Runaway ✔

017 • Dana

Dana started to get a little nervous. The clubhouse was crowded, there were many more people than she'd counted on. Most women were Croweaters or coming from Cara Cara, wearing short dresses with deep cleavages. She wouldn't be out of place. She got a drink at the bar and looked around. Automatically her eyes scanned the crowd until they'd found Juice. He stood a few meters away, talking to Bobby and Chibs. Now and then a smile lighted up his face. She believed she could watch it for hours.

She considered going to them. She just wanted to hear his voice, his laughter. To feel the tension when they accidentally touched.

Quit it, Dana! Don't make things so fucking complicated!

But maybe she was just too late and would fighting her feelings just make things worse. As a reflex, she turned her head away when he suddenly looked around and let his eyes rest on her. She drunk from her glass and turned to the left to see if there was somebody she could talk to. Opie and Jax were smoking in front of the entrance, Tig had treated himself a brunette and Kip and Cherry were slobbing against the wall. Gemma was nowhere to be seen, neither was Happy, and Chucky was busy behind the bar.

"Hey."

In a wild movement, she turned her head aside. She hadn't expected him to come to her. He stood next to her, his back against the bar. With one elbow he leaned on the bar, just like she did. Although they just did not touch, she had the feeling the hairs on their arms did make contact.

The thought only was enough to give her goosebumps, as if her body desperately wanted to touch him, and as unnoticed as she could, she pulled her arm a little away.

"Hey," she answered a little bluntly.

He gave a nod aside. "Wanna dance?"

Dana stared at him. Did he really say that to her? In her mind, she'd pictured him much shyer, but she clearly didn't know him very well.

Of course you don't. You jump at every chance to get away from him.

She glanced in the direction he'd nodded. There were many people dancing, it wasn't a very strange question.

"Euh..." That was all that came out of her mouth. Saying 'no' was very unfriendly, and stating that she couldn't dance while doing a dance act within an hour, wasn't very convincing.

"It's no biggy if ya don't," he said. He quickly smiled away the disappointment she thought to see on his face.

Dana had the feeling she melted.

"First I'm getting myself mentally prepared for my pole dance adventure," she said eventually. "The longer I wait, the bigger the chance I'm tipsy and embarrassing myself."

"You don't have to do it. Ya know that, right?" He gave her an intense look.

"Took a lot of effort to pick my most sexy lingerie. Don't wanna have done that for nothing."

Juice didn't look away. Or maybe she was the one who kept staring. It felt as if all oxygen was suddenly removed from the room, which would only return when she took it from his lips.

In her chest flamed up a raging desire to kiss him, to feel how he gently took off her dress and explored her skin with a tenderness Maddox had never shown.

Suddenly the back of his hand stroke hers. Her eyes shot to the movement immediately. His pinky glided across the side of her hand and mesmerized she followed the soft caress. She lifted her own pinky, and he hooked his finger around it.

With a hammering heart, she looked up to him. Her mouth felt dry. In the back of her head, a voice screamed that she had to tear herself away, that there was no turning back if she went through with this. But the hesitating, hopeful smile on his lips kept her where she was.

And then her savior came.

"Well Clo, are we going to do this or not?"

Tig swung an arm around her, staggering. She felt Juice's finger slipping away.

The magical moment was over. The disappointment was stifling. Tig looked at her with a not-so sober glance, and she realized he hadn't noticed the tension between Juice and her at all.

"We're going at the same time?" she asked. Her brain still felt a little paralyzed. "There're two poles."

"No way, honey. Don't wanna miss your little dance."

"Fine. Well, you go first. When you're done, you might figure out what you should've done."

Tig shrugged. "Anything for the lady."

She walked to the stage. Apart from Tig, Juice was also walking with her. It caused mixed feelings. Maybe a familiar face would be nice if she felt less comfortable than expected. He had calmed her down with one look before. On the other hand, it would probably only made her feel more nervous. Who knew what would've happened when Tig hadn't interrupted them...

Again Tig disrupted her thoughts when he hoisted himself on the stage in a not so charming way. Before he could walk to the pole, she grabbed his ankle. "You have to take some clothes off, huh."

Tig didn't need much encouragement. He took a bow toward her, pulled out his shoes and socks, then his pants, cut and shirt.

"Please keep your boxers on," she chuckled when he looked at her, awaiting her approval. She took his cut from the ground and threw it to him. "This should be part of it. Now, give us a speech."

It looked ridiculous, a grown man in washed-out boxer shorts, surrounded by boob-ballons. Tig waved his hand to get everyone's attention. "Well, thanks for coming, all of you. The dearest Chloe is giving me a wonderful gift in the form of a pool dance act, though she wanted something in return. However, as y'all know, I'm happy to do so. I love you all." He grinned, blew some kisses and gave Chucky a thumbs up so that he turned up the volume of the music.