Page 171 of Lovers' Dance

It would have taken too much effort to disagree with him, so I didn’t. “Thanks, hon.”

We exchanged silent stares, then I went up on tiptoes to kiss him square on the lips. “I’ll be better next week. I promise, Matt. I won’t embarrass you like this again. Will you let Nathan and Bella know I’m not usually this way, please?”

Matt pulled back. I thought I would have been able to kiss that frown off his lips. “I told you before, poppet. You could never embarrass me. Now, go back inside. You’ve only got socks on. I’ll call you later; answer your mobile.”

I nodded slowly, then walked away. When I stood in front the door, I turned to see Matt watching me.

“I love you, Matthew Bradley,” I yelled at the top of my voice. Ha! That would embarrass him.

Matt looked around startled, and rubbed a hand across his lower face. He shook his head and sent me a wide smile, mouthing “Love you, too.”

I waved as he got in his friend’s car and drove off. He had seen me acting a fool on my birthday and he hadn’t run a mile. Maybe, just maybe, Matt was potentially my forever man. So what if our relationship hadn’t hit the six month mark yet and we had a lot to learn about each other? I walked in my house and three pairs of eyes swivelled in my direction.

“He’s nice, MSG,” was the first thing out of Sol’s mouth. Her expression was solemn, almost sad. “But he’s going to break your heart. As hot as he is, he’s way too old for you, MSG.”

I shut my door, shrugging as I peeled off my socks and flung them aside. “He won’t break my heart, and he’s not too old, Sol.”

“He better not,” Bret grumbled. “Or else I’ll hunt him down. I don’t care how rich he is.”

Dante stayed silent, eyes following my movements as I sat down next to Sol on the couch.

“I’m going to miss you guys,” I said, slinging my arm over Sol’s shoulders.

She pulled me into a hug. “You guys are coming home for Thanksgiving, right? That’s only a little over a month, MSG.”

She was right. I’d be seeing them soon. For now, I’d enjoy the little time we had left. Dante uncoiled his lithe body from off the floor, stretching. Both Sol and I stared in appreciation. Beauty deserved admiration.

“Time for me to rustle up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.” he said with a warm glance my way. I grinned and nodded. It was tradition.

Bret slid off the couch, seemed he was going to help Dante. “I’ll make the Kool-Aid. You two are weird. How long have you been doing this ritual?”

Dante shrugged. “Since Madi was seven. Shit. When you look at how long we’ve known each other—”

“You get less time for manslaughter,” Sol piped up with a chuckle.

The four of us fell silent for a few seconds, exchanging looks of friendship, of love.

Damn. I freaking adored my people.

Dante and Bret started towards the door, with Bret casually throwing over his slim shoulder, “Now your rich man has gone, MSG, I hope you know that ass of yours has five more lashes due.”

I flipped him off and snuggled against Sol. Five more lashes? No biggie. I’d take a whipping from Bret any day. From any one of them. For any one of them. I loved my friends.

EIGHTEEN

EDDIE AND I had finished a complicatedpas de deux, an exquisite piece of choreography Dante and I had worked on especially for our upcoming main production. Theentréebegan the way thecodaended, vibrant yet achingly beautiful. Theadagiowe needed to mesh better on, but our solo variations…goddamn, it was the stuff dreams were made of.Entrée, adagio,two variations and thecoda. Mypas de deuxwith Eddie rocked. Usually apas de deuxtook place between the two main principals, but Dante and I had decided that to truly convey what we wanted inThe Ice Queen and Princess, we needed to create that physical connection between the four main characters of the show: Bri, Eddie, Dante and I.

“Sweet cheeks, theadagioneeds work,” Dante called from across the stage where he and Bri paused in their movements. I nodded, exhausted, and hurting in places I didn’t know existed on my body. But back to thepas de deux. The one I had with Dante would be the show stopper, the one that would prove to everyone what we were capable of. It was going to be epic. All I had to do was make sure we sold enough tickets and got the right people in to review the production. I prayed silently it would be a sell-out. Oh, man, I prayed.

“How late are we staying?” Eddie asked, rubbing a tired hand across his face. I looked over at Dante, my mouth curling down at the edges. Tomorrow was the day I dreaded above all others. My face hurt from trying to keep it empty, to not reveal the growing terror inside me. The bottomless pit of fearful memories. My child-like screams of despair. The battle with that fucking seatbelt that held me prisoner while my beloved parents died before my eyes. God. I didn’t want the nightmare. Hence, the intense dance session today, my forced wakefulness…Sunday night had been the last time I slept. If I drove myself into the ground, to the point of sheer exhaustion, then, tomorrow after the trip to the cemetery, when I crashed there would be no dreams. My mind would be too fatigued to dream. And my shameful secret would leave me in peace.

“Why don’t you guys head home?” I offered with a small smile. “It’s what? Nine?”

“Ten thirty, Madi,” Bri advised, stretching her upper body. “We’ve been going at it since nine this morning.”

I sighed and nodded. After taking Bret and Marie-Sol to the airport, Matt’s driver had brought Dante and me to work. I think he was still parked outside my building in the limo. I made a mental note to ask Matt if he owned the damned thing or whether it was a rental. It would be embarrassing if he owned a freaking limo. Where would he keep the damned thing?

“Okay,” Dante agreed, coming closer to me. “You two head home. Madi and I will lock up. Eddie, I need you to run the practice tomorrow with the others. Madi and I won’t be in.”

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