Page 64 of What I Like About You

“Hey, you two, come up for air!” Cullen hollered, right as Kyle chimed in, calling out “Get a room!”

Zara reluctantly broke the kiss, taking a half step back. Pressing her lips together, trying to hold on to the magical feeling of the kiss, she looked down at her shoes, unable to look over at the three other women and Antwan as they approached. This wasn’t the first time they’d been called out for their PDA, and she was getting the impression it probably wouldn’t be the last. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed by being caught in the act. Dalton, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem with it.

“If I want to kiss my girl, I’m gonna kiss my girl,” he said, his drawl making a stronger appearance than normal. “Y’all do it all the time.”

“And you make boorish comments about it all the time,” Leona clapped back.

“I do not!”

“That does kinda sound like something you would do,” Zara told him, looking between him and the feisty little blonde.

“You’re taking their side, huh?” he asked, poking her sides playfully. She let out a little gasp of mock surprise as she squirmed, trying to avoid more taunting at his hands. She started to respond, but before she could, the DJ started up the music, blasting “Let’s Get It Started” by the Black Eyed Peas.

“Squee! I’ve always wanted to go to prom!” Drea said, bouncing up and down while holding on to Kyle’s arm.

“You didn’t go to yours?” Zara asked her as the group wove through the tables toward the dance floor.

“We didn’t have one,” Drea explained. “We had a formal dance, but it wasn’t like what I’ve seen in the movies.”

“Even if we Brits did prom, I was already with Liverpool, so…” Cullen added in with a shrug.

“I went to mine, and it was alright,” Kyle said. “But tonight will be better. My date is hotter.”

“What would Breanna say if she heard you say that?” Drea asked, referencing what Zara assumed was his high school girlfriend.

“I’m sure she’d be perfectly happy knowing I found my forever,” he told her, kissing her.

Zara swooned a little, watching them. She loved how in love they were and that they didn’t care who knew it. Same with Leona and Cullen, who had already taken to the floor and were busting out some serious dance moves. Not to be outdone, Antwan wrapped an arm around Maeve’s waist, and made their way over to show everyone exactly how one was supposed to dance to this song. Before she could get too lost in watching them, Dalton grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the floor. The next thing she knew, their bodies were pressed together, and they were halfway to dirty dancing.

Her body lit up with excitement all over again, and all she could think was, a girl could get used to this…

* * *

Ten yearsago Dalton had enjoyed every last moment of prom, right up until that split second that everything changed. Leading up to that moment, however, everything had been a dream. From seeing Zara walk down the grand staircase in her parents' house in her one-of-a-kind dress, to the look on her face when they walked outside and she saw the Rolls-Royce, to laughing with her at dinner, to dancing with her to every song the DJ had played—all of it had exceeded his expectation. But standing here now, under a hastily assembled event tent on the pool deck with makeshift decorations was even better.

He took a long, slow sip of his beer as he watched the four girls—and Antwan—jump up and down screaming the lyrics to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” at the top of their lungs. The massive smile he could feel taking up residence on his face hadn’t faded since they first hit the dance floor a couple of hours ago, and he doubted it would disappear until he fell asleep later this evening. Zara looked amazingly beautiful as she danced and laughed along with the rest of the group, and it made him happier than he had realized was possible.

Their first go-round at this, she’d spent pretty much all night glued to his side, seemingly self-conscious about her every move. But tonight…tonight she owned the room.

“I’ve never understood the appeal of this song,” Cullen muttered as he took a gulp of his own drink.

“I think it’s a girl thing,” Kyle said, gesturing to the wild bunch on the dance floor with his beer bottle. “It’s gotta be, because every girl I know loses her mind when it comes on.”

“You’re awfully quiet,” Cullen commented, nudging Dalton with his elbow.

“Because I don’t have an opinion on the uber-feminist mantra of Cyndi Lauper?”

“Really more your lack of commentary on anything.”

“Just enjoying the moment,” he replied. It was the truth too. He was enjoying this moment more than anyone probably should be allowed to enjoy any moment, but he didn’t care. Watching Zara let loose, knowing that he created this for her, it made him feel like a king. Which was the complete opposite of how he felt the last time he was in this situation. “Ten years ago, at right about this point in the night, I made the biggest mistake of my life. Right now, I’m just grateful I have the chance to rectify that.”

“So then, why are you standing here with us?” Kyle asked.

“Because I’m man enough to understand that you don’t violate the sanctity of ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.’ Duh,” he joked.

The three of them burst into laughter, Cullen nearly choking on his whiskey. Turning back to their dates, Dalton couldn’t help but let himself think that this was how it should be. Standing here, laughing with his best friends, while the loves of their lives laughed and cavorted a few feet away.

There was a break in the music as the eighties girl power anthem came to an end, and Dalton was more than ready to have Zara back in his arms. Putting his drink down on the table, he turned to his friends, a sly grin taking over.