Page 37 of Kissing the Debutant
“Where are we going?” It was too dark to see much of anything.
“It’s Friday night and security is extra irritating on Friday nights, so we have to be more careful. There’s a door down here that leads to the back of the building near the gate to the visitor parking lot.” Wylder guided her across the cold, dark room and up a flight of crumbling brick steps in relative darkness, guided by the light of her phone. “We just wait here for… four minutes for security shift change to start.”
“You know everything about this place, don’t you?” Lillian whispered.
“Everything.” Wylder tapped her foot, waiting for the last few minutes to tick down. “Okay, time to bolt.” She stuffed her phone in her back pocket, grabbed Lillian’s hand, and ran.
The chilly breeze reminded Lillian she wasn’t wearing nearly enough clothes, but Wylder dragged her through the darkness, across the overgrown lawn to the creaky iron gate no one ever used.
“There’s a lockbox. What are we going to do?” Lillian glanced at Wylder in the moonlight.
“Come on, give me some credit, girl. I’ve got this.” Wylder punched in a code on the digital lockbox and pushed through the gate.
“You have your own code? How did you manage that?” Lillian trailed along behind her, wondering if Wylder had a future in espionage.
“I can’t give away all my secrets. Come on, Jack’s waiting for us just down the main driveway.
* * *
Lillian hugged the wall along the edge of the dance floor, the bright lights and deafening music were much more than she’d expected. This was so not her scene. And Jack wouldn’t stop staring at her. Even with Mia at his side.
“What are we waiting for?” Wylder grabbed her hand, tugging her toward the dance floor.
“I don’t know. I need a minute.” Lillian shrank back into the shadows.
“Don’t be a wallflower, Lil. You’re the best dancer in this room, and you look amazing. Nothing to be self-conscious about.”
“I just need a minute.”
“Come on, I promise we’ll take it slow. Just follow my lead. Forget you’re a dancer, and just do what I do.” Wylder turned around and shimmied through the crowd at the edge of the dance floor. She chose a spot out of the way and threw her hands up in the air and swayed with the music.
Lillian tried to mimic her movements, but she felt ridiculous and out of her element.
“There you go!” Wylder cheered. “Now let’s add some hip action.” She popped her hip from side to side, twirling in a circle, but she never strayed from Lillian’s side.
Little by little, Lillian relaxed and found her footing, grateful to Wylder for sticking with her when she had no reason to. Was that what it was like to have friends?
“Show us some moves, Lil.” Wylder hopped on one foot and waved her fist in the air. She had the kind of rhythm Lillian just didn’t have outside the ballet arena.
“This isn’t really my style,” Lillian confessed, watching Mia and Jack out of the corner of her eye. They looked like they were having a blast. Mia definitely wasn’t up to his level of skill but they still looked good together. “I don’t think I can do this.” She shook her head, panic rising in her chest.
“Of course, you can. You just need the right partner.” Wylder shot her a devilish wink before she turned her around and shoved her toward Jack.
Mia flashed her a smile and moved off to dance with strangers, clearly in her element.
“You look scared to death.” Jack caught her hands and tugged her closer. “Don’t overthink it, Lil, I’ve got you.” He slipped his hand around her waist and sent her twirling. Muscle memory took over, and Lillian went up on the balls of her feet, turning faster until Jack pulled her back in and lifted her into another turn before he set her down.
Someone whistled, and the crowd pulled away from them.
“What are they doing?” She glanced around at the onlookers.
“Giving us room to show off.” Jack led her into the familiar steps they’d spent hours trying to perfect.
“Not here!” Fear lanced through Lillian. She still couldn’t land the jumps yet.
“You think too much.” Jack grinned as they sailed through the footwork, side by side and landed the first jump before she had time to even think about it.
Jack’s laughter set her at ease, and the cheers and whistles from the crowd boosted her confidence. Maybe she could actually do this. It wouldn’t kill her to take a ballet break like Jack suggested. Lillian didn’t know what her future would hold, but she knew her future was in her own hands for once. It was time to cut loose, maybe find the joy in dancing again, and see where she ended up.
