You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This (8 page)

She put away one of the cans and took out a bottle of flavored spring water, which she set on the counter beside him. Without opening the other can, she stood beside him again, as close as possible in the hope that he would find some comfort in her presence. “So it sounds like Mrs. Golding and Louisa’s family want you to hold the competition.”

“They do.” He took a sip of water. “I’m not the sole decision-maker, and the others involved don’t seem to want to hear that Louisa would want us to go on. We’re having a meeting in the morning to discuss it.” His voice became a snarl. “What’s to discuss? She’s gone. Canceling isn’t going to do her any good.”

“Do you want me to go to the meeting with you?” She would call in sick to work if he wanted her support. If he needed her, she wanted to be there for him.

“Closed meeting,” he muttered. “I’d ask you to come along and wait outside for me, except I think that would bore the heck out of you. You have no idea how long some of the committee members can talk. Thank you for offering, though.”

“You’re welcome.” She took his hand. “Let’s go into the living room. The couch is more comfortable than your counter.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Hand in hand, they walked into the other room. When they sat down, neither of them spoke. After a few moments, Stefan began to tremble, and Erin realized he was crying. She put her arm around him and pulled his head down onto her shoulder. He leaned against her, and she felt his tears through her shirt.

Finally, he sat up and brushed his hands over his face. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Erin replied. She reached out a fingertip to wipe away a stray tear on his cheek. Those idiots better not cancel the competition. They don’t understand how much it means to him.

“You’re here.” He took her hand in both of his. “I’m supposed to be wooing you, not crying on your shoulder.”

“Wooing?” She laughed. “Yeah, I don’t think you need to do that. As for crying, it’s my shoulder and I’ll let you cry on it if you want to. Like I said, I know how losing a friend feels.” She paused. “Who else is on the committee?”

“Never mind.” He gave her a thin smile. “I know what you’re thinking. I can see it on your face. You want to tromp in there and give them what-for, tell them just what you think of them for trying to cancel this. I’m afraid your input won’t help, Erin. They’re going to make their decision based on the arguments for and against, and only the committee members are allowed to argue. I really, really appreciate your support, though.”

“I’m standing up for you,” she pointed out. “And for Emma and Louisa. And for Scott, even though he d—we lost him a different way. This is for everyone who’s lost someone or might lose someone, and they’d be stupid to cancel it.”

He stared at her, and she looked away. Maybe she’d gone overboard. She hadn’t realized she felt so strongly about the situation until she’d begun talking. Now, she completely understood what the competition meant to Stefan and the others who took part. And what competing again would mean to her.

“Wow,” Stefan said finally. “I wish they would let me bring you in there. If you said that to them and it didn’t convince them, nothing would. Mind if I use it?”

“Please do.” She moved over to lean against him. “Can I do anything else to help?”

“You’ve done a lot.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’d like to get some sleep now. I’ll call you tomorrow after the meeting and let you know what happens, okay?”

She didn’t want to go home. The times he’d asked her to stay before, she’d felt too trapped and too rushed to accept. Now she wanted to spend the night with him to offer him some kind of comfort. Even if they only slept next to each other in his bed, at least she would be there for him.

Tonight wouldn’t be the right time to stay.
“Yeah. That would be good.” She touched her lips to his. “Sleep well.”

Without waiting for a reply, she left.

Just as Erin clocked out for lunch the next day, her cell phone rang, with Stefan’s number showing on the display. “It’s on!” he shouted when she answered.

She rubbed her ear, smiling at the news. “That’s great. If you deafen me, I won’t be able to hear the music to dance with you.”

He chuckled. “Sorry. I guess I might be just a tad excited. Somehow Louisa’s father found out about the meeting and showed up. A couple of committee members didn’t want to let him speak. The rest of us overruled them and let him in. Between him talking about how much the competition meant to Louisa and my paraphrasing of what you said last night, they decided to go on with the event as planned, with the addition of a tribute to Louisa.” He paused. “I hoped you might help with that.”

“I didn’t know her,” she pointed out. “I mean, of course I’ll help if I can. I just don’t know what I’d bring to it.”

“Scott.”

She took a deep breath. She’d said herself that the competition should be for everyone who’d lost someone. That included her. She’d learned to dance from her heart because she’d never been taught any other way, yet since she’d lost Scott her heart hadn’t truly been in it. Time to change that. Past time.

“Special routine?” she suggested.

“Meet me at the studio tonight and we’ll talk about it.”

She smiled. “I’ll be there.”

Through the rest of the day, part of her mind worked on coming up with a song and steps for the tribute to Louisa and Scott. A few times, customers caught her daydreaming, and she had to apologize to one woman who complained to the manager about her. She didn’t care. Finding the right dance was more important.

At the end of the workday, she called Merit and left a voicemail telling him she’d be late coming home, then drove to the studio. Stefan sat on the trunk of his car in the parking lot and jumped down when she parked beside him. “I have a few ideas.”

“Me too.” She nodded toward his laptop, which sat on the front seat of his car. “We’re going to need music.”

“Already took care of that,” he replied.

“We’ll see.” She unlocked the studio door. “Let’s go to work.”

Instead of going upstairs, they went into the main room where they’d have more space to work. Stefan plugged in the laptop and turned it on. “You’re going to like this song,” he said.

“What happens if I have a song I like better?” she teased. “Don’t I have a vote?”

“Of course you do. I think this one’s perfect, though.” He clicked on the playlist and the opening strains of an old country song filled the room. “Just listen. Don’t dance right now. We’ll figure that out afterward.”

The song was about not having regrets, about being glad to have shared a “dance” with someone even though it ended painfully. As a child, Erin had loved the song. She’d nearly forgotten it as she’d grown up. Hearing the words now, tears filled her eyes and her heart ached. “You’re right,” she said softly. “It’s perfect.”

He shut off the music. “Then let’s figure out the steps.”

For the next few hours, they forgot anything other than the dance. Over and over, Stefan played the song while they experimented with steps and variations, trying to find just the right combination to fit the music and the emotions behind their movements. When Erin’s stomach growled, she ignored it. They had only two days before the competition, and working out this routine was more important than eating.

Finally, Stefan shut down the laptop. “It’s late and I’m starving,” he said. “I think we have what we need. How about you?”

“I think Scott and Louisa would like it.” She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. “We have a lot of practicing to do if we want to be ready for Saturday.”

“Yeah, and we will practice more another time. Not tonight.” He took her hands in his. “Let’s have something to eat. I’ll take you out or we can go back to my place, your choice. Tomorrow we can practice before and/or after class, whatever works best for you, and Friday…” He trailed off and glanced at the calendar on the wall. “Friday there’s something going on here. Maybe we can practice at my house? If I move stuff around in the living room, we’ll have enough space.”

“Sounds good.” She paused. “What time does the thing start on Saturday?”

“One in the afternoon. So maybe we can meet here again that morning.”

That wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, though she didn’t know if she actually wanted to make the suggestion she had. Before she talked herself out of speaking her thoughts, she blurted, “Maybe I’ll just stay over Friday night. If that’s okay with you, I mean.”

“Why wouldn’t it be okay with me?” He took her hand. “Are you sure?”

“Nope.” She grinned. “We’ll figure it out for sure on Friday. Meanwhile, I think you mentioned having something to eat.” Her stomach growled again. “Like now?”

“Yeah.” He closed the laptop and unplugged it. “Now is good.”

~***~

 As usual, Thursday they both arrived early for class and spent the extra time practicing. After class, they skipped the social dancing time and stayed upstairs to work. “We’re going to be fine,” Stefan assured Erin when they finally left. “If you still want to come over tomorrow night, just show up at my place when you’re finished work. If I’m not home, I keep a spare key under the rock at the corner of the back step.”

“Because that isn’t an obvious place,” she teased. “And why wouldn’t I want to go to your place? We can practice or just hang out. We are, you know, like boyfriend-girlfriend or something, right?” She grinned. “How teeny-bopper do I sound?”

“Way too much.” He pulled her to him and kissed her. “See you tomorrow.”

That night, she dreamed about dancing. The routine she and Stefan had worked out for their competitive piece was good. The one in tribute to Louisa and Scott brought tears to her eyes. She just hoped it would do the same for the people who watched.

Friday morning, Merit caught her on her way out the door to work. “Just tell me you aren’t moving out on me or anything.”

“Huh?” She looked at him, unsure whether he was serious or joking, and set down the backpack she’d filled in case she actually went through with the idea of staying at Stefan’s over night. “Of course I’m not.”

“I’ve barely seen you this week.” He smiled. “Plenty of time with the new man. That isn’t a bad thing. I just missed you.”

“I’m sorry.” She hugged him. “I’m not ignoring you, really. Stefan and I’ve just been practicing a lot for this event of his tomorrow. In fact…” She trailed off, and her face heated. “I won’t be home at all tonight.”

“Really? Oh, boy, party time!” He tightened his arms around her and lifted her from the floor. She squealed, and he laughed. “About time you let yourself find someone,” he said. “You’ve been ‘not serious’ about anyone as long as I’ve known you.”

“I don’t know how serious things will be between me and Stefan. I kind of want to find out.” She pulled away from him. “So, yeah. He’s asked me before to spend the night, and since the competition’s tomorrow, tonight seemed like a good night to stay. You won’t be too lonely, will you?”

“I think I’ll manage.” He touched her hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow, anyway. From the audience at your competition.”

“You don’t have rehearsal?” On Saturdays, she rarely saw Merit since his troupe usually practiced all weekend.

“I do. I’ve made arrangements to start later than usual.” He paused. “For everyone who wants to go, actually. If your event is to raise money for a good cause, I’m all about making sure the optimum amount of money is raised.”

She stared at him and a grin slowly spread across her lips. The troupe he belonged to numbered nearly forty people, not counting behind-the-scenes workers. She didn’t know how much admission to the competition would be, but if Merit persuaded even half his troupe to go with him, it would definitely bring up the total raised. That would make Stefan very happy. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome.” He winked. “Better go to work before they think you spent last night somewhere else. See you tomorrow.”

“See you then.” She left, face still warm.

That day at work, several people asked her whether she had any information about the charity competition. Although she hadn’t seen or heard any publicity for the event, apparently one of Louisa’s family members had mentioned it to someone from one of the local TV stations. The news had picked up the story and had aired it the night before.

Erin didn’t have all the information people wanted, but she answered some questions and at lunch called Stefan, who told her to pass along his number to anyone who wanted to know more.

He called her shortly before the end of her work day. “I’ve had at least a dozen people contact me,” he reported. “Word spreads fast, I guess. Some of them can’t even go to the competition. They wanted to find out where and how to donate.”

“That’s wonderful,” Erin replied. “Merit and some of the other dancers in his company are planning to attend as well.”

“I heard. I think this might turn into the best event we’ve had yet, at least in terms of money raised.” He paused. “Actually in general. I think Louisa and Emma would be happy.”

“We’ll make sure they’d be proud,” Erin assured him. “I’m about to head over to your place. Are you home yet?”

“No, I’ll be at work a little longer. Just let yourself in and I’ll bring food when I come home.” He chuckled. “You know, at the risk of rushing things again, coming home to you sounds really good.”

“You’re rushing things. See you later.” She hung up, smiling.

She finished her shift and drove to Stefan’s. She found the key under the mat and let herself in to be immediately mugged by Gorilla. “Okay, okay, I’ll take you out!” she said, laughing as the dog frantically licked her hands and ran back and forth between her and the door.

By the time Stefan arrived, about an hour later, Erin had walked Gorilla and settled with the dog in the living room to watch the early news. Stefan set down a fragrant paper bag on the coffee table and sat beside Erin on the couch. “Anything interesting?” he asked, nodding toward the TV.

“Not really. I hoped they’d repeat the story about the competition.” She leaned against him. “Food smells good.”

“Chinese.” He put his arm around her. “It really is nice to have you here. As time goes on, we might want to think about having this happen every night.”

“Don’t be pushy.” She stuck out her tongue, taking the sting from her words. “Besides, I have a roommate. I can’t just bail on Merit.”

“I have a guest room,” Stefan pointed out. “Gorilla won’t mind sharing.”

Erin laughed. “I think Merit might, especially if Gorilla’s fur got on his clothes.”

“Should we eat first and then practice, or vice versa?” Stefan let go of her and leaned forward to tear open the bag. “This smells pretty good, and I don’t know if my stomach can wait. We have work to do, though.”

“Eat first.” The smell of the food made her too hungry to think about dancing. “We have all night to practice.”

“Does that mean you’ve decided to stay tonight?” he asked without looking at her.

“Mostly. I’m still thinking.” She got up and went to the kitchen for plates and silverware. “Let’s eat.”

“Just don’t drop any food on my couch,” he teased.

“I won’t if you don’t.”

While they ate, instead of continuing to watch the news Stefan changed the channel to a sitcom rerun. “I’m in too good a mood to deal with death and destruction,” he explained.

“Same here.” She smiled. “I do like this. Just don’t ask me to make any decisions about it right now.”

He held up a hand. “No more rushing, I promise. Except maybe rushing this meal so we have time to rehearse.”

When they finished eating, he shut off the TV and turned on the music they’d agreed to for their competition routine. Erin took his hand and allowed him to pull her up off the couch, and they moved the coffee table into the kitchen to allow enough room to move. The space was smaller than Erin was used to, but it would do.

She readied herself for the steps of the routine. Instead, Stefan spun her into his arms and pressed his mouth against hers. His tongue tickled her lips, and without thinking she parted them. Their tongues touched and Stefan’s hand stole up her side to touch her breast.

With a gasp, she broke the kiss. “This isn’t the routine we planned.”

“No.” He kissed the side of her neck. “This is what I’d planned for tonight. We’ve practiced our routine plenty, and we haven’t had any non-dance time together in a week. We’ll be fine tomorrow.” He licked the tip of her nose, and she laughed. “Tonight’s for us,” he said firmly. “Come to my room and let me show you my moves.”

“I’ve seen them,” she pointed out.

“Then you know how fantastic I am.” Grabbing her hand, he tugged her toward the bedroom. “Worry later. I want you.”