Faking Forever (First Wives #4)(32)

She’d been against Shannon hooking up with a stranger since she’d first mentioned it months before. Even though she hadn’t set out to sabotage Shannon’s efforts, she had every intention to play devil’s advocate for the men who may have suited the baby daddy bill.

Victor was making it so much easier.

He wasn’t the one-night-stand, baby making man Shannon wanted. But with him close by, the other men at the resort, the restaurant, the bars, they didn’t approach. And Avery didn’t point said men out to Shannon when she realized they were watching her friend.

Like now, Avery sat at a small table with Dylan, Erasmo, Shannon, and Victor, talking over loud music. Erasmo had his arm comfortably around Dylan’s back, resting on the chair, Avery sat next to Dylan, and Victor had taken a seat between her and Shannon. A dance floor had been set up in front of the band, and several couples were swinging around on their toes.

Avery zeroed in on the posse of men that had joined the crowd and were searching the guests for single women. Their eyes would settle on Shannon, then slide to Victor, who seemed to always lean forward and say something to Shannon right when someone approached.

The third time a man walked by, eyes trained on Shannon, Victor placed a hand on her shoulder and had her turning around to hear what he had to say. That was when Dylan did the same to Avery.

“Are you watching what I’m watching?” he asked, eyes on Victor and Shannon.

Avery nodded with a smile.

“I didn’t think she liked him.”

“She doesn’t.”

Dylan sat back with a wink.

“Why aren’t you two dancing?” Avery asked Dylan.

“Erasmo doesn’t like to dance.”

“Not my thing,” Erasmo said with a shrug. “I do it for him, once in a while.”

“In the privacy of our own home,” Dylan added.

“I dance for you. Take Avery,” Erasmo suggested.

Dylan sat forward.

Avery leaned in, aware that Shannon and Victor hadn’t noticed their conversation. “Ask Shannon. I’ll ask Victor.”

Dylan rubbed his hands together. “You’re one sneaky friend.” It seemed Dylan was just as sneaky, since he rose to his feet and moved around Victor and extended a hand to Shannon. “C’mon, beautiful . . . let’s dance.”

Shannon turned toward Avery, narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know how to salsa.”

“It’s easy, I’ll show you.”

Victor shifted in his seat. Avery tapped his shoulder. “Can you salsa?” she asked him.

He shook his head.

She stood and extended her hand. “Then I’ll lead.”

The people on the dance floor obviously knew what they were doing, and in order to dance without being stepped on, the four of them stayed on the outside perimeter and started to move. Avery had danced salsa a couple of times in her life and knew the basics, so she grabbed Victor’s hand and spoke loud enough for him to hear. She called out steps and counted each one. Victor seemed to catch on pretty quickly, and it was obvious that Dylan knew what he was doing.

Shannon laughed when she messed up her footing, but Dylan corrected her step and kept her moving.

By the time the first song was done, Avery had Victor twisting her around a few times, all with a few stubbed toes, but she didn’t bring attention to his lack of grace.

Dylan took the opportunity in the change of songs to hand Shannon off to Victor as he grabbed Avery’s hand.

She followed his lead, zigzagged in and out of Dylan’s arms as he got into the music. When they came close together, Dylan spoke in her ear. “They’re both stepping on each other.”

Avery glanced toward her friend.

It was great to see Shannon laughing, and not with the superficial laughter that often came out of her, but with this deep abandon that only came with real joy.

Dylan moved the two of them to the opposite side of the dance floor and eventually pulled them away from the crowd.

“I have to ask you something,” he started.

Avery fanned herself and attempted to slow her breathing down. “Go for it.”

“Why Victor? He’s obviously on the rebound. Those never end well.”

Avery tried to find Shannon and Victor through the couples on the dance floor and couldn’t see them. “She’s on a rebound, too.”

“I thought her divorce was a few years ago.”

“It was. And she hasn’t dated since. Like at all.”

Dylan looked at her as if she were lying.

“I know Shannon. She won’t let anything happen with Victor, but he is bringing out the blush in her. And that’s a step in the right direction. I’d rather see her flirting with him than hooking up with a stranger.”

“She doesn’t seem the hooking up type.”

“She’s not. Victor seems safe enough.”

Dylan nodded. “Harmless, if you ask me.”

“Clueless, if you ask me.”

They both laughed.

Avery leaned in close, lowered her voice. “I want my friend to discover she has a vagina again, but not give it up to someone who will hurt her. She knows the score with Victor.” Though again, Avery was pretty sure the man couldn’t charm Shannon’s panties off her.

Not with the risk of her getting pregnant with a man she knew, who would find out if she had a child.