Chapter 18: Chapter 18

June

“Come on, love.” Mark tugged me into the house, and straight to a room where the loud music coming from the speaker, threatened to burst my eardrums.

“Fucking hell, Mark!” I growled at him. But he didn't hear it because of how loud the music was.

He led me past the students who were already dancing, and towards the area where the couches were arranged to form a heart.

I sat next to him on the couch, trying not to pay heed to the men leering at my exposed thighs.

I felt the urge to rise from the couch and bare my lower body, so they could see to their heart's content.

But I did nothing of that sort. If I'm willing to bare my body to a man, my uncle will be the one. He's the man I'm ready to expose my body to.

Mark threw his right arm over my shoulder, and brought me closer, showing the men that I came with someone. Though his actions were okay, I felt a bit uncomfortable.

Don't get me wrong, Mark is my best friend, and I know he sees me as such, but I felt odd being this close to him in such skimpy clothes.

He let go of me the moment the men rose to either join the dancers on stage or drink at the makeshift bar not too far from us.

“Don't mind them. Damned motherfuckers, always horny for anything in skirts,” Mark sneered, glaring at the men as if he were only moments from challenging them to a duel or something like that.

I rolled my eyes at his words, “I'm not in a skirt, Mark. I'm in shorts!”

“Doesn't matter. You are a girl, so they will naturally be attracted to you.” He gave me a once over as if he were seeing me for the first time, “do you wish to get drunk?”

“Huh?”

I gaped at him like a fool, wondering what getting drunk had to do with the men who were with us just now.

“Forget about that. Come, let's dance.” He took my hand in his, “since this is your first time in a place like this, I need you to experience what it means to be at a party.”

“No,” I frantically shook my head. “I can't dance, Mark!” I glanced around, at the people dancing on the floor, those sipping their drinks at the bar, and those sitting on the couch either conversing or drinking from their glasses.

He rolled his eyes at me, “no one will judge you, June. You need to stop being so God damned self-conscious! You wore such a killer outfit. It will be a crime not to show it off!”

He tried to touch me, but I leaned back on the couch, shaking my head, to tell him that I had no plans to dance.

It's a hell no for me.

Others can do that, but not me. I have two left feet, and stumbling isn't something I wish to happen.

Hell no, thank you.

“Come on, you don't have to be such a buzz kill.” He tugged hard on my hand and raised me from the couch. “Come on, I promise you will love it!”

Before I could protest, he was already tugging me towards the noisy part of the room, to the place the others were dancing.

“I don't know how to dance!” I attempted to fight his hold. “I can't dance —”

“You can. It's not that difficult,” he led me to the dance floor before he let go of my hand, and walked over to the DJ. He whispered into his ears before he strode back to where I was.

The music was changed to a less noisy one. It sounded like the music he loves playing whenever he's in an excellent mood.

“Party next door?” I chuckled when the music started.

He shrugged, “Let's dance.” He grinned, “I will teach you how to dance.”

“I don't—”

But he was having none of that. He led me by the hand and took me deeper into the sweaty bodies of the dancers.

“Mark!”

I tried to stop him, but he wasn't listening to me. He forced me to dance with him despite my reluctance to do so.

Though I fought against it at first, before long, I got engrossed in the music itself, that I was the one dancing without abandon.

He smiled as we danced to the beat of the music. It was so uplifting that I forgot where I was.

He tried to follow my steps, and before long, we heard the claps of others.

Yet, I didn't stop. I guess I was too engrossed in the music to care about the attention I was getting from the others.

He placed his hand on my lower back, grinding his groin on my arse, yet, I didn't mind, not about my shorts riding up a bit, and certainly not about the man with his hands on my waist — my best friend.

Fuck everything else. I don't care.

The music changed and so did the tempo. Yet, I didn't miss a step, dancing around him, on him and shaking my booty.

I heard catcalls, but I ignored them all, only paying attention to the man I'm dancing with.

I don't know how long we danced. For hours, minutes, days, or years? None of us knew until we got tired.

He led me by the hand, back to our couch, but it was occupied with students, so we had to make do with the bar.

We ordered Sprite before Mark got a call, so he went out to take it, but not after warning me not to speak to any stranger, which I saluted him for.

"Aye, aye, Captain."

I took a sip of my drink and watched the dancers, feeling a bit thrilled at the thoughts of the racket Kristin will blow when he sees me here, at a party.

“Hello, pretty,” a man sat down on the barstool Mark just left.

I turned towards him, and my eyes took in his appearance. From his red hair which he tied up in a man bun, to his green eyes before it went lower to his muscled chest only to return once more to his face.

“What do you want?” I snapped at him, not ready for any boring conversation.

“I was just wondering what a cute young lady was doing all alone. Does that mean that the boys don't do it for you? Maybe, what you want is a man?” He chuckled, racking his eyes down my body.

“What are you talking about?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Who the hell are you? What do you want?”

I took a sip of my Sprite and pretended like I wasn't feeling uncomfortable with his gaze on my thighs.

“Do you care to join my table? We are about to play a game with the females over there.” He motioned to the other females sitting on a couch not too far from the bar.

“No, I will pass,” I glanced towards the door, expecting Mark's return.

“Why? Is there any reason you don't want to follow me? Don't worry, I don't bite. Well.....” He leaned in closer, “unless you ask me to.”

His words caused me to scrunch my nose. I downed the entire content of Sprite in my glass before I turned to him with a forced smile on my face.

“I'm sorry, but I don't want to join your party. You can go on with it. I bet the girls are anxious to have you back.”

I glanced towards the door, but there was no sign of Mark.

What sort of call is he taking that needs him to be gone for this long?