Page 60 of Faking It with Mr. Uptight

My fingers laced with his and I dragged him out onto the dance floor, and I could see that Jake was trying his best to be comfortable in this unfamiliar territory. He scanned the room, his chaperoning mode fully engaged. He was feeling a bit on edge and part of me thought it had to be Natasha related, but he’d been tight-lipped on that front all week.

Just as Jake seemed to relax a little, his body language softening, Hailey was led to the dance floor by an eighth-grade boy. Jeremiah Stevens wasn’t a bad egg, but he wasn’t a good one either. Jake’s muscles flexed, but I beamed. Hailey blushed and looked like she was enjoying herself.

“Oh, relax. She’s having fun. Be happy for her.”

We watched Hailey dance with Jeremiah, her face shining with happiness. It took a while, approximately to the moment the song ended and they stopped dancing but the tension in Jake's body eventually eased.

As the night wore on, Jake was slowly letting his guard down, even cracking a smile here and there. We watched Hailey twirl around the dance floor with a group of girls I had not seen her hang out with before.

Good for her. Just like her dad, she was out of her element and she was thriving. I saw something in Jake's eyes that I had only barely glimpsed before. He was happy.

"You know, Jake, she's going to be okay," I said, nudging him gently with my elbow.

He looked down at me, surprise written across his face. "What?"

"She's going to be okay. She's going to find her people. And she already has you and me."

He nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah."

We stood there surveying the place when the DJ played “Dancing Queen.” A full body laugh wracked my body and Jake rolled his eyes.

“Come on! It’s practically our song!”

"You've got to be kidding."

"Not even a little. Come on, live a little. Dance with me!"

"No."

"Please?" I said, pouting out my bottom lip.

"Fine, but only because I'm thinking of you naked."

I shook my head, grinning as I pulled him toward the dance floor. We shuffled around, moving stiffly to the music, both of us laughing at our ridiculous moves. But the truth was, we were both having a great time, and it felt so good to see him let loose.

By the time the song was over, we were both breathless and laughing. He leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear.

"I... I'm not sure how to say this, but I think I'm already falling for you.”

My eyes widened, and my breath caught in my throat. "I'm falling for you, too," I whispered, barely able to believe what I was saying. But it was undeniably true, and in that moment, it was the only truth that mattered.

"Come on, Mr. K." a group of energetic high school students shouted, cheering and shouting. It broke our moment, but I didn't even care.

Jake shot me a confused glance, but before he voiced his thoughts, the DJ announced a dance off. The crowd erupted into cheers, and I couldn't help but laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

"C'mon, Mr. K." I teased. "Show these kids what you've got." I stepped back toward the hollering kids and he rolled his eyes, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"I don't think it would be appropriate."

"Oh, c'mon," I said, a mischievous glint in my eyes. "Just do some silly dance moves."

"Yeah! C'mon, Mr. K.!" A chorus of middle schoolers chimed in, all grinning up at him.

"Okay, fine," Jake relented, chuckling. "But don't blame me if I embarrass you."

And with that, he launched into an impressive rendition of the Sprinkler, much to Hailey's horror. She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head in mock despair.

But it didn't take long for her to join in, and before long, the entire crowd was laughing and cheering as they danced along. The music changed, and without warning, he pulled me into a slow dance, his hands resting on my hips. Our bodies moved in perfect sync, and I let myself get lost in the moment. I closed my eyes and let the music wash over me, feeling every beat of the song.

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