***
I had found a plate of small cubes of cheese and pineapple held together with toothpicks. I was hovering around the table, picking them up by the toothpicks and popping them into my mouth.
I had already had two cocktails by now, brightly colored and tropical tasting, and I was swaying unconsciously to the deliriously happy music playing in the background. I hadn’t seen Casper in some time – it could have been half an hour. I figured he needed his space to mingle, and I knew I needed the space, too. But by now I was beginning to get a little bored. I knew that if I was alone for any longer, I would end up drinking too much and filling myself with entrees.
When I felt a hand on the back of my waist, I turned with a jerk and the cocktail glass in my hand – filled with a bright blue drink – spilled and sprayed on Casper’s white shirt.
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry,” I cried, and then laughed when I saw him laughing. Casper kept his hand on my waist and drew me close to him. I could see the splash of blue spreading over the front of his shirt from the corner of my eye. But it didn’t seem to bother him.
“I saw that butt swaying to the music, and I just had to come over and grab it,” he said, and I blushed immediately.
“This is a fun party,” I said, recognizing his scent and the feel of his hands on my skin. There were goose bumps on my flesh; Casper Argent had an immediate effect on my senses.
“I hope you’re not bored. I’m sorry. I had a lot of hellos to exchange. I’m all yours now,” he said, and I placed a free hand on his shoulder. I was aware of eyes on us, and my cheeks flushed.
“Aren’t you worried about what people might think?” I asked, leaning in close to his ear.
“They can see that I’ve brought a date. What else can they possibly think?” he asked, and he swung me around in his arms to the tune of the music playing in the background.
The cocktail splashed some more out of my glass, and we both laughed again.
“No, I meant, like, who I am,” I said softly, and he turned his face so that our noses were nearly touching. His lips looked delicious. I could hardly stop myself from kissing him. But I also knew that I’d asked him a dangerous question, one that I should have bitten my tongue on. We barely knew each other. And he didn’t owe me anything.
The smile on his face disappeared as he stared into my eyes.
“You’re Lily Fitz, of course – environmental activist by day, in my bed by night,” he said, and swung me around again. This time, he swung me so far that the glass fell, crashing to the floor. I yelped in surprise, but I couldn’t stop myself from laughing either. Casper grabbed me by the waist when he pulled me back into his arms.
“Just don’t make me hula, whatever you do,” I said when I was close to him again. A couple of people in the party had started to do it in the corner, and I rolled my eyes at them.
“Why not? I can teach you if you’re embarrassed about not knowing how to do it,” he said, clutching my hand and sticking it up in the air. We were dancing, our feet moving in a quick rhythmic pace around each other. He hadn’t stepped on my shoes once.
“It’s not that. It’s cultural appropriation. A couple of white folks from the mainland trying to drunkenly butcher a traditional dance form,” I said, turning my nose up at him. I saw him raise his eyebrows and then slowly shake his head.
“Don’t be a bore, Lily. Just shut up and dance, will you?” He twirled me around again, and I screamed with delight over the music. I was having fun. I could feel my limbs loosening the longer he kept me in his arms.
He pulled me close and then swung me around again. A few people had started clapping at us, too. It was like we were putting on a show for them. I didn’t even have time to feel embarrassed or nervous from the attention. I felt welcomed and like these people I didn’t know were all my friends. It was a happy high.
“Stop telling me what to do,” I said light heartedly the next time our faces were close together again.
Casper laughed. He threw his head back, and his shoulders shook from the laughter.
“Do you know your nose wrinkles up when you say something that you think will offend me?” he said, bringing his lips close to me. His mouth touched my earlobe, and I was reminded of how he had sucked on it. I felt a shiver down my spine and goose bumps on my flesh again.
“So, you pay less attention to what I’m saying, and more to the way my nose looks?” I asked him with an eyebrow raised. One of my arms clutched his back while my other hand was in his. He held me tightly to him as he laughed at me again.
“You have no idea how well I can multitask,” he said, throwing me away from him in another twirl.
“Is that right?” I asked when he pulled me back to him. His lips were curling in a smile again.
“I’ll show you tonight when I make you come with my fingers and suck your nipples at the same time,” he said into my ear, setting my body on fire.