Page 8 of Bad to the Bone
Chapter Five
ALEXdrew in a ragged breath and willed himself to calm down. It didn’t seem as if anyone had noticed his raised voice over the music, but he couldn’t count on that lasting.
Ricky Lee’s expression didn’t show any sign of his being upset by Alex’s rejection. If anything, a hint of amusement sparkled in his eyes. “You’re still in the closet?” he asked, as casually as though he was asking about the weather.
Alex grabbed Ricky Lee by the shoulder—a much more muscular shoulder than Alex remembered—and dragged him from the edge of the dance floor to a slightly quieter spot against one of the walls. “I’m not gay,” he hissed, dropping his hand before the urge to explore more of Ricky Lee’s solid torso overwhelmed him. “I was married for three years.”
“And now you aren’t.”
“Not because she wasn’t a man.”
“So… as far as Freeland knows, you’re the same straight arrow as in high school.”
Leave it to Ricky Lee to put his finger on the issue Alex himself had never chosen to examine too closely. The pulse beating at his temples was escalating to a drum solo echoing in his skull. “My… preferences… are none of Freeland’s business,” he ground out. “Or of yours.”
Ricky Lee leaned closer, his voice silken. “And what if I want to make it my business?”
“Why are the two of you hiding in the corner?” If someone had asked Alex to imagine a situation in which he’d be grateful for Stephanie Keyes stalking him, he’d have sworn there wasn’t one, but damned if she hadn’t just proved him wrong. “C’mon, Alex. I want a dance with you.” She held out a hand, and Alex took it and let her lead him onto the dance floor, where Nelly Furtado was exhorting them to “Say It Right.” He refused to listen to the lyrics—or to think about Ricky Lee watching from the shadows—as he let himself move to the rhythm of the music. He’d always enjoyed dancing with Katie and with Sam. And he would not let himself imagine that it could have been Ricky Lee in front of him rather than Stephanie.
Not that he had to imagine for long. When he turned to follow one of Stephanie’s particularly flamboyant twirls, Ricky Lee was on the dance floor with Crae, their hands on each other’s hips. The easy, sinuous way they moved together sparked a flare of heat in Alex’s core. He forced his attention back to Stephanie when he’d much rather stare at the sensual temptation of Ricky Lee’s dancing.
Once he’d broken the ice with Stephanie, Alex performed his implicit duty by dancing with most of his unattached female classmates, and a few of the married ones he was friendly enough with to know their husbands wouldn’t object. If anyone noticed that he didn’t spend any time at the table with his purported guests, no one questioned it to his face, though he was sure it was a topic of several conversations that broke off suddenly when he approached the participants. At least his headache had eased as long as he stayed out of close proximity to Ricky Lee.
Sam arrived a little after ten, though despite what she’d told Alex the day before, she’d taken the time to change from her patrol uniform into a little black dress. To Alex’s eyes, her simple elegance was more attractive than the flashier gowns and glittering jewelry most of the other women wore.
“So I hear Ricky Lee and his friend are here as your guests,” Sam said with a teasing grin after she’d greeted Alex with a hug. “Melissa filled me in on all the juicy details. Did you know he was coming?”
“I was as shocked as everyone else. I hadn’t seen or heard from him before I got here.”
She glanced to the table where for the moment Ricky Lee and Crae sat again, heads together. “And did you talk to him? Did he tell you why he’s in town?”
As far as Alex knew, Ricky Lee had come to town for the sole purpose of tormenting him. “Not really. We talked a little, but mostly about old times.”
Sam gave him a questioning look, but fortunately for Alex’s composure, she didn’t press the subject. “Well, let’s get a few dances in before this shindig is over.”
They spent the next ninety minutes dancing and exchanging small talk with their friends. Most of the football team’s former offensive line sat together, and when Alex stopped to chat with them, he couldn’t miss the dark stare Odell Tillman threw Ricky Lee’s way. Fortunately, Odell’s wife kept him on the dance floor enough of the evening that the confrontation Alex half expected never happened.
Though a few people asked Alex about Ricky Lee, he only answered that he thought Ricky Lee deserved a chance to take part in the festivities, and he didn’t know any details about what he’d been doing since leaving Freeland or whether he had plans to remain in town. When Ricky Lee and Crae weren’t on the dance floor themselves, Alex noted several classmates approached their table to speak with them, but it didn’t seem as though those interested souls were able to learn any more details. Alex hoped Sam didn’t notice that he timed their dances so they were on the floor whenever Ricky Lee and Crae sat one out, avoiding the chance for further conversation.
He told himself he didn’t care whether Ricky Lee was watching while he and Sam danced.
Just before midnight, Tony the DJ announced the last song of the night. Of course, it was a slow one. Alex took Sam into his arms as Nickelback’s “Far Away” played over the sound system. The dance floor quickly grew crowded as almost everyone remaining in the gym joined in for the closing song. Resting his cheek against Sam’s hair, Alex couldn’t help glancing around until he found Ricky Lee and Crae molded together, arms draped over each other’s shoulders, swaying in place. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, telling himself he’d made the right decision.
When the song ended, the lights came up and the gym slowly emptied as people said their goodbyes, gathered their belongings, and headed out to the parking lot. Since he was part of the reunion committee, Alex stayed behind to help clean up the empty glasses, bottles, and napkins. He’d come back tomorrow night to help take down the tables and chairs, dismantle the backdrops, and remove the hanging decorations from the ceiling. Sam lent a hand, and he’d just tied off a trash bag when the sound of shouting from outside drew their attention.
Sam grabbed her purse and they rushed to the parking lot, where two of their classmates who’d obviously overindulged were faced off in front of Crae Adams. As they got closer, he recognized them as Mike Penry and JC Haynes, neither of whom he was especially friendly with because they’d been ignorant jerks in high school and hadn’t gotten any better as they matured.
“We’ve been watching you all night, and we can’t tell whether you’re a girl or a dude,” JC said.
“Dude looks like a lady.” Mike giggled at his own lame joke.
“So why don’t you come over here and let us check it out?” JC took a step toward Crae, and Alex looked around for Ricky Lee. To his surprise, he found him standing several feet away, his arms crossed over his chest, just watching.
Sam unsnapped her purse, and Alex realized she must have her handgun inside. He caught her eye, and she gave a small shake of her head, telling him she was ready but the situation would have to get more threatening before she’d intervene.
JC took another step closer, with Mike just behind him. He raised a hand toward Crae, who moved back out of reach.
“You don’t want to do that,” Ricky Lee warned, still making no other effort to intervene.
