Page 53 of Plus Size Player

Before I could respond, Dru handed me my drink and then extended his hand to her. “Dru Robinson,” he introduced himself.

“You two look really good together.” She smiled at his shirt and then winked at me. “I see what you did there.”

Someone called her name and she turned and waved. “I’ll be seeing you.” She tossed the words over her shoulder before heading to the person.

“Who was that?” Dru wondered.

“This whole thing is basically for her,” I answered, taking a sip of the champagne.

It was gross.

“If you don’t like it, I can get you something else,” he offered, staring at my scrunched-up face.

I giggled. “Nah, it’s cool.”

“Well, then, tell me what you want.”

“Actually…” I dragged the word out with a smile. “You said you wanted to dance with me under the stars.” I gestured to the dance floor. “I want to see your moves.”

He licked his lips and held his hand out to me. “May I have this dance?”

I laughed. “Absolutely.”

We got on the dance floor, and I was surprised by how well he moved. He didn’t just allow me to shake my ass on him. He danced with me. He moved his body in sync with mine. He twirled me around and shifted us from one side of the floor to the other. At one point, he put his arm around my waist and dipped me. I kicked my foot out and the split in my dress showcased my leg and I swear I heard applause.

“You two make a good-looking couple,” an older lady remarked with a twinkle in her eye.

“Thank you,” we said in unison.

We were having a good time. There were other couples on the dance floor. Some were making out, some were dancing to thebeat, some were dancing off the beat, but everyone looked like they were having fun. When the beat dropped and the song changed, Dru spun me and my dress fanned out, and then he pulled me in so we could dance close. It felt like we were the center of attention and that all eyes were on us.

“You are so beautiful when you dance,” Dru commented with a moony expression on his face. “So incredibly beautiful, Nina.”

I was hoping he would stop there. But what I’d been afraid of was coming to a head. I felt it.

We were having a good time and I wanted to deny what was right in front of me. But it was his tone and the way he was looking at me that shifted the energy between us.

“I really like you,” he whispered as we moved to the slow song that filled the space. “This is our seventh date and I really feel like we have something special.”

“We have a good time together. We enjoy each other’s company, Dru. You’re a great guy and I’m glad we’ve agreed to keep it casual.”

His lips grazed my cheek before he looked into my eyes. “I want more with you. And the fact that you invited me to this event lets me know that you feel it, too.”

Shit.

I knew the risk.

I assumed the risk.

And now I was going to have to eliminate the risk of further disaster.

We hadn’t even been at the ball for two hours, and I didn’t want a scene. It was my debut as part of the RL Fashions team. It was my first official event as amodelfor RL Fashions. I just wowed everyone on and off the dance floor. So having my date break down or make a scene would really undo the work I’d done thus far.

I ran my hands over his lapels and patted his chest. “Do you remember when you took me for that picnic on that giant raft down the river?” I asked him.

“Our fourth date,” he confirmed. “We watched the sunset.”

“I told you I wasn’t looking for anything serious and you saidyou weren’t either. I told you I wanted to keep it casual, and you said you were cool with that.” I let him spin me and pull me back to him before I continued. “This date doesn’t change that for me,” I explained, ignoring the hurt in his eyes.

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