Page 33 of Never Say Yes To Your Boss

“Word,” I say, even though Darius doesn’t have social media and doesn’t text like that. He probably has no idea what that means. I edge in a little bit closer while I watch Hans grab my mom’s hands and pull her into the line dance, helping her as he goes. He’s just making up stuff, or is he? Either way, they soon get the hang of it, and my mom is laughing like she hasn’t laughed in years. “I’m deleting my social media crap,” I tell Darius when I get close enough. “I have like eight friends, and I was always too busy for it, so don’t feel bad.”

“Oh, I don’t feel bad. Never cared. Never wanted it. Never needed it.”

“Well, if you’re already rich and living the good life, you don’t actually need it because it’s mostly for people to pretend they’re doing those things.”

He stares at me blankly. “I see. I’m glad I never signed up.”

“There are a few good perks. Like animal videos, but you can watch those anywhere.” I grab my phone out of my back pocket. “Like this one. We can watch it over and over again. I’m pretty sure Heather is going to go next.”

Sure enough, she does. After my mom and Hans step aside, breathing heavily with huge grins on their faces, Heather puts on a ridiculous disco song and takes the floor. My sister would look incredible in a sack, and with her tight jeans and pink hair, she looks like a disco punk queen. She’s so beautiful, and I’m so relieved that she seems happy. I know she’s not exactly healthy, but she’s getting there, and she did assure me that she had more energy than before, which she didn’t expect, and that she truly is feeling better. She’s not just saying it so that we all stop worrying.

For this moment, at any rate, she’s the picture of happiness. She really gets going with B&E Cat, who, surprisingly enough, seems to enjoy being swung around and maneuvered into raising its paw in a disco arc. Up and down and across the body. He doesn’t slash Heather’s face with his meowder weapons of instant death. He stares at her placidly with his or her yellow eyes, and who would have thought that in addition to busting into houses that aren’t his and claiming a family of his own, he loves to dance?

I record most of it. It’s an opportunity that’s too good to miss out on. Heather rocks the song, and B&E Cat might have a future in the performing arts if being a family cat doesn’t work out. Heather is thrilled with him, and at the end, she brandishes the top of his head with kisses galore, which he grudgingly submits to.

She’s a little out of breath, but it doesn’t stop her from clicking the remote and getting our song cued up. I’m tense since I can only guess what she’s going to pick for us.

Sure enough, she does us dirty, and the first strains of an eighties power ballad love song fill up the living room. I want to wither up into prune form and disappear, but Darius is a much better sport. He offers me his hand with a sly grin on his face that promises he’s not going to let me off until all seven minutes or so of the song have been completed.

“May I have this dance, Mrs. Anderson?”

Oh god. My name might be on the new ID Darius arranged, including my Illinois driver’s license, but hearing it being used makes it real. Really real. I slip my hand into his hand because everyone is watching, and I’ve never backed down from a dance challenge before.

Darius doesn’t wrench me up against him. He’s a perfect gentleman, and he holds me at a respectable distance, which isn’t nearly far enough to stop me from instantly combusting from his closeness. His hand guides me from the small of my back, the other one holding mine. We probably look like a chaste couple, but all I can think about is how close he is, how good he smells, the heat of his body, the strength in his hands, how much taller he is than I am, my panties that he had to snatch down from the pot rack that night, his face between my legs in the kitchen…

“You guys are swoonworthy,” Heather remarks as we dance past her. “See? The DJ never steers you wrong.”

I feel my usual blush start, and it matches the fire ravaging the rest of me while Darius’ grin just gets wider. He’s so sure of himself, so easy with whatever steps he’s guiding me through. It feels good—more than good. I don’t know when I close my eyes, but at some point, I do, and I get lost in it. Darius is a great dancer, and I have to wonder what it would be like if this werereal. It sure feels that way already. It feels far more than friendly, and I can’t bring myself to hate the feeling. Not one bit. I know all about the usual dangers, pitted roads, potholes, and stop signs, blah, blah, blah. But I still can’t make my chest feel like it’s not going to burst wide open.

It turns out seven-odd minutes go by really fast when you’re having the time of your life, even though you’re not supposed to be. The song ends, and we break apart. Darius bows, and because I’m feeling particularly silly, almost like I’m drunk, I blow him a kiss. Heather hoots, and my mom and Hans clap.

“Well, I should probably get the cat back upstairs. It’s getting late, so I might just stay up there,” Heather mutters, stifling a yawn. It is getting late, and the expression on her face says it’s normal bedtime and not to go off on a worry tangent.

“I’ll join you,” my mom says. “I’m ready.”

“Thank you for the lovely evening,” Hans tells us all. “I particularly enjoyed the movie.” And with a smile, he waves at my mom. “And thank you for the lovely dance.”

“Oh goodness,” Mom says with a laugh. “You’re most welcome.”

“I’m pretty tired too. I’ll come up with you,” I say, although it’s a lie because I feel like I could run ten thousand marathons and still have energy left over. I’m buzzing from the closeness of Darius’ body, and I can’t just shut it off. I know I’m probably only going to sleep approximately five point eight minutes total tonight, but I say my goodnights to Hans while looking him in the eye and then to Darius while not looking him in the eye.

My mom and Heather’s room is just down the hall from mine. Heather stops me before I can tell them goodnight, her hand on my arm. “Hey, I just wanted to say that Darius really is nice. I’m not just giving you a hard time.”

“Okay, yeah, thanks.”

She gives me that look that says I shouldn’t be thanking her for anything. “I also wanted to tell you, and please don’t get choked up and start bawling on me, that none of us know how long we have. That’s token advice, but when you get something like this, it gets a heck of a lot more real.” Of course, I immediately choke up and have to sniffle back the tears that are ready to spill. Heather is still holding the cat, but she grasps my hand in hers and looks at me with her huge blue eyes. At least they’re dry. “If you want to go for it, I think you should. You guys clearly have a spark, and sparks shouldn’t be wasted. Plus, he’s hot and nice, and that’s a rare combo. Oh, and rich. Even rarer.”

“We’re just trying to make things work by being friends. We didn’t expect even that much, so it’s already a bonus.”

Heather clicks her tongue at me and slowly shakes her head like I’m being an obtuse moron.

“Goodnight,” my mom says, putting her hands on Heather’s shoulders. “Your sister will get things figured out, I’m sure. No use rushing a good thing either. Although, for the love of god, Everleigh, we can all tell you have a crush on that man, and he likes you, too. The attraction between you two is sizzling so hot that the rest of the room heats up. We all can see it. You’d be great together. Don’t let him go just because you think you need to be on a timeline or because things didn’t start out that way. You didn’t expect to be friends with him, yet you are. You didn’t expect it to be more, but maybe it could be that, too. Anyway, we’ll all be cheering you on if you decide to make your marriage legit.”

“Two against one.” Heather amends that by lifting B&E Cat’s arm and saying, “Three against one.” She winks at me. “Night, sissy. See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight,” I grumble.

In my room, I change into pajamas and fall into bed. As soon as I close my eyes, I start reliving the dance, followed by everyother moment Darius and I have shared since I met him. I thought it would be hard to sleep, but I must have been overtired from all the excitement of having my family here because I could literally feel my body melting into the mattress, which is just the right firmness, my cheek sinking in the world’s softest pillows.

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