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I better respond to her text first, because her mind is likely already thinking of a million reasons why I would ask her that question. And she hates to be kept waiting. I press her contact picture and the small phone icon next to her name.
“Because you’ll never guess who I just saw getting cozy with her,” I say into the phone, a shit-eating grin on my face.
“Who?” she asks, a conspiratorial tone to her voice. She loves good gossip more than anyone else I’ve ever met.
“No, seriously,” I say. “Try to guess. You’re going to get it wrong.”
“It’s Bones, isn’t it?” she asks, once again proving how wrong I always am. “Because you wouldn’t sound so scandalized if it were anyone else.”
“What if it were the mayor of New Orleans?” I quip, trying to be coy.
“Well, that would be weird, he’s old enough to be her dad,” she concedes. “But you wouldn’t have texted me about it if it were. You saw one of your guys there, and there’s only one who would genuinely shock you.”
Damn, she knows me so well. That’s nearly a decade of marriage for you.
“One day I’m going to tell you something you don’t already know,” I say with a laugh, my smile wider than Bones’s. That’s the effect this woman still has on me.
“That’s as likely to happen as you agreeing to be in one of those nutty plays the drama teacher puts on.” She giggles. “Bring home something for dinner, okay? I don’t feel like cooking.”
I promise to do just that and turn my attention to my text from Seer. While I’ve been on the phone, he’s sent half a dozen texts freaking out about the picture.
Seer:How much do you want to bet they’ll be engaged in six months?
Seer:I’m putting $50 on it, you?
Seer:Do you think they’ve been banging since she started working there?
Seer:No, couldn’t be, he’s been way too surly. It must be recent. I’ll pay for the wedding myself if we can get him to admit to it.
Me:I’m sure Tori will love that use of your hard-earned savings. Maybe just cover the bachelor party.
I hear the sound of a door opening and realize the dance class is letting out. Which means the art class is probably also letting out. I run down the hall, hoping to both get to my daughter on time and avoid Bones. I don’t want him to know I know just yet. It’ll be a lot more fun to make him admit to it himself.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
James walks me to my car after my last class. He’s been doing it ever since the night we went out. If you’d told me six months ago that this would happen, I’d say the apocalypse was more likely. Frankly, I didn’t think he would ever look at me, let alone have sex with me. Although there hasn’t been any more of that. Not even kissing. Honestly, it’s been giving me a bit of a complex.
If he just wanted to just hook up with me, why would he still be spending so much time with me? Most guys would cut and run after getting what they want, but he’s still here, being incredibly sweet and helpful. He offered to help with the sets for the show without even being asked. He’s walked me to my car every day without being asked. He’s always hanging out with me after class without being asked too.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I’ll take what I can get. I refuse to be one of those girls who gets obsessed with a guy after sleeping with him. I also refuse to throw away what’s becoming a solid friendship just because I can’t stop thinking about how soft his mouth is or how perfectly he fits inside of me.
For the record, it was the best sex of my life. Mind-blowing, soul-crushing, the kind of sex I thought only existed in romance novels. He was an expert at reading my body, though I’ve tried not to linger too much on where he got all of his experience. It isn’t my business, apart from knowing that he’s clean and I’m not going to catch anything from him. This isn’t a relationship. We’re just weirdly close friends who happened to have sex one time.
Oh, who am I kidding? I’d do it again in the supply closet if he made a move. But he hasn’t. Which, of course, is making me feel completely self-conscious and on edge. Was it not as good for him as it was for me? I find that hard to believe, because if it wasn’t good, he wouldn’t still be hanging out with me, right? So why hasn’t he made his move? He’s truly one of the most baffling men I’ve ever met.
It keeps me awake more than one night, and I find myself working on more and more choreography during the day, for a release of nervous energy. I really like him, more than I imagined I would. Sure, I thought he was attractive before, but getting to know him and spending time with him has been so eye-opening. He isn’t remotely who I imagined he would be. I thought he would be this cold, calculating lothario who would hit it and quit it. Lately, he’s been making me wish he’d hit it a little more.
I’m considering all of this after class one afternoon when Charlie’s mom, Juliana, interrupts my thought pattern.
“My daughter really adores you,” she tells me when she comes to pick Charlie up. Charlie’s run off to Meredith’s office, or I’m sure she’d be mortified to hear this. “I really feel like your class has been giving her more confidence. I catch her practicing all the time.”
My heart swells at her words. That’s one of my favorite things about teaching dance to young girls. They get to utilize their bodies and learn to express their frustrations in a creative way. Knowing that Charlie is going home and working on her moves is exactly the reason I show up and do this every day.
“She’s such a special girl,” I tell Juliana honestly. “She’s always such a help in class, and I can tell already that she has strong leadership skills. That girl is probably going to run the world one day, and I can’t wait to see it.”
Juliana throws her head back and lets out a long, happy laugh. The sound reverberates around the studio and lifts my spirits tremendously. Her laugh is so vibrant and full of life, I can’t help but laugh with her.
“Me either,” she says. “I wish I could take any credit for it, but she came to us with that same strong will and natural ability. We just do the best we can to make sure we’re giving her a safe and nurturing environment to become whoever she wants to be.”
