Page 10 of Easy Out

“What the hell is Lauren doing down there?” Nash asks. You’ve got my attention now. I get back to the rail seconds before her song starts up. “Sydney, did you know about this?”

“She swore me to secrecy.”

“Son of a bitch,” Nash curses beside me. I’m trying to figure out why this upsets him so much when I catch the predatory gaze of Matt Dailey leering on the sidelines.

Lauren stands tall in the middle of the floor as Busta Rhymes starts talking. She makes a few moves, and once he shouts, ‘Let’s Go,’ she explodes. This is not how she was dancing earlier with Sydney.

Sydney and Wyatt are a constant stream of curse words and screams, cheering her on. Sydney keeps jumping up and down while Lauren has me chained to this rail.

The way she moves her body is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Her feet are frenetic, yet her upper body is in complete control. Lauren is dressed like a dude and moves with the cockiness of one too.

I have to remind myself that it’s Lauren down there. Sydney’s mysterious roommate. The girl that has flown under the radar for the past three years. Mierda.

Lauren’s limbs are boneless. She rolls her body up and down while she pops her hips out to the music. Now and then, she flips her shirt up, revealing her toned stomach. All the blood in my body travels south.

Lauren rolls her hips and grabs her crotch suggestively. I’m stunned, wondering what the hell I’m watching. She ends the routine by amping the crowd up. Boasting about taking home the paper tonight.

Our entire group is silent. Enzo is grinding his molars. Why I don’t know. Nash isn’t far behind him looking pissed off and irritated.

“I can’t believe you kept this a secret from all of us,” Koa tells Sydney.

“I didn’t think any of you would care what Lauren did in her free time. None of you have ever asked about my best friend except for Nash. Don’t act like you had the right to know. It wasn’t my story to tell anyway.”

“Are you going to tell us now that the secret is out?” Nash asks like he is owed answers.

“What do you think?” Sydney snarks. Nash huffs. “Look, she didn’t want anyone to know. She didn’t need you judging her.”

“I wouldn’t have done that, and you know it,” Nash grits out. Sydney laughs, mocking him.

“Yes, you would have. You would have told her it was a bad idea and have tried to talk her out of it.”

“I have so many questions,” Nash mumbles.

“I’m sure you do, brother. And she might answer them.” Sydney drains the rest of her beer. “Let’s go find our girl.”

Sydney is leading the way. I know we’re headed in the wrong direction. It makes me sound loco, but I can feel Lauren. Whatever spell she cast during our face-off is working. I sense this strange connection to her. I wonder if she can feel it too. Of course, she can! It’s her fault this is happening.

I call out to Koa and nod to my left, pretending I have eyes on her. I don’t.

Pushing through a few more people, I stop in front of her. Lauren’s walking away from one of the groups that danced tonight. She does not look happy.

Lauren masks her face when she sees us approaching.

Who are you really, brujita?

Sydney flies past me and attacks Lauren with a giant bear hug. I let Nash, Koa, and Wyatt pass as well, allowing them to congratulate her while I hang in the back with Enzo and Marco.

“You killed it! Total badass!” Sydney beams.

“Did everyone watch?” Lauren asks. Then nibbles on the bottom of her lip and starts wringing her hands together.

“Yeah, babe. Don’t worry about that now.” Sydney runs her hands down Lauren’s arms.

“We did. And damn, girl. Where did you learn to dance like that?“ Wyatt eye bangs her so hard I want to punch him. Thankfully Nash notices, too, and smacks him upside the head.

“Around,” Lauren answers another one of my friends’ questions without giving anything away.

“You didn’t want me to know?” Nash asks.

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