Page 36 of Moonshine and Magnolias
She laughed and gave him her hand. Soon they joined the crush of bodies.
“I don’t get it,” Jordan said at their retreating backs. “He’s good looking, rich, royalty for heaven’s sake, and he’s been a friend for years. What doesn’t she see in him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she never noticed his longing?”
A clean-shaven man in a plain white t-shirt approached Wendy and Jordan, offering them a smile that bordered on shy. He held out his hand in the middle of the table and shifted his gaze between the two women. “Care to dance?”
Jordan quickly grabbed her beer, and he shifted his hand closer to Wendy. Since he hadn’t started the conversation by making some snide comment about the horizontal tango and his fingernails were clean, she accepted the invitation.
“I didn’t think your boyfriend would mind, seeing as he was occupied,” the man said, leading her to the center of the dance area.
“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend.” Ah, fiddlesticks. She’d been out of circulation for so long it took her a minute to realize he was probably trying to figure out her relationship status. He placed a firm hand on her back and guided her through a dance.
Guide was a misnomer. His feet didn’t move to the beat. She had to force herself to ignore the pulsating rhythm and shuffle around based on his cues. Only he didn’t use any, just tugged her and nudged her where he thought she should go.
Once she imagined herself with Rob, this disaster on the dance floor got a whole lot easier. One strong arm around her back, the other holding her hand,kissing her knuckles. Hips together, swaying without the need for music.
When the torture ended, her palm was soaked with sweat from Mr. Beat-of-His-Own-Drum. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.
“No thanks. I still have my beer.” She gave him a quick smile and dashed back to the table. Sebastien and Brandi stayed on the floor for the next dance. His hand hovered over her back but didn’t settle on her.
“Smooth escape,” Jordan complimented Wendy.
“Your turn next.” She took out her phone to check for any messages.
“Oy, put that thing away already.” Jordan rolled her eyes and placed her bottle on the table.
Wendy shoved her phone back into her pocket and picked up her drink. “Habit. Sorry.”
The music changed to a faster beat and the dancers broke from their partners. Sebastien and Brandi came by the table and grabbed their arms, dragging the two women to the floor.
What the hell. They let the alcohol and rhythm take them, laughing when they crashed into each other and apologizing when they crashed into others.
One collision had the victim turning around. He sized her up with a grin and didn’t turn back to his own group.
Wendy exaggerated the sway of her hips, enjoying the way his eyes tracked her movements. Just because she didn’t get involved didn’t mean she didn’t like the attention. And a stranger in a bar was much safer than a guest or any coworker.
The man held out a hand, and Wendy let him move her through the rest of the song. It was going well until he tried to spin her under his arm and she stepped on his toes.
She was out of practice.
Her partner leaned forward to be heard above the music. Sweat beaded his forehead, but his brown eyes held a hint of interest. “I swear this isn’t a pickup line, but you new in town?”
“Just visiting.” Even as she said it, a longing for home shot through her. Notthe building where she slept and where her mail was delivered in Atlanta, but something deeper. A place where she had roots, where generations of her blood had lived and breathed and loved and lost.
“Let me lead, darlin’,” he drawled in a low rumble. “Next time you can be in charge.”
She could relax. She’d done it before. And if she tilted her head and squinted just right in the darkened room, the man even resembled Rob. If Rob wore jeans that molded to his… assets.
He gave her an encouraging nod, then tilted his head over to Jordan, who had resumed her place at their table. “Your friend there. She dance, too?”
“She took ballet for eight years.” Wendy concentrated on the music. The hand on her back strengthened and gave her some balance. She closed her eyes. It was nice to be held. Would have been nicer if it was by someone else.
“Hmmm.” He gave Jordan a long, perusing stare, then fixed Wendy with a lounge-lizard leer as his hand dipped lower on her body. “We should invite her to join us.”
Seriously? Even here, she was the gatekeeper to other things. Better things. She pushed the dancing jerk away. “I’m done.”
“What about your friend?” he called after her.
