Do You Take This Man (58)

“I see,” I said, sitting back in my chair, my gaze landing on a familiar body at the bar just past the dance floor. RJ was talking to an older man and glanced at her watch in a way I knew she thought was subtle. I returned my attention to the kid. He was maybe a buck twenty soaking wet, a few pimples dotting his forehead. I remembered being there. “You ever asked someone to dance before?”

The kid snorted. “Are you kidding? Look at me. What girl would say yes?”

“Plenty. It’s confidence. You need a little swagger.” I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees and casting a quick glance in RJ’s direction again. The group of teens had stopped near us and Abel’s eyes followed a blonde in a pink dress. “That’s someone you like?”

He shuffled his feet, his ears turning pink. “She’s in my class. Her name is Faith.”

I glanced at the girl, who was paying Abel no attention. “Ah.” I let the music fill the silence. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, trying to mentor this kid.

“What do you mean by swagger?”

“It’s . . . you know. Being confident. Women like someone who believes in themself. Most people are drawn to others who are confident.”

His voice dipped low. “How do you do that?”

“Feel confident?” Hell if I know. “You walk into a situation thinking I’ve got this. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Besides tripping and falling, having her turn me down in front of everyone, and then the entire school knowing I’m a loser?” His expression was serious, the sarcasm and derision sharp in the young guy’s voice.

I chuckled, rubbing my hand over my neck. “I think that’s unlikely, but, okay, I get it. You gotta practice.” I glanced across the bar again, and RJ met my eye, just for a second. I thought there was a hint of a smile, but she looked back to her drink quickly. The conservative black dress she’d worn to officiate was high necked and fell to her knees, but the subtle way it hugged her curves was completely distracting. I glanced back to Abel. “You see that woman over there? The one who married your sister and her husband?”

“Sure.”

“Go ask her to dance.” I nodded in her direction. “She doesn’t go to your school.”

“C’mon,” he scoffed.

“I’m serious. Walk over to her, tap her shoulder, and ask her if she’d like to dance. Just be confident, like you know she’ll say yes.” God, I hope she will. RJ put up a tough front, but I’d seen a few soft moments.

“I can’t do that,” he said, resigned, looking up at Faith again, his puppy-dog longing not subtle.

“Sure you can,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “Practice. Plus, I bet it’s a slow song coming up, so you really just have to sway. Look at what other people are doing and do that.”

“You really think she’ll say yes?”

I shrugged. “Never know if you don’t try.” RJ turned again, her back to the bar. “Plus, she’s pretty. Maybe Faith will get a little jealous.”

Abel snorted again but stood. “Okay. Just tap her on the shoulder?”

I nodded, raising my fist to bump. “Confidence.”

As he walked slowly around the floor, I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text.


Lear: The kid needs a win. Please say yes.



Across the room, RJ glanced at her phone, then looked up, confused. I gave a little wave, but Abel reached her before she could respond. He was attempting swagger and, though I couldn’t hear him, the expression on RJ’s face gave away a little of how awkward the exchange must be, but she nodded and followed him to the dance floor as the chords of a cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” began to play.

RJ met my eyes over Abel’s head as the song played, and he rested his hands stiffly at her waist. She gave me a sardonic half smile, and I shrugged. I was sixty percent sure it was good natured, and she returned her attention to her partner, whose expression was nothing short of adoring as he gazed up at her. He also looked panic stricken, and I tried to catch his eye as they turned, mouthing “Confidence” with a pumped fist. I hoped I wasn’t scarring the kid irreparably by sending him to RJ.

He said something then, and RJ’s face transformed into a genuine smile, her eyes kind of dancing and her lips, her full lips I loved to kiss, spreading in a wide grin. Abel’s posture relaxed, and I smiled, too, like a proud dad or something. I was still smiling when RJ caught my eye again. I couldn’t read her face—I wasn’t used to her looking at me with such an open expression. Her gaze was softer than usual, and she laughed a little at herself, her lids lowering for a minute before she looked back to Abel.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I didn’t want to. They swayed awkwardly, but the way her neck curved and her defined calves in her high heels got to me, even more so when I looked back to her face. My smile faltered when she looked up again, catching me staring, but she didn’t look away, just held my gaze over Abel’s head for a few seconds. It was how she looked at me when we were arguing, challenging each other to break first, only this time it felt different. When I rubbed the back of my neck and looked away for a moment, giving her the win, she smiled. God, that smile.

I knew the song—hell, they played it at every single wedding—but I’d never really listened to it before. It swirled around me and I straightened my shoulders, shrugging off the feelings it stirred. Her next smile was shyer—well, shyer for RJ—and I returned it. She raised an eyebrow that I interpreted as What’s next? I had a lot of ideas, and it troubled me how few of them involved getting her naked. That we’d spent our entire relationship either arguing or having sex, that she was exactly the opposite of what I wanted in a woman, seemed to fall away as the song continued. I didn’t look away, and neither did she. I didn’t know her well enough to have a conversation without talking. So why does it feel like I just opened up my chest to her? The sex was always amazing, but this was different. This was a connection, and I hadn’t felt anything like it in a long time. She lowered her eyelashes only to look back up, her expression vulnerable just as the chorus flowed around us. “I can’t help falling—”