Boarded by Love (19 page)

“Like?”

“For one, I’m a better dancer than she is,” I say.

“Well, of course you are,” she says so matter-of-factly, it makes me grin.

“And two, I may be dating the guy she wants to date.”

She squeals so loudly that I have to pull the phone away from my ear. “You’re dating!”

Rolling my eyes, I say, “It’s nothing to get excited about.” But as soon as the words leave my mouth, I know they’re a lie.

“Yeah right, you haven’t dated since starting school! He must be something! Oh, is it Jude?!”

Groaning, I say, “Yeah, you know it is.”

“Yeah, I did, just wanted you to confirm,” she says before snickering. “Did you invite him to the wedding?”

“For gosh darn sakes! No! We’re dating, not getting married!”

“Well, duh, you dork! Y’all are dating, and you need a date for the wedding.”

“Oh my God, can we please go back to what I called you for?” I ask, pushing the door to my dorm open.

“Fine, tell them that you would love the chance to give them more options for dances. If they say no, flip them the bird, and start your own dance team.”

“So mature.”

“I try,” she says while laughing and I laugh. “Don’t worry, as soon as they see your stuff, you’ll be golden, baby.”

“I guess I’ll try that.”

“Good, now, can you promise me something?”

I feel like she’s about to trap me, and I’m not sure why I say yeah, but I regret it as soon as she asks the next question.

“Ask Jude to the wedding. Phillip will be nice. I promise.”

“The hell I’ll be,” I hear my uncle say and I smile.

“You don’t even know what I’m talking about! Or who for that matter,” she yells back.

“You are trying to get her to invite that douche bag to the wedding. I swear I’ll be a complete asshole.”

“Then you won’t get laid.”

“Ew! Niece on the phone!” I complain and she laughs.

“Like you don’t know what sex is, but anyway, I’ll stop him. And also, remember we have a dress fitting Friday.”

I fall face-first on the bed and then roll over before saying, “Yeah, I’ll be there. Make sure the dress you pick for me isn’t whack.”

“I’ll let you pick it.”

Thank sweet baby Jesus. “I love you.”

“I love you more. See you Friday.”

“Awesome, tell Phillip I love him too.”

“I will, sweetheart. He’s leaving in a bit for Colorado.”

Before I can say anything, Phillip comes on the line. “Hey, I’ll be back in a week. Be good, okay?”

“Aren’t I always?”

“You have been, but I don’t trust this Jude guy. What kind of name is that?”

“A classic one and he’s supernice. I really like him. I think you would too if you gave him a chance.”

He makes a disgruntled noise. “I don’t think so.”

I snicker. “I love you, Phillip.”

“Love you, Claire-bear. Text me if you need anything.”

“I will. Have a safe trip and score a goal for me.”

He promises me he will, and with a grin, I hang up and then dial Jude’s number. I’m not sure if he’s done playing hockey, but I’ll leave a message if he isn’t. I just want him to know I’m thinking of him. He was so sweet to meet up with me for a few minutes. Okay, let me be honest; I just miss the guy.

To my surprise, he answers on the second ring. “Hey, beautiful, how was practice?”

“Completely horrible,” I say with a grin, butterflies doing crazy flips in my belly. “Are you busy?”

“Still playing some pickup but I’m never too busy to talk to you. What’s up? What happened at practice?”

“I think Rachael hates me and those dances are whack. I swear they’re from 1999.”

He laughs. “Yeah, they’ve been doing the same routines for years, and she probably does. You’re dating me. Everyone wants me, remember?”

I roll my eyes at his cockiness, trying to ignore how much it turns me on. I don’t have much luck with that. “Yes, you cocky thing, you, and that reminds me to really wonder if I should trust you.”

He laughs. “Baby, I’m all yours, I promise. People can want me, but I only want you.”

I smile, I don’t need the reassurance because I do trust him, but still, it’s nice to hear. “I know, but it’s not smart to tell the girl you’re dating that everyone wants you.”

I can hear his smile in his voice. “You’re right, but in my defense, I’m saying it just for the chance to remind you that I only want you.”

I hate that I’m grinning. I should be mad but I’m not. “Okay, fine.”

“Did we just have our first fight?”

“Hardly,” I laugh and he chuckles.

“I think we did which means we need to have makeup sex or kiss or something.”

“You just want a reason to touch me inappropriately.”

“Of course I do,” he says like it’s general knowledge, when really, it is. I was dumb to assume otherwise.

“Anyway, but yeah, back to dance issues. Reese told me to say something to them.”

“You should. You’re the girl to bring life back into the team.”

That makes me smile a little harder than it should. “Thanks. I’ll let you get back to hockey. I was gonna leave you a message. Didn’t mean to stress you out and be a bitch.”

He laughs. “You didn’t, and I want to know what this message was gonna say.”

I think for only a second and know exactly what it was gonna say. “It was gonna say that I hope you kiss me really hard when I see you next.”

“That would be a really hot message to get. Let’s hang up and you do it for me, okay?”

I bite into my lip to stop from grinning harder. “Okay.”

“And another thing.”

“Yeah?”

“I promise to do just that when I see you, baby. Gotta make up for being an asshole.”

I blush, covering my face with my hands. “You weren’t an asshole, and I can’t wait,” I say breathlessly.

“Me neither. I’ll text ya when I’m done.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye, babe.”

When the phone goes dead, I dial his number again and it goes straight to voice mail. Smiling extremely hard, I say, “I hope you kiss me really hard when I see you next. Which I hope is very soon. Have fun, text me later.”

Before I can say anything more, I hang up the phone and sit with a contented grin on my face. I like him. A lot. Way more than I’ve ever liked a guy. It scares me how strongly I feel about him. I may be rushing into this, and it may be insane of me, but I feel good about it.

I just hope he doesn’t prove me wrong.

“So heard you’re dating Jude Sinclair.”

I look up into my mirror to see Tessi standing behind me. She’s wearing only a pair of panties, her brown hair in curls down her chest, covering her boobs. I lift an eyebrow before coming closer to the mirror to fix my eyelash. “Yeah, I am.”

“You know he’s been around, like, everywhere, right?”

My lips go in a straight line as I nod. I know this isn’t the last time I’ll hear this, but coming from my friend kinda makes it worse. “Yeah, I know.”

“Okay, but you know, like, everyone, right? I mean, I think a good 70% of the girls in the school have been with him.”

“That’s a little exaggerated, don’t you think?”

She thinks for a second. “No, I don’t. Girls love him, and we all know Jude loves the ladies.”

“Have you slept with him?” I ask, and while I wait for her to answer, I try to figure out if I’m gonna care.

Her face twists in disgust. “Hell no. I don’t sleep with anyone, remember?”

Relief floods me as I nod. “Yeah, I forgot.”

“Yeah, I mean, he’s cool. Super good-looking and he’s real nice. I had to do a project with him, and he was the sweetest even after I told him he wasn’t getting any.”

“He tried to have sex with you?”

She nods. “Of course he did. He loves it. I even accused him of being addicted to it.”

I laugh with her, but it’s empty. I don’t know why I’m letting this bother me. I haven’t before, but now as I sit here putting gloss on my lips, I can’t help but be jealous of all these girls. What if they come back, or what if he meets someone better than me? No. It won’t happen. He won’t hurt me.

But if he’s addicted to sex, maybe he will?

“I know that look, and don’t let what I say bother you. I’m just surprised that he’s settling down, but that’s wonderful. All guys grow up, and you’re the one who’s gonna make him ’cause we all know you won’t deal with being cheated on.”

I bite into my lip. “We’re only dating. He could do what he wants.”

“But he won’t. I’ve heard all about the way he looks at you. Everyone who isn’t being a jealous bitch is saying that it’s like he’s a different person. Embrace it, babe. Enjoy it. He’s a fine, fine man.”

She’s right. “Yeah, I like him a lot.”

“Good,” she says, throwing a tee on before reapplying the makeup that could have come off. When I reach for my brush, I see that my phone is blinking with a text message. It’s two in the morning, who would be texting me? Maybe Skylar, but when I read the display, it’s from Jude.

Hey Jude: I know it’s late but I just wanted you to know I’m thinking of you.

My heart feels like it’s coming out of my chest, and I know there is no stopping the grin on my face. As I glance over at Tessi, she’s oblivious to my happiness and doing her makeup, and I hate how much I want to show her the text message to prove that Jude is amazing and sweet and now a one-woman guy. I shouldn’t have to prove that to anyone; I shouldn’t care, but something inside me wants everyone to know that he’s a good guy. I don’t know why he’s slept around so much, but I do plan on finding out. The only thing is I know when I ask that, I’m gonna have to tell him about my past, and I’m not sure I can do that.

“Does he know you work here?”

I glance over to see that Tessi is watching me, a small smile sitting on her lips. Shaking my head slowly, I say, “No, I don’t want to tell him. I haven’t told anyone. Only Reese knows and then, of course, the girls who work here.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if I’d tell him either. He might not like that.”

“What guy would?”

“True, but it’s good money.”

“Damn good money.”

“Claire, honey.”

Tessi sits up, and I turn to see Ms. Prissy coming toward me in a leopard-print bodysuit. Her bright red hair is up in a high ponytail, with her plump, red lips bright and shiny. Her breasts are huge and her ass is even bigger, filling out her bodysuit nicely; the older men go crazy for her. Smiling up at her since I know she’s still mad about the fact that I gave her a schedule for the dance team and what days I need off, I say, “Hey Ms. Prissy.”

“Listen I need three new numbers, two group and one solo for Tessi. Something hot for her and burlesque for the groups, but still sexy. Also, I need a new pole routine for you and Ellen. I need it in a month, the third of November.”

“For? It’s not time for new routines yet.”

“I know, but I have some investors coming from Vegas, Florida, and New York, so I need to impress them.”

I nod. “I’ll get it done.”

“Fabulous, thank you.”

“No problem,” I say, and she smiles before walking off. I say I want to quit, but I’m comfortable here and I love my job offstage. I mean, being onstage doesn’t bother me much, but still some days I wish I were strictly backstage. No one looking at me, no one judging me, or getting hard from me. Sometimes I feel like a piece of meat, but then other times I feel incredibly special. I love the audience when it’s full of classy men – not the drunks that come in after a night of drinking to try to convince me to sleep with them – but the ones who appreciate a beautiful woman moving in a sensual way. Thankfully, we have more of the latter, and that’s why I stay. But now that I have Jude in my life, I don’t want anyone looking at me because I don’t want anyone looking at him.

But how do I quit? I need the money, the security, because I might not have the blanket of support and love I have now forever. It could all end, and then I’ll find myself at rock bottom, a strung-out stripper like my mother.

I can’t let that happen.

I won’t let that happen.

I
’m dragging ass this morning.

Something fierce.

I was supposed to get off at three, but we had a group of owners of some sports teams come in, and Ms. Prissy wasn’t letting me leave until I gave them a show. Which I did, and yes, I walked away with more money than I make in a week, but still I’m beyond tired. But when I see Jude strutting toward me from the vocational building, my mood picks up a bit. His face is bright, a big grin on his lips with his hair falling in his eyes. He’s wearing jeans and a Henley, and when I glance down to see I’m wearing the same old sweats, I suddenly wish I was dressed a little better.