Page 15 of Next Time We'll Fall

I notice that Mia and Luke are staring at me with surprised expressions, and Rafe has now come up a little bit closer as well, shaking his head. He starts pointing at me and then pointing to the edge of the stage, like he’s demanding I get off.

“Does this dude think he’s my dad?” I say to Amelia.

“He looks absolutely furious.” She starts laughing.

“He really does. If I want to enter a wet T-shirt competition, I’m going to. He’s not my dad. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s not my husband.”

“Yeah, girl, you do you.”

We quickly pull off our tops and pull the T-shirts over our heads while men whistle in the crowd. I can feel my heart racing, and I’m grateful when Amelia grabs my hand and squeezes it.

“We can stand toward the back. Those two over there …” She points to two tall, skinny blondes. “I have a feeling they’re going to go all out and a lot of attention is going to be on them.”

“Better them than us.”

“Folks, let’s get this party started tonight! We’re going to start with some Dua Lipa,” John screams into the mic as the sound of music comes blasting through the speakers.

As Amelia predicted, the two blondes immediately go toward the front of the stage and start gyrating against each other. I feel second hand embarrassment for them as they start kissing and guys start chanting.

“Well, it didn’t take them long,” Amelia says, and we start laughing.

We stand toward the back of the stage, dancing quite stiffly, and I know no one is paying attention to us aside from my cousins and Rafe. Which was likely to be how the night went because I had no intention in making out with anyone. The thought made me blush and cringe. I was such a stubborn fool for getting on this stage.

“Come on, Juni!” Rosie screams. “You can do it!”

I stare at her and just shake my head.

John calls a waitress up on the stage with a tray full of Jell-O shots, and we each down one. I can feel myself loosening up a little bit and continue to dance. As the music changes to a fast dance number, we start moving in time to the beat, and Amelia and I are soon laughing as we dance on the stage and shake our hips.

This isn’t so bad, I think to myself.

We’re just dancing on a stage. None of the men are even paying attention to us, especially not now that two of the blondes are kissing.

“Who’s ready for some water?” John shouts.

My heart starts pounding as the men chant, “Boobies! Boobies!”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” I swallow hard as I look at Amelia.

“Me neither.” She looks like she’s about to faint and I wonder if she does if I can come to her rescue. Pretend I’m a nurse and carry her off the stage. Or something. I feel mean, but I kindahope she will collapse and get us out of this. I also debate just asking her to fake a sickness.

“Stand in a line, girls. I want you to do a conga, and then you’re going to get wet,” John says loudly. “Are you all ready?”

The men in the crowd start cheering, and all I want to do is groan.

“This feels so cheap,” Amelia says, and I nod in agreement. “I really hope there are no cameras.”

“Shit. Me too.”

It’s at that point that I’m about to run off the stage, but I can see Rafe’s eyes are narrowed, and all I can think to myself is,Let me show you that I’m not just boring little Juniper.

The music changes yet again, and we start dancing around the stage in a circle. I’m swaying my hips and moving my waist back and forth.

I feel light drops of water spraying me, and then all of a sudden, I’m drenched. Absolutely drenched.

My jaw drops as I notice one of the blondes pulling off her T-shirt and then swinging it in the air. She’s still wearing her bra, but the men are going crazy for her.

“Nips, baby! Look at those nips!” a guy at the front says, guzzling beer out of a bottle.