The music filling the outdoor area changed from a slower Christmas ballad to a rollicking jazz-style carol. The beat zinged through Nik, demanding he get on his feet.
“Now what?” Jess asked, her tone suspicious. “Your whole body just lit up like…well, like a damn Christmas tree.”
“Let’s dance.” He took her hand.
“What about our drinks?” She gestured at their mostly full cups. “They’ll get cold.”
“I’ll buy you another one.”
He handed their shopping bags and a twenty dollar bill to one of the concierge guys on the lawn—yes, this mall had those. “Hold these for me?” When the guy nodded, Nik took Jess’s hand and drew her out onto the main road that wound around the center lawns.
“Nik!” She laughed out his name, but didn’t look embarrassed or resistant. He’d never heard a better sound. “No one else is dancing.”
“I know.” He grinned and pulled her into a close hold, with his right hand resting on her left shoulder blade, and his left hand gently clasping the fingers of her right. “We’re about to make a spectacle of ourselves.”
* * *
“What kind of spectacle?”Jess couldn’t have wiped the grin off her face if her life depended on it. His enthusiasm was infectious, like a disease borne on the smell of pine and Christmas cheer.
“You like Lindy hop, right?”
She loved it. “How’d you know?”
He gave her a patient smile. “Jeshka, I’ve seen every single one of your Instagram posts. I’m a fan.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks warmed at the thought of him following her photos all year, paying enough attention to note and remember something like this, instead of passively double-clicking to heart a picture and moving on. Then the way he’d said her name caught up to her. “Jeshka?”
“My people live for nicknames.” He raised his eyebrows and looked over her shoulder. “I hope you’re okay with going viral.”
“What?” She peeked behind him. Sure enough, several shoppers already had their phones out and pointed at where she stood with Nik. This would probably end up all over social media, was likely being live-streamed this very moment, with their names tagged soon if not already. Speculation was bound to arise about whether or not they were dating.
Whatever. Let them watch. She had nothing to hide. Someone might even think it was a publicity stunt, like a flash mob. It could only help both of their careers.
Not only that, Nik was an amazing dancer. Right now, she just wanted the experience of dancing with him.
What would Naomi say?
Go play.
“Let’s do this,” Jess said, and Nik took that as his cue, stepping them into the dance with his left foot.
The song was a modern big band hit, with jazzy vocals and a lively percussive beat punctuated by blaring trumpets. Nik deftly led her through the eight-count pattern of the Lindy swing out—rock step, triple step, walk, walk, triple step—matching the song’s fast-paced rhythm with speed and control.
Dancing with Nik was like being caught in a bubble—just the two of them, with a perfect, almost telepathic connection between their bodies and the music. He communicated moves to her through the tension in his fingers holding hers, the touch of his hand on her upper back, and shifts in balance. Dance created a language only spoken between the partners, as intimate as it was invigorating.
Despite all her Scrooging, tonight was the most fun she’d had in a very long time. Giving herself over to the dance and the boppy beat, Jess sank low in her knees, twisting on the balls of her feet as she swiveled left and right. The road was so well paved, her flat tennis shoes slid easily on the surface. She even closed her eyes at one point, letting the music and the steps—and Nik—take over. The soft scent of his cologne plied her memory, bringing to mind the feel of his mouth on hers. Her body warmed, and it wasn’t just from exertion.
The song’s vocals dropped out, launching into an instrumental interlude, and Nik led her into a tuck turn for a Tandem Charleston. Facing out, with her back to his front, she noticed the crowd growing around them. The awareness of their audience, combined with the heat emanating from Nik’s body and the connection she felt through their joined hands, sent a thrill racing through her.
As they kicked their way into a swing out, Jess couldn’t hold back—she let out a huge laugh, and Nik’s answering grin made her melt inside. The chorus returned and they sank down, preparing to lift with their knees. A second later, Jess was going up, both feet lifting off the ground in a perfectly controlled frog jump. Her spirit soared with the movement. She freakinglovedthis dance.
The crowdoohed, but she ignored them, the entirety of her attention fixed on Nik’s wide smile.
And he, of course, was focused solely on her. As he had been all night.
No denying it. She hadn’t had a date this good since—probably ever.
The problem was, Nik was going to leave again. Eventually, his wanderlust would return and off he’d go, just like all the other guys she’d dated in this industry. This dancing around, talking about their families and being sweet together…it was only getting her in deeper.
