Page 9 of Pretend I’m Yours
I stationed myself where I could still see what was happening with my three friends, but then I returned to the beat. It would be a great time to try to practice Teisha’s moves without her there to add pressure.
Let the music move through you, I thought, remembering her advice. I closed my eyes and tried to cut loose, just letting my body move to the sound of the beat. It was loud enough to drown out the stomping of the other dancers on the floor, and for the brief moment I could almost imagine I was the only one in the room.
It released a lot of the pressure I felt, and I started to get the hang of things. Teisha would be so proud when she returned. Which would hopefully be soon.
With a grin, I opened my eyes to see how the peacemaking was going. But, my heart sank and I froze in the middle of my dance. I couldn’t see Teisha or Mel, but standing right on the other side of the floor was my ex.
He was looking at me with his usual sadistic grin, and as soon as he saw me noticing him, he started toward me. My heart raced as I briefly panicked, and I wished more than anything Teisha would show back up. I didn’t want to deal with Brandon on my own. Not in the middle of the club, not with a couple of drinks in my stomach.
“Look who decided to finally get out and have some fun,” he said as he stopped much too close to me. “And I tried so many times to get you to do this, and you wouldn’t.”
“Go away,” I said fiercely. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
“We don’t have to talk, just dance,” he replied coyly. He tried to move behind me and get around me, but I took a step forward and whirled around to face him.
“I’m not going to dance with you, and you better get out of here before my friends get back,” I snapped. “They hate you as much as I do, and I’d hate to see how that’d turn out.”
My heart continued to pound, and now I was also cursing Mel’s clumsiness.
Teisha needed to get back, and soon.
“That’s no way to talk to someone who cares so deeply for you,” he replied with the same sadistic smile.
“I’ll call the cops,” I threatened.
Brandon laughed. “You really think anyone on the force is going to do anything to me? Come on, they all looked up to me, and most of them still do.”
“Fuck off,” I said. I wasn’t going to stand there and take it any longer. With my nose in the air, I turned on my heel and walked to the other side of the floor, hoping if I were closer to the bar I’d be able to get the attention of the bartender or bouncer if Brandon were to bother me again.
I tried not to let my heart sink when I still didn’t see any of my friends. They should have been over there, but they weren’t anywhere to be found. I wanted to pull out my phone and text Teisha, but I hardly dared be distracted with Brandon around.
Once again, I tried dancing, this time in full view of the bar. I was keeping my eye on the bathrooms, hoping they had gone in there to clean up. It wasn’t long, however, before Brandon came back over to my side, once again making a point to stand much too close to me.
“Come on, let my buy you a drink. Where’s the harm in that?” he cooed.
“I don’t want another drink,” I snapped. “Go away!”
I was done. I knew things were only going to get worse, and I was more than ready to go home. Things had taken a turn, and I was beginning to wish that I hadn’t gone out at all. I could have been home studying, but instead I was alone in a club, unsure of where my friends were, and being harassed by my ex.
Without another word, I turned once again and walked off the floor, this time on my way to the bathroom. I hoped it would be enough to give Brandon the hint. I had walked away from him twice, and if the bartender or bouncer were paying attention, then he’d be asked to leave.
Then again, it was Brandon, and I knew he had a way of buying off people. It wouldn’t be below him to slip both the bartender and the bouncer some money if they were to leave him alone for the night. Knowing the kind of people they hired at this club, it also wouldn’t surprise me if they were to take the bribe.
“Come on, Teisha, where are you?” I muttered to myself as I scanned the room. There were more faces than I could count, and with the alcohol swirling around in my head along with the anxiety Brandon caused, it was hard for me to pick out any one face from the others.
