Page 80 of Surrender
“Would you dance with me, Ms. Morris?” he questioned with an innocent smile as he held his hand out, and Colbie raised an eyebrow at him. “It’ll be less suspicious later,” he added on, and Colbie was puzzled as she placed her hand in his.
Her puzzlement disappeared as they made it to where everyone else was dancing, and she found Dallis dancing with Principal Coe. As they stopped, a few other seniors and teachers came out to dance, and Colbie understood.
She danced with Hayden until the song was over, and he gave her a little bow once it was. Colbie laughed lightly at him, giving him a small curtsey before going and getting herself some punch.
When Colbie felt eyes on her this time, she knew they weren’t Dallis’. She didn’t get the feeling she usually did when he was appraising her, appreciating her. Whoever this was had a chill going down her spine.
Colbie sought out the eyes on her, sweeping her gaze over the room until she found them. When they landed on Max, he had the decency to look away, but Colbie hadn’t missed him checking her out. A part of her knew she couldn’t be too upset because boys would ogle anything with breasts and legs. However, it didn’t mean it didn’t make her uncomfortable, especially after yesterday’s events.
Focusing her attention back over the room, Colbie took a sip of her punch. Two hours and counting.
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Dallis watched the exchange between Colbie and Max, and his jaw clenched. He couldn’t blame Max for the way he was looking at Colbie. His girlfriend was gorgeous in any and everything. However, she was stunning in the simple dress she wore. It wasn’t so much Max’s staring that had his jaw clenching. It was Colbie’s reaction to it. Her shoulders tensed slightly, and she shifted from one foot to the other.
Max looking at her made her uncomfortable, more than it probably should have. It made Dallis wonder how the past week had gone for Colbie. He’d asked her Thursday, and she said everything was fine. He didn’t think she’d lie to him, but Dallis would be lying to himself if he said he hadn’t been a bit worried about Max, about him coming in at the end of the conversation he was having with Colbie last week.
Dallis was sure nothing they said that Max would have heard gave away their relationship, and Colbie hadn’t told him about Max knowing. Maybe Dallis was overthinking it, reading too much into it.
He decided to let it go, turning his attention back to Hayden and Callie’s conversation but not listening. He needed ten o’clock to roll around. While he’d come to prom, mainly because he wanted to see what Colbie would be wearing when he discovered she’d be a chaperone and to have at least one dance with her, he wasn’t planning on staying the entire time.
Dallis still had the spare key Colbie gave him the week before, and he had some things he wanted to finish setting up. He couldn’t enjoy the dance with her but damn sure planned on enjoying the after-prom experience with her. He’d bought everything he needed before showing up to the dance, dropping it off at her house and placing a few things where he wanted them to go, which was one of the reasons he’d been late.
He still had more to do and knew that leaving an hour before the dance was over would give him plenty of time. Dallis didn’t anticipate any students wanting to stay after it was over, and the chaperones were free to leave after all the students had.
For the next forty-five minutes, Dallis looked out over the room, keeping an eye on Callie while she danced with some of his classmates. He’d thought she was kidding at first when she told him she wanted to go to prom. Callie hadn’t gone to a dance ever, to Dallis’ knowledge.
“I think now would be a good time,” Hayden stated, drawing Dallis’ attention, and he nodded.
Dallis watched as Hayden stood and walked over to their English teacher, asking her to dance. When Dallis decided he would at least dance with Colbie, he’d had Hayden circulate the idea to a few of their classmates as their last senior action. A way to thank the teachers that helped them through the year.
It would allow Dallis to dance with Colbie without suspicion if other students were doing it too. Making it seem as if it were Hayden’s idea kept suspicion away from Dallis if someone were to have any.
Dallis waited a minute, allowing Hayden and a couple of others to make their way to the floor before he made his way over to Colbie. She was standing, talking to Principal Coe and both women looked at him when he approached them.
“Ms. Morris, would you care to dance with me?” Dallis questioned, smiling at them both. “Since I’ve had the pleasure of dancing with Mrs. Coe.”
“Go on, Ms. Morris,” Mrs. Coe directed. “This is the last time you’ll see them before graduation.”
She was right and wrong. It would be the last time Colbie saw most of them until graduation. However, Dallis was not among that group. Instead of responding, he held his hand out, and when Colbie put hers in it, he pulled her towards the dance floor.
Dallis placed his hands on her waist as Colbie’s arms went around his neck. He had the urge to pull her closer, to have her body flush against his, but he was aware that he couldn’t. As it was, he was already holding her closer than he should have been.
“I’m going to guess that dancing with the teachers was your idea,” Colbie stated after a few seconds of silence.
“It may have been,” Dallis responded. “How else was I supposed to be able to dance with you?” he questioned softly.
“So, what do you plan on doing when this is over?” Colbie inquired.
You, Dallis thought, but he didn’t say it. He wanted his setup to be a surprise. “There are a few after-prom parties. I might swing by one of those.”
Dallis didn’t lie to Colbie; he’d said he might stop by one. Which meant he hadn’t technically lied. He was simply preserving his surprise. They’d only been dancing for about a minute when Dallis turned his attention to Max, who’d just stopped beside them.
“Would you mind if I cut in?”
“Yes,” Colbie responded before Dallis could say anything. “I mind.”
Dallis shifted his eyes between them, and though he didn’t want to, he didn’t want to cause a scene either.
