Page 62 of Old Acquaintances

I roll my eyes and place my feet in fourth position. Tucker’s hands lightly settle on either side of my torso. I push off the ground, my right leg raising, my toes touching the crook under my left knee. Tucker’s hands spin me, until I run out of momentum. He keeps trying to spin me on my foot, but it’s not possible without the propulsion and I lose the position. Still, our audience claps.

I lose my balance and tip forward. My hands palm the ground, and he keeps his hands tight on my waist. Upside down, I see his eyebrows raise.

“See what I mean,” he says, looking down at my raised butt.

“You didn’t do it right,” I argue.

Wyatt leans sideways. “No boners yet, Ell.”

“Five out of ten,” Callie says.

“Do another one!” Serena shouts.

Tucker’s hands move to my rib cage, and he sets me upright.

“Whoa,” I say, falling into his back.

“I remember this one,” he says, scooping me before I have a chance to get my bearings. He wraps one arm around my waist and the other around my leg, tilting me at an angle. “The dolphin one, or whatever.”

“Oh! A fish dive.” I laugh and move my hands and feet in the appropriate position.

Tucker says, “Note the hand on her inner thigh. Dangerously close to the lady region.” He snakes his other hand higher until it’s resting on my boob.

Jen gasps.

“And there’s the boob grab,” Tucker concludes.

Ritchie says, “Boom goes the dynamite.”

I sigh, dangling my hands to the ground. “Have you had your fun?”

“Maybe.” He lets me go, and I stand up straight, tugging on my top. His mouth twitches.

I sigh. “No professional ballet dancer is doing any of that. They are artists. They’re focused on their craft. Everything is sexual in your twisted little mind.”

He nods slowly. “That’strue.” Quickly, he wraps one of my arms around his neck, put his other between my legs and hoists me up to his shoulders.

“Elijah!” I scream. “Put me down!”

“Is this sexual?”

“It is the way you’re doing it!”

He hoists me higher and explains, “Do you remember your WWE moves?”

“You almost broke my rib once,” I growl.

He booms, “Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?!”

“Eli!”

He walks toward the couch, and Serena scrambles out of the way. He flips me over his head, and I land on the cushions. He chuckles and jumps back when I kick at him.

Tucker picks his sweatshirt from the ground and pops it over my head. He glances down at the front of his pants and pulls a face. “Looks like you’ve lost your touch, Beautiful.”

Serena giggles, “I forgot how fun it is watching you two.”

I flash my eyes to Tucker.