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Parker was at least a good five inches taller than I was

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Parker was at least a good five inches taller than I was. His figure loomed above mine as we danced, stepping gingerly and twirling to the slow music that wafted around us. One of my hands was on his shoulder, feeling the muscles underneath contract under my touch. The other was in his free hand, which guided me while we danced. It felt electric between us.

I knew that if someone else were to touch me, the person would turn into that BBQ chicken we had last week. But it was comfortable: all the tingling and electrifying. I couldn't bring myself to step away from it, from him.

And now and then, whenever we locked gazes, I felt myself being sucked into brilliant green. My senses were alert. Awareness sizzled around me, alertness of him. From how close we were to each other, I could hear the sounds of his breaths. I could hear his heartbeat. In my head, these sounds were way louder than the music in the outside world.

We broke away for a second for him to twirl me, our hands held together above my head. The silence between us had begun to get awkward, but that didn't stop my heart from jumping when Parker broke it.

"So, apart from having your career going well for you, what else is good in your life?"

Once again, I looked into his eyes. The first reply that came to mind was, "certainly not love!". But I realized how pathetic that would sound. Thus, I went with another, more rational reply:

"Everything's great." Lie.

Parker must have suspected it, but even if he didn't, I was sure my fake smile must've given him a hint. He smiled. My heart leaped.

When he spoke, he lowered his voice to an almost whisper and bent his head slightly. "Anyone special?" If I wasn't mistaken, there was a bit of a crack to his voice at the end of his statement. And his eyes had dimmed.

I furrowed my brows at him. One second he was saying we were only objects to each other, the next, he was acting like he gave a flipping monkey.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason." He tried to play it off as casual, straightening his posture and tightening his grip around my waist. But there was something about his demeanor that told me there was more. "It's just that you seem happier than the last time we properly met when you were still getting over your heartbreak."

"I could say the same about you," I shot back at him. "If I remember correctly, you were still recovering from your fiance's betrayal."

Something flashed in his eyes, but it slipped away before I could understand what it was. "I've gotten well over it, but I don't think I'm ready to delve into anything serious. At least not yet."

"I feel the same way," I replied, posture stiff.

We danced stiffly for the rest of the song, neither of us saying a word. There was still a large amount of awkward tension between us that I wasn't sure would ever leave.

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