Page 16 of Dance for Me

It’s Electric

Vanessa had exactly four hours before she had to make her debut on stage. There were only so many videos and ways to practice in front of the mirror before it all just looked like a bad MTV music video.

She laid her head on the back of the tub while soaking up the hot steam from her bath. Trying to calm her nerves, this was the only thing she could come up with that didn’t involve a bottle of seven proof.

Curling her toes on the tub spout, she closed her eyes. Just as she was about to possibly fall asleep, a knock sounded at her apartment door, jolting her out of her so called Zen element.

“Seriously?” She huffed out loud.

Pulling her bath robe closed with a tie of the rope, she swung her door open. There he was in all of his glory. Tall and captivating. His tight dress pants, with matching vest and dress shirt underneath. His arms made his shirt look like it could bust at the seams at any time.

“Jack?”

He eyed her, eyebrow raised and scanning her body like she was on display at the local museum. The robe only came to her mid thighs and the silk might as well have been see through from the dampness. His burning stare went up her legs until he got to her breasts. She could have sworn she heard a low growl from him and she felt her nipples harden. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest. Not that that was going to hide anything.

“You always answer the door in that?”

“Well, do you always just show up at people’s apartments?”

He gave her a stern look. His turn to cross his muscled arms over his chest. As if he disapproved of her greeting attire. It was a bit improper, knowing she should probably go and change, but something about the way he was consuming her with his eyes made her enjoy it, crave it even.

“What if I was a complete stranger? A male could take advantage of a woman who was wearing that,” he scolded her, putting an emphasis on her robe and nothing else.

She gave him a glare right back. “You’re right, next time, I’ll make sure to grab my parka.” Their little bickering ended when he twitched his mouth, almost into a small grin. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

Yes, that would be the question of the day. Why was he standing in front of her apartment door?

“Jazz wanted you to come in early today and I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I would pick you up.”

She continued to look up at him. Heat still burning through her. What she wouldn’t give to throw her robe open and let him consume her. Okay, Vanessa. Down girl.

“Oh, um… I didn’t know that she wanted me there early, so I guess, thanks,” she opened her door wider and gestured for him to come inside. “I just have to obviously change but did you want to wait inside?”

He took all of her in, one more time with his eyes and then shook his head. “No. I’ll be downstairs,” he quickly stalked off and she admired his backside as he left. His shoulder muscles, butt. Everything was out of a damn GQ magazine.

She hurried to put on a pair of her skinny jeans and a nice top. She felt as though it didn’t matter too much considering this wouldn’t be what she wore anyway.

She walked downstairs to meet Jack, which she thought was a little odd, him coming to take her to the club. Was he really just in the neighborhood?

She answered a text from Michelle, declining an invitation to dinner. She told her she was busy. Which, she wasn’t lying. She just may have left out why, but she wasn’t ready to tell her yet.

She made it downstairs and Jack was leaning on an older model Camaro. Feet stretched out and crossed at his ankles, hands in his pockets. It reminded her of one of her romance book covers. He should really consider taking up being a romance cover model on the side.

“You didn’t have to pick me up. I could have taken an Uber.”

“I don’t mind,” he shrugged out of his stance and opened the passenger door. “I see you decided to put on some proper clothing.”

“I mean, I might as well have kept just the robe on, considering it’s basically what I’m going to be wearing tonight.”

Jack’s expression hardened and he clenched his jaw as he tilted himself closer in front of her. Without saying anything he caged her in with his hands on either side of her head and her back was pressed against his car. What the hell was he doing, was her first thought. Second thought, she wanted to close the little gap between them and taste his lips.

“I uh… like your car, it’s pretty neat.” Vanessa flinched at herself. Why the hell did she say that and neat, was she in sixth grade? But all he did was smile and move back. Vanessa quickly got in and he closed the door.

The ride there was mostly silent. He wasn’t a man of many words. But she had to admit, she felt giddy sitting inside Jack Angelos’s car. She looked around for the car’s air freshener, but she didn’t see one. The spice and mint smell was all him.

When they arrived at his club, Jack immediately went straight to his office without saying anything and Vanessa met Jazz in the dressing room.

Vanessa watched in horror as Jazz shuffled through the racks of clothing. The clothes were grade A tacky and completely unflattering. From the bikinis to the so called night robes, they did nothing to accentuate the women.

---