///
Riley was really angry. His body language gave away his fury and embarrassment as he flung me around the stage, forcing me to dance the moves I had forgotten. He tried counting out the moves-one-two, one-two, one-two-three-to no avail.
Someone in the audience stifled a chuckle. The next time I turned the wrong way, a few more people joined in, chortling in amusement at my expense. I wished I could melt into the stage floor and disappear forever. At least I would be going away to college in a couple of months. I'd run and hide for four years, and maybe everyone would forget about me.
I was so mortified that I didn't even realize where we were in the song, and I completely forgot it was time for Riley to whirl me. He spun me too fast, catching me off guard. I stumbled backward, wobbling on my heels, falling, falling. As I tumbled to the stage floor I heard my dress rip. The room echoed with the laughter of three hundred people. I began to cry. When I tried to stand up and fell again, I closed my eyes and sobbed, my body convulsing with my tears. Never had I been so ashamed. It was the biggest night of my life, and I had ruined everything and made a mockery of myself.
In a huff, Riley turned and stormed off the stage.
As far as I was concerned, my life was over.
IV.
I felt his firm hands on my waist. Someone was lifting me from the stage floor, as though I was light as a feather. I blinked through the tears and saw my stepfather, Christoph.
My stepfather-no, my daddy-had come to save me.
The crowd stopped laughing and was silent, waiting to see what would happen next. I was so confused. What was he doing on the stage with me? He looked extremely handsome in his perfectly fitted tux. His eyes shone intently.
"You look beautiful tonight, princess," he told me. "Just follow my lead. You're going to do fine."
It's like the hundreds of people and all of the humiliation melted away. It was just me and Daddy on stage together. He held me in his arms and I lay my cheek against his shoulder, letting his strong assertive body lead me where it wanted to go. When he swayed, I swayed. When he stepped, I stepped. Our bodies were perfectly attuned to each other, as though we had been practicing for this moment our entire lives.
The end of the song was approaching, meaning it was time for the final twirl. Daddy must have seen the nervousness in my eyes, because he leaned into me, his lips gently brushing my ear as he whispered encouragement to me.
"That's my little girl," he murmured. "That's the way."
I stared into those blue eyes of his, and he returned my gaze. He grinned, and I couldn't help but smile. He swiveled and our bodies separated. He raised my hand high above my head as I whirled around and around, spinning like a professional. Suddenly he broke off my momentum, swinging me down and sliding his hand underneath me to catch my fall. I dipped low, my back arched, my long hair brushing the stage floor as my arm flew back dramatically.
Almost as soon as he dipped me, Daddy whipped my body upright and turned me toward the crowd at the exact instant the music stopped. Everyone cheered. I couldn't believe it! I was giddy with excitement and trying desperately to catch my breath. Wanting to thank Daddy, I turned to face him. The look on his face was one part fatherly pride, two parts something else, a devilish gleam in his eye that both excited and completely flustered me.
Daddy leaned in and tenderly kissed my cheek. His chin was prickly with scruff and it raked across my cheek, a slightly painful and unexpectedly nice sensation. He raised his lips to my ear and whispered so only I could hear.
"Your next lesson begins tonight."
V.
My celebration was short-lived. Riley accosted me the second I walked behind the stage curtain. Daddy had gone back to his table to settle his tab, leaving me to fend for myself against the angry boy that had already been so cruel to me.
"You ruined everything," Riley seethed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry," I pleaded, "There were so many people watching that I just got nervous … "
"You're a dumb little cunt," he snarled, cutting me off. "I'll teach you to embarrass me like that."
He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging sharply into my bare skin.
"Stop! Let me go!"
Riley ignored my protests, dragging me back onto the stage. To my horror, our scuffle drew the attention of the audience. Gaggles of wealthy men and women were eager to watch the drama unfolding. The orchestra began to play confusedly, and I could hear a flailing cellist desperately trying to keep time with the other instruments.
///
"Dance, bitch," Riley hissed through his teeth. "And get it right this time."
I tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let go. He was forcing me to dance, humiliating me in front of everyone. In spite of my best efforts, I began to cry all over again, trying to keep up with Riley as he dragged me roughly to the dance moves.
A pair of footsteps stormed the stage, echoing above the orchestra.
"Stop the music," a strong voice shouted.
Daddy!
The next thing I knew, my stepfather had grabbed Riley's wrist, breaking the boy's grasp on me. Daddy turned to me and wiped away the dark, wet mascara that had dribbled down my cheek. He had come to save me.
"Let's go, Abbi," he growled, leading me off the stage and past the shocked onlookers, down the middle of the cavernous theater and out the front door, into the cool summer night.
Daddy noticed me shivering, and he draped his suit jacket over my bare shoulders as he took me across the street to his car. He opened the passenger-side door and helped me in. After he had begun to drive away, taking us home, another tear trickled down my cheek. I had made such a mess of a night that was supposed to be all about my debut to high society.
"Daddy, I'm sorry I embarrassed you," I said.
"There's no way you could embarrass me," he instantly replied. "Quite the opposite, in fact. The truth is, baby, I was so proud of you tonight. Not everyone would have found the courage to get back up and finish the dance. But that's exactly what you did. Once you found your rhythm, no one moved more beautifully than you did up on that stage."
Daddy always knew exactly what to say. Gratitude washed over me. I wanted to hug him right there in the car, to kiss him and tell him how much I loved him. He must have noticed because he reached over and nuzzled the back of my neck with his hand, his strong, rough fingers massaging my skin. Then he playfully ruffled my hair, messing it up, just like he did when I was little.
"Hey! You stop that!" I teased, smoothing out my long hair.
Daddy's fingers darted for the sensitive place along my ribs, tickling me until I howled with laughter, trapped by my seat belt and squirming in my seat. "Okay, okay," I panted. "You win."
"Yes, I do," he grinned.
The drive home was only fifteen minutes, but I had such a big evening that I was completely exhausted. Daddy had been driving just a few miles when I nodded off to sleep. I didn't even realize when we were pulling down our long driveway and into the garage. When I woke up, Daddy was carrying me like a sleeping baby up the steps, toward my bedroom. My arms were wrapped around his neck.
"Shh, go back to sleep," he murmured.
"What about my lesson?" I protested groggily.
"The lesson can wait, my sleeping beauty," he soothed, tucking me into bed and turning out the lights. "Get some rest and we'll see about tomorrow."
"Thank you, Daddy," I mumbled, already drifting back to sleep.
VI.
The day after the debutante ball, I couldn't spend much time with Daddy because Sasha and I were getting ready for the huge party being thrown for all the graduating seniors from our high school. By coincidence, the party was being held at a mansion just down the street from where Daddy and I live. There would probably be kegs of beer and lots of flowing liquor, not to mention a big trashcan full of fruit punch. "Trash Can Punch" didn't strike me as the most enticing drink out there, but Sasha insisted that I would try it, and like it. She swore the drink was actually quite delicious.
"Maybe tonight is the big night when you finally pop your cherry," Sasha said, leaning close to my bedroom mirror and applying a thick coat of red lipstick. "I'm sure there's a boy out there who'd love to stick his prick into your tight little pussy."