by Stacy Eaton
“No, and you need to leave, the second guy is on his way in.”
“Do you know if he got picked?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Oh, come on.” I paused. “Did you think she would pick me?”
Her face went completely blank. “No. I told you I thought you weren’t her type.”
“See how wrong you were!”
“Yeah, well, let’s see what this week brings you.” She walked me to the door. “Do you think Jake will give you a hard time about work?”
“Nah, I found someone to cover for me if I did get picked.”
“Alright, then we will see you on Monday.” She hugged me and then leaned back. “Thanks for doing this, Harv.”
I kissed her cheek. “You know I’d do anything for you, Holly.”
“Yeah, well, when it comes to love, you don’t always listen.”
I laughed as I stepped back toward the door. “Because the last person I want to take love advice from is my baby sister.”
“And look at how right I was about this.”
I paused. “I thought you said I wasn’t her type.” Again, her face went devoid of any emotion.
“You’re not.”
I smirked her way. “You are a terrible liar, Holly. But that’s good to know. I’ll see you on Monday, kiddo.”
As I stepped away, I grinned. Maybe it was time to listen to my sister, after all.
Chapter Twelve
Ali
It was fun to be out with friends. Even though I didn’t know Alice or Maggie, I felt like I did. There was a ton of laughter and a few jokes that went over my head about a guy named Jake. All of those seemed to be targeted toward Alice.
“Is Jake your boyfriend?” I asked after the third one volleyed over the table.
Alice looked horrified. “No! He’s my boss.”
Maggie snickered. “Yeah, but she wants to sleep with him.”
“I do not!” Alice said indignantly.
“Oh, please!” Holly cried. “I’m barely around you two, and I know you want to sleep with him.”
Alice turned wide eyes toward her. “How can you say that? He is the crudest, most ignorant, narcissistic man that I have ever met.”
“And sexy as hell,” Maggie tacked on. “Although not as sexy as Greg or Har—” Maggie's eyes darted to mine and then jumped away. “I’m just saying all the men are sexy; even if Jake is an ass, he’d probably be amazing in bed.”
Was it me, or did Alice and Holly also tense when Maggie started to mention this other man? Was it Harry? Harmon? Hardy? I didn’t get much of a chance to think it over as they began discussing Jake in detail.
“Do you two work together?” I asked Alice and Maggie.
“Yep, we do. I just started there as the media liaison,” Maggie stated proudly. “That’s why I left the paper.”
“What kind of company is it?” I asked.
“Tactical security company,” Alice answered and glanced at Holly, who seemed tense. “And no fun to talk about, trust me. So tell us, what did you really think of those guys tonight?”
Maggie jumped right on that. “Did you feel sparks with all of them?”
Holly seemed to relax and even smiled as she turned to study me. Whatever was making her tense had instantly vanished.
“Well, I guess I felt something with all of them, although the second one I danced with was more of a friendship feeling.” I glanced around the group and let my gaze land on Holly. “Am I allowed to talk about this with them?”
Holly put her hand over my wrist. “Do you know who you are going to pick?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
Holly nodded. “You can talk about it with us, but not with anyone else. I trust these two not to say anything.” She gave them very pointed looks. “We would never want to sway your decision.”
“Okay, well, the first guy was very handsome and sexy in a tough and stormy kind of way, and yeah, I felt sparks with him, but I was so nervous that I don’t know if they were romantic sparks or fear tremors.” I laughed nervously as Maggie and Alice glanced at each other. They knew guy number one; were they rooting for him? Of course, they were! “I wasn’t as nervous the second and third time, so I’m still wondering if what I felt for the first one was real or not.”
“What did you think of the second guy?” Maggie asked.
“He was cute too, but I got more of a friend vibe from him. Does that make sense?”
Alice nodded. “Of course, it makes sense.”
“I thought for a moment that he was going to drop me during the lift, but then he righted himself, and the rest of the dance went smoothly.”
“What about the third dancer?” Holly queried.
“Oh, he was very handsome, and I definitely felt a spark with him. He made me feel safe, too. Maybe it was because he was so big, but he did. However, the first guy made me feel safe also.”
Alice asked with a raised brow, “How did he make you feel safe?”
I shook my head and shrugged. “I don’t know. There was just something about him. Although I don’t need a man to feel safe.”
“None of us need a man to feel safe.” Alice laughed.
“Of course you don’t, Alice. You’re a freaking sharpshooter!” Maggie said.
“What?” I asked, surprised as I stared at the elegant and slim woman with the black hair piled on her head in a messy bun.
“I’m not a sharpshooter; I’m a competitive shooter.”
“She’s won like every competition she’s even been in. You should see all her trophies.”
“Get out!” Holly leaned forward. “I didn’t know that!”
“It’s true.” Maggie nodded quickly. “She showed me a video of one of her competitions. I was amazed.”
“How long have you been doing that?” I asked Alice.
“Since I was eight.”
“Holy crap!” I replied.
“What does Jake think about your shooting? With as much experience as you have, you could teach firearms classes.”
“Why would I tell Jake?”
“Wait.” Holly’s mouth fell open. “He doesn’t know?”
“Are you serious? How can he not know?” Maggie continued questioning Alice after she shook her head.
“Because I have never told him. Why would I? I told you that I didn’t like the man. I work for him because I like the company and the other guys. I could do without Jake and his attitude.”
“You’re telling me that if Jake tried to get you in bed, you wouldn’t jump in headfirst?” Maggie gave her a skeptical look. “I’m not sure I could say no to that man, and I have Greg keeping my bed warm.”
Alice grinned at her. “I almost went out with Greg once.”
“You did?” I wondered if Maggie would be upset, but she didn’t seem to be. “Did he ask you out?”
“Oh, we flirted a lot, but that stopped the moment you two reconnected at the coffee shop.”
Maggie snickered. “I realize that you veered off the original question about sleeping with Jake.”
Alice blinked a couple of times and then sat back. “I’m not sure Jake could handle me.”
“What do you mean? How could that man not handle you?” Holly asked her and then laughed as she glanced toward me, chuckling. “I might even let him manhandle me.”
Alice gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment. “You all don’t know this about me, but I might be a little strong for him.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, immediately picturing a scrawny, short guy.
Alice pursed her lips, and Maggie slapped her hand down on the table. “No way! You’re a Dom!”
Alice turned to her, a brow raised, and Holly’s jaw dropped again. “Is she right? Are you a dominatrix?”
I know my eyes almost popped out of my head. That would be the last thing I would ever consider with Alice. She looked so sweet and sexy, although she also looked exotic and fierce, too.
Alice shrugged. �
�I’ve been known to dabble.”
“Holy crap!” Holly clapped her hand over her mouth. “How does that work?”
Maggie turned to Holly. “Could you imagine Jake being submissive?”
“Never!”
Alice pointed at Holly. “And that right there is why I would never sleep with Jake. He would never comply with my wishes, and I would refuse him when he would try to control me.”
“I’d pay good money to see that,” Maggie said.
For the rest of dinner, I listened to them talk about some of the guys they worked with, and Maggie filled me in on how she had come back in contact with her high school sweetheart.
By the time I got home that night, I was exhausted and slightly drunk. I crawled in bed and, for the first time in a few hours, started to think about the dances that I’d had earlier tonight.
I thought back over all three of them or as much of them as I could remember. Between my intoxication and the nerves I’d had earlier, it was hard to remember too many details. Somewhere in between dance two and three, I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, I made myself a gourmet breakfast and then headed down to the studio, luckily without a hangover. After makeup and another big cup of coffee, Tarin joined me to record my part before the men arrived.
I chose the two that I wanted to dance with again, then stood in a back room as the three men came up the stairs and lifted their boxes. I could see them and their reactions, but I couldn’t hear them. They had no idea that I was watching either.
So when the first dancer arrived, and I saw him again, I had the chance to study him for a moment. He was an attractive man, and today he wore cargo pants and a tight t-shirt that made his chest and shoulders look broader. He moved directly to the box, but before he lifted it, he closed his eyes for a moment, and I swear he seemed nervous as he pulled the invite out of the envelope.
His eyes lit up, and he grinned, and I found myself biting my bottom lip as I stared at his smile. He most definitely had a very sexy smile. He lifted the card, said something to the camera, and then glanced around briefly before he grinned and headed to the stairs.
Okay, good reaction! Had he looked around because he knew I had been watching?
The second man came up a while later, and he was wearing jeans and a polo. He was cute, but I realized that I was more attracted to the first guy. The man lifted the box and frowned. He dropped the box on the table, shrugged, and said something to the camera before he hit the stairs.
His reaction made me realize that I had been right about him. As I waited for the third man to come up, I wrung my hands. He was a really tall man, and his shoulders were broad. He just screamed safety to me, and I frowned. Why did I need a man to make me feel safe? I didn’t, but it would be nice to be held in big strong arms.
Although dancer number one had a firm grip when he had held me. I’d feel safe in his arms too, and cherished, and a little sexy—maybe a whole lot of sexy.
I watched dancer number three check his box, and his smile burst out when he saw the invite. He looked pleased as he took the stairs down, and a few minutes later, Holly came up.
“What did you think of their reactions?”
“I think I chose correctly.”
“I do too. Are you leaning more toward one or three?”
I laughed and put my hands over my face. “I have no idea!”
“Alright, well, you get out of here, and we will start your new routine on Monday morning.”
“What is the next routine like?”
Holly grinned. “I can’t tell you, but I have seen it, and you are going to love it!”
“Alright, I’m going to trust you.” The two of us headed toward the stairs as the production crew went about gathering all the gear. A bunch of dancers appeared out of nowhere and headed into classrooms on the second floor.
“Any word about the restaurant?”
“No. I hope to hear something soon. I was told that I should hear by one. If so, I can be open tonight on a reduced menu at five.” As we reached the first floor, my cellphone began to ring, and I pulled it out of my purse. “This is it!”
I answered the phone quickly and found Mr. Rushmore on the other end. “The tests came back negative.”
“I knew they would. So I can open tonight.”
“Yes. You can open, but if we get another report, you will be closed down longer.”
“You aren’t going to receive another complaint, at least not from my kitchen.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.” He grunted and hung up.
“We are open. I gotta run. I’ll see you Monday morning, Holly.”
“Good luck,” she told me as I hustled out the door, sending a text to my kitchen crew group message on my phone.
Kitchen open. Report to work ASAP to prepare.
Within a few moments, I started receiving thumbs-ups and okays, and I hailed the first cab I saw and felt better than I had in a long time as I sat in the back. For a moment, I dwelled over the two men I had chosen to have second dates with, but as the cab grew closer to the restaurant, my mindset changed, and I began to plan the menu and how things would have to go tonight to make sure we didn’t have any further problems.
Chapter Thirteen
Harvey
“You really got picked?” Greg asked when I called him later that day.
“Yeah, I did.”
“Okay, that’s pretty cool, I guess. Maggie said she was a nice lady.”
“What else did she say?”
I heard Maggie yelling in the background for him to keep his mouth shut. “Sorry, man, I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
“It’s a good thing that I don’t have a problem with suspense,” I joked back.
“Yeah, that is good. So what do you need me to take over this week for you?”
“I’m supposed to be at the dance studio from eleven to two each day.”
“Do you want me to cover the entire class for you? That way, you don’t have to sweat it if you are running late or get a run in your stockings?”
“Ha ha! Yeah, that might work better. What do you have going on at the office? I can cover what you got going on there.”
We talked for a few minutes about trading caseloads, and then I spent the rest of the day cleaning my house, doing laundry, and working out. All afternoon, I found myself smiling and hoping that the next dance went as well as the first one did.
Monday morning, I was back at the dance studio and went directly to the room where they did the makeup. I was almost done when my sister popped her head inside.
“Hey, sorry we didn’t get a chance to have dinner this weekend. It got a little hectic with trying to get all the footage edited.”
“That’s okay. I hope you made me look good in the edits.”
She grinned. “Harv, you don’t need any help looking good.”
The lady doing my hair chuckled. “No, he does not. I barely have anything to do with this one.”
“I’ll see you in the other room in a few minutes.”
After I was finished with makeup and wardrobe, which consisted of getting fitted with my microphone, we started recording immediately. I joined Tarin, Cal, and Clara in the main room where hugs went all around as they welcomed me back.
“Are you as nervous this time as you were last time?” Tarin asked.
“Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll get there as we get closer. I’m just glad that I wasn’t the only one to feel something when we were dancing.”
“The sparks between you too were off the charts,” Cal said. “Are you ready to hear the song for your next dance?”
“Yep! I can’t wait.”
“Alright,” Tarin said and nodded to someone off the set. The music started, and I knew the song immediately.
“This is by Ed Sheeran; this is a great song.” I rubbed my hands together as I shifted back and forth on my feet. “Big change from a fast fun song to a slow romantic one.”
“As much fun as the first dance wa
s, we want to slow things down for you guys. This one is all about trusting one another. Do you want to see the routine?”
I was totally up for a slow song, and I was raring to be able to hold her closer. “Bring it on.”
Clara took her place, and Victor came out to assist her. I’d learned that Victor was my date’s current training partner. As they started, I found myself excited, but very quickly, that feeling changed to anxiety. “Holy crap,” I said about a dozen times when they did stunts, or he lifted Clara, spinning her this way and that. How the hell was I going to be able to do that in only a few days?
When they finished, I stood there catching flies with my mouth wide open, and Cal chuckled. “You look a little overwhelmed, Harvey.”
“A little? You expect me to do that?” I asked him as I rubbed the side of my face. “Is there any part of her body that I won’t be touching?”
Everyone laughed. “Not many,” Cal answered, and Victor agreed with a chuckle.
Tarin put her arm around my shoulders. “What makes you the most nervous about this routine?”
I laughed. “Everything. I’m not sure I can do all that. That’s a really long routine.”
“You can do it, Harv,” Tarin said, and Cal nodded.
“You can. I promise that you will master this and do it exceptionally well. If you notice Victor, he’s not making a lot of difficult moves. His job is to support Clara and allow her to do most of the work. Don’t get me wrong, your part in this is crucial, and the dance won’t look or feel nearly as beautiful and sexy if you aren’t strong enough to handle it, but I have faith in you.”
I shook my head. “Normally, I’m a pretty confident guy, but not right now. I’m glad that you all have confidence in me.”
“Well, let’s get started, and I think your confidence will grow,” Cal stated and began to explain the beginning of the routine and how we will walk toward one another.