Page 54 of Why Cheese?
Despite my near-face plant, the other girls are ecstatic about Cheddy’s dancing prowess. They’re all waving and asking for their turn in his arms. Not that I can blame them. They are impressive.
He turns back to them and gives a little head bob. Those girls are gorgeous beyond belief like they came from some hot girlfriend factory. I don’t want to get in the way of his fun. Slipping away, I scratch my arm and try to shrink. “Go ahead,” I say.
“What?” he shouts over the ramping music.
“You should dance with them. They’re way better than me.”
“Toss me, you mountain man,” one of the girls shouts and ruffles her skirts with a cry.
My feet move me away while my eyes refuse to leave him. How many dumb dances was I forced to attend where I’d stand by the wall praying for it to be over? Even if someone had asked me to dance, I knew they were forced to do it or it was a stupid prank. Biting my tongue, I turn my back on Cheddy and the other talented women to focus on the band.
A huge palm clasps across my entire shoulder. “Sorryseñoritas, I’m afraid my dances belong to Vi. But anothernoche.” Cheddy glides me back around and I wrap my arms behind his neck. He settles his hands at my waist, and I gaze up at him.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I say, my mind confused while my heart leaps up and down like a rabbit on Red Bull. “I know I’m not very—”
Cheddy bends down and kisses me. My eyes shoot open wide in shock not at the kiss, but how gentle his touch is. I half expected him to head-butt me in his exuberance. Instead, he chastely cups my lips with his like he’s holding the hand of a lady to guide her around a garden.
I braid my fingers together at the nape of his neck, and yank him closer, needing more. Cheddy’s mouth parts and he dives in tongue first. His scent fills my throat and nose—of iron and muscles sweating by a smith’s fire. There’s more, something sweet hiding deep at the core—like apple blossoms or…
Cheddy pulls back and I breathe in only the scent of fresh tacos.
“Special,” falls from my lips. He beams brighter than any headlight and starts to stand up.
I leap a foot off of the ground. Okay, fine, it was a few inches at best. But when I lock my whole arm around the back of his neck and kiss him, it feels like I reached the moon.
A siren bleats.
The music stops and voices cry out in Spanish. Hands grab anything they can, feet fly, and skirts flap. I break away from Cheddy to shout, “What’s happening?”
Cam places a hand on my back. “The guards have found us.”
“What?” Did he mean the cops? Red and blue lights cut up the sky. My gremlin grabs a knife and starts stabbing into my brain.It’s my fault. I did this.“Why are the cops here?”
“It seems this gathering is not legitimate in the eyes of the local lord.” Cam backs up while slinging another guitar over his shoulder. “Vamanos!” he shouts to the others packing up the truck in a hurry. “I’d suggest you flee.”
Cheddy nods and scoops me into his arms.
Waving with his second guitar, Cam calls out, “I will find you once we’ve lost them.” Then he vanishes into the mess of bodies scurrying to escape.
“Cam?” I shout and fight to climb up Cheddy. Instead of following his friend, Cheddy spins around and takes off down one of the alleyways. Two men hold open a cut piece of chainlink and keep rushing people through it.
Cheddy drops me down in order to grab one side of the fence and wrench it all the way back until it forms a three-foot wide gap. “Go,” he whispers, placing a protective hand over my head as I duck down.
“This is the police. Hands up. Now!”
My heart leaps into my throat, and I start to look back. “What about Cam?”
“He’ll be fine,” Cheddy assures me. Without warning, he shoves me. I skid right on through to the other side. Others run past me while I cling to the fence trying to catch a hint of Cam. After the last person has fled, Cheddy hunches over and climbs through. The barbed ends of the fence tear his shirt and pants, but he doesn’t flinch. Cheddy reaches through to bend the cut end back, closing off the hole.
“Cam’s dodged more guards, knights, and soldiers than a hundred bandits combined,” Cheddy assures me. “Ah, man, not my shirt.” He moans at the tears, then takes my hand.
“This is an illegal operation. Drop to your stomach and put your hands behind your head!”
Cinching his fingers over my wrist, Cheddy pulls me away from the fence. I try to catch one last look but all I can see are the red and blue lights cutting through the dark night. My feet take off, pulling me away from the impromptu party and, hopefully, a long-gone Cam.
I stare up at the starless sky and gulp. What if he doesn’t make it back before the sun?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
