Wanting to Remember,Trying to Forget(8)

Danny bared her teeth and hissed at him like a cat ready to attack. Charlie had a habit of always conversing with her as if she were Satan’s little helper. Sometimes, like now, he would go as far as referring to her as the devil himself. He didn’t try to hide the fact that he didn’t like her and she didn’t hide the fact that she despised him. They had a very hateful relationship, which they were both quite comfortable with. Max was the only one who did not understand the dynamics of their relationship, but that was probably because he constantly had to play referee.

“Cool it, guys,” Max said sternly. “We’re all here for the children.”

They walked into the large conference room and Danny took a deep breath, feeling very proud of herself. Lauren had decided to host a dinner and dance party as an attempt to raise money for children with special needs. After the last two functions had gone off without a hitch, Lauren had entrusted Danny to plan yet a third event, and as she took in all the details, she knew she had done a fantastic job.

The conference room, which was big enough to cater for the two hundred benefactors she had invited, was expertly decorated in black and lime. Fairy lights hung across the walls and ceilings, giving the entire place an electric, magical feel. The waiters were scurrying around, placing cocktail snacks and other refreshments on the tables, while the DJ tested his sound equipment.

Danny glanced at her cell phone. 18:35. It was almost time. She recounted her mental checklist and nothing seemed missing or out of place. Perfect! She had just enough time to freshen up. She tugged off her cardigan and hung it over the back of the chair. She left Max and Charlie at the table, went to the restroom, and quickly touched up her make-up. She adjusted the straps of the powder-blue dress she wore. It was a light, airy dress, perfect for the evening of dancing she had planned. It was not tight, but it snugly hugged her abdomen before flaring out at the waist, accentuating her small frame. She ran her hand through her long, dark brown hair as an attempt to neaten it as she headed out the door.

When she returned to the table, Amber was already there, sitting next to Charlie. She seated herself next to Max. Lauren, her husband Jeffrey, and Jen sat down at a table in the front of the room. Lauren would be making an introductory speech soon and thus had asked for the table closest to the podium.

“You did a really great job,” Max commented, scanning the room.

“Yeah, this place looks amazing,” Amber agreed.

“What’s amazing is that you actually found time to do all this,” Charlie said, looking almost impressed. “I mean, in between sacrificing children and buying peoples’ souls.”

“Eat a dick, Charlie!” Danny retorted and turned her attention to Max. “Why do you even hang out with this loser?”

“For the sheer enjoyment of watching you two fight.” He smiled, his dimple showing ever so slightly.

He looked incredibly handsome tonight in a black suit and a bow tie. She had only seen him in formal wear a handful of times, but it was definitely something she could get used to.

The waiters came around serving starters, a variation of halloumi cheese, Greek salad, or butternut and leek soup. Danny decided to take the halloumi cheese while the rest of them settled on the soup. After starters, Lauren addressed the attendees, thanking them for their generous contributions and hyping them for the party to come.

When the mains were served and eaten, the DJ began playing his beats, the first one being LMFAO, Party Rockers.

Danny stood up immediately and pointed at Amber. “You and me. Right now!”

Amber needed no further convincing. They rushed off to the dance floor. They were the first ones on and, just like in college, Danny already knew that they would be the last ones to leave. She cast a glance back to the table to look at Max. He sat there, smiling as he watched her with Amber. Danny waved her arm to call him to the dance floor, but he declined the invitation with a brief shake of his head.

She knew by that simple gesture what mood his was in tonight. If she wanted him to join them, she would have to pull out the big guns. It was amazing what six years had done to them. They could communicate with talking, tell one word jokes that no-one else understood. She knew every form of Max; every mood, good and bad. She knew he was groggy when he didn’t get enough sleep. She knew he hated boy-bands and celebrity gossip, particularly any articles about the Kardashians. He loved Harry Potter, video games, and any food containing chicken. She had seen him at his best and his worst and everything in between. All of those little things culminated into a friendship so deep, she would be lost without him.

She danced with Amber for two more songs before she walked to the DJ. She whispered her request into his ear, then moved to the podium where Lauren had addressed the crowd earlier. There were only ten or twelve people on the dance floor, which was perfect for what she had in mind.

She tapped the microphone and the music stopped. “Maximillian Augustus Shepard.” Their eyes met across the room and a grin slowly formed on his face. “Yes, you, Max Shepard. Please report to the dance floor immediately. I have something special for you.”

She watched as Max exhaled a heavy breath and stood up. He handed Charlie his phone and after saying a few words, he pulled off his jacket, loosening his bow tie as he strode to the dance floor. He knew exactly what was going to happen next.

“Was it necessary to say my full name in front of all these people?” he asked as she approached him.

“No, but that was payback for bringing Charlie.”

His grin widened and simply seeing him smile was probably payback enough for bringing Charlie. Danny kicked off her heels and noticed that all eyes were on them. It was something she had never had a problem with and, thanks to her, Max now felt the same way.

“Alright. Let’s do this,” he said, undoing the top two buttons of his white shirt. For some unknown reason, the movement made her breath hitch involuntarily in her throat.

The DJ waited for them to walk to the middle of the dance floor and then the familiar beat of Timbaland and Keri Hilson, The Way I Are began to play.

As soon as the bass dropped they began dancing. High Jump. Land with feet apart. Hip sway. Bounce. Bounce. Slide.

The crowd started cheering. Five weeks of watching MTV and this was the choreography they had come up with.

Big rotation of the arm ending with a fist pump.

Max had not been much more than a nerdy, awkward teenager in college. He was always afraid that people were judging him, silently hating him. He refused to dance at parties, opting to rather be the wallflower who faded into the shadows so he would be safe from condemning eyes. After attending five parties with him, Danny had finally had enough. She had turned to him and said, “Who cares what anyone thinks, Max? People should like you just the way you are.”

And that was when it hit her. She downloaded the single the following day and for the next five weeks they had practiced this routine in her dorm room.

Snake to the left. Snake to the right. Two hops and a turn.

Sure, it wasn’t the best choreography. They had to adapt some of the moves due to his lack of co-ordination and her two left feet. It would look completely dumb if either of them did it alone, but it worked when done in unison. Simple yet effective and a hellava lot of fun.

Pop and lock with a slight turn to do the robot – That part was his idea.

Danny looked over at him as he mouthed Timbaland’s lines and wondered when he had evolved from that nerdy teenager to the man in front of her. She knew he still had his insecurities. He was still shy around women, still afraid to make the first move, but he wasn’t ashamed of being himself anymore. He was a geek and now he owned that title.

Running man. No dorky dance would be complete without the running man so that was thrown in for good measure.

It was this very song, this very dance that had pulled him out of his shell. The first time they had done it in public, he had left the party with two girls’ numbers. The boost to his ego had done wonders, because here he was six years later, dancing in front of two hundred strangers without a care in the world.

One more hop and a slide as the song came to an end and then he pulled her into his arms. He was the perfect snuggling height, tall enough to nestle her head against his chest right beneath his chin and that was exactly what she did. As she melted into his embrace, she noticed that she was drinking in his scent again. She took a deep breath, trying to lose herself in Max and this moment for just a few more seconds. He kissed the side of her head and her stomach clenched.

The DJ slowed down the pace and played a love song. Danny knew she should step away, but instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and led him into step.

“God, we were awesome,” she said, leaning her head back so she could look up at him.

“We were more than awesome. If you weren’t here, women would be throwing their G-strings at me right now.”

She coughed out a mocking laugh even though she knew he wasn’t lying. She had noticed some of the come hither looks thrown in Max’s direction, especially from Jen, who was still watching him attentively from the table in the front. But she didn’t want to think of Jen right now. “If I wasn’t here, you would have looked like an idiot doing that by yourself.”

His hands slipped around her waist, pulling her a fraction closer. “You’re right. But…” He gave her a teasing grin. “…if you leave right now, I could still get my rain of underwear. At this moment, you are actually my biggest cock-block.”