13
The Dance
“Were we meant to bring a present?” Ray shouts above the music as we enter the Spritz Club, the party already in full swing. “Gregg got Samantha a present when it was her birthday, although he was having an affair behind her back, so it was probably guilt-related.”
I turn to look at him. “Who the hell are Gregg and Samantha?”
“From Bell End,” he says, as if I should know all the characters in the stupid soap he’s obsessed with.
“My sister asked that we give a donation instead. She’s helping raise money for a new wing at the children’s hospital.”
“Oh, that’s nice. What did you say her name was?”
“Ollie.”
“Ollie?” he queries.
I nod. “It’s actually Olivia, but you take your life into your own hands if you call her that.”
As I scan the crowds, trying to locate Ollie, the DJ starts playing “Love At First Sight”—one of my favourite Kylie tracks.
I nudge Ray towards the dance floor. “Come on. I love this. Let’s dance.”
“Okay. Sounds like a nice boppy rhythm.”
I screw up my nose. “Boppy! I think I need to teach you a few moves.”
He tilts his chin up, a defiant smirk on his lips. “I’ve got my own moves. You can watch and learn.”
I snort out a laugh. “Hate to tell you this, my friend, but if you’ve been taking lessons from those old Hollywood musicals, you’re about a century out of date.”
“I happen to think retro is back in fashion.”
“There’s a difference between retro and passé.”
He eyes me up and down. “You should know. Is that your grandad’s tank top you’re wearing?”
I gasp at the insult. “This is a slipover, I’ll have you know.”
He snickers. “Oh, is that what they’re calling it now?”
“Cheeky fucker!” I grunt, chuckling at his nerve. He turns around, ready to head off to the dance floor and I give his arse a playful slap. He blows me a kiss over his shoulder. “What’s gotten into you tonight?” I ask, feeling my cock twitch.
“It’s my first party!” he yells excitedly, waving his hands in the air.
He leads the way, finding a slot for us on the crowded dance floor and then he turns to face me, his eyes aglow. “So, come on, Grandad. Show me what you’ve got.”
I start moving to the beat, hands above my head, while I grind my hips down low…and then Ray starts to dance.
I knew he was flexible, with all the yoga poses he adopts when he’s sitting around at home, but I didn’t realise how that would translate into his style of dance. He’s so bendy and exuberant and when the chorus hits…wow!….it’s like dancing with one of those inflatable tube men with the flailing arms. I’m getting dizzy just watching him.
When the song fades out into a slow ballad, I’m glad the change of tempo gives me an excuse to leave the dance floor. “We should go find Ollie.”
I start to walk away, but I feel a hand wrap around my wrist and I turn back to face Ray.
“Don’t run off,” he says. “I know how to do this. I’ve seen people slow dance on Bell End.”
He wraps his arms around my neck and shuffles closer, until he’s snug against my chest. “Now we just move in a slow circle.”
I snake my arms around his waist and feel his hips nudging mine, encouraging me to start moving. As we slowly rotate, he leans his head against my shoulder. I close my eyes and give myself over to the song. My heart pinches as I listen to the lyrics. It’s as if every single line was written with me and Ray in mind. The song is “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias.
As we sway together, Ray slowly lifts his head and I open my eyes. He looks up at me, offering his lips to me, and I press my mouth to his. It’s not like last time. This isn’t a fevered kiss, charged with sexual arousal. This is tender and beautiful. A kiss of love. We kiss all the way through to the end of the song and when it’s over he gives me a dreamy smile.
“I need to…relieve myself,” he tells me.
“Need me to hold it for you?” I offer.
“Think I’ll manage.”
“Well, if your hand starts cramping up, just give me a shout.”
He chuckles and I reluctantly release him. I watch him go, my eyes glued to his sexy arse, until I feel a tap on my shoulder.
I spin around to see my sister grinning at me inanely. Her golden-brown locks are bigger and bouncier than usual, indicating she’s been playing with the curling tongs. She’s also the same height as me now that she’s in her party heels. Apart from that, she looks the same as the last time I saw her, which admittedly was quite some time ago. You lose touch with everyone when you’ve been working nights.
I’ve always thought of my sister as older than her actual years. Not in terms of wrinkles or anything, it’s all in her eyes. When she looks straight at you, you feel like you’re gazing back at Mother Earth—a caring and wise old soul inside a young woman’s body. She oozes confidence and she’s the jewel in the crown in our family, for sure. I’ve never been as popular as my sister. If I held a party, I’d be able to fit everyone I know in my tiny living room.
“Who’s the little hottie?” she asks all wide-eyed with curiosity. “You said you were bringing a friend. I didn’t realise you meant your boyfriend.”
“Well, he’s not actually my boyfriend. He’s a house guest.”
“House guest? Come off it!” She nudges me with her elbow. “You two are humping, aren’t you?”
I laugh. “No, we are not!”
“That was not two friends kissing,” she insists. “Me and the ladies were having to fan ourselves.”
I cross my arms and jut my chin. “You and the ladies should have averted your eyes.”
“Well, if he isn’t your boyfriend, what the hell are you playing at? Snap him up. We could do with some more pretty in the family.”
“Thanks, sis! Things are a little complicated between us at the moment.”
“Well, uncomplicate them. He’s so damn cute I might even offer to have your babies.”
“Ha-ha! Does your husband know you go around ogling young boys?”
She leans in, smirking at me. “Only if you tell him.”
“Where is Patrick, anyway”
“He’s around somewhere,” she scans the crowd. “Oh look, it’s Susan!” She waves and shouts at a lady in a red jacket who’s looking lost, as if she’s just arrived. “Listen,” Ollie says, turning her attention back to me. “Give me fifteen minutes and then bring your handsome young man over and introduce us. I’m sitting up near the front.”
“Okay, but don’t embarrass him. Or me.”
“Would I?” she says, as if butter wouldn’t melt.
“Oh, by the way, Happy Birthday!”
“Thanks. I’ll speak to you later.”
She makes her way over to Susan while I head off to the bar. I order a couple of beers and then grab a table near the bathrooms so I can keep an eye out for Ray. I soon spot him and shout him over. “Ollie’s dying to meet you,” I tell him when he’s seated.
“Where is she?”
“She’s chatting to someone at the moment. There’s no immediate rush.” I swivel to face him. “Ray, my sister just said something, only as a joke, but it got me thinking about your mission.”
“What about it?”
“Well, instead of just looking for a random girl, why don’t we look for a surrogate?”
He scowls at me. “A surrogate?”
“Yes. Someone who actually wants to have a baby by a perfect stranger. I’d help you look for one. You might have to fill a lot of forms out and be properly assessed and all that but I’d help you in any way I can.”
“Blake, I have two more weeks here at the very most. This does not sound like a quick fix to my problem.”
“Well, can’t you extend your stay a bit longer?”
“I already told you, being in this transient state is very draining and it’s already starting to take its toll on me.”
“Well, can’t you recharge or something?”
“I’m not a battery, Blake.”
“But there has to be some way to make this work.”
He sighs wearily. “It’s pointless to keep going over the same argument again and again. It’s just draining me even more. Why can’t you accept the facts and enjoy what time we have together? You’re ruining this for both of us.” He gets to his feet. “I think I’m going to go back to your place. I’m not in the mood to party anymore. Don’t worry, I can find my own way.”
I reach out and take his hand, looking up at him to implore him. “There has to be a way.”
He shakes his head.
“But the way you kissed me on the dance floor…”
“I like you, Blake. I like you a lot. If circumstances were different I could more than like you, but we have to be realistic. A dance. A kiss. That’s all we can ever have. A stolen moment or two to cherish.”
“I see. You just want some sweet memories to take home with you,” I sneer.
He tugs his hand free of mine. “And what’s wrong with that?” he says, tears welling in his eyes.
“What about me, Ray?” I growl in frustration. “What about me?”
“I’m sorry. I should never have involved you in any of this.”