Page 76 of Bleed the Shadows
He took his date’s hand and they disappeared into the crowd.
“Maddy’s nice,” Maeve said about Owen’s date, a pretty blonde who seemed easygoing and friendly.
I nodded. Owen was head over heels. “Punch?”
“Definitely.”
I took her hand and led her across the gym to a table lined with several punch bowls and trays full of baked goods, all donated by the PTA according to the sign.
“This gym is so big,” Maeve said, looking around while I ladled our punch into paper cups.
I followed her gaze. “Is it?”
The refreshment table was at the other end of the gym from the music, which made talking a little easier.
“Compared to the gym at Forest Day,” she said.
“Did you have uniforms and everything?” I asked, handing her one of the cups.
“Yep.” I stared at her mouth as she took a drink. “Pleated skirts, white shirt, knee socks, the whole bit.”
“Damn.” I grinned. “You don’t happen to still have that stuff lying around do you?”
She rolled her eyes with a smile. “You’re ridiculous.”
I took her hand and pulled her close. “You look really pretty tonight.”
It wasn’t the first time I’d said it but I couldn’t help myself.
She smiled up at me. “You look great too. Definitely the most handsome date who’s ever taken me to a school dance.”
She was just being nice, but the compliment still gave me a flush of pleasure. “Are you trying to get in my pants?”
She laughed and I thought I could spend forever listening to that laugh. “Maybe.”
We hung out by the punch bowl until the principal, Ms. Richards, noticed us and came over to say hello. She looked nice, her curly black hair tucked under a printed scarf that matched her flowy dress.
She looked me up and down and sounded more than a little surprised when she admitted I’d turned out okay while Maeve tried not to snort into her punch.
I introduced Ms. Richards to Maeve, then did the same when Mr. Bolte, my tenth-grade biology teacher came over to say hello with his wife. After that I was more than happy to pull Maeve onto the dance floor, away from backhanded compliments and Maeve’s gleeful snickering.
Most of the music was unfamiliar to both of us — talk about feeling old — but we danced anyway, laughing and being silly, catching glimpses of Owen and Maddy as they tried to avoid us.
Maeve moved on the dance floor like she moved everywhere else, easy and fluid and sexy as hell, and maybe it was the high school setting but I was more than a little tempted to lure her out to the Hummer where we could be alone.
One song ended and another began, this one an oldie I recognized:To Make You Feel My Loveby Garth Brooks. I assumed it had been requested by Mr. Bolte, because he’d just been up at the DJ booth, and I said a silent prayer of thanks.
Anything that allowed me to hold Maeve close was a goddamn gift, and I pulled her into my arms before she could leave the dance floor.
She laughed. “I’m all sweaty and so are you.”
I took one of her hands and slid my free arm around her waist. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
She looked around nervously. “We could take a break…”
I looked down at her. “Just breathe, Maeve.”
I touched my lips to her forehead and she closed her eyes. Then I let go of her hand and pulled her closer, because I could never get close enough to my Maeve.
