Page 119 of The Wildest Ride

Sound blasted them in deafening waves. The cacophony was a mishmash of traditional Mexican music and hip-hop and it took Lil’s senses a moment to sort out that the sound was the combined noise of two separate dance rooms—one playing traditional Mexican dances, the other blasting reggaeton.

AJ handed the doorman cash and they were ushered inside, their hands stamped.

Like the rest of the building, the foyer was crowded. People milled through the area switching back and forth between the dance floors fluidly. Lil held on to AJ’s hand.

He led her first to the traditional room. There, the absence of such heavy bass meant they could hear each other’s shouts if they really tried.

Her heart steadied to the beat of the music as her ears adjusted to the volume and the crush. Taking more in, she noticed the room was filled with people of all ages. Children darted in and out of people’s legs, creating their own level of activity in the tiered canopy of the room.

On the dance floor, old and young couples showed off their skills with varying levels of effort—young men spun young women in bandage dresses and impossibly high heels exuberantly while old-timers put hyper focus on precise movements and serving looks that gave the youngins a run for their money. Everyone moved together, though, all in time to the common rhythm.

Along the back wall, long folding tables bowed under the weight of Crock-Pots, cakes, and aluminum baking trays. The air was filled with the aromas of those various delights, as well as a war of women’s perfume and knock-you-on-your-ass clouds of cologne. Almost every word she heard spoken was in Spanish.

She’d never been anywhere like it, and it was wonderful.

Eyes wide as she continued to scan the scene, she accidentally connected with a tall young man in a cream-colored cowboy hat and freshly shined boots. He flashed her a blindingly white smile and began making his way in her direction.

AJ watched him approach quietly, sliding an arm around Lil’s bare shoulders as the younger man reached his palm out to Lil.

“Está conmigo,” AJ said.

The young man looked him up and down with a frown before he shrugged and shot Lil a little wink before turning and fading back into the crowd.

AJ glowered at him as he drifted away, but Lil laughed. “What is this place?” she asked, raising her voice.

He turned back to her with a smile. “Pop-up dance.”

She drew her eyebrows together, and he explained, “Somebody gets the idea, finds a space, and spreads the word. If it works, people bring food and booze and everybody dances. Totally illegal.”

She looked up at him, a little awed. “How’d you even find out about it?”

His grin flashed, chipped tooth and dimple coming along for the ride. “I know people.”

“Why go to the trouble?” Lil asked, touched.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, murmuring into her hair. “I wanted to take you dancing.”

Her stomach did a flip even as she blanched at the thought of dancing. She was a good dancer, but she’d never done anything with actual steps. Certainly not like the dancers out on the floor now. All of them seemed to know both the steps, and how to make them their own.

He offered her a hand. Butterflies loop-di-looped in her stomach.

“Lista?” he asked.

She shook her head. “What are they dancing?” she asked.

“Cumbia,” he said, his body beginning to sway in time with the music.

“I don’t know how,” she said.

He grinned. “Doesn’t matter. I do.” And then he swept her out onto the dance floor.

She went, helpless to resist him, and tried to watch the other dancers and figure out the moves on the way. It seemed to be comprised of a shuffling step and some half twirls.

She could handle that.

He took her arm and spun her to face him. Their eyes locked, gray and brown, the intensity there even amidst the crowd and noise. He gestured for her to watch his feet with two fingers and quickly showed her the basic step, which was just a back step and return on both sides of the body. She picked it up quickly, realizing abruptly that they were already halfway to doing what everyone else on the floor was.

He kept things basic for a few bars, letting the rhythm get into her body, before he added more.