Dead Girl Dancing

Then she grabbed Eli’s hand and jerked him toward her. Eli shot me a helpless what can I do? look before he was swallowed by the crowd and I lost sight of him. Embarrassed, I stood there — not sure whether to retreat back to the table or join the dancers.

After sitting alone for what felt like hours, but was probably only fifteen minutes, I felt someone tap my shoulder.

“Guess who,” a deep voice whispered in my ear.

I’d only heard him once before, but with my shoulder tingling from the gentle touch, I knew exactly who stood behind me.

Slowly, I turned around.

19

Dyce wore his cap slightly tilted to one side, along with dark blue slacks, a gray windbreaker and a satisfied smile. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”

“Me either,” I told him. “But I hope you aren’t planning to ask me to dance. I was in the mood, but that’s over and gone now.”

“Who wants to dance at a dance club?”

“You’re teasing me,” I protested, blushing. “And it’s not that I don’t like dancing. I do, a lot, it’s just that … ” Babbling Alert flashed in my head and I stopped before I completely lost all my pride. “Anyway, what brings you here?”

“I came with some friends, but they’ve ditched me and I’m getting tired of waiting around for them.”

I frowned at the writhing dance floor. “I know what you mean.”

“You’ve been ditched, too?” he guessed.

“Not exactly. Everyone else just wanted to dance.”

“Except you,” he guessed with a sympathetic nod. “This band is all noise and no substance. I can’t stand another minute in here. Come on, let’s go outside.”

I didn’t agree with Dyce about the band — the music was rockin’ with a raunchy edge that almost lifted me out of my chair. I peered through swaying bodies, searching for Eli or my friends, but a spinning strobe light distorted colors and shapes, making my eyes ache. I wanted to dance — but only with Eli. Although he hadn’t intentionally left me, it bothered me that he’d gone along with Mauve, who thought he was cute. And why hadn’t they come back yet? The band was on a new song, yet there was no sign of Sadie, Mauve or Eli returning for me and I wasn’t about to dive into that crowd searching for them. I was done waiting around — they could just come and find me.

I followed Dyce past the bar and its cushioned stools, through a door and then outside. Clouds blew fiercely, chilling my bones and making me almost turn around and run back into the warmth. But as if reading my mind, Dyce took off his windbreaker and wrapped it around me.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yeah. Thanks.” That feeling I’d noticed yesterday, a deep hot stirring inside, rippled through me. “Um … this wasn’t a good idea. I should go back in.”

“Why? Will your friends miss you?”

“Eventually.”

“Until they do, stay and talk with me.”

“Well … for a few minutes. You did save my life yesterday.”

“I was lucky to be nearby at the right time. Anyone would have done the same thing.”

“Not just anyone,” I pointed out. “You were really brave.”

“And you’re really beautiful tonight,” he said, in such a sincere way that I forgot how to breathe for a second.

“Um … I just feel cold.” I rubbed my hands together.

“If you’re too cold, we can go inside.”

I glanced back, unable to see more than reflections and light through the tinted windows. The raucous music seemed to rock the building and the buzz of voices — shouts, laughter, squeals — spilled through the air. Sharayah would never have left; she’d be dancing like a force of nature until she dropped. That’s what I should have done, too. But I just couldn’t work up the energy. Standing outside, under clouds that shifted to allow glimpses of a half- moon, with wind tousling my hair and tasting of salty surf, both bitter and sweet, I felt content. Underneath my party dress and makeup, I was still me. And I’d always loved quiet moments alone with nature.

But I was far from alone — Dyce was leaning close, studying my face as if it were a map.

I shrugged. “I’ll stay outside for a while.”

“Then you should move around, get your blood flowing so you don’t freeze.” He pointed beyond the parking lot to where night lamps twinkled over roofs and pavement. “Let’s walk on the path.”

I followed his gaze to a graveled path leading toward the marina; high masts and sails swayed in the distance like pale ghosts. Walking was the least offensive type of exercise, so I followed him.

We went along the path for a short way until we stepped up onto a wooden dock. It swayed slightly with the undulating breath of the sea, waves slamming against the wood and spitting spray.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Dyce said, leaning against a rail and staring off into the night-ocean.

Standing beside him, I stared off too, and nodded. Beautiful hardly began to describe the glinting half-moon’s glow on the silvery waves. I wrapped his jacket around me tighter, inhaling salty sea and a whiff of something I could only define as “Dyce”: musky, spicy, and mysterious.

“This night reminds of me of Robert Browning’s famous lines,” he said. “And the yellow half- moon large and low; And the startled little waves that leap, In fiery ringlets from their sleep.” He turned to peer down into my face. “I sense something in you, Sharayah, some sort of fire. Tell me about yourself.”

“What’s to tell? I’m here for spring break, just like a thousand other girls.”

“But you’re different than other girls.”

“That can be good and bad.” Okay, I was flirting a little, but it was harmless because he had a girlfriend and I (hopefully) had a boyfriend.

“From my view, it’s all good. You have a poet’s soul,” he said.

“Me? I can’t recite any poems, except a silly one about a fuzzy bear.” I laughed, taking all his flowery talk like a game. I mean, really! What normal guy talked like this? It was like he was a throwback to the Renaissance era. Still, I have enough of an ego that I loved the flattery.

“I can teach you poems and much more,” he said huskily.

“Whoa,” I said with a firm shake of my head. “This has been fun and all, but we both know it’s not going anywhere. I have a guy I like and you already have a girlfriend.”

“I do?” He arched his brows in a question.

“Come on, Dyce, you told me how you couldn’t wait to get back to her yesterday. Your girlfriend — Emmy.”

“Oh … Emmy.” The confusion on his face spread into a dazzling smile. “Right, she’s amazing and I can’t wait to get back to her.”

“That’s what I guessed. She’s probably waiting for you right now, so you should go.”

“I will, and you should, too. Come with me. I want you to meet her.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“But I am.” He reached for my hand, and while I knew I should resist, I didn’t. Our fingers touched with such a delicious tingle that I almost forgot how to think.

“I–I can’t.” It took all my energy to pull back my hand, and when I did, the sweet warmth faded away to a numb chill. “I really can’t. I’ve already been gone too long,” I added trying to convince myself. I glanced up the hill to the bright lights of the dance club.

“But it’ll only take a few minutes. Emmy is just over there.” He pointed toward the marina. “You’ll love her as