She slipped a hand into her bag and pulled out her lip-gloss and mirror. Once done touching up, she reached under her top and made her ‘girls’ sit higher in her bra, puffing out her cleavage even more. Finally, not caring who saw, her hands disappeared under the table and she began to wriggle in her seat. Leaning forward, still not shifting her look from the only thing she wanted to see, she sat back and calmly dropped her black, lacy, and rather skimpy underwear in her bag. She spotted Matt looking and gave him a wink.
“You go, girl,” he encouraged.
Lauren stood and stepped over to Dante, still engrossed in “conversation” with Alex.
“Hey, Dante,” Lauren placed a hand on Dante’s shoulder and stroked his earlobe with her fingertip. “Wanna dance?”
Dante excused himself from Alex and faced Lauren. “Isn’t it customary for the gentlemen to ask the lady?”
“So ask me then,” she purred.
“I’m waiting for a particular song,” he replied just as smoothly.
“Oh, really…” she mumbled, leaning in closer to him, her nails clawing into his shoulder. She had an insatiable desire to put her mouth on him, anywhere on his skin. Her nose was close enough that she could breathe in his amazing scent, like zesty citrus combined with something older, mustier. It wasn’t overpowering, and it didn’t register like an aftershave. “Which one?”
“When it comes on…” Dante paused and looked her up and down, appraising, judging, and Lauren thought, finding fault, “I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Lauren shook off her bewilderment and was about to try again, thinking probably a full-on pash, when her hand was grabbed and pulled away from behind by a familiar face. “Come on, let’s dance.”
Without time to say no, Ryan pulled her over to the dance floor. Lauren stood still among the crowd of dancers, raising her voice to a level just under shouting, so she was sure he could hear her over the heavy dance music.
“Okay, seriously dude. What do I have to say to get you to leave me alone?”
“Try ‘thank you’ for a start,” Ryan replied.
“For what?” Lauren asked.
“For saving your reputation, maybe? He was blowing you off.”
“Bullshit, how do you know anyway?”
“Look at you…” he answered admiringly. “And do you see him coming over to pry the hottest chick here from me?”
“He said he was waiting for a special song.”
“He didn’t mention which one, though, did he?”
“He said he—”
“Would let you know? Yeah, that’s a classic.”
“You don’t know jack shit!”
She knew he was right. Lauren turned away, about to walk off when Ryan grabbed her hand, halting her. She wrenched her hand free. “I SWEAR—”
“You wanna go back over there and keep getting embarrassed? Fine. But humour me first, ok? Stay here for a few minutes and see if he looks over here at all. At all. If he does, then I am wrong and you may have a shot.”
“Why should I?”
Ryan smiled. “Put on a show for him. Show him what he is missing. Use me if you have to, and then leave with him. I don’t care. What have you got to lose?”
Lauren was wary even though he had a point. “What have you got to gain?”
“If he doesn’t look over, then you quit being such a bitch and hang out with someone who actually wants you.”
Surprised and maybe even a little impressed by his confidence, Lauren relented.
Ryan grinned again, saying happily, “Well it’s about fucking time. Now get over here.” He pulled Lauren towards him and placed his knee between her legs as she put her hands on his neck and they began to move to the beat. To give him due credit, he could dance. He moved his face in closer to her cheek. “I forgot,” he whispered. “You probably wanted to keep your eyes on your prize.”
He spun her around so she was facing the three occupants of her table. To her dismay, Dante was still completely engrossed with Alex, and even Matt was joining in. Ryan was right, Dante hadn’t even noticed she was gone. She felt his face next to hers again.
“Don’t give up. You haven’t even tried yet.” He gave her a swift kiss on the cheek.
To hell with it, Lauren thought as she bent over, presenting her rear to him as she moved. Ryan grabbed her hips and brought her into him. She faced him and ran her hands down his chest and to his stomach, trailing her body as she lowered herself and then rose again.
The dance beat shifted to a slow number. “Now that’s more like it,” Ryan said, his voice much calmer as he took her hands and attached them around his neck again.
“I like this better,” he said.
“You know, I am only doing this for him,” Lauren whispered, barely noticing her fingers playing with his skin.
“I don’t care. You can think about whoever you like, and you can try and impress whoever you like. It doesn’t matter. You’ve already impressed me, and anyway I’m the one who gets to do this—” he said as he trailed his fingers up her outer thigh, “and this—” He reached under her skirt and massaged her round, smooth rear. She gave a sharp intake of breath but didn’t move away, and Ryan smiled.
He must have seen me take my undies off, thought Lauren. Finally, she caved and brought him in to meet her lips.
*
Alex shook Matt, waking him from dozing at the table.
“Huh?”
“I said, ‘Are you ready?’ We better be going. We’ve both had enough and Dante’s gonna do owner stuff he said. Loz looks like she’s got
