nostrils. He smells so manly I want to stick my tongue out and lick him.
“You okay, Bex?” he whispers into my ear, his voice deep and sensual.
“No, I think I might die from humiliation. I told you this was a bad idea.”
He brushes a strand of hair away from my face, inspecting me. “You were killing it up there. What happened?”
