Swirl

  “I wanna dance with somebody!” she sang.

  I snorted a laugh. “All right, sounds good.”

  “Great! I’ll be at your house when you get home,” she said before hanging up.

  It usually took more time to convince me to go anywhere, but I had the dancing bug tonight too. I was determined to have fun even if it killed me.

  Kirsten proved just how serious she was about needing a break by showing up at my house two hours before I actually made it there.

  I walked inside and paused right outside Mom’s office.

  “You’re right, pleasure pole does sound out of place,” said Kirsten.

  “Exactly, people don’t say stuff like that in real life,” Mom replied.

  “I’m home!” I announced before bursting into the office.

  “Hi, honey,” said Mom.

  Kirsten looked me up and down and then glanced over at my Mom.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” she said quickly. “We need to add shopping to our list of things to do this weekend.”

  I frowned and looked down at myself.

  What’s the big deal? I’ve dropped a little weight, but we all know if I eat a donut it’ll come right back again.

  “Keon isn’t going to let you get away for two days straight,” I teased. “I’m sure you have some canoodling to do with him.”

  “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll update you,” she said. “Talk to you later, Mama Ev.”

  “All right,” said Mom before focusing back on her computer screen.

  Kirsten beat me to the stairs and I noticed she was not dressed in her usual super glam style. In fact, the last few times I’d seen her she was dressed in a very reserved fashion.

  She entered my room and fell face first onto the bed. “We’re alone now, go ahead and spill it,” I said, closing the door behind me.

  She rolled over and made a face. “He doesn’t know I’m home,” she muttered.

  “Um … what?” I asked, not believing what I just heard. “The two of you have been peas in a pod since day one. What happened?”

  “He basically hates everything about me. Don’t get me wrong, he’s an amazing boyfriend, and excellent in bed, but he is sucking the life out of me. He didn’t like the sexy clothes or makeup so I toned it down … toned it down a lot. I’m used to going out and partying, but he prefers for it to be the two of us at all times. He’s smothering me to death,” she huffed. “And on top of all that, he has some serious mental issues.”

  “Mental issues? Keon?” I asked in disbelief. “What kind of issues?”

  “Please don’t say anything. He’s very private about that part of his life,” she said, sitting straight up on the bed. “He has nightmares, really bad nightmares. He goes to counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder. This is something I’m not used to dealing with and it’s hard for both of us,” she whispered.

  “Aww,” I murmured. “That’s so sad.”

  “I just … I just need a break from it all,” she said. “We’ll get through it eventually. Speaking of getting through things, how’s the Jayce situation?

  I shrugged my shoulders to give the illusion of a carefree attitude. “There’s really no situation to speak of. I haven’t talked to him since the night we broke up. He calls and texts regularly, but I don’t respond. I need more time. He’s still depositing money into my account though,” I said.

  Kirsten nodded slowly and cut her eyes at me. “Explains why you look like a hobo.”

  “What? No I don’t,” I said defensively.

  “Yes … you do,” she said, jumping to her feet. She grabbed a fistful of my clothes and pulled them snugly against my body. “Your clothes are huge and your body is a lot smaller. I’m positive you’ll be able to fit some of my stuff now.”

  “I seriously doubt that,” I scoffed.

  She reached for her overnight bag and started flinging clothes on the bed. “Well there’s only one way to find out.”

  We took turns in the shower and then the real magic started. Kirsten glammed up her own face first and then mine.

  “Honey, our faces are beat!” she said, snapping her fingers.

  “What the hell does that mean?” I laughed.

  “It’s a slang term. It basically means our makeup is fierce. Don’t question the logic, just roll with it, girl,” she said. “Now let’s take a look at this body.”

  I stood there and allowed her to poke and pull me into her clothes. They were extremely fitted, but I managed to get in them. I turned around slowly in the mirror and I was floored by what I saw. The kangaroo pouch was nearly gone and my hips weren’t as wide as before.

  “Wow,” I mumbled.

  “Wow is right,” said Kirsten, joining me in front of the mirror. “Now let’s go have some fun.”

  She quickly put on the shortest dress in existence and posed for several pictures. “I feel like myself again” she sighed.

  We grabbed our purses and headed out the door. After thirty minutes of driving, I started to get concerned. “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “Sorry, Bri, I don’t want to risk running into Keon so we’re going to party in the next town over,” she explained.

  The moment was oddly reminiscent of our high school days when we would sneak out of the house. Kirsten tried to convince me we wouldn’t get caught if we went to the next town then too. Oddly enough, we did get caught, we wrecked the car on the way back, and that was the end of our little outings.

  “What are you going to do if he finds out?” I asked.

  I for one don’t intend to be in the middle of your bullshit.

  “Nothing,” she said with a shrug. “The only thing I can do it fess up and hope he’ll be understanding.”

  She swerved the car into a crowded parking lot and stopped in front of the valet booth. “Are you ready to have some fun?” she asked with a familiar spark in her eyes.

  “Ready when you are.”

  We stepped out of the car together and made our way to join the hoard of other people waiting to get in. Fortunately for us, it was not long before one of the bouncers tapped Kirsten on the shoulder and escorted us to the front of the line. The huge mammoth of a man moved the velvet rope and ushered us inside. Kirsten leaned over and smiled at him while I surveyed the club. Without the multicolored strobe lights it would be pitch black inside the large open space. I could see three different levels hosting half-drunk, sweaty people grinding on one another. And there were several platforms with nearly naked go-go dancers putting on an amazing show.

  One part of me wanted to get drunk and join them, and the other part wanted to find somewhere to sit so I could people watch and guard the purses. As I struggled to decide which voice to listen to, Kirsten suddenly appeared by my side.

  She mouthed something to me, but the steady bump of the music drowned her out. I leaned in closer in an attempt to hear her better, but she grabbed my arm and dragged me to the dance floor. The crowd closed in on us and I was pitched into a wave of movement. Kirsten released my hand and started to get lost in the music. I nodded my head to the beat and searched for a way off the dance floor. I needed a little liquid courage in my system if I was going to break my wallflower habit. A man the size of a redwood blocked my escape. My eyes traveled the length of his body all the way up to his smile. His skin was dark, several shades darker than mine, and it looked great against the bright yellow polo shirt he was wearing.

  I gave a tight, polite smile and ducked to the left to get around him. He blocked me again and his smile doubled in size. I narrowed my eyes and tried to move to the right, and he did the whole block and smile thing again. He playfully slapped my thigh and started to dance. The wild gyrating of his hips was funny and sad at the same time, and I couldn’t contain the laughter any longer. My laughing encouraged him to continue his rendition of so-called dancing. I wasn’t sure which one of us looked the silliest, him for the flamingo-on-fire dance he was doing, or me for standing there allowi
ng this travesty to continue. He slowed down a little and reached for my hand. I thought he wanted to dance, but he led me over to the bar instead.

  He pulled out the barstool and motioned for me to sit down. All the other seats were taken so he stood next to me.

  “Did you like my dancing?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I said, clapping my hands. “That was unreal. You’re clearly a professional.”

  He gave a small bow and laughed. “Thank you so much, I trained with the best of them. My name is Darren and you are?”

  “I’m Bri,” I replied. I waved the bartender over, placed my order, and waited on Darren to do the same.

  “So, Bri, are you having a good time?” he asked, leaning in close.

  I nodded and took a welcomed sip from my drink.

  “I know you are, and it got even better when you met me, right?” he asked, nudging me in my side with his elbow.

  I had to admit, his smile and playful demeanor was contagious. “Right, the little show you put on for me was the icing on the cake.”

  “I had to showcase my moves. Ladies go wild when I dance,” he said, spinning around. “I think you should give me your number. The fun doesn’t have to end here.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I would love to see more of you. Will you give me that chance? Please? I’m not above begging.”

  My lips turned up at the corners as I considered his request.

  “Wait,” he said, drawing his face into a frown. “Are you married, pregnant, or really a man?”

  “I look like a man?” I asked defensively.

  “No … no, I’m not saying that. I’m only asking because I’ve encountered some interesting people here.”

  “No to all of those questions,” I replied.

  “Good,” he said with a sigh. “So how about that number?”

  “I just got out of a relationship,” I said, trying to let him down easy.

  “What’s your point? I’m new in town and I’m just looking to get to know some people that’s all. C’mon … live a little. Plus, any man stupid enough to let you go doesn’t deserve you anyway.”

  “It’s complicated,” I said.

  “Doesn’t matter in the least little bit,” he said smugly. He retrieved his cell phone and thrust it over to me.

  Giving him my number won’t hurt anything. Besides, I need to move on … right?

  I punched in my info and hit save. The satisfied smirk on his face told it all.

  “See, don’t you feel good about that? You made the right decision, kid,” he said.

  I rolled my eyes and focused my attention back on the dance floor.

  Where’s Kirsten? She has completely disappeared into the crowd.

  “Are you ready to get out there? If it’ll make you feel better, I can bring my skills down a little so I don’t show you up,” he joked, reaching for my hand.

  I happily grasped his open palm and followed him out into the crowd. This moment wouldn’t last forever, but I was determined to enjoy it for what it is. As sweat poured down into my eyes, I kept right on dancing even though my feet begged me to stop. This was the most fun I’d had in a very long time and I didn’t want the night to end.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  I spent the next couple of days trying to recover from my night out on the town. The blisters on my feet were a testament to the good time I had, and my pronounced limp didn’t go unnoticed.

  “Do you need to go to the hospital or something?” asked Keon.

  “No, I’m fine,” I muttered. My shoes were kicked off under the desk and I was slowly massaging the aches and pains.

  Damn, Jayce is way better at doing this than I am.

  “I probably shouldn’t bring this up because I don’t want to put you in the middle, but I’m having some issues with Kirsten,” said Keon. He rubbed his hand over his cropped hair and leaned against the side of my desk.

  Shit. Confess nothing, and deny everything.

  “Issues? Are these good issues or bad issues?” I asked nervously.

  “I’m not really sure,” he said with a shrug. “She’s not answering my phone calls as often as before and it takes her forever to text back. She used to come home all of the time and now I barely get the chance to see her.”

  “All couples need time apart,” I said.

  His head whipped around toward me and his eyes flashed with the same hint of anger I’d witnessed with Jayce. “Time apart? She doesn’t want to be with me anymore? Did she say something to you?”

  “Whoa there, cowboy, calm down,” I said, putting my hands up. “No, she didn’t say anything about breaking up with you. I’m speaking in general, that’s all. You know Kirsten is a free spirit.”

  “Free spirit?” The vein in his neck throbbed angrily as his face turned several shades of red.

  Crap, I’m saying all of the wrong things.

  “I know what that sounded like and that’s not what I meant,” I said. My tongue got heavy and my palms slicked with sweat.

  “Don’t get upset … er … um … well don’t get even more upset. All I’m saying is, in general, some people feel smothered when they’re together all the time. This is something new for Kirsten. She’s used to being alone, doing her own thing,” I said.

  Keon breathed heavily and his nostrils flared.

  He looks ready to punch something.

  “Did you feel that way about Jayce?”

  “W-what?” I stammered.

  “Did. You. Feel. That. Way. About. Jayce?” he asked. The stilted rhythm in his voice grinded against my nerves. I tried to inconspicuously scoot over a little, just in case he decided to go postal.

  “No, but Kirsten and I are two different people. You can’t compare us like that. Don’t blow this out of proportion. Maybe you need to sit down with her and just talk,” I suggested. I placed my hand on his forearm in a show of support.

  His eyes travelled down from my face to my hand. The look in his eyes forewarned me that I’d lose it if I didn’t get it off him. I snatched it away and clasped my hands together in my lap.

  Message received loud and clear. Roger that.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  He blinked a few times and dropped his head. “No, I’m the one that needs to apologize. It’s just … my head is a mess right now. Don’t hold this against me, please,” he said. He wrapped his arms around me and I couldn’t stop my body from tensing up at his touch. In fact, I stopped breathing all together, and simply waited to see what he’d do next.

  “You’re right, I need to sit down and talk to her,” he mumbled.

  This hug is getting increasingly awkward.

  A few painstaking minutes later, he finally dropped his arms. “I’m planning a party for Jayce’s first game. I’d really like for you to come.”

  “I guess I can come … if I’m not busy,” I said.

  My stomach cramped and I felt a sense of restlessness.

  “Great,” he said cheerfully. “I’m going to get everything planned out.”

  He moved toward the door and smiled. “Thanks, Bri … for listening.”

  My lips thinned into a tight line and I nodded. “Anytime.”

  I waited until he disappeared around the corner before I released the air in my lungs. Keon was scary as hell when he’s mad and that’s not a side of him I wanted to see ever again. I watched the door for a few minutes just to see if he would come back.

  I’m going to tell Kirsten to talk to him and get her shit straight.

  My phone vibrated against the desk and I rushed to answer it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, pretty lady, how’s your day going so far?” asked Darren.

  I smiled at the sound of his voice and leaned back in my chair. “It’s great. How about you?”

  “I’m better now because I’m talking to you. So I’m ready to pop the big question, are you ready to answer yes?” he asked.

  “I don’t think I want to say
yes,” I laughed.

  “Of course you do,” he said. “No other response will work. Bri, I enjoyed the hours we spent together, and the sporadic text messages and phone calls we’ve shared, and in my heart I’m ready for you to be my … lunch date.”

  My sides ached as I leaned over the desk laughing. His quirky, carefree demeanor was what I liked about him the most.

  “Really?” I asked between chuckles. “That’s the big question you needed to ask me? I hope you’re down on one knee.”

  “Of course I am. That’s the proper way to propose a lunch date, right? So go on and make my day by saying yes.”

  “You’re so dramatic,” I teased.

  “Is that a yes? My knee is hurting,” he said.

  “Yes, Darren, we can have lunch.”

  “You’ve made me the happiest man alive. I can’t wait to take you out. I’m letting you know upfront you can only order off the kids menu, I’m on a budget,” he said.

  “You’re so silly. Bye, Darren, I have work to do,” I replied.

  “All right, all right, get back to your work. I’ll text you later and we can hash out the details of our date. Bye, beautiful.”

  “Bye.”

  I placed the phone back on the desk and grinned. My phone vibrated again and I answered it without looking.

  “Darren, I told you I have work to do,” I laughed.

  “Darren? Who’s Darren?”

  My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach and it rumbled anxiously to bring it back up again.

  Fuck me sideways to Sunday.

  “Jayce,” I croaked.

  “Bri, who the hell is Darren?” he demanded.

  “You do not get to take that tone with me,” I snapped. “Darren is just my friend so don’t go there. It’s not like I had unprotected sex with him and got pregnant … like some people.”

  My heart beat loudly enough to drive me insane. I counted to ten in an attempt to bring it down to a normal rate.

  The silence was unnerving too. I could hear subtle breathing on the other end of the phone.

  “How are you?” asked Jayce, his voice strained and rugged.

  “I’m good … everything is just … good,” I replied.

  I filled the awkward silence that followed with a steady tapping of my fingers against the desk.