Page 60 of Just Friends
“You want more cake?” he asked. He was about the finish the piece, so he offered Rebecca the last bite. She declined and returned to the stool. The house lights lowered, then the disco lights flashed on as the music commenced and their friends gathered on the dance floor. He downed more water and twisted. “Why can’t they all know?” He wanted to be a couple with her in front of their friends.
“Weasel,” she sighed.
“It’s ask too much not.” What the hell, was he having a stroke?
“It’s not the time or place to talk about it,” she replied, somehow getting his meaning. “Can we just dance, please?”
Weasel nodded. That was a good idea; he finished his water. Last New Year’s Eve when they danced up against each other, they had kissed. That night he knew that she was all he ever needed. He’d been attracted to her since he met her in The Bar, sitting with Hannah after she returned. This was more than physical attraction.
Maybe tonight would work in his favor. He planned to get her on the floor, arms around each other, and let their natural chemistry take over, and perhaps articulate what his mouth couldn’t. Weasel reached for her hand, and she smiled at him, blowing the few remaining sober brain cells he had left. A slow song played, and she wrapped her arms around him, her hand going to the nape of his neck, a contented sigh sending shivers down his spine. They swayed to the music in silence for a few minutes.
Weasel lowered his forehead to hers. “I love the heels.”
It surprised him when her eyes widened. “Oh. You do?”
“Yeah,” he replied, understanding that heels must have been something else that Kyle didn’t like. The extra height would have made her taller than him. Only a weak man would tear down a woman. “You’re gorgeous no matter what. Heels make it easier for me to do this…” He gave her a quick peck. She giggled, glancing to make sure no one was paying them any attention. “And,” he proceeded, “I’ve been over there fantasizing about you wearing only those later.”
Her mouth flew open, and she shook her head. “The things you say shouldn’t surprise me anymore.”
“What would be the fun in that?”
She giggled and snuggled into his neck.
“So, where’d I land on you in only those shoes later?”
He felt her smile. “Shut up.”
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Just hold me,” she whispered.
“Anything you want.” He pulled her tight against him, and they kept time with the song. He stolekisses while they danced. The next song changed to a faster beat; when she didn’t let go of him, they kept slow dancing. He maneuvered them to the rear corner of the dance floor and hoped this moment would last forever.
Twenty
With his arms wrapped around her and his hands pressing into the small of her back, Rebecca closed her eyes and nuzzled into the crook of his neck; she inhaled his light cologne scent. Sometimes he said just the right things. Her in high heels didn’t bother him. He even liked it. Although, they still didn’t make her taller than him. While she thought the things like her height and unmanageable hair made her unattractive, he looked at her like she was some goddess, and that was a foreign concept to her.
Her heart softened for him, and this didn’t make the decision she needed to make any easier. She wanted him, White Oak, a good job, her dad to recover, and her mom to stop hounding her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see a scenario where she got everything. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, and she worked to stuff those emotions down. If Weasel realized what was going on, he’d want her to talk about it. And it would mean either saying things she didn’t want to say or having another fight with him; neither of those options appealed to her.
The flashing disco ball lights whirled around them, and the beat of the music was a far cry from what they were actually doing. Their friends were laughing behind them somewhere on the dance floor. It was only a matter of time before they noticed the rather intimate embrace between them. He hadn’t made any move to up the tempo of their dance; he seemed to be in no hurry to change it. Maybe they already had noticed, but no one had yet to interfere. She would hear about it from Autumn and Hannah later. She had no idea how long she was wrapped around him, swaying to their unheard beat, but then her name was called. A low growl came from Weasel which made her snicker. She stepped back from him, patting his chest. Autumn was calling her name, again. She stepped around him and headed toward the sound of her name.
Autumn stood in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by the group and she launched something directly at Rebecca. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that a bouquet was headed straight at her. Thankfully, she still had enough of her faculties left to catch the floral missile successfully. Everyone cheered and Hannah took pictures with her cell phone. Rebecca laughed and pretended that her entire life had not flashed before her eyes or that she was acutely aware of Weasel standing directly behind. He was probably having a heart attack at the thought of the woman he was sleeping with getting ideas from catching the stupid wedding bouquet. No worries, she had no delusions.
Autumn came over and hugged Rebecca, Hannah still taking pictures. “Since Hannah gave me hers, you get mine,” she said. Autumn had given birth to Danny a couple of days before Hannah’s wedding. After the reception, Hannah and Justin had gone to the hospital, and she had Autumn catch the bouquet in the hospital bed. Rebecca laughed and plastered a smile across her face. She was literally the only unmarried woman in the room. There were only three women in there since the mothers, and the preacher’s wife had left, but still.
“You could have let me and Brandon fight it out,” Rebecca offered.
“You don’t wanna compete with me,” Brandon said. “I get scrappy over being next.” The group laughed, and it brought a genuine laugh from her.
She held out the small, ribbon-wrapped bundle of dried peach flowers and pastel sage greenery. “You’re not going to attack me over them, are you?”
“No. No. It’s what the bride wants,” he said. “We all know, you don’t mess with the bride.”
“That’s true,” Hannah chimed in. “And when you— “
“It’s almost midnight,” Ben called out interrupting Hannah. He carried a tray of champagne flutes. She wanted to kiss him for stopping whatever that sentence was in its tracks. They gathered around, and each took a glass as Brandon started the countdown. Exactly one year ago in that very room, Weasel kissed her for the first time and turned her emotions upside down. Over the past year, he then took her perception of him and turned that upside down as well. A chorus of Happy New Year rang out around her, and they toasted and cheered. The couples turned to kiss their loves. She turned to Weasel, who appeared to be waiting, and he quickly pressed his lips to hers.
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