I clink my glass to his and take a sip.
“So, like I was saying...” Troy scoots his stool closer to me so that our knees bump, and I instinctively turn my body.
Troy’s not bad looking. He’s actually pretty cute, but it’s the way I always react when I’m being hit on. I’m guarded, what can I say? I think the only time I haven’t been in the last year was in July with Sam. Speaking of…
I glance at the bar to see Sam practically slam his bottle on the counter and signal the bartender for another. That’s a peculiar way to express frustration over me being here.
My mouth pops open when a thought strikes me.
What if he’s not angry that I’m here, but angry that I’m sitting with Troy? Could Sam be jealous?
No. That’s preposterous. Isn’t it? I guess it is possible he harbors some leftover feelings from July. We did have a fantastic night, but is that enough for him to be jealous? I have to test this.
As I turn my focus back to Troy, the dance beat fades to allow the soft melody of a slow song to rise. He holds out his hand. “Would you like to dance?”
With a quick glance at Sam, I take his hand. “Yes.”
We head to the dance floor, passing a confused Lisa, Jackie, and Hannah on our way. When we get to the middle, Troy pulls me to him. He grips my right hand, and places his other hand low on my hip, but I hold back to keep some space between us. Before I know it, Troy’s leading me around the dance floor.
Every time we turn, I sneakily glance at Sam, and every time I do, he’s watching us. The longer we dance, the harder he stares.
It’s interesting, and I want to delve deeper into possible reasoning for it, but I can’t concentrate with Troy stepping on my feet every two seconds. It takes all my self-control not to take the lead. Instead, I have to keep reminding myself to let Troy guide me, but it’s hard when his missteps put us off rhythm. When I try to correct our movements, he grips me tighter.
“You’re supposed to follow my lead,” he says, annoyance lacing his tone.
I want to retort with something snarky, letting him know I’m not follower material, but I bite my tongue. It would probably result in him ending our dance, and I wouldn’t be able to complete my observations of Sam.
He’s been watching us this whole time, and I’m wondering how far I can push this experiment.
Sliding my hand across Troy’s shoulder, I inch closer to him. I’d prefer to keep some distance between us, but as I move, Troy seizes an opportunity. He lowers his hand so his fingers graze the top of my butt as he closes the gap completely. With a smirk, he puts his cheek to mine and continues the dance.
I have to crane my neck to see around him, but I glimpse Sam jumping from his stool, and my heart jumps too.
This is it. I’ve done it. I’ve proven that he is in fact jealous, and now he’s on his way over here to cut in.
Will I let him? While I’d be grateful to be rid of Troy, I don’t know that I’d accept Sam’s offer. I might tell him to buzz off. That would teach him.
The slow song begins to fade out, and I’m counting the seconds until I hear Sam’s voice, but it never comes. Right as the song ends, I lift my head to see Sam heading toward the exit. Before he steps through the doorway, someone enters and bumps into him, pushing him back a step.
His gaze flicks to me briefly, and I watch his features crumble as his posture noticeably deflates. Then, he leaves, and my heart sinks. That certainly wasn’t the reaction I was going for.
“How about another dance?” Troy asks, pulling my focus back to him.
“What?”
“You sure don’t listen well, do you?” Troy rolls his eyes. “I asked if you want to dance again.”
“Oh. Um, no thanks.”
He nods as if he’s not terribly upset. “Well, can I get your number?”
I lick my lips, biting down on my bottom one, and shake my head. “I don’t really date.”
A sneer overtakes his face, but he shrugs. “Okay. You’re probably not worth my time, anyway,” he says, then storms off.
I don’t know why, but Troy’s cruel words hit me hard.
How does he know I’m not worth his time? I could be the best thing that ever happened to him, and he squandered it. Just like Connor. Just like Sam…
