Cerise hitched her dance bag further onto her shoulder. She’d been told the guy was rich but based on the mansion she was heading towards, he was more than rich. She had been assured that she was hired to do a tasteful contemporary piece, that there would be no propositioning or inappropriateness. Yet now that she was here she wasn’t as confident in those glib assurances.
For a brief second she was even tempted to back out.
However, rent was looming and she couldn’t turn this job down when it was a contracted contemporary dance. Respectable.
“Your performance is scheduled for 8 pm. Please plan accordingly. Until then, feel free to enjoy the party.” The big burly guard stopped in front of a large open door. Inside, well-dressed people milled about talking and laughing. She paused. Glancing down at what she was wearing, her nice jeans and fluttery grey blouse were less than party appropriate. These people were in designer clothes that cost more than her month’s rent.
“Maybe I’ll just hang out here with you for a bit.” She laughed, smoothing her blonde wavy curls while stepping back into the shadows cast by the open door.
He gently ushered her in and whispered, “Have fun. Your host is a good honest man throwing a party for his friend.”
Cerise nodded and stepped inside. Looking down again, she didn’t see an outfit that would help her blend in. In fact, she was sure to stand out. She wished she would have worn the dress she had thrown back into the closet at the last minute. It wasn’t designer or glamorous, but at least it was a dress. She had a priority list that had long since shuffled ‘pretty dress’ down to the bottom. Expensive dresses were even lower on that list.
Head held high, Cerise walked straight through the middle of the crowded room without making eye contact with any of the guests to a table filled with tiny desserts.
“Quite the party eh?” A cheerful partygoer nudged her. About to subtly shift away, Cerise glanced over to find herself needing to look up.
Being tall and willowy were great benefits to being a dancer but not so when looking for a guy taller than you so that you can wear your stilettos and not feel like a towering giant. And yet here she was, looking up.
“Quite.” She acknowledged.
Her tall man took a step closer. “Of all the people here, I don’t recognize you.” He tossed out a charmingly devilish smirk that seemed to match his all black, very expensive attire.
Her heart staggered a second. Why was he singling her out? It was easy to see she wasn’t the best-dressed woman at the party but she also didn’t think she stood out in the crowd that much.
“You know everyone here?” she asked incredulously.
His slow assured nod gave her a body-wide tingle. He angled in to talk in her ear over the music. “Are you here with someone?”
Cocking her head slowly, Cerise tried to decide if she should fake a date for her own sanity or brave a night of possible flirtation with this very sexy man. Just as she was about to claim a date she realized her folly. He’d said he knew everyone here and she only knew the name of her host. Certainly he would easily be called out on her lie.
“No.” She stared him down with a small smile, daring him to continue.
“So you know Clay?” The man looked thrilled.
She shot back hurriedly, “Not necessarily.”
Instantly his open, easygoing face vanished under ice, his cold eyes hardening into condemning slits. Her mind went blank as she struggled to not visibly cringe away.
Another handsome man joined their little conversation.
“Cerise?” The conversation crasher came up right beside her with a grin before extending his hand. She nodded. “Clay Andrews. I see you’ve already met the birthday boy? I trust you’ve been nice, Trent.”
The suspicion hardening all his distracting facial features relaxed slightly but he still eyed her warily. “She said she didn’t know you so I’m just surprised you seem to know her. I hadn’t made it as far as her name though. Or who she’s here with?” Trent added slyly.
Clay laughed. “I invited her here, so I guess you could say she’s here with me.” Hooking her arm in his, Clay pulled her away from the birthday boy who was looking her over with obvious renewed interest. As soon as they were far enough away from Trent to not be overheard he said. “Welcome to the party. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you and fill you in on any details when you got here. I wanted to keep you a surprise for Trent.”
Cerise crossed her arms. This was sounding less and less like a legit contemporary performance and more like a ‘paid escort’ type deal. “My contract says I’m just here for the one dance. I am a dancer, not a party girl for hire.”
Clay looked mortified. “Sorry! Yes. I know. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Let me explain, I just didn’t tell Trent that there would be any performances tonight and didn’t want to give it away. Anyways, you have about 15 minutes till you’re on. Is that enough time?”
“Yes.” She focused on her upcoming routine instead of the insinuation. “Is there somewhere that I can change?”
In seconds Clay shuffled her out of the main party area and to a large bathroom. With a soft thanks she disappeared into the room and changed. The dress was a dark flowy gray that reached down to her knees but did not restrict her movement in the slightest. Watching the time, she waited until she only had a minute before she was due to perform before heading back into the party.
Her reappearance wouldn’t have been noticeable except that the lights and music cut out as she did and a solo spotlight was trained directly on her.
Gliding out to the middle of the floor Cerise stopped and struck her starting pose, pausing long enough for the music to start. People had moved to the sides of the large room to watch.
Front and center was Trent, looking at her as if she were a delightful puzzle for his birthday.
