Begrudgingly, I lifted my hand and scratched at my throat. “Figured our BFF would ditch you sooner or later.” I motioned toward the dance floor at what now looked like the beginnings of a softcore porn. “By the looks of it, I was right.”

Rocky smirked. “In her defense, she waited an hour.”

“Oh, wow! A whole hour! Call the presses.” I laughed at her answering scowl.

“Whatever. I don’t care. At least she’s having a good time.” Rocky caught the bartender’s eye and ordered a drink. My body involuntarily tensed up, remembering how not long ago it was me chugging down drinks instead of her.

“Here you go, Honey.” The bartender slid a glass in front of her. Though I wanted nothing more than to slap it from her hand, I knew she was an adult. She was also not my mother.

She wasn’t me.

“So, what were you going to do tonight if you didn’t come to save me from the pangs of loneliness?” Her cherry colored lips wrapped around the thin black straw, puckering as she sipped on some fruity looking drink.

Good. Shouldn’t be too much alcohol in that frou-frou drink.

“Eh, I was just going to stay home. Probably sleep,” I answered truthfully.

“Wow, so exciting!”

“Oh yeah. Riveting.” I watched as she plucked a cherry off the top of her drink and placed it between her lips.

And there goes my dick!

As inconspicuously as I could, I shifted my body to hide my waking arousal and coughed out, “What would you have been doing if Stephanie didn’t drag you here? Talking to Ethan?” I narrowed my eyes, feeling slight irritation when a certain man came to mind.

She threw her head back and sighed. “Okay, what is your obsession with Ethan? Every time we speak to one another, you mention his name.”

Crap. Have I really been talking about Ethan that much? I never noticed it.

“Guess I’m still protective of you,” I murmured quickly.

“Oh, but there’s really nothing to be protective about.” She flicked her hand around as she spoke, pausing momentarily to place the straw back into her mouth to take a quick sip. “To answer your question, I probably would have just been at home watching the ball drop while eating pizza.”

My eyes brightened. “That…actually sounds much better than this. This just seems like a weak scene to me.”

“What’s your idea of a good scene?” She tilted her head to the side as if she were closely examining me. Oddly, I felt as if I were the subject of some psychology experiment or at the very least a criminal in police interrogation.

“Hmm…Watching the ball drop while eating pizza,” I joked.

Rocky broke into laughter, and I took a moment to appreciate her smile. It was sincere, not fake like all the other women in the club. In fact, it lit up her whole face. Still giggling, her shoulders shook up and down, causing her drink to slosh over to top of her glass.

“Shit!” She exclaimed as the red tinted liquid trailed down her bare chest and onto her sparkly top.

My gaze wandered down her cleavage, which was now wet and glistening. So much for hiding my boner.

“Guess some things never change. You’re still a klutz.”

“Ugh, this isn’t even my shirt! Steph’s going to kill me.” She seriously looked like she was about to cry. She couldn’t really care about a piece of fabric that much, could she? If it were me, I would have just thrown my shirt away and not given it a second thought.

Her nose grew pink and her eyes glistened, threatening to release a wall of tears. Whether her impending breakdown was due to destroying what looked like a twenty-dollar shirt or from drinking more alcohol than I had thought, I felt a strong need to distract her. Grabbing her arm, I motioned toward the dance floor. “Nah, I don’t think she’ll notice. You’re fine. Just forget about it. Let’s go have some fun while we’re here.”

“And do what?” she demanded.

“Let’s dance.”

Was dancing really a good idea? It seemed that every time Rocky moved my dick grew harder.

Well, there’s no backing out now.

“You? Dance?” she asked in disbelief.

“Why is that so surprising?” I laughed at the bewilderment on her face.

Her eyes blinked as if seeing me for the first time. “You’re Jesse.”

“Yeah, and you’re Rocky.”

She was unamused and gestured toward my all black ensemble. “You know what I mean. You were the rocker guy—the bad boy. Not someone who would even know how to dance to Top 40 music.”

Revved up by her reaction, I tugged at her again. “Well, you’d be surprised. Come on!”

We navigated our way to the middle of the floor, dodging what felt like a hundred slimy bodies. I had no idea how people did stuff like this on a weekly basis and for enjoyment! It took all my might not to dry heave from the smell of sweat, which permeated the dance floor. Trying my best to ignore the swarming crowd, I turned to my one oasis in the desert of horny drunkards. Unfortunately, she seemed as stiff as a board and unsure how to even move her feet.

I shook my head and gently grabbed onto her hips, fighting back the rush of blood in my core. “Relax, Rocky! Dance. Don’t you know how to dance?”

“I know how to dance!” she growled back at me.

I flashed a teasing smile. “Then dance.”

It took her a few minutes before she visibly relaxed. One at a time her shoulders loosened, lowering from her neck. She took a deep breath and began swaying her hips—slowly at first, then faster. Though I felt self-conscious myself, it was far easier for me to lose myself to the music watching Rocky’s sensual movements. I kept my eyes on her hips, which circled in time to the bass, and imagined that it was my whole body coaxing her to sway like that. It’d be my groin nudging her hips to and fro, causing her to throw her head back in ecstasy and excitement. It didn’t take long at all before I felt my own body mimicking the movements in my mind. I began dancing the way I’d imagine would pleasure her. I knew I was digging myself into a rabbit hole, but after years’ worth of pent up sexual frustration and tension, I was about to explode. I needed her.

As I was teetering on the edge of becoming lost in my fantasy world, a loud screeching reminiscent of metal nails against a chalkboard snapped me back to reality.

What am I doing? This is homecoming all over again. I’m just going to get her hopes up only to leave again.

Still, I owed it to myself for one night of fun…right?

I glanced up at the DJ booth and grimaced when I saw him bouncing his head up and down to whatever electronic squeaking he was playing. I scowled and lifted my hand, throwing him thumbs down. “Ugh, what is this crap?”

Rocky pushed sweat-soaked bangs from her face. “Guess, it’s techno. Wanna sit down?”

As much as I hated the crap, there was no way I’d cut my time with Rocky on the dance floor short. Especially since it was the one night I’d allow myself to be with her. I shook my head and grinned at the slight pout of her lips. “Nah, when in Rome, right?”

Before long the two of us were jumping up and down, waving our arms in the air like crazy people. My stomach hurt from laughing so much and for a moment I began to wonder if I really did like techno music.

“Now this is more like it.” I nodded my head in approval.

Drunk with the remnants of fantasy, arousal, and the satisfaction of reconnecting with my old friend, I reached out and spun her toward me. Her eyes widened as she fell against my body.

Slow down, Jesse.

Pulling the reins a bit, I yelled out, “It’s going to be midnight soon. Any resolutions?”

Her face twitched slightly, her eyes darkening. “Oh, you know, same old, same old. Eat better, exercise more. How about you?”

“Well, for starters, I want to pay back all debts.”

“What do you mean? Oh!”

I couldn’t help myself and tightened my grip around her even more, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.