by Alison Mello
She giggles. “Sorry, I didn’t get to go into details.” I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Besides, she also knows I’m a grown-ass woman and can do what I want.” She steps in front of me, not caring about the people who are now stepping around us because we’re in the middle of the sidewalk. “She’s just looking out for me.”
I nod. “I’m glad you have people who have your back.”
“Did you mean what you said?” She bites her lip and smiles shyly at me.
“About?” I’m not sure how much of our conversation she heard. The two of them escaped to the bathroom to chat for a few while Jade jumped in the shower.
“Eventually wanting to hook up with me?”
“Jade we’ve had this conversation. Of course, I do.” She nods. “I’ve found you attractive from the moment I laid eyes on you, and it’s no secret that I think you’re an amazing dancer.” She looks away, but I gently lift her chin, forcing her to look me in the eye. “I also know that you may need some more time. You need to learn to trust again.
“You’re right, and although about six months ago, I swore off dating dancers forever. It’s possible that you could persuade me to change my mind.” She winks at me. Taking my hand, we start walking down the street toward the beach.
“Challenge accepted.” I ask as we walk.
She laughs and bumps into me as we continue to walk.
As we get closer to the beach, the street becomes littered with people walking around enjoying the nice weather. This is a touristy area, so buildings and shops lining the street across from the beach. We cross the street to the small wall that protects the beach’s sidewalk from the street. We both take a seat and look out at the water. It’s sand covered with people looking to spend a day in the sun.
“Have you ever just sat back, and people watched?” She asks with a small smile playing at her lips.
I shake my head. “Not really.”
“I love to people watch. Look at the couple to the left on the big blue blanket.”
I follow her line of sight, spotting the couple that she’s referring to. “What about them?”
“Look how happy they are. You can tell from their expression that they are truly in love and want to be with each other.” She glances up at me. “That’s something I never had with Jackson. I should have known he wasn’t the man for me, but I missed it. We were great on the dance floor together, but he never looked at me the way that guy is looking at her or…” Her words trail.
“The way I look at you?” I attempt to finish her sentence. She chuckles and nods her head, looking out at the water.
I step in front of her with one leg on either side of hers. “Don’t beat yourself up. You’re young, you had a connection, and so you thought he was the one.” I slip my hand into her hair at the nape of her neck. “You needed to experience that, so when the right man comes along, you know what to look for.”
Her smile grows. “Let me guess; you’re the right man?”
I shrug. “I’m not saying that. I would never treat you the way he did, but that doesn’t mean I’m the right man for you.” I take her hand, pulling her toward me. “Let’s walk.” We continue down the sidewalk lining the beach and continue people watching as she calls it. There are kids building sandcastles, a game of volleyball, which we stop to watch until a chick almost falls out of her bikini top, and we even spot a father and son flying a kite.
The day is flying by, but we’re having fun. There’s some awesome music playing in the distance. “Wanna check out the music?”
“Sure.” She agrees.
We decide to go check it out. Four guys are jamming out to some amazing reggae beats. Most people are just standing around, bouncing their heads to the beat and watching, but not Jade and me. She grabs my hand, and we both fall into rhythm with one another, moving to the music. Dance is in our blood. It’s who we are. You give us music, and we’ll instantly start to move.
We’re once again lost in one another. We have this chemistry neither of us has ever noticed before. With our eyes locked, I run my hand up over her back, pulling her close to me. She grinds her hips with me, causing my dick to stir. I mentally talk him down, knowing full well nothing is happening right now. Grabbing her hand, I spin her away from me and pull her back. She laughs when our hips connect, and we begin dancing in salsa style moves. We manage to keep it clean as our hands glide over one another’s bodies.
When the music stops, people begin to cheer. Phones are out recording us. I hold her hand up, and we both take a small bow, laughing at the scene that just unfolded.
She tugs me away from the crowd that has continued listening to the music. “I’m starving.”
“We should get something to eat then.”
We continue our walk down the street until we come to this great little restaurant called Dukes. “I love this place.” She points to the small restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.
“I do too.” I walk up to the hostess. “Can we get a table for two outside?”
We missed the lunch rush, and it isn’t quite dinner time, so the place isn’t too busy. “Sure, give me a second.”
The hostess glances over her shoulder and then places a mark on her sheet and ushers us over to a table for two with a beautiful view of the beach.
“I love to sit and watch the waves crash upon the shore. The sound is so peaceful and relaxing.” I smile as I sit watching the water. This section of the beach is not overly crowded, which makes our view even better.
“I agree. It’s one of the reasons I chose this area to live in. I wanted to be able to enjoy the beach life and everything that comes with it.” She stares off into the distance.
“You mean people watching, the shops, music, and good food.” I know what she means because it’s what I love about this area too. I’m not far from my office, and I have all the surroundings I love. There is an energy here, an energy that can boost anyone’s day.
“Yeah, the vibe. It’s amazing. I could be having the shittiest of days, and I come down here and start to feel better.” She glances down at the menu in front of her. I decide to do the same, so we can get the food ordered. If I don’t, I’ll only sit here, observing her beauty.
The waitress comes over a moment later. We both order our low carb meals. Being dancers, we burn a lot of calories, but we also have to stay in shape for the stage, so we often choose healthy options.
She leans on her hand and stares off into the distance. The wheels in her head are spinning a mile a minute. “A penny for your thoughts?”
She chuckles. “I was realizing how relaxed I am and how much fun I’m having.”
“Good, I’m glad.” We both sit in comfortable silence while we wait for our food. Once it’s delivered, she brings up the subject of our song.
“You know we still haven’t picked a song to dance to at the competition.”
“I know. I’m struggling to come up with something.” I dig into my chicken fajita.
“Well, when we get to class on Monday, Micah is going to want something.” I nod. “Maybe when we finish eating, we should listen to some songs together.”
“Sounds good to me.” I continue eating, fearful of telling her why I’m struggling. I want to pick a song that tells her exactly how much I like her, but I don’t want to spook her. Once we’re done, I pay the bill, and we walk down the beach to the water. We go in just enough to get our feet wet.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
It is beautiful, especially with Jade standing there, the breeze blowing through her hair. I love the way the sun lights up her beautiful face. I look down at her with a smile. “It is.”
She sighs. “It’s getting late. Maybe you should walk me home.”
It’s really not late, and we still haven’t discussed the music, but I have a feeling she needs some time to herself, so I agree. “Sure.”
The silence on the way back is deafening. We didn’t discuss music, our feelings, or anything. There’s actually
a ton I want to say, but I can tell that she’s completely lost in thought. She is so distant now would not be a good time.
When we get to her place, she’s struggling to form words. “I had fun today. Thanks for lunch.” She smiles.
I nod. “You’re welcome. I had fun as well. I’ll see you for class on Monday?”
“You will.” She starts to walk away but turns back and wraps me in a hug. “Thanks for being so good to me. You’re a good friend, Bentley.”
I chuckle. “I like you too.” She runs up the stairs to her apartment, and I start my walk home with her words ringing through my head. You’re a good friend, Bentley.
Friend... I need to step up my game if she’s ever going to see me as anything other than a friend.
Chapter Nine
Jade
When I leave work tonight, I’m surprised to find Bentley is nowhere around. He’s been showing up outside my salon to walk with me to class, but not tonight. Tonight, I’m walking alone, and it makes me realize how much I enjoy his company and our conversations.
He was so sweet the other day when we were walking on the beach and hanging out. We had so much fun, but after two years with Jackson, can I just move on? We broke up just a few months ago. I chuckle at my own thoughts, wondering how much I loved him if I’m considering moving on already. I feel like I was in love with the idea of being in love with him.
With music blasting in my ears, I am so lost in my own thoughts that I nearly crashed into a gentleman who stopped short in the middle of the sidewalk. I apologize and continue on my way with my dance bag over my shoulder.
When I get to the school, only a few people are hanging around, and one of the rooms we use is empty, so I take the opportunity to hide out and stretch alone. I place my phone on the ledge of the window with my music playing on full blast. I love getting lost in the music.
A smile spreads across my face when Unfoolish by Ashanti starts playing. The beat has me off the floor and moving my feet. Choreography is great, but there’s nothing like pouring your heart out as your body flows with the beat and the words of the music. I was so deep into my moves and the music that I didn’t realize I was being watched until I turned and came face to face with Bentley. He’s standing there with a slight grin on his handsome face, looking amazing in a pair of gym shorts and a snug sleeveless shirt. His eyes lock on mine as his index finger rubs his lower lip. He watches me pant as I work to catch my breath.
“Unfoolish?” He asks with amusement.
I nod with a smile. Bentley takes my hand and pulls me close, wrapping his arm around my waist. His hips move deliciously to the beat of the music. His hand glides up my back, over my shoulder, and down my arm. He grabs my hand and spins me before pulling me back against his body. When the song ends, we both expel a deep breath.
“What are you doing?” He’s so close that all I can smell is the same musky, masculine scent that I discovered on my clothes the other night, and it drove me crazy. I had to change.
“I got here early, and no one was here yet, so I decided to jam by myself for a bit.”
“I went to the salon, but you were gone.” He narrows his smoldering hazel eyes on mine.
I shrug. “I thought you left without me.”
He shakes his head slightly. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t heard from you since Saturday and...”
He places a finger over my lips. “You seemed to be struggling when I left you the other day. I thought maybe you needed some space.” He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I don’t want to crowd you.” His words are barely a whisper. “I’m struggling, Jade. I’m struggling between owning your every breath and giving you the space you need.”
I bite my lip. “How about you let me decide if you're smothering me. ” My whisper matches his.
“You promise to be honest with me?”
I nod. “I do.”
He leans in, I’m thinking he’s finally going to kiss me, but he presses his forehead to mine. “Fair enough.”
Micah barges into the room. “There you two are.” We pull apart. “Are you ready to work?”
He clears his throat, clearly affected by our private moment. “Yeah, man. I’m ready.”
“I’m ready.” I expel a slow and steady breath.
“Good, because I clearly made the right decision in pairing you two together.” He grins. “Your chemistry is off the charts, and you read each other perfectly.”
“We still don’t have a song, though.” I fill him in.
His brows shoot up. “Well, we need to rectify that.”
“How do you suggest we do that?” I plant my hands on my hips.
Micah shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know, but the other couples are downstairs working. I suggest you two do the same.”
I roll my eyes. “Any suggestions?”
“You two need something with a beat, something that will allow the chemistry that is flowing to come out.” Bentley and I look at each other with a humorous smile. “Something fun. You need to let loose. I keep telling you that.”
“Dude, that doesn’t help us.” Bentley fills him in, but he simply shrugs. “Everyone else has music.”
“Seriously.” I plant my hands on my hips. “You picked their music.” I stroll over to my phone and scroll through my ridiculous playlist.
“What are you doing?” Bentley asks.
I’m a bit frustrated that Micah can’t come up with a song for us, but if we don’t start at least working on it, we’ll never get anywhere. “I have an idea.” I look up from my phone. “How do you feel about going old school?”
“I’m down.” Bentley shrugs. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’m thinking something like I’m Real by J Lo. It has some different beats so we can have fun with it and really rock it out.”
“Let me see what you got,” Micah says as he pulls up the song on his system, so it plays throughout the room.
We both take a moment to feel the music out before we start to move. I start to walk away from Bentley, and as I expect, he follows walking to the beat of the music. When I turn to walk back toward him, he steps backward, keeping a small distance between us.
He takes my hand and pulls me toward him, grinding his hips with mine. He leads me through a spin and pulls me back.
Micah rewinds it to work the music for a moment. He comes over and shows us what he wants us to do. “I like how you started this out, but here try this.” He teaches us sixteen counts of music, and we work it in.
He presses play on the music, and we duplicate what we just did up to what he taught us. “Good, do it again.”
After an hour of working out, we’re both tired and sweaty, but it’s time to get out of here. When we get downstairs, some of the other couples are still hanging out between the three rooms we use. “Hey, guys.” Destiny calls us over. She wraps me in a sweaty hug. “What’s going on, girl?”
“Not much. Just trying to figure this competition routine out.” I roll my eyes.
“We’re heading to get a bite to eat. You two want to join us?” Breigh invites us out. I look up at Bentley.
He nods. “Sounds good to me.”
There’s a little diner up the street that we like to hit after class sometimes. “We’ll see you there,” Bentley adds, opening the door for me. We’re the only ones who walk to and from class, so everyone else will drive over.
“You don’t have to go with me if you don’t want to,” I tell Bentley, not wanting him to feel pressured into staying out. “I know you have to be up early.”
He glances down at me with a grin on his face. “I’m good. If I didn’t want to go, I wouldn’t go. Besides, why would I pass up spending more time with you?”
I feel my cheeks flush from his compliment. “About earlier.” I pause, unsure what to say. “I need to take whatever is happening between us slowly.”
“Jade, I never meant to make you feel like I was rushing you. I get it, but
I also can’t help how I feel about you. I’ve always been attracted to you, and now that you’re single, it’s hard to hold myself back.”
She nods. “I was blind before, and now that I see clearer. I have to make sure I don’t make the same mistake twice.”
“I totally get it.” Being a total gentleman as always, he pulls the door to the diner open for me.
Everyone is already here, so we join them in our typical corner booth. They’re laughing and joking but quickly get quiet when we approach the table.
“Why so quiet all of a sudden?” I plant my hands on my hips, shocked that the entire table just went into complete silence.
“No reason,” Breigh says with a smile.
I narrow my eyes at them. “Really, because from your expressions, it seems like we’re the topic of conversation.” I point between Bentley and me.
“Well, can you blame us?” Julie spits out.
“What do you mean?” I ask with frustration.
“Come on. It’s quite obvious you two have a thing for each other.” Aaron adds.
Bentley pulls out a seat for me, but I’m not sure I want to stay now. He encourages me to take the seat, gently pulling me down with him.
“Even if we do have a thing for each other, you guys are supposed to be our friends. Why would you sit there talking about us?” I shake my head.
“Sorry, Jade. We didn’t mean for it to come across like we were gossiping. We were just saying how awesome you are together. We joked that you said you swore off dancers, and you’re with another dancer.” Destiny explains.
Bentley narrows his eyes. “Who said we’re together?” He turns his attention to me. “Jade, did you know we were together?”
I laugh at the puzzled expression on his face. “No. I didn’t know we were together.”
The rest of the table starts laughing. “Okay, okay, we get it. You two aren’t dating.” Ky says.
“Yet,” Aaron adds, and the entire table bursts into laughter, but I roll my eyes unamused by their discussion.
Micah has a pretty big school, but this is our crew, and we're pretty tight, other dancers have come and gone, but this crew has been together for a while now. I don't expect any of us to go anywhere, anytime soon. Ky puts his arm around Breigh as if they were more than dance partners. Ky is the hottest gay guy I’ve ever met. He’s had a rough go of relationships because he and Breigh are pretty sexy together on the dance floor. Guys don’t take him seriously. Little do they realize he is just a really good dancer.