CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE #2
“I was afraid of that.” He held one of my hands in his while the other gripped my waist. “It’s because you’re special, Nadine. Try to take it as a compliment and move on.”
“I will. Thanks,” I said, sincerely.
We danced in silence after that.
I danced several times afterwards. Leo, Joaquin, Nico, and Enzo took turns taking me out on the dance floor in between glasses of wine and plates of canapés. I laughed, talked too much, and threw my etiquette rules out the window for the night. At least somewhat.
I laughed too loud, I told dirty jokes, I ate what I wanted, I drank too much… basically, I just let myself be me. And it felt great.
And I didn’t look back onstage again until I had to. I didn’t want to see Reynolds. It was easier to pretend that he wasn’t there at all.
I knew he was busy, anyway.
As the results started to pour in, they were laughably good. Reynolds was winning with well over ninety-five percent of the vote.
Everyone seemed to be having a great time, and things were getting a bit raucous. I saw Nico go over to the band. I figured he was telling them to take it down a notch, and I was right.
The next songs they played were slow, and the mood in the club seemed to calm down.
Leo held out his hand to me. I grinned and let him help me from the table, about to join him on the dance floor.
That’s the moment Reynolds chose to come to our table, Whitney by his side. “Hello, everyone,” he said, sounding stiff and formal and unlike himself. “Are y’all having a good time?”
“Of course we are,” Carmen said, glancing over his shoulder at Byron, who followed him from a distance. “Congratulations, Reynolds. I’m so glad you’ll be mayor of West Bay for the next four years. You really are a great one,” she said with a smile.
“Thanks, Carmen.” I could tell he was touched. Carmen wasn’t the type to throw out compliments very often.
Everyone started talking at once then, eager to congratulate him.
Reynolds laughed and held up his hands. “Thanks. I appreciate all y’all have done to help make it happen.
And now,” he said, his eyes locking on mine, “I’d like to hit the dance floor.
” He turned to Leo, who was still holding my hand.
“Leo, will you take Whitney for a turn out there? I’ve kept her cooped up talking politics all night. ”
Both Leo and Whitney looked surprised, and not exactly pleased with the turn of events, but they forced smiles.
“Of course,” Leo said, dropping my hand. “Whitney? Would you care to dance?” He leaned next to my ear. “I’ve got the next dance with you, though.”
I nodded.
“Nadine, would you do me the honor?” Reynolds asked, his eyes heated as they met mine.
“Um… sure.” I had barely put my hand in his before he pulled me into his muscular arms and whirled me onto the packed dance floor. The other couples, seeing Reynolds coming through, moved to get out of our way.
Reynolds moved expertly around the floor, holding me tightly, and I was glad Lonnie Maitland had insisted on more ballroom dancing lessons.
It wasn’t a shocker that she’d thought my one semester of ballroom dance lessons in the gym at my high school in Puckins would not be good enough.
She had, of course, been correct. God. I would have looked like an idiot trying to keep up with Reynolds if I hadn’t worked hard and listened to her.
My attention had been on my feet and making sure I was following Reynolds’ lead like I was supposed to, but I finally looked up at him. He eyed me with such intensity, I sucked in a breath.
“Are you sure it’s wise for us to be seen together…”
“What are you doing here, Nadine?” he interrupted.
“I… I wanted to come to the party,” I said lamely, sounding like an elementary school child. “And Carmen and Madeline said I should, so I did.” I shrugged a little, nervous about what his reaction would be. “I thought Carmen had cleared it with you first,” I admitted.
“I thought we agreed not to be seen together in public.” His face was like stone, and he was starting to make me a little angry.
“We did. Which is why it’s odd that you’re dancing with me right now. We weren’t in public together, Reynolds. I was sitting at the Salazar table and…”
“And having the time of your life with the Salazar brothers. Yes, I saw. I couldn’t look away.
All I’ve been able to do all night is stare at you.
I’ve tried not to, but it was impossible to keep my eyes off you.
You look,” he took a deep breath as his eyes dropped to my lips, “so beautiful. I just wanted to be with you. Instead, I had to watch you with all of them. I couldn’t stand it any longer.
” His eyes locked on mine. “You didn’t even look at me, Nadine.
Not even once. Do you know how that made me feel? ”
I didn’t know what to say to his revelation. “I didn’t mean to ruin your night. I’m just tired of staying in night after night for months. But I shouldn’t have come, you’re right.”
He shook his head. “No, you were right. No one would have put two and two together if we weren’t dancing together now.
Any conclusions they come to are my fault.
” He turned and looked at the stage, his razor sharp jaw line accentuated.
“Look at Melda. Her head is about to explode.” Amusement flickered through his eyes.
I giggled. I couldn’t help it. I knew Melda was his campaign manager, and she did indeed look as if she’d like to come down off the stage and throttle Reynolds.
I glanced over at Whitney, and she looked similarly upset.
She was trying to hide it, but it was clear that it wasn’t Leo she wanted to dance with.
“Hey, I haven’t said congratulations yet,” I said. He turned his head back to focus on me. “So… congratulations.”
He grinned. “Thanks, Nadine. You know,” he said looking serious, “I’m sorry that this all happened when it did.
If I’d seen you any other time and done the auction, we could have had a lot more fun.
You wouldn’t have had to stay hidden away.
” His eyes dropped down my body slowly before coming back up to my eyes.
“We could have been out together in public. I would’ve been able to take you places and show you a great time.
I would’ve been able to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I’m truly sorry about that.”
“The timing wasn’t great,” I agreed.
A wicked grin crossed his face and leaned close to my ear. “I could have taken you to Cayenne with me and we could have seen just how much you enjoyed having people watch me fuck you.”
I felt my cheeks turn a little pink, and he smirked at my reaction.
He stared at me for a minute, as if he was debating whether to say something.
“Nadine,” he whispered, pulling me in close to him.
“When you get home to the condo tonight, I want you to pack a weekend bag. I’m taking you to the beach. ”
I stared at him in horror. “The beach here in West Bay? I don’t think that’s such a great idea…”
“No, no,” he chuckled. “I want to surprise you, but it’s nowhere near here. Pack dresses, bathing suits… and lingerie, of course.” He winked at me, one corner of his mouth going up. “And the maid’s costume if you want to.”
“Okay,” I said, excited. Butterflies were starting to flit around in my stomach. “That sounds great.” A thought struck me. “But don’t you have to do… I don’t know. Mayor stuff?”
He laughed. “Yeah. But I can take a few days off before I get started.”
I couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across my face. “So, we’ll be alone together?”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not taking Whitney with us, if that’s what you’re asking.”
The music changed and he twirled me out, then back in, and dipped me. It was so cool, like we were in a movie or something. I loved it.
It reminded me of the dance we’d shared the night of the auction. When he’d made me feel special.
He held me like that, the two of us staring at each other, for slightly longer than was appropriate. I could feel the eyes of almost everyone in the place taking us in.
Just as he lifted me back up to standing, Leo showed up at his side. “I’m here to claim Nadine for the next dance.”
Reynolds’ eyes darkened and he clenched his jaw, but he twirled me over to Leo. “Have a nice evening,” he said to the two of us, as if he barely knew me. Then he pulled Whitney into his arms and started dancing with her.
I didn’t like the way she stared up at him, a calculating look in her eyes.
But I did like the way he was looking over her shoulder, smiling and nodding at people he wanted to acknowledge for supporting him during the campaign.
It was as if he could’ve been dancing with anyone. Like she was no one special to him.
It wasn’t anything like the way he’d danced with me, and I couldn’t hide my smile.
The rest of the night passed by in a blur. I enjoyed myself and felt light as air. Reynolds was taking me somewhere, and I was so excited.
But then a hush fell over the crowd as the local news station declared Reynolds the official winner.
That’s when the room erupted. Everyone had been drinking and partying so they cheered and clapped louder and longer than they would have normally.
When the news anchor made the official announcement, Reynolds was on stage with his campaign manager, several staff members, his parents, and, of course, Whitney.
He broke into a huge smile, shook hands with some people, hugged others, and then, in front of everyone, he laid a kiss on Whitney that looked very real.
It was a gut punch, and I felt my friends’ eyes on me as Reynolds began his acceptance speech.
I tuned out as he thanked everyone in his campaign, but I couldn’t help hearing when he turned to Whitney, grabbed her hand, and thanked her for standing by his side through the rigorous months of campaigning.
“My girlfriend, Whitney Masters, has been wonderful through all of this. Let’s all give her a round of applause.” Then he pulled her into his side and said, “I couldn’t have done it without you, babe.”
I forced myself to look away, afraid that my face would give away how I was feeling.
My eyes caught on Nico’s. He was watching me, even though he had an arm around two different women.
He gave me a kind smile and a head nod. I could almost hear his words of encouragement, and I smiled back even though I kind of wanted to hide somewhere and cry.
I wasn’t the kind of woman that men like Reynolds, or even Mark, ever chose. They might like to fuck me. They might think I was beautiful. They might even like my personality. But they were never going to pick me as the one they wanted to settle down with.
That sucked. But, I also couldn’t stop thinking about what Nico Salazar had said. How he thought I was special and deserved to have a good life.
I was starting to think he might be right. That I could have a good life, too. That just because I wasn’t Jessica Huber or Whitney Masters didn’t mean I wasn’t deserving. They were born rich and were going to stay that way.
I was born poor and had been on a path to stay that way. But fate, disguised as Carmen Salazar, had intervened and I had the opportunity for something different.
Something better.
And I was going to work hard for it.