Page 105 of Forbidden Hearts
“I’m fine. Just looking for a partner.”
She turns to Connor, who gives me a wide grin. “You don’t have a partner.”
“No.”
“So, then we might actually win.” He looks far too happy about this.
“I meant, no, my partner isn’t here. Not that I don’t have one.”
Ellie looks to me. “I thought Joey was your partner.”
“Nope, I changed last minute.” I try to look happy about this instead of murderous.
Connor laughs, clearly reading through my bullshit. “Come on, Ellie, let’s stretch now that the contest isn’t rigged.”
I roll my eyes. It was never rigged. I am just better than all of them.
“Phoebe, you have two minutes!” Mrs. Cooke says.
I fight back the urge to scream. As I keep looking around, desperation creeping in, Asher rushes toward me with Olivia trailing behind.
“What’s wrong?” He looks me over.
“I have no partner.”
“What?”
“My partner . . . for the dance. That’s what’s wrong.”
He turns to Liv.“You said it was an emergency.”
“It is, Daddy. She needs a partner.”
Sweet God above, no way. I can’t dance with him for twenty-four hours in front of the entire town.“Thank you, Liv, but your dad is working.”
Yes, he’s in charge of the refreshment table.
“I can take over for him,” Mrs. Cooke unhelpfully offers.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
She takes a pen, stands, and then hands us both the papers with the numbers. “Here you two go. Break a leg.”
Those moments when people say it’s like time stopped? I’m experiencing one now. I’m standing next to Asher and Olivia, holding the number seventeen, unsure of what the hell just happened.
Of all the people in the town, I never would’ve chosen him as my dance partner. Not because I don’t want to spend a full twenty-four hours in Asher’s arms but because that’s exactly what I want.
Now, I either forfeit or suck it up.
He looks to Olivia, signing as he says,“I guess I have no choice.”
The smile on Olivia’s face says it all. She is excited that her father has to do the one thing in this town he’s never participated in. He may work it every year, but he has never danced.
He squats down, and Olivia tapes the number on his back. Then I do the same, still sort of in a trance.
“Ready?”
“Are you? I mean, this is a big deal. I have a reputation of being ruthless when it comes to winning.”
