Right Where I Want to Be Chapter 43

This song should not be played in public.

After laughing at me, Emmett actually makes himself useful and replenishes the refreshments. People have been coming and going all day long, and Rose and I have performed twice. My feet ache, my face hurts from smiling so much, and I’m closing in on exhaustion.

I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl with her first kiss.

“Hey, Rose!” I yell over the crowd and the music.

I watch her blonde head pop up and turn in my direction. I make a motion with my finger to indicate she should come over. I give her a minute to finish what looks like a sign-up, and then she comes to me.

“We’ve got a full house again, you want to do one more dance?”

“Hell, yeah!” Her face is flushed, and the pink on her cheeks makes her look even more beautiful.

“I could never have done this without you,” I blurt.

Her smile widens and she pulls me in for a hug. “Damn right you couldn't,” she laughs. “You know, you totally could have, but I’m glad you didn't.”

She signals Emmett, since he has the loudest voice. He catches her eye and nods before announcing that we’re going to do a demonstration, and I look around the crowd for Edward. He’s tall enough that I see him standing with a few women and a clipboard. Aw, he's signing them up for classes. As if he senses me looking, Edward’s head comes up and he stares right at me, this crooked grin lighting up his face. My heart beats a little harder, my mouth gets a little drier. Oh, Lord.

The music changes, and I meet Rose over at two of the poles in the middle of the floor. People shuffle around, and talk dips down to a quiet murmur as Rose and I launch ourselves at our poles. The song is kind of funny, mostly because of the explicit lyrics, but it’s all about girl power. As I use my adductor muscles to grasp the pole with just my thighs, I know that I can teach strength and self-worth to the women that have signed up. Feeling sexy brings confidence, and confidence makes you feel sexy. As I drop into a split by my pole, I catch the hungry look on Edward’s face.

There’s a lot to be said for the look of lust he’s giving me. I have to keep going, so I stand and continue the dance, bringing my knees together and apart, swaying my hips before straightening up. I ditched my sweatshirt hours ago, but I’m still way more covered than I ever was at the club. I guess I’ll have to start wearing my lingerie under my clothes like a normal person.

Or I’ll just wear them around the house to drive Edward crazy. Yeah, I like that plan more.

We finish to applause, and I notice a few more women gravitate to the clipboards. Rose and I accept bottles of water from Edward, and I shiver at the way he keeps staring at me.

“It’s almost closing time,” he states, and I watch him watching me as I gulp more water.

Oh, Lord.