All of a sudden, she pushed them both away. Clearing the space around her, she placed her hands on her hips and started clog dancing. Her feet and legs moved so quickly, I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t the only one. A stream of whistles of and claps poured in as she jumped from side to side, spun around, and kicked her foot back and forth. She was amazing. I could have watched her for days.
“Sir!” the cook said, and everyone jumped up, cutting off the music.
“Don’t stop on my account, please,” I said. However, none of them seemed to be sure. I was a Darcy after all.
Felicity marched up to me, kissed me on the lips, and then put a beer in my hands as she pulled me out with her.
“There’s no way in hell I can keep up with you,” I said.
“It’s not the point. The point is to have fun,” she said, beating her head to the music. “Start with a small head bob and believe me, your body will follow.”
“Felicity—”
“Come on.”
So I did it. God, I couldn’t describe how lame I must have looked, but I bobbed my head to the music and then we were jumping around. After that, I have no idea what we were doing, but it felt like dancing so I rolled with it. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I had to be Theodore Darcy from Los Angeles but just Theo Walker from Fresno. It was a good feeling, one I wanted to keep, and it was because of her.
She wasn’t a princess.
She was much better than that.
****
“I had fun tonight,” she whispered in my arms as I carried her to my bedroom.
“So did I.”
“You didn’t think you had it in you, did you?” She exhaled deeply.
I chuckled. “I could say the same for you.”
“True.”
Just like before, the moment I put her on my bed, she took off her clothes and threw them on the floor then crawled onto my chest.
“Goodnight, Felicity.”
“Wait.” She yawned, rolling over. “Can I borrow your phone to call my roommates to let them know I’m here?”
“What’s the number? I’ll let them know.”
“877-1212.” She yawned again as she rested her head on the pillow. I dialed but it didn’t go through.
“The number’s disconnected.”
She let out a deep sigh. “I told her to pay the bill yesterday. Thanks. Goodnight, Theo.”
I put my phone on the dresser and stripped down. Entering the bathroom, I reached for my toothbrush but stopped when I caught sight of the reddish-purple hickey on my neck. It had been her gift to me earlier this evening. Reaching up, I touched it and laughed.
She had said the point was to have fun, and I was having it.
CHAPTER NINE
My Life Motto
Felicity
7:00 a.m.
I’d spent the weekend at his house—three days and two nights—and hadn’t even realized it. Luckily he had a spare toothbrush, but for the most part, I wore his clothes, used his body wash, and never stepped outside. Since the party, we ate, we fucked, and everything else was really unbelievable. I never thought I could spend so much time with someone and not be annoyed by them. I didn’t think I’d ever spent time with Cleo or Mark like this.
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” I said when he walked into the kitchen. He scanned the mess all over his kitchen island.
“Explain to me what the right idea is, because it looks like you are trying, and failing, to make breakfast for me.”
“See, that’s the wrong idea. I was trying to make breakfast for myself. But as you can see, I’m not really good at cooking.” I sighed, putting down the spatula in defeat. He crossed to the refrigerator, the one I’d basically raided without saying anything to him. “I’ll pay you back for the groceries.”
“You sure used a lot for someone who selfishly tried to cook only for herself.” He made sure to emphasize the word as he drank orange juice.
“What you see as selfishness, I see as considerate because not only did I spare you from eating my food, but I also spared you from having to politely pretend you liked it.”
“Wow,” he said, putting his glass back on the counter. “You twisted that so well I almost want to say thank you.”
Smiling, I lifted burned toast. “Honestly, I think a thank-you is needed.”
“Sit and I’ll cook,” he said as he took a piece of my toast.
“Honestly, you don’t have to cook for me—”
“I’m not. It’s for me.” He winked and seized the eggs and a skillet. I felt the urge to stick my tongue out at him, but instead I cleaned up the mess I’d made. I placed everything where I’d gotten it from, since he had everything so neatly arranged before