Chapter 10: Yet Another Small Wager
(and another short chapter. Sorry.)
It was replaced by a fast rock song that cleared the dance floor of the seven or eight swaying, groping couples and replaced them with one or two wildly gyrating ones. Sarah started to back away -- this really wasn't her sort of dancing! -- but Jareth flashed her a mischievous grin and started dancing. He tugged her hand and sent her spinning across the floor, then drew her close again and released it. He started dancing very close, so close she could feel his body heat against her skin, but without touching.
She began to copy some of his moves, encouraged by his wide grin, and soon she was dancing freely. She made rapid turns and tossed her hair over one shoulder to keep her gaze locked on Jareth's. She found she could follow his lead quite easily, just by watching the angle of his torso and the movements of his arms. These subtle signals served to lead Sarah into a "freestyle" dance with him that was intricate enough to have been choreographed.
Their sensual movements and intense looks, with their eyes locked on each other, began to attract people's attention. Sarah slowly became aware that the dance floor had cleared, leaving only her and Jareth. Some of them began to clap along with the music and call out encouragement. Sarah glanced around rapidly, seeing everyone's attention on her while she danced with Jareth, and was seized with a sense of déjà-vu. It was so like the Crystal Ballroom for a moment that she panicked. Jareth, sensing her discomfort, took her hands and made her look at him again while they finished the dance.
Mercifully, the song ended. The roar of approval and the loud applause startled her, and she blushed in confusion and ducked between two students to make her way towards a couch she'd seen on the way in.
It had students on it. Jareth cleared it with a look, and Sarah collapsed gratefully into it while Jareth descended more gracefully beside her. While she caught her breath, Sarah lifted her heavy mass of hair and fanned the back of her neck with it. "I never knew you could dance like that!" she exclaimed. With a rueful smile, she amended, "Never knew I could dance like that, either!"
Jareth smirked and put a friendly hand on Sarah's knee. "I believe we may have made an impression," he said, glancing around at the dozen or so frat boys who couldn't take their eyes off Sarah.
"Well, you have, anyway," Sarah replied, sweeping her glance around at all the girls clustered around the room who were staring at Jareth and whispering to each other.
Jareth scoffed. "Please. If I left you alone here for an instant, you would not remain alone for longer than that. I promise you!"
Sarah dismissed that thought with a quick shake of her head. "Oh, I don't think so. If I got up to get a drink, you'd be mobbed with at least a dozen sorority girls all trying to score with the gorgeous stranger."
Jareth's eyes widened with interest. "Shall we make a wager on it?" he asked eagerly.
Sarah laughed fondly. "You and your games!"
He ignored her remark. Eyes sparkling, he said, "I will go and get you a drink, and I'll bet that you'll get more interested parties than I will while I'm gone."
Sarah grinned. "What are the stakes?"
"If I gather more hangers-on than you, I shall provide your attire for the king's wedding. If, as I suspect, you gather more, then you shall agree to extend your time in the Underground by at least three days."
"Well, that's hardly fair. A new dress or a long visit -- I win either way!"
"Not so. You see, either I get to see you gowned as I choose, or I get to enjoy your company an additional three days. I believe we both win either way." Jareth was nothing if not charming.
Sarah blushed. "Fine." They shook hands on it, and Sarah told him, "I'd like a ginger ale, please."
Jareth moved with a feline grace, she thought as she watched him make his way across the room to the cooler. Not so much like a lion, though, despite the Goblin King's usual wild disarray of hair. Not that bulky or stately -- more like a panther, all flowing, sinuous muscles and darkness.
She looked away and fanned the back of her neck with her hair again.
OK, no more until tomorrow. I'm still writing the last couple of chapters and need to concentrate on that. Hope to make it up to you for the wait, by making them extra-good chapters, though. Feel free to chew me out for the delay if you like. Just click below.