Chapter 15
EMILIO
I couldn't tell him I knew why he was here, because I hadn't confessed my involvement as Aunt Macie.
I should have done that, I guessed, but it was too late now.
I wouldn't see him again after tonight anyway, though that was a thought that made my insides churn and something in my chest spasm.
Like I was letting something slip away that shouldn't.
Dancing with Lucas was like dancing with a cloud.
He was so responsive and light to lead, and when our eyes met, goddamnit I felt it.
The connection between us was so obvious, I didn't know why I hadn't seen it before.
My hookup rule and the knowledge that he was doing all this to catch another man's eye had blinded me.
But did he feel it too? Probably not, because I hadn't missed how he kept looking across to the same corner of the room. It didn't take much to guess why, what did surprise me was the green snake of jealousy that was nipping at my insides.
As the song headed towards its end, I finished the dance with a body roll, a turn, and brought Lucas to my side to lean on my hip in a final pose that coincided with the ending notes.
"You dance well, guapo," I told him, wanting to keep him with me for a moment more.
"Thanks to you. I was crap until you gave me those lessons."
And then he was gone. The music had changed into an uptempo song, modern, something that was currently popular.
Partners were hurriedly choosing each other on the dance floor, and I stepped away and into the shadows.
I wasn't interested in dancing with anyone else tonight.
I needed to think. My plan of exorcising Lucas from my system by seeing him one more time had backfired.
I wanted him more than ever. And that was an uncomfortable feeling on so many levels.
I watched from the sidelines as the blonde-streaked head bobbed its way through the throng, then he was there in the shadowy corner, walking boldly up to a guy with a confidence that I'd given him.
I gave a scornful sniff at my own stupidity.
Then couldn't stop myself from watching them as they walked out onto the dance floor together.
I stiffened as I realized who the other guy was.
I'd been around long enough to know most of the long term participants in this scene, and I knew this guy.
Damien. He was a great dancer, but as a human being he was a bit of a prick.
Was that really the sort of guy Lucas was interested in?
Did he know what kind of man he was chasing?
A bitter taste filled my mouth as I observed how they moved together.
Lucas was good, especially when he was motivated, as he obviously was now.
He showed no hesitation in getting in close with his partner, and followed the leads perfectly, even throwing in a little styling from time to time, and from the tilt of his head and the way his gaze lingered on his partner, he was coming on to him big time.
I could see Damien was impressed, as he led Lucas through a series of increasingly difficult moves.
When Damien turned so that he brought Lucas into reverse shadow position and pulled Lucas in close behind him, I hated him.
A scowl tightened the skin of my forehead, the start of a headache thrumming behind my eyes.
I didn't want to admit to myself that I was hoping for him to stumble or falter in some way - that the dance would somehow come to a abrupt stop - and yet I was.
I rubbed a hand across my face. Ah, dios mío, what had come over me?
"You good, man?"
The voice startled me. With my attention intently focused on what was happening on the dance floor, I hadn't seen my friend Carlos join me against the wall.
Even in the dim of the room, the flush was evident on his face.
He wiped the sweat from his brow with a hairy forearm and not waiting for my reply, said, "Fuck, it's hot in here.
You'd think they'd get air conditioning. "
"Yeah," I agreed, my eyes tracking Lucas and douch-bag as they left the floor together and headed towards a door at the back of the hall.
Fuck. They were either leaving together - but I couldn't remember if there were an exit down that end of the building - or they were going to do it in the bathrooms. Carajo!
I'd screwed myself over completely. Maybe if I'd come clean about Aunt Macie, I could have talked him out of this.
Or if I hadn't told him about my stupid one-and-done rule which was now looking like the stupidest idea ever...
"You okay, Emil?" Mandatory complaining about the stifling conditions over, Carlos had finally noticed that I hadn't answered his original question.
"Yeah, yeah," I said, seeing the door close at the end of the hall. "I'm... I'm not feeling it tonight."
"I saw you dancing with the guy I sent to Jaime's for dance lessons.
He came wandering in to the Friday social one night, eyes on stalks.
He's pretty hot, eh? You looked like you were interested in feeling it then.
Haha!" he laughed at his own joke. Carlos knew I was bi, so he probably thought he was hilarious. I was not in the mood for it.
"He's got a boyfriend," I snapped, more harshly than I intended. "Anyway, I've got a stomach bug or something... I'm going home."
"Eh, amigo, you take care of yourself then." Carlos thumped me on the shoulder and he stopped resisting the pretty girl trying to drag him onto the dance floor.
Carlos was always a popular partner. He didn't scowl as much as I did.