2brown-eyes rocks!
Baby Got Back—Sir Mix-A-Lot
Downtown Train—Rod Stewart
Nothing Compares to You—Sinead O'Connor
It's the waning days of July, and Mayor McCarty is out of town for the weekend, interviewing a Sheriff outside Portland to move here and take over for Charlie. It's been over a month, and it still doesn't feel real. More like surreal, as if none of it ever happened, and he's just off somewhere doing what Charlie does.
The party is at Emmett's tonight, and people are all over the place. The base is pumping, and teenagers are spread everywhere, some with red cups and others with cans of beer.
Baby Got Back is pumping through the speakers, and I'm in the middle of the living room with Alice while we shake our asses. Everyone I know and fifty others I don't are all gathered at one of the biggest parties of the summer so far.
"Mase looks like he's ready to have you for dinner," Alice whispers after she lines up shimmying behind me.
I see Mase and the way his eyes follow my every move, so I hold out my hand for him to join me. He points to himself, making a big show of acting excited because I'm choosing him. I laugh and wave him over.
He rocks his way across the room, not necessarily shaking that ass, but he still looks good doing it. Alice shuffles off to grind against Lauren as Mase scoots up in my personal space.
"Hi." I look up to him as I rest my hands on his shoulder. "You were too far away."
He encircles my waist with one arm, pulling me closer to him. "Bloody right I was." His lips ghost my ear, sending chills scattering down my bare arms. "You gonna teach me to bust a groove like that?"
I grab his hand and bring it to my stomach as I spin in his arms, lining my back to his chest. I hold it tightly against me as I start to rock my hips from side to side. The song has shifted into Downtown Train, so I match my rhythm to the beat, and he follows my lead.
After the song picks up the pace, I spin in Mase's arms, swaying from side to side, mouthing the lyrics. His hands anchor on the small of my back and he grins down at me.
And watch them as they fall, oh baby
They all having their heart attacks
They stay at the carnival
But they'll never win you back
His knee slips between my legs, and we do a little bit of the dirty dancing swoop as the song continues. "You look so bloody fit, Bella," he murmurs, his lips ghosting my jaw. "I'm chuffed that I get to knock about with you."
"I don't know why," I say, my cheeks flush from the dancing and his nearness. "You're a good-looking guy with a killer accent fresh from London. I'm probably getting evil eyes from all the other girls when my back is turned."
"I don't know about the girls," he says, his eyes flashing to something behind me. "But that ginger bloke keeps glaring."
Edward.
"Ignore him," I say, gliding my fingers through his soft curls to pull his gaze back to mine. "I'm here with you."
"He's the one you're in love with?" Our faces are close, only a breath apart.
I nod, looking into clear green eyes. "We're both on different paths right now, so it isn't going to happen."
He lifts one side of his lip into a half grin. "I don't mind being the rebound guy."
"Especially since there's an expiration date on this," I add, saying it aloud for the first time.
"Unless you're into long distance." His tone is teasing, but it still knocks me off balance.
I can't help it, I lose it.
I laugh until I cry.
He looks at me like I've lost my mind.
"Sorry," I say, wiping my face. "Long distance is a deal-breaker."
"You'll have to explain that to me one day," he murmurs, pulling me back against his chest. "But it doesn't have to be today."
His lips crash into mine, and my stomach drops, but the feeling of him owning me in front of everyone is powerful. I grip his hair, pulling, pulling, pulling until we're flush against each other.
In the background, Sinead belts out the lyrics of her worldwide hit from Prince, and the music reminds me of him.
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
'Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
But Mase is slowly showing me that I'm a desirable woman, who doesn't have to keep affection at arm's length because I made a colossal mistake. I can still have it all. I'm capable of moving on.
I went to the doctor, guess what he told me
Guess what he told me
He said, "Girl you better try to have fun, no matter what you do"
I know it doesn't look like it, but we're getting there.
One more this week.
See ya tmr :)
