Page 49 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
“Why don’t you be her partner?” Tory suggests, and from the humor in her voice, I can tell she’s taunting me.
“Tory, he’s not well.”
“You sound like a broken record,” Adrian says. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m fine. Anyway, I’m happy to stay and be your partner.”
“Oh, you’ll be perfect!” Jessica joins the conversation, guiding Adrian to a chair. “Are you Verena’s boyfriend?”
“Yeah.” He takes a seat. “So, what are we doing?”
I place both hands on my hips. “Jessica is teaching us how to give a lap dance. I think you should leave.”
“Oh, right.” Adrian gives an awkward laugh. “Yeah, maybe it’s weird that I’m the only guy here.”
“Nonsense.” Jessica pushes him back down by the shoulders when he attempts to stand up and leave. “It’s normal to feel embarrassed about these kinds of things, but we’re here to loosen up and have fun.”
Adrian and I are left alone when Jessica steps away to fiddle with music on her phone. “This has been one heck of a day,” he says. “First the sunscreen. Now a lap dance.”
“This won’t be half as exciting. I’ll be terrible.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“Okay, ladies,” Jessica says to the class, “one of you will sit on the chair as the other learns the dance. Then we’ll switch.”
She demonstrates the first dance move with a blowup doll positioned on the chair beside us. Jessica places her hands on its shoulders and slides her fingers down its chest. On her cue, everyone copies, while Adrian and I meet each other’s gaze, trying hard not to laugh.
“Come on, have some fun with each other,” Jessica tells us. “I bet you’ve got some moves. I’ve seen you and Darius dance onValentine’s Day. You’re a natural.”
“That was Latin dancing. I can do that all day with ease, but this…”
“They’re the same thing. Both dances are about passion and sex.”
“Adrian will laugh at me,” I protest.
He raises both hands by his chest, battling another laugh. “Promise I won’t.”
“See,” Jessica says. “Give the dance a try.”
I contemplate it for a moment, barely believing what I’m about to do. This occasion doesn’t share the same thrilling energy as the sunscreen one did, perhaps becauseI’llbe the one doing all the work instead of Adrian feeling me up. Then there’s the issue of me having no clue how to be sexy on demand. And besides, Jake isn’t watching us, which detracts from the fun.
But Isabelle is.
I glance at her in the back left corner of the room. We share a moment of heated eye contact before she looks away and talks to her partner.
The whole plan of this week is to make Isabelle jealous enough to want Adrian back. The only thing is… somehowI’vebecome the jealous one. It makes me all bitter and twisted inside to imagine Adrian smiling at Isabelle. Kissing her. Taking her to his bed.
A new plan needs to be put into action. The scare-Isabelle-away plan. Let her believe Adrian is so in love with me that she doesn’t stand a chance of winning him back.
“Hands on his chest,” Jessica instructs me, and I follow, biting my lip as I touch Adrian. “That’s it. Not so scary, right? Now slide your fingers down his torso.”
I keep my gaze fixed on my hands as they trail down Adrian’s chest, knowing I’ll lose all nerve if I look up at his face. Either that, or I’ll see that same dark look in his eyes from when he applied my sunscreen, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to control my need for him this time.
“Next move,” Jessica calls to the class. “Walk in a circle around your partner, letting your fingers snake across their shoulders.”
She demonstrates with Adrian this time, and Tory cheers, “Woo! Watch out, Verena!”
Everyone laughs. Everyone except Isabelle, which pleases me greatly.
Jessica stays by our side while the other class members proceed with the instructions, as if we’re the struggling kids at school who need the teacher’s attention. “Okay, Verena, you’re up.”
