Chapter 22. It Takes Four to Slow Dance
It Takes Four to Slow Dance
As the wedding progressed and the alcohol flowed, the party became rowdier, and the four-string quartet that was playing romantic classical music earlier had been replaced by a DJ.
We sat at our table, watching the guests on the makeshift parquet dance floor.
A few of Rob’s siblings and their partners were dancing, and so were his parents, swaying cheek to cheek even though the DJ was playing an upbeat pop song.
Rob was watching them with a mixture of affection and resignation on his face. I could only guess what was going through his mind: It was probably admiration for his parents’ love but also a hefty amount of frustration at what his father was putting him through.
“This is getting to be a habit.” I pointed at him, then at myself. “Us chatting and people-watching while everybody is dancing. Why aren’t you out there with everyone else? I thought you were supposed to be a good dancer.”
“I like chatting and people-watching with you. What’s wrong with that?” He turned to me and raised his eyebrows. “Who said I was supposed to be a good dancer?”
I shrugged. “Ellie might have mentioned it in passing.”
He wriggled his eyebrows. “Have you been talking about me with your friends, Kim?”
“In passing, Robbie. In passing. Don’t flatter yourself.” When he only chuckled, I went on, “My grandfather said hi. He’s very excited about the woodworking expo next week. Thanks for taking him.”
“My pleasure. Thomas is great. He reminds me of my late grandfathers.”
“I owe you one.” I raised my drink at him. “I love him more than anything, but I would commit horrible things to avoid going to woodworking exhibitions.”
“You sure you don’t want to come along? Spend some quality time with your two most favorite people in the world?”
“You mean my only favorite person. Stop including yourself.”
“That hurts. Deeply.” He gave me a sad pout. “After all the weddings and the wild dates we’ve been through together? What do I need to do to be included?”
Leaning closer, I lowered my voice and whispered in his ear, “I guess that’s for me to know, and for you to find out.”
When I looked up, his face was only inches away, and his eyes were fixed on mine, so close I could clearly see the gold flecks in them and the brown rings surrounding them.
And for the life of me, I still couldn’t find the right yarn equivalent to his eye color. It wasn’t Green Meadows, or Forbidden Forest. Cypress Green?
“I accept that challenge.” His gruff reply made me warm all over. “I will find out.”
He grabbed his drink and downed it in one go.
We didn’t say much after that and watched the newlyweds and the guests tear up the dance floor instead. Evie and her new husband were smiling from ear to ear, and once again, something resembling envy speared my heart.
“They look good together.” Rob was also watching the couple.
“They do. Your siblings sounded so sure you’ll be the one getting hitched next.”
He snorted. “That’s because I’m the last single adult in the family, so they’re not wrong.” He paused and gave me a long look. “But I guess they know how much I’ve always wanted a family of my own.”
Just then, loud hoots and cheers caught our attention. The groom was lifting the bride Dirty Dancing style on the dance floor while the rest of the guests formed a circle around them.
“Heads up, my sisters are coming, and they don’t usually take no for an answer.”
Sure enough, Amanda was marching in our direction, followed by Jennifer.
“Why are you guys sitting here?” Amanda was yelling to be heard above the loud music. “You two should be dancing!”
I was about to say no, but she was laughing as she grabbed my hands, and it was hard to resist. She led me to the dance floor, while Jennifer went for her brother, making Rob chuckle as he twirled her around.
I wasn’t a terrible dancer, but I wasn’t a decent one, either. My go-to dance move was bobbing my head up and down while swaying my body left and right. It probably looked awkward, but as long as I was enjoying the music and feeling the moment, right?
But just as I started to get into the vibe of the music, Amanda suddenly grinned at me. “Later, babe.”
The next thing I knew, she did a shimmy and inserted herself in between her siblings, then pulled Jennifer’s hand and whisked her away.
Leaving me alone with Rob.
“Your sisters are sneaky!” I raised my voice to be heard above all the noise.
“Sorry.” He laughed. “But I think it means they like you.”
I suddenly felt uncharacteristically shy, and whatever confidence I had earlier with my awkward dance moves had been reduced into nonexistence. “I’m not a dancer. No one should ever see me dance. It might scar them for life.”
“That can’t be true. Anyone can dance.”
He grabbed one of my hands and spun me around.
It was hard not to return his infectious grin, and against my better judgment, he managed to twirl me, dipped me, then gave me another spin, just as the lights were dimmed and a new song started.
There was a sudden shift in the air as the slow, seductive guitar notes of “Senorita” began to play, and people around us began pairing up.
“I might sit this one out.”
Rob extended his hand to me, a smile playing on his lips. “You’re not going to leave me standing alone, are you? Let’s not make this weird.”
“I’m not being weird. I told you, I don’t dance.”
“You just did, with me. It’s just one song, Kim. I don’t bite. Or”—he tilted his head toward the other end of the dance floor, where his sisters were doing a terrible job at pretending not to watch—“do you want to explain to them why you’re deserting their brother all alone on the dance floor?”
“Your siblings are frightening.” I sighed. “One dance. And don’t complain if I step on your feet, because you brought it on yourself.”
He gave a low chuckle as he took my left hand and pulled me closer, his other hand settling on my waist. Shawn and Camila crooned about dancing for hours, and couples all around us were leaning into their partners, swaying to the music, probably murmuring sweet nothings into each other’s ears.
But I wasn’t paying that much attention to anyone else.
I was too hyper-focused on this man holding me, on his hard body pressed so close against mine.
Too aware of his warmth, how my head fit just right tucked into the crook underneath his chin, and how comforting it felt. How no one else existed but him and me.
“There you go,” he murmured. “It’s not that scary, is it?”
It wasn’t scary, no.
It was terrifying.
Because all I could see was him. His calming presence.
How much he was starting to mean to me, and how much he was becoming a part of my life, and the scariest thing was, how much I wanted him to stay a part of my life and how I kept on feeling things I knew I shouldn’t be feeling.
I was falling for him, even though I knew I shouldn’t be, because it could potentially shatter my heart into a billion pieces.
Because he was, very likely, still holding out for his ex.
Because he wanted love and family and picket fences and that wasn’t what I wanted.
Because those things weren’t for me.
I looked up and locked eyes with him, and I couldn’t tear my gaze away. His face was so close to mine, and I noticed how the faint stubble on his jaw suddenly looked a little too appealing.
“Kim,” he said, so softly I almost couldn’t hear him, “I won’t hurt you. Trust me.”
After the past few weeks, I knew I could. He had earned that trust, and more.
And somehow, that scared the hell out of me.
The DJ had segued into a new, upbeat dance tune, and everyone else around us erupted in wild cheers.
But we stayed where we were, staring at each other.
His gaze drifted to my lips again, and my heart thundered loudly as he slowly lowered his head, pausing for a beat, as if giving me a chance to back out.
I didn’t have a chance to decide, because one of the guests who was dancing too enthusiastically bumped into us, abruptly stopping whatever trance I was in.
“Thanks for the dance.” I dropped his hands as if they were on fire and took a couple of steps backward. “I’m going to find something to drink.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded, his eyes still on me. “Sure.”
I gave him one last look, then turned around and walked away, quietly shaking my head.
Go back, a voice urged inside my head. You can trust him. Tell him everything.
Tell him how you feel.
No. What would I even say?
Maybe I should be honest and come clean about the reason I was doing this entire thing. Take a page out of Ellie’s book and ask him to fake date me until I inherited the store.
No. The risks were too high. What if it backfired on me? I almost kissed him, for goodness’ sake. What if these feelings I wasn’t supposed to be feeling got even deeper, and it ended with me being hurt?
I checked myself, preventing my brain from continuing down that line of thought, and got off the dance floor as fast as I could.
And as I took one last look at the ballroom, I saw him standing there, watching me leave.