Page 90 of Cruel Offer
"Yes. That sounds fine." I feel like I’m floating out of my body.Is this really happening?
He smiles finally, and warm tingles wash over my entire body.
"Thank you," I add.
"It's our pleasure. And also, I just want you to know that…that I wish you all the happiness in the world. I really do."
He turns and walks away. I track him as long as I can through the crowd, but then I lose him. My director signals that it’s time for me to be on stage just as I spy my mother taking her seat alongside a handsome man with black hair who I know I’ve never seen before.
My mind whirls as I go to the room designated for changing and quickly get into my costume, then assemble my group of five-year-olds and usher them out onstage to the cue of their music.
I have a short solo in the beginning. All the children sit in a circle around me while I perform my routine. This is when my mind finds peace. The miraculous thing about dance is that I forget everything else in the world except my routine once I begin. My mind and my body flow through each step, moving with the music in the way I've trained it to. And at that moment, I don’t think about Nate or his second offer or anything else. I don't think about how much of a disaster his first offer turned out to be, or what a blessing this second one might end up as.
When I'm done with my performance, I move off to the side and encourage my little dancers as they go through each step to the warm accolades and applause from the crowd. And then our time is up, and an older class comes out for their performance.
Just as I'm ushering my last dancer behind the curtain, Isee that dark head once more. The tips of the roses he never actually gave me, brilliant against his dark suit. Nate is in the third row, watching me. He gets up and leaves his seat right before I duck behind the curtain. Heart in my throat, I wonder if he's going to try to catch up with me again.
Do I want him to? Can I even handle any more of his presence?
I get changed back into my black dress and heels and help my students out of their tutus, all the while wondering if Nate will be waiting for me when I'm done.
But when I go back out into the hallway, I find the bouquet of red roses lying next to the clipboard on the chair where I left it.
He’s gone.
"You looked amazing up there!" Cleo pulls me in for a hug, startling me.
She follows my gaze to the roses and then takes my shoulders in her hands.
"Piper, don't go down that road again. Sweetie, he's not worth it."
I quickly looked behind her to see if Andrew is standing there, but he's not. I hope like hell she hasn't told him any of my dirty secrets.
"He left me roses, that's all."
She cocks a brow. "That’s all? Pardon me while I throw them in the trash."
I lightly touch her wrist. "You don't have to do that. I’m okay."
Her lips fall into a sympathetic line, and she looks at me softly. "You've come a long way, Piper. I know how hardit's been for you to get over him. But Andrew’s waiting, and he's a really nice guy."
He's a really nice guy, huh? That might be all the change I need. Someone who will treat me decently and respectfully and be honest about their feelings. Someone…uncomplicated.
"You know what? I think I'm ready to meet him." I take her hand and ignore the apprehension brewing in my middle. "Let's go eat. I'm starving."
38
PIPER-LILY
Andrew is asking me questions,but I can't concentrate on them.
I think he's repeated himself two or three times now, but I still have no idea what he just said. I can't stop thinking about Nate and his offer of the dance studio.
While the offer seems generous on the surface, I’m suspicious that something deeper is driving the gesture. Is he trying to manipulate me? Does he think this will win me over? I'm probably overthinking everything, but the deal seems too good to be true, and you know what they say about that.
The evening is almost over, and I’ve been nursing the same glass of champagne for the last hour. Cleo and Mark went to inspect the dessert table quite some time ago and haven't returned. I assume they’re giving me and Andrew some alone time. Unfortunately.
Andrew does seem like a decent person, but he elicits no stirrings of anything in me. And really, this isn't a fair fight for him. He’s no match for Nate Windemere. Noone is. My traitorous body didn't think twice about reacting to Nate's presence tonight. It's so easy to want him, to desire him. To simply want to be with him.
