Two to Tango (Erotic Romance)
Page 23
She glanced over at the door of the cafe, either looking for her friend that was going to come by, or thinking about running.
“Charlie, I was going to leave for Las Vegas this morning. After you guys came to the lounge yesterday, I was making plans to leave town again.”
Grinning, I said, “That makes your sudden switch to proposing all the more romantic, don’t you think?”
She laughed, fanning her face. “Give a girl a moment to breathe, will you?”
“If I turn my back, will you disappear again? Will you drop a shoe, like Cinderella, and leave me all alone? Alone with Duncan?”
“Hey,” Duncan said. “I’m right here.”
Skye pulled her phone out of her pocket and showed me text messages from the night before. She had made plans to leave, then changed her mind a few minutes later.
“Why’d you change your mind?” I asked. “It looks like I did something right for once, and I need to know exactly what it was.”
“You guys came out on the stage in those ridiculous yellow shirts and overalls.”
I looked over at Duncan. He looked as confused as I felt.
She explained, “How could I be afraid of someone in a yellow shirt? You act so bossy and serious sometimes, trying to fix everything and everyone, but you’re… deep down, you’re crazy. When I saw you on that stage, I got this vision of the future, and it included you stripping off your clothes every chance you get, like that day in Duncan’s car. And I knew that, no matter what happens, if I get my heart broken or break yours, I don’t what to miss out on what’s next. I want to be there with you, every time you take off your shirt.”
Duncan cleared his throat. “You took off your clothes in my car?”
I held up my hand to quiet my friend. “And I’ll do it again.”
“I could marry you,” she said. “I don’t think that’s what I said, but if that’s what you heard, I’m good for it.” She squeezed my hand. “I’m good for it.”
“Yes, Skye, I’ll be with you. I heard what you said last night.” I winked at her.
She kicked my shin under the table. “Bad Charlie!”
“I like the sound of that.”
Duncan commented, “Gross.”
The waitress arrived with our breakfast and set enormous plates of food in front of the three of us.
As we ate, I caught Skye up on what I’d done for the last three months.
Skye’s landlord had been amused by Duncan trying to outbid me for her old apartment. He was no auctioneer, though, so he asked us to settle it between ourselves and then fill out an application.
We filled out the application as co-tenants, and both moved in with some clothes that night.
Duncan took the smaller room, saying that if he didn’t pick the little one, he’d just have to move down the hall when Skye returned to her home. We both thought she’d be back within a week or two, once she came to her senses. Little did we know then, it would take several months and a lot of work on the part of Skye’s friend Gloria, and my investigator, Cooper.
My father had an unexpected reaction to the news that I was finally moving out.
We were in his office, at The Cedars.
He and I hadn’t spoken much since our argument, when he’d invited me to step outside and hit him.
I sat down in the guest chair across the desk from him and said, “Thank you for never asking me to leave the family home. I’ve gotten an apartment, with Duncan, and I’ll be moving out. Neither of us can cook, so I’ll be happy to come around for dinner, if I’m invited.”
“She would be proud of you,” he said.
I looked down at my hands. We didn’t talk about my mother much, because the topic made us both raw and emotional.
He continued, “I still dream about her, and when I wake up and realize it was a dream, it starts all over.”
“Dad, the same thing happens to me. The exact same thing.”
“She’s still here, though. She’s in the gardens, and the flowers, and in every detail she picked out. The color on the walls in this room. It’s been twenty years, and some of these rooms could be repainted, but I can’t bring myself to do it.”
I looked around his office, at the amber hue on the walls. The brown-yellow shade made the trees outside a brighter green, the sky a brighter blue.
“She’s in you,” my father said. “I see her in your face.” He laughed to himself. “Especially when you argue with me. Your mother had such a hot temper.” He looked up at me, the wrinkles deep around his eyes. “When you move out of the house, she’ll be gone.”
“You want grandchildren, don’t you?”
His eyes widened. “What are you saying?”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Not immediately. I need to get married, of course. I need to build a relationship, other than the one I have with this club.”
“I thought you were moving in with Duncan?” He swallowed hard, blinking rapidly. “Um…”
“With a woman,” I said.
He nodded his head to the side. “Son, I love you no matter what you do.”
“Good.” I took a deep breath, and then I told him that I knew about the affair he’d had in the winter, with the pretty brunette college student.
He couldn’t look me in the eyes. “Willow has forgiven me and given me another chance. I hope you can do the same.”
“Sure, Dad.” I reached across the desk to shake his hand. “Fresh start?”
He pushed his chair back, stood, and came around to grab me in a big hug. “Fresh start,” he said.
Chapter 28
Skye
SEPTEMBER
Living in my apartment with two roommates isn’t easy, but it is fun. Duncan is really funny about his hair. He uses a blow dryer and more styling products than the average stripper. I mention this to him often.
He hasn’t completely moved out of his parents’ pool house, and spends some weekends there. Charlie and I use the time we have the apartment to ourselves to make love on all the pieces of furniture, because that’s one of the many ways we like to get crazy.
Charlie changed around his schedule at The Cedars so he works a few evenings, similar hours to mine at the community center.
The city started an investigation into the director, and had some other staff members come forward to say they’d also been harassed and pressured by him. He was fired. Cheryl, the girl who’d told on me, got fired as well. Apparently, the few lies and omissions I’d made on my application paled in comparison to hers.
Despite this, I might not have gotten my old job back if it hadn’t been for one of my students’ mother, Mrs. Winfield. As soon as she found out The Cedars wasn’t moving ahead with their dance program after all, she made it her mission to get the best dance instructor hired back to the only program she could get little Adele into.
The letter of recommendation she wrote on my behalf made me blush. Some people might say she wrote the letter to get in good with my boyfriend, with the owners of The Cedars, and to elevate her social standing there.
Rich people.
They aren’t so bad, if you look for the entertainment value. For example, rich ladies get so worked up if two of them show up to a charity function wearing the same dress. It’s like high school never ended for them. You have to laugh, really.
~
Two little girls stood before me backstage, fidgeting in their costumes. They both wore modified tuxedo jackets, white shirts with red bow ties, and top hats.
Adele had gone through a growth spurt over the summer, and now she was the one hunching her shoulders. Bianca stood with poise next to her friend.
“Is Charlie coming tonight?” Bianca asked me.
“I saw him at the club two times this week,” Adele told her best friend.
“He’s here. He came over straight from work.” I straightened their red bow ties, smiling over how easily Charlie charmed everyone he met.
In early September, he came to one of my dance classes in h
is workout clothes.
He’d only stopped by to bring me a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels in exchange for a kiss, but the girls cajoled him into joining them for the day’s lesson.
He borrowed a pink tulle skirt and pulled it on over his sweatpants, and then he huffed and puffed and tried to keep up with us.
Ever since that one session, I’d been fielding questions about Charlie every day.
So many questions, including:
How old is Charlie?
Too old for you, plus he’s my boyfriend.
Is it true that Charlie danced like a stripper once?
That’s crazy. Where did you hear that?
Does Charlie live with you?
Yes.
Are you and Charlie going to get married?
Maybe. He hasn’t asked yet, but ever since he came and found me, and brought me back home, I can’t say no to that man.
~the end~
Note from author Mimi Strong: Thank you for reading Two to Tango! I hope you enjoyed your time with Skye and Charlie. It's my pleasure to write these stories for you, and I love hearing from readers! Please turn the page for my website and Facebook page, a list of my other books, as well as an offer to get 4 free short stories.
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Two to Tango
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