I Wanna Dance With Somebody

"I've been in love and lost my senses
Spinning through the town
Sooner or later the fever ends
And I wind up feeling down
I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last
So when the night falls
My lonely heart calls
Oh! I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Yeah! I wanna dance with somebody
With somebody who loves me" I Wanna Dance With Somebody By Whitney Houston 

Friday night kicked off Darren’s first round of playoff games for his school. I bundled up and dragged Trevor out to the game with me. Rachel wasn’t going to be able to join us until around halftime due to her school work, so I promised Trevor hot chocolate in exchange for him to keep me company. He agreed.

The game was a nail bitter. Darren’s team was having trouble moving the ball, but they stuck to the run game. Rachel showed up a little after halftime, and we chatted while watching the game.

“Someone was asking about you…” Rachel teased me.

“Tell Blake I died.” I said, shortly. Trevor laughed at me.

“It wasn’t Blake” Rachel informed me. “It was Gabriel. He works with me. Apparently y’all met at his party.”

“I don’t remember meeting a Gabriel or the owner of the house. Maybe he’s thinking of my cousin...” I looked at Trevor. He shrugged.

“No. It was you. He said you threatened to kill him with some ninja move.” Rachel said.

Trevor and I both started laughing. “Freddy Krueger. I didn’t know he owned the house. That explains why he was in the kitchen making a sandwich out of himself and two other girls.” I laughed.

Now I was able to place that guy at Rachel’s work that smiled at me. He looked much cuter out of the creepy costume.

“Oh. So I’m guessing you’re not interested?" Rachel smiled at me.

"She might be. That's her type recently." Trevor grinned.

"Shut up Trevor. No, I'll pass." I told them.

"Ok. Good. I couldn't tell if he was interested or just being nosy, so no point of trying to figure it out."

We continued to watch the game. Well, I did. Rachel was preoccupied with her phone and Trevor was people watching. On more than one occasion, I laughed and had to tell him to shut up as he made up stories about people. I cheered wildly when Darren broke away and got a 50 yard touchdown in the last 2 minutes of the 4th quarter. His team’s defense held the lead for the victory. I was so excited for him.

"You act like that's your son!" Trevor smiled, as we waited to walk down the stands.

"Basically. His knee is my work."

"I don't think it works like that."

"Good thing I don't pay you to think."

"Wait, you’re supposed to be paying me?"

"Yeah. In hot chocolate. You're seriously overcharging." I said, smiling at him as we followed Rachel.

"Hey! My time is precious. I could be in Austin right now." Trevor countered.

"Doing what?" I asked as we waited for Forrest.

"Don't worry about that."

"No problem. I don't worry about nothing, which is what you would be doing." I smirked at him.

"I swear if you weren't a girl..." Trevor warned, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"You'd what? Hit me? Do it." I laughed at him.

Trevor didn't have a chance to follow through with his threats because the team and Forrest finally made their way out. I stayed under Trevor's arm to avoid any physical contact with Forrest. He brought up the fact that he wasn't invited to our dance party.

"Nope, no significant others." I grinned.

Forrest eyed Trevor and me, suspiciously.

"Lamar and Patrick." Forrest pointed out.

"Fine. You just weren't invited Forrest. Sorry." I joked.

We stood around and chatted in the cold while the buses were loaded. I left with Trevor, promising I would send pictures of me dressed up with the jewelry to Rachel.

We went back to my apartment for hot chocolate. I was surprised to see Sammy and Corey hanging out together.

"Hey." I greeted them, "Want some hot chocolate."

"No thanks. We're good." Sammy answered for the both of them.

"I'll take one." Corey said.

"Marshmallows or whipped cream?" I asked them.

"Yes." Trevor answered.

I smiled and headed to the kitchen. I returned to the living room with 3 mugs of hot chocolate. Trevor made small talk as we drank. I talked with Corey and Trevor while Sammy looked at her nails. She ignored all of my attempts to talk to her. I asked Trevor if he wanted to see my dress for the party. He nodded, so we put our mugs away and went upstairs.

“Still not speaking to each other?” Trevor asked me as we went in my room.

“I’m talking to her. I even said sorry. She’s still mad at me.” I sighed.

“So let’s see the dress.” He said, changing the subject.

I went to the closet and pulled it out.

“Looks good on the hanger.” He said when I held it up to him.

I smiled. “What is that supposed to mean?’

“It’s nice. On the hanger.” He repeated, smiling.

I went into the bathroom with the dress to put it on.

“Are you getting dressed up for your exes?” Trevor asked me through the door.

I paused as the dress slid over my head. Did he plan on asking me while I was in the bathroom so I couldn't read his facial expressions?

"No." I replied, putting my arms through the dress. I came out the bathroom and Trevor looked me over with a smile.

“Looks better on you.”

I don’t know why I blushed. “Thanks.” I grinned.

"So which ex is the dress for?" He asked me.

I rolled my eyes. "Neither. Ethan's not big on appearances nor compliments and Jake likes tight and revealing. This is all for me."

Trevor smiled at me. "Great choice. You look beautiful."

His compliment filled me with warmth. "Thank you."

"Although... it is a little short in the back. The part that's not see-through." Trevor said.

"Really?" I said, turning to my mirror sideways to see the back.

"Maybe. We better do a dance test." Trevor grinned.

"What's a dance test?" I asked, confused.

"You dance, I make sure everything is covered."

"The dress is fine. There will be no inappropriate dancing at Ethan's party anyway." I said, laughing as I walked to the bathroom to take off the dress.

"Alright. Just dance for me then." Trevor laughed.

I came out of the bathroom in pajama pants and a tank. I did dance for Trevor, after I made him twerk for me first. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. I was in tears. He reminded me of Jimmy Fallon's twerking. I spent the rest of the night trying to correct him before I gave up, collapsing on the bed with him.

He fell asleep quickly and I just watched him. I always knew how good looking Trevor is. I obsessed over it for years, it's not like I forgot. But it hit me hard all of a sudden...

I shook it off and pulled out my phone. I snapped a picture of him sleeping and posted on my Instagram. I captioned it:

#Exhausted#DanceLesson#TwerkNeedsWork

I fell asleep, smiling.



Saturday, I drove over to Rocky's place to get ready. We were carpooling together as soon as Brandon came home from work and changed. We compromised on pop music as we got ready. We did our hair and makeup and danced around in her room.

"We get to have our dance off tonight. For real. No videogames." Rocky said, doing a little shimmy to Anaconda by Nicki Minaj as she applied her red lipstick.

"Oh yeah? Ethan actually approved dance music?" I asked, grinning and applying another coat of mascara.

"His mom did. She got Reggie to DJ."

"Awesome. I never heard him DJ."

"He's pretty good. Be ready to be embarrassed."

"Whatever. I don't want any excuses from you. This ends tonight."

"What ends tonight?" Brandon asked us, joining us in the room.

I answered, "Your girl is going to lose in a dance battle."

"I'll be the judge!" Brandon offered,

"No. You're not impartial." I said, watching them share a kiss.

"You've been drinking?" Rocky said, pulling away from Brandon.

"Yep, I'm gonna need it. You're driving tonight." He told her, before he went into the bathroom.

I looked at Rocky, confused as to why he needed to drink tonight. Rocky rolled her eyes.

"Sibling rivalry."

I shook my head.

After Brandon showered and changed into black slacks, a red button down under a gray sweater, we headed to the Country Club in Frisco. It was right in between McKinney and Dallas, so it was the perfect spot for the party.

We didn't explore the outside at all, considering it was cold and drizzling. Even though my dress was long, it was sheer and my cardigan was providing little protection from the weather.

Brandon eyed the box I was carrying as we were escorted to the party room.

"What's that?" Brandon asked me.

"A gift for your brother." I answered. Duh.

"Say it's from all of us." Brandon asked.

I laughed. "No. It's an inside joke. That would be weird."

"And you and your inside jokes with all your guy friends here won't be weird?" He smirked.

"Hush Brandon." Rocky shushed him as we walked inside the room.

It was beautifully decorated with a view of the pond on the golf course. The table linens were in rich shades of brown and gold. There were touches of blue in the flower arrangements and decorations on the tables that tied everything together. It was simple but classy. I expected nothing less from Ethan's mother.

The room was already filled with people, mingling, sitting, snacking on hors d'oeuvres and drinking drinks. Brandon spotted his parents and Ethan first so we made our way over.

Daniel, Ethan's Coworker, (or subordinate, I have no idea how their ranking goes now) spotted us first. He smiled at us as we approached.

"How is it that Ethan got the promotion, but baby brother shows up with two beautiful women?" He asked

Rocky smiled. "He's just so cute he gets both of us." She hugged Mr. And Mrs. Carter, Daniel, then Ethan. I followed her lead, placing the box out the way.

"What's in the box?" Ethan asked me when I pulled away from him.

"It's a present. Congratulations." I said, handing to him.

"I said no gifts." He frowned.

"You should have said bring gifts. You know I do the opposite of what you say." I teased.

"Open it. She said it was an inside joke." Brandon chuckled.

Ethan eyed me worriedly, ripping through the paper. "Is it appropriate?"

"I don't recall." I lied.

He peaked inside before pulling out the briefcase. He stared at it, examining the gold name plate for a moment.

"You don't have to use it. I just wanted you to have something tangible." I told him quickly as everyone watched him, hoping he remembered our conversation from years ago.

"I will use it. It's perfect, thank you Lily. I can't believe you remembered this." Ethan finally said, smiling at me and erasing my fears.

"I remember everything." I smiled at him.

"Did you know that when Ethan was in the 5th grade he picked out a briefcase for his backpack? It was adorable." Mrs. Carter asked me.

"She does. I believe she said she would have knocked it out my hands." Ethan told his mom, chuckling.

"I said bullies." I denied.

"No, you said you would have." He countered.

"I don't remember that." I shrugged.

"Of course not." Ethan said while we laughed.  Ethan watched me with a little smile on his face.

"Son, do you want me take that to the coat check? Your brother can take the ladies' coats." Mr. Carter asked Ethan.

"I got it." Ethan said, offering to take my cardigan.  I shrugged it off and thanked him. After they left, Rocky turned to Mrs. Carter.

"It looks so beautiful in here Deborah." She complimented her with a smile.

"Oh thank you Racqelle! I'm happy Ethan even let me plan a party. Follow me, I'll show you to our table." Mrs. Carter answered.

I followed them, examining the room. I saw Amber, Will and their kids at a table. I waved to them. When we approached the table where Tami, Ethan's half sister was sitting, I turned to Mrs. Carter.

"Mrs. Carter, is it assigned sitting?" I asked her.

"Call me Deborah dear. No, but I have a seat for you with us."

"Thank you Deborah, but I'm going to sit with my friend who has three kids. She'll probably need my help." I responded.

"Of course." Deborah nodded.

"Thank you. Nice seeing you Tami. I'll see you on the dance floor Rocky!" I waved.

"You know it." Rocky smiled before I headed towards Amber.

I gushed over the girls' hair and dresses, Robbie's little suit and Amber's body in the dress. I even complimented Will's tie with burgundy stripes that matched perfectly with the family.

After the kids were set up with snacks and drinks, I made Will and Amber mingle while I watched the kids. Megan, EJ and David joined our table before EJ went to his grandparents. We were chatting about the weather and upcoming holiday plans when Jake made an appearance at the table.

I was both glad and upset I didn't see him coming. He looked so fucking sexy. His hair was cut and his body looked amazing in dark denim, a black dress shirt, and a black sport coat. No tie, just a few buttons undone to show a sexy hint of tan skin. I knew if I would have seen him coming I would have had more time to explore his body with my eyes or hid under the table. One of the two.

He greeted all of us before Megan and David excused themselves. I knew Megan caught my desperate look cause she giggled before she said bye. I don't know why I thought me and that evil woman could be friends...

I was so glad I was holding Robbie. It gave me an excuse to look away from Jake to give Robbie another piece of cheese.

"Hello ladies. You both look pretty." Jake told Krista and April as he sat down next to me.

April giggled while Krista smiled. "Thank you. I picked out the dress."

"You did?" Jake asked her.

She nodded. "Red is my favorite color. April's is blue but my momma said I could pick the dress." She said in a haughty tone.

"You made a great choice. Although blue is a pretty color too." Jake said, diplomatically, winking at April. She giggled harder.

He turned to look at me. "I see there were pretty blue dresses too."

Thankfully, I contained myself and just smiled at him.

Jake tried to say hello to Robbie, but he saw his mom approaching and wanted out of my lap.

"Thanks Lily. Go get a drink before dinner starts." Amber suggested. I nodded.

"Can I join you?" Jake asked.

I nodded again. Fuck Lily. Say something.

I didn't speak until we got to the bar. That was just to order an amaretto sour.

"Amaretto huh?" Jake said, after he ordered a beer.

"It's my winter drink." I said, plainly. The bartender delivered our drinks and Jake tipped as we moved on. I was racking my brain for something to say.

"So, Krista huh? She's gonna be trouble. I can tell." I said.

"Naw. April will be. It's the quiet ones you have to look out for." Jake said, sipping his beer.

"Why is that?" I asked, looking up at him.

"It's easier to read loud people. You never know what the quiet ones are thinking." Jake commented.

I knew he was talking about me. Before I could think of how to react, a guy approached us, calling "Jake!"

"Felix. How's it going?" Jake responded, shaking the guy's hand.

"It's been good. How are you doing?" Felix replied.

"Bout the same." Jake nodded. Felix looked over at me, expecting an introduction. I looked at Jake. He just watched me. When both Jake and I stayed silent, he continued.

"Let me go get a drink. Make sure you find your way to my table later so we can catch up." He said before turning to me. "You too if you wanna hear stories about J-Money." He told me before leaving.

"J-Money? Really?" I laughed.

"My jump shot was money." He explained.

That made me laugh harder. "Sure it was. I think I'm gonna go find his table now."

"Another reason I don't go home too often." He muttered.

"What's wrong J-Money? Anymore secrets?" The words were out my mouth before I could take them back.

"No more, besides that stupid nickname. You never told me why Trevor calls you Lilypad." Jake commented.

His dark tone made me raise an eyebrow at him. "You never asked." I answered, cheekily.

"I'm asking now. If you wanna share. Completely up to you." He stared at me.

"None of your business." I said, before drinking my drink. I didn't mind telling him. I just wanted to see his response.

He nodded before he drank from his beer. "Lily, I need to talk to you about something."

I turned to him, expectantly. That's when I saw Jasmine approaching us in a pretty champagne colored dress. Normally, I would have complimented her, but the way she acted the last time we spoke let me know she wouldn't appericate it, so I didn't offer.

"Dinner is about to be served. You coming?" Jasmine asked Jake, ignored me.

"I'll be right there." Jake answered.

"I'll wait for you." Jasmine replied. She turned to me. "You dyed your hair back."

Well, hello to you too.

"Yep."

"Was it supposed to be that dark?" She asked.

"It's the color I picked."

"You did it yourself right? I can tell."

I couldn't tell if she was being curious or a bitch.

"My friend Trevor did it. It took just an hour and a 6 dollar dye, so I'm not complaining. I love it. Excuse me, I'm gonna go sit."

"Brandon told me there was going to be a dance off," Jake started as I turned to leave. "Save me a dance?"

I nodded before leaving them for my table. I agreed so he could talk to me then. What's the worst he could tell me on a dance floor?