Dance With Me (With Me in Seattle #12)(11)

“I’m sorry you have to drive so far out of your way,” she says. “I should have just driven my own car.”

“No way, I get to drive this beauty longer.” I wink at her and turn on the radio. Dance With Me is playing, so I turn up the volume, and we sing as loudly as we can, doing the arm movements to the choreography as I speed down the freeway.

You know you want it

To feel free, to feel the beat

Move that body, boy

Come on and dance with me

“Do you miss it yet?” she asks when the song is over, and I turn down the volume.

“It’s only been a few weeks.” I bite my cheek, thinking about it. “I miss the actual concerts. I love them.”

“I know you do.”

“But I don’t miss all the travel. Not knowing where I am. That part is tough.”

“You should do a residency in Vegas, then the people can come to you.”

“I’ve been approached about it,” I admit, and Mer turns to me in absolute shock.

“Shut up.”

“No, really. But I turned it down for now. Maybe in a few years.”

“Wow, Starla, I’m so proud of you.”

“You do know that if I accept, you and Jax have to come and choreograph the whole fucking show.”

She pauses, thinking it over. “That would be a huge undertaking.”

“You’d be up for it.”

“Damn right, I would be.” She grins in excitement. “Just name the place and time, and I’m there.”

“I’ll keep you posted.”

“Now, speaking of keeping me posted, you need to tell me whatever you were mysterious about earlier.”

“Oh, right.” I clear my throat and change lanes. “I saw Levi yesterday.”

“WHAT?” Mer’s voice is so shrill when she’s excited and surprised at the same time. “This is not something you wait until the next day to tell me. It’s something you call me about as soon as it’s over.”

“I’m sorry, I must have missed that memo.” I roll my eyes. “Besides, it was just dinner.”

“Details, friend. I need details.”

“So, he showed up at my place yesterday afternoon. He said he’d been at his brother’s house.”

“Oh, right! Wyatt lives across the street. That’s how he met Lia.”

“You could have warned me.”

“I forgot.” She shrugs. “Keep talking.”

“We had a nice conversation, and then when he was leaving, he told me he’d pick me up for dinner at seven. I didn’t argue.”

“Oh, God, this is getting good.”

“He took me to Red Mill.”

“Did you love it?”

“So fucking good, and I’m kind of pissed at you for not taking me there before. Anyway, we had dinner, then we strolled along Alki on the waterfront before he walked me home and kissed me at the front door.”

“Holy shit, Star.”

“What?”

“You went on a first date.”

I pull off the freeway toward Meredith’s house.

“I apologized to him for not replying to his texts before.”

“Good. Why didn’t you?”

I glance over at her. “Duh. Because he overwhelmed me, and after Rick, I was all up in my head about it.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think Levi’s fantastic. Also, he’s hot.”

“So hot.” I laugh as I park in her driveway. “You don’t even know how hot he is.”

“Then I say go for it. You only live once. Rick wouldn’t want you to be a nun.”

That’s exactly what Rick would want.

But I don’t say anything. I just shrug, then get out of the car and help her retrieve her bags.

Mark comes out of the house, looking handsome in his shorts and T-shirt.

“Did you buy out the whole store?” he asks as he takes the bags out of my hands, then leans in and kisses his wife.

“We wish,” Mer replies with a laugh. “But we did our share.”

“Would you like to come in?” Mark asks me.

“No, thanks, I’m going home to put my pretty new things away and maybe take a swim. If I’m feeling extra sassy, I might just take a nap, as well.”

“Oh, that sounds so good,” Mer says with a sigh. “But I have babies.”

“I’ve got the babies,” Mark says with a soft smile. “You nap, M.”

“You’re both too sweet. I can’t watch.” I wave and get back in the car, then drive away, headed back toward downtown and the house I’m staying in by the water.

Seattle is beautiful in the summer. I never feel like I’m here long enough to really enjoy it, but I’m here now, and I can honestly say I love it.

I check my phone at a stoplight to make sure I haven’t missed any calls or texts, but the phone is quiet, and the screen is blank, which makes me smile.

On a normal day, it would be going crazy.

There might be something to this vacation stuff.

The drive across town doesn’t take as long as it normally would, thanks to it being just before rush hour. I’m home in twenty minutes.