Page 103 of Meet Me at the Metro

The band plays the final lick of their song, and Theo dips me with graceful ease for our grand finale. I swoon over the strength of his arms as he swoops me back up. The closing chord echoes through the street, and everyone applauds.

Breathless and exhausted from dancing, the four of us break through the barricade of city-goers gathered around and continue our journey home. I’m not exactly sure what hour of the night we’ve reached,but judging by the heaviness settling in my limbs, I guarantee we’ve made it past three in the morning. I’m more than relieved to know that our apartment is only a block away.

Theo laces his fingers with mine as we walk, and I can’t fight the urge to taunt him. “Thank you for the dance, Twinkle Toes.”

Harvey and Evie explode with laughter ahead, but Theo shakes his head disapprovingly. “You better watch your smart-arse mouth.”

“You won’t do anything.”

“Bet,” he smirks. “Say it again.I dare you.”

“Please do,” Harvey begs. Evie nods her head approvingly.

“Do you not like it when I call you that?”

“Nora.”

“Theo.”I do my best to bite back my smile. “Tell you what, pretty boy... You let me see you move those hips again, and I’ll stop saying it.”

“You think you’re so fucking funny, don’t you?”

“She is,” Evie and Harvey say in unison.

“Do it, and I’ll stop,” I bargain.

“Not doing it. You’re playing a dangerous game, Nora.”

“Is that a threat…Twinkle Toes?”

I take off in a sprint down the street before I get the pleasure of seeing the look on his face. As I run, his footsteps pound dangerously close behind me. “Get your arse over here!”

I don’t even make it a meter before his arms squeeze around my waist and yank me back. I squeal as he spins me around to face him, hoists me into his arms, and throws me right over his shoulder—dangling me like a ragdoll.

He gives my ass a hearty smack.

“Ow!”

“I warned you.”

I’m giggling so hard I can barely breathe. “Put me down!”

“Not a fucking chance.”

“You’re gonna make all the blood rush to that poor girl’s head,” Harvey says.

“I warned her!”

We finally turn the corner and reach our street, and as Theo totes me upside down, something—orsomeone—catches my eye.

I jerk my head toward the dark silhouette on the other side of the street, and a sense of dread creeps in. The person is hard to distinguish between the passing taxis and cars driving along the road, but eventually, I can discern exactly who it is—exactly who’s watching the four of us.

Fear seizes me and steals the smile right off of my face. “Put me down.”

Theo laughs, unaware that I’m not playing anymore—utterly oblivious to how gravely serious I am.

“Seriously. Let me down.”My voice is so weak that I don’t think he can sense my alarm.

“I told you already, not a fucking cha—”

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