Callie’s Last Dance

29.

CALLI’ES PULSE QUICKENS. Her breathing gets heavy. She notes every movement Dani makes is more seductive than the previous one, leaving her to conclude Dani isn’t half as innocent as she presumed.

Under normal circumstances, Callie would be on this woman like smoke on an oil fire. But the circumstances aren’t normal, and Callie feels inexplicably conflicted.

Because of two words Creed uttered.

Not yet.

And because she slapped him.

This morning Callie told Creed she knew what she wanted for her birthday, meaning sex with Dani. Now it’s hers for the taking. But she also asked Creed if he’d ever been with a woman as gorgeous as Dani, and Creed looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes and said, “Not yet.”

His expression. His words. His tone of voice made it clear he was talking about Callie, not Dani. Yes, he was flirting, as he always does, but this time it was different. It was just two words, but they stuck with her.

And it’s these two words that are holding her back even as her body screams at her to get up close and personal with Dani Ripper.

Callie’s confused by how suddenly her feelings for Creed have taken over her emotions. On the one hand, there’s Creed, and he’s not here. On the other, Dani, and she’s not only here, she’s wet with desire. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with a one-in-a-million woman. Dani’s the kind of woman kings would wage wars over. A keeper. The kind of woman you settle down with. The kind you never want to leave.

“Creed’s not gay,” Callie says.

“Excuse me?”

“Donovan Creed. He’s not gay.”

Dani sits up and frowns. “I don’t understand.”

“I was cock-blocking him.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means you’re magnificent. I thought you might be interested in him, so I said he was gay. I wanted to keep you away from him.”

Dani allows the comment to hang heavy in the air as she studies its implication.

“You’re in love with him.”

“Yes.”

Dani’s voice turns angry. “When did you come to this conclusion, Callie? Before or after you told me you wanted me more than you’ve ever wanted another woman?”

“Both. But I didn’t realize he felt the same way till after.”

“You’re saying he very recently proclaimed his love for you?”

“He didn’t tell me. He showed me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Tonight, before calling you, I found myself in a very dangerous situation, one I could have easily avoided.”

“How?”

“That’s not important. What’s important is I royally fucked up and it could have cost me my life. Which means my head wasn’t in the game. And I think it’s because I slapped Creed.”

“You slapped him.”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“At the party this morning.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just did. I told him to be careful, then I slapped him. But that part’s not important, either. What’s important is I caught him completely unaware.”

“You slapped him for no reason?”

“Yup. Slapped the shit out of him.”

“I guess in your world that’s something to be proud of? Slapping a man’s face for no reason?”

“You don’t understand.”

“You’re right.”

“I’ve got incredibly fast hands,” Callie says. “I can catch a fly in mid-flight by its feet.”

“Its feet?”

“Or its wings, if you prefer.”

“I’m not sure I’d have a preference either way.”

“The point is, no one’s faster than Creed. He’s got the reflexes of a mongoose. If I would’ve tried to slap him a month ago, he would’ve blocked my hand, or moved his face out of the way.”

“But not today.”

“No.”

“And that tells you something.”

“It tells me he loves me.”

Dani shakes her head. “I can’t believe I hesitated to tell you about my argument with Sophie. At least our fight makes sense.”

Callie says, “I think Creed was off his game today because of me.”

“Because he loves you?”

“Yes.”

“And the reason he loves you is because if he didn’t, he would have blocked your hand when you tried to strike him?”

“Exactly.”

“But you also said his best friend died, and he was being offered a huge job.”

“So?”

“Maybe that’s what threw him off his game.”

Callie frowns.

Dani says, “You say you’re off your game because of your feelings for Creed.”

“Yes.”

“But you loved him long before today.”

Callie nods.

“And yet tonight is the very first time you’ve ever been off your game.”

“So?”

“How do you know you weren’t off your game because of us?”

“Us?”

“You and me. You were hoping I’d call you tonight. At least, that’s what you said.”

Callie frowns again. “You must be one hell of a great detective.”

Dani unbuttons her shirt.

Callie says, “What are you doing?”

“Why do you care? You love Creed, he loves you.”

“Well, I certainly love him.”

“But he might not love you.”

“He might not.”

“Sophie and I might love each other too, but you thought lustful sex would be good for me. At least, that’s what you said.”

“I did say that.”

“I notice you’re staring at my boobs,” Dani says. “And your face is flushed. You know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think we should make love tonight, and let tomorrow take care of itself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tomorrow Sophie and I will make up, break up, or stay the same. And your relationship with Donovan will likewise get stronger, weaker, or stay the same.”

“What if tomorrow we decide to be together for the rest of our lives?” Callie says.

“Is there much hope of that happening tomorrow?”

“No. But what if it does?”

“In the unlikely event he suddenly proclaims his undying love for you tomorrow, you’ll have a happy memory of tonight being your last fling as a single woman.”

As she says that, she removes her shirt, scoots onto the center of the bed, lies down, spreads her legs.

She’s still wearing panties, but they’re sopping wet.

As are Callie’s. She grabs her cell phone and presses a button.

Creed answers, “What’s wrong?”

“Plenty,” Callie says. “You and I are going to settle this once and for all.”

“Settle what?”

“This whole flirty bullshit thing we’ve been doing all these years. I’m done with it.”

“What do you mean? You want me to stop flirting with you?”

“I want you to tell me how you feel. About me.”

“Seriously?”

Callie says nothing.

“Well, I mean, you’re gorgeous, Callie. You’re funny. You’re the greatest killing machine who ever lived. Your reflexes are-”

“Wrong answer!” Callie shouts, and clicks the phone off.

To Dani she says, “Thanks for helping me with that.”

“My pleasure.”

Callie takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Then says, “That’s my goal: your complete and utter pleasure.”