The Notorious R(uth) B(arakat) G(rimaldi)

Chapter 15: Dark Shadows

"This is weird," Ruthie said in a half whisper, her mouth creating a pleasant, warm buzzing sensation in Elliott's ear as they danced.

It was another slow number, and he was in an almost trance-like state as he held Ruthie in his arms and moved with the music. He shouldn't have been surprised that she'd be so good at dancing, he knew, since she was so into theatre. In fact, he remembered that one of the first things she'd said to him when they'd finally stopped fighting like Kilkenny cats was that she was a triple threat. In theatre parlance, a triple threat was someone who was good at singing, acting, and dancing, and therefore that much more employable in the very competitive theatre world.

Now, she twisted her hips and moved her feet in a complicated, syncopated pattern, without stepping on his feet, and miraculously, without looking down. It was incredibly sexy that she could swivel her body in languorous rhythm to the music without breaking eye contact with him, giving him a smile that was somehow somnolent and sensuous at the same time.

"Hm? What is?" he responded, trying to act like he wasn't aware of how her body felt as it undulated against his to the pulsing beat of the song.

"I haven't dated a whole lot of guys, I'm the first to admit," Ruthie said. "There were a couple of boys, then there was Brett for most of last year, and that's it, and the boys were when I was thirteen, you know?" She smiled and waved to someone over his shoulder.

"Yes, I'm achingly, painfully, aware of how old you are, RBG," Elliott assured her. He looked down at her, realizing that he could see almost straight down her beautiful dress from this angle. The material bunched up and gaped away from her front, giving him a nearly unobstructed and spectacular view of an extremely flimsy and nearly sheer bra that was beautiful in its simplicity. It was gorgeous, because the breasts it covered were gorgeous, it was as simple as that.

Elliott stared, wide-eyed, for an agonizing second that felt like both an eon and a nanosecond; that is to say way too long and not nearly long enough, before he tore his eyes away and lifted them to her face. She was still smiling at the other person, and hadn't noticed his errant gaze.

"Very funny," Ruthie said, finally looking back at him in the dimly lit gym. Her opal eyes seemed to glow. "Anyway, I'm used to guys trying to put moves on me, like constantly, if you know what I mean?" She blinked her eyes, and this innocent action produced the by now familiar tensing in Elliott's abdomen, and the feeling that if he didn't tighten his arms around her and kiss her this instant, he might actually expire on the spot.

"Even the so-called 'nice guys' were always trying to lure me away to quiet corners or unoccupied rooms at parties," she said, again, managing to continue her amazing dancing as she did. "Or, or, if we were dancing like this, just having a nice time, they'd ruin it by letting their hands wander to unauthorized places, or trying to kiss me, even when I'd made it clear I didn't want to kiss them."

Her voice held mild indignation, which Elliott found adorable, though he knew that was not the appropriate response, especially in today's social climate.

"I'm sorry you've experienced those things," he said sincerely. "Even if we hadn't put our, erm, parameters in place, I'd never do those things to you if you'd said you didn't want to, I hope you know that."

Ruthie shook him, laughing. "El, you don't have to say that to me."

The song ended, thankfully, as Elliott's abdomen was starting to ache from being tensed for so long.

Ruthie and Elliott left the dance floor, passing Pepsi and Carlos on their way to the snacks.

"How's it going, Maria?" Ruthie called with a laugh as they walked by.