Page 90 of The Last Dance

‘Is that so? We can send them away for a few.’ He turns back to me, kissing my neck. Now, normally this move would drive me wild, and he knows it. But tonight, it’s not doing anything at all. I have to tell him.

‘OK. You two can make out at your own apartment.’ Claire leads Ben from the room, grabbing Noah’s arm and pulling him towards the door. ‘You both need to go now, and we’ll meet you there. We’ve gotta get dressed.’

‘I’ll fight the ladies off for ya, baby,’ Ben yells dramatically as he reluctantly leaves the room, combing his mustache again as he backs away.

‘You better,’ Claire says with a roll of her eyes, closing the door as they exit.

If I could ever find a love like these two have, I’d consider myself lucky.

*

Claire and I strut our stuff into the Crystal Ballroom at half past eight. It’s filled with people dressed very similar to ourselves. I glance around the room. A few party poopers who didn’t get the memo that this kind of thing is only fun if you dress the part are spotted throughout the room, but other than that it’s totally eighties in here. The music from the past blasts through the room, making it impossible for the rhythm not to get you, as Gloria Estefan says best.

‘I know I shouldn’t be wondering this…’ I say with only the tiniest bit of hesitation. ‘But is Henry coming?’ I ask Claire as I look around the room, hoping to see him here.

She glances over with a half-smile. ‘He talked about it. I’m not really sure, though. He’s kinda uncomfortable around Noah.’

‘He is? Why?’

Claire lowers her chin, cocking her head. ‘Seriously?’

I nod. Iknowwhy. I felt weird around Karmen and I didn’t exactly feel the way I’m feeling right now. I get it.

‘Look.’ Claire points across the room where Ben and Noah are both leaning against the wall as if on an impromptu photo shoot. Ben pointing at Claire, motioning for her to come his way as if he’s pulling her in with a rope.

‘You guys look ridiculous,’ I say as we approach them.

‘Oh, the hairbands! “Is this love”, babydoll?’ Ben grabs Claire’s hand. ‘Let’s go make out.’ Ben winks at Claire as the song begins, grabbing her hand and whisking her onto the dance floor.

The slow songs always remind me of a middle-school dance. I dunno what it is. I know it’s supposed to be all romantic, but it feels forced.

I scrunch my face as I look over at Noah. ‘Ugh… Whitesnake.’

He laughs, nodding in agreeance. ‘I think this is our slow song of the night since I have to leave early.’ He leads me to a spot next to Claire and Ben, Ben singing the words that he shouldn’t even know as well as he does. We both laugh, making our way away from them.

‘Maybe they’ll crown us prom king and queen.’ He laughs.

He feels as ridiculous as I do, dancing in the crowd to a slow song dressed like morons. This is what I like about Noah: he gets me, and I get him. It’s part of what I’ve convinced myself I love about him.

The problem is, when I’m with Noah lately my heart doesn’t seem to be doing the flip-flops it does when I’m around Henry. When it did, though, it can’t even compare.

‘Everything OK?’ he asks after a minute, probably noticing my distraction.

I take a deep breath. ‘Um…’ How do I even say this? I feel like there has to be an easier way than just saying it. A way that won’t make me seem like a flakey asshole for saying yes to begin with.

‘I uh – I don’t want to move in together, Noah.’ I stop dancing and he drops his head for a moment before looking back at me. ‘I’m sorry. I probably should have told you that night we talked about it, but I felt like saying yes was the thing you wanted me to do. I don’t think I’m ready yet.’

‘It’s OK. I shouldn’t have even asked that night. I was asking for the wrong reasons.’

I nod. ‘What reasons?’

He forces a smile. ‘Nothing I want to get into on your birthday, but we should probably talk soon.’

I nod. ‘Yeah.’ He wants to talk. Which means, things aren’t going well, as I suspected. It’s not just me.

‘For tonight we celebrate you. OK?’

‘OK.’

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