Page 52 of Pick Me This Time

24

DAPHNE

Bored out of my skull, I chatted to some of the other chaperones at the dance, but ultimately, just having to stand there and watch the kids was dull. Even by my standards.

I’d kept my promise to my mom about coming, though. Not long after I’d gone home from the bakery, they arrived back from the game. They’d come to check on me and Mom had offered me an out for this evening, saying that she was sure they could get by with the chaperones they had, but I’d made her a promise.

I’d committed to being a chaperone and I hadn’t wanted to let her down. So I’d put on my dress, slapped on some lipstick, and pulled on my big girl panties. A little heartbreak wasn’t going to keep me down.

My heart didn’t even really have any right to be broken. Sterling and I hadn’t been together and we never would be. That was the end of it. The ridiculous organ just had to get onboard.

“It’s time for you to announce the homecoming king and queen dance.” Mrs. Taylor, my former art teacher, smiled as she came to stand beside me. “Are you ready? You have their names?”

I drew in a deep breath and returned her smile as I nodded. “Of course. Thanks, Mrs. T. I’m sure Joshua and Betty appreciate you.”

She chuckled. “Well, I suppose that answers my question. Go ahead, honey. They’re waiting.”

Motioning to where the newly crowned couple were, in fact, waiting, I picked up my dress and strode across the auditorium to the stage. The lights were nearly blinding. The DJ faded out the music he’d been playing for my announcement.

While I was onstage, I squinted against the bright lights and smiled as I wrapped my fingers around the microphone. As I opened my mouth, the doors at the back suddenly opened and Sterling marched in. I was so surprised that I nearly squeaked.

Wearing a black suit with a black button-down shirt and a white rose pinned to his lapel, he looked just like that demigod I’d thought he was in high school. With his black hair neatly combed back and those eyes dark and laser-focused, he looked so handsome and so mysterious that despite my recent argument with him, I felt my stomach fluttering once more.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” I said into the microphone, but my gaze was fixed on his. “I’m proud to present to you, your king and queen, Joshua Adams and Betty Monroe.”

Applause rang out and Joshua led his queen onto the dance floor. I smiled, watching them from the corner of my eye with my attention still mostly on Sterling. Sterling wasn’t stopping his advance across the room as he approached the stage.

When he reached it, I had been on my way back down the stairs, but he came up to join me instead, talking to me right there on stage in front of everyone. “You look ravishing tonight, Daph.”

“You’re late,” I said, my cheeks flushing at the compliment he’d given me so easily with over a hundred people watching.

He smirked at me, his hands sliding into his pockets as he gave me a very obvious onceover. “I never agreed to do this.”

“So why are you here?” I asked, aware that the microphone was picking up some of our conversation.

Despite the fact that I was trying to be mad at him in order to guard my heart, being in his presence was intoxicating. Especially when he was looking at me like he’d come here only because he’d known I’d be here, and he was doing it so extremely confidently in front of so many people.

It made my own self-confidence swell, and instead of dragging him off the stage to speak in private, I found myself quite content staying right where we were. He held my gaze, removing one hand from his pocket and extending it to me.

“I came here to dance with you,” he said.

My eyebrows shot up, but then I laughed. “You’re joking.”

“I’m serious,” he said. “Will you dance with me, Daphne LaSalle?”

The homecoming king and queen were just finishing their dance, and the king himself turned and started a chant, clapping his hands and then raising them, waving for his peers to join him. “Dance with him! Dance with him! Dance with him!”

My cheeks ignited and I smacked my palm into Sterling’s, needing to get off this stage. Even my newfound self-confidence wasn’t enough for this kind of attention. Sterling smiled and tucked my fingers into the crook of his arm, covering my hand with his own as he walked me to the dance floor.

A slow song started playing and kids swarmed to the center of the room, joining us until we were practically swallowed up by the crowd. This is better.

“You do realize you just caused a scene at homecoming, right?” I murmured as he spun me into him, bringing me gently back in and sliding his arms around my waist. “People are going to find out about it.”

“By people, you mean your mom and your brother, right?” he asked, keeping his own voice low and his gaze locked on mine. “I’m okay with that.”

“Are you?” I asked, tilting my head and staring deep into his eyes. “Okay with Eric finding out that you asked me to dance, I mean?”

A sexy, devilish grin spread on his lips. “It’s not like I made some indecent proposal, Daphne. It’s a dance. Not sex.”