Page 58 of Pride and Protest

“Isaiah is excellent at making new friends, but terrible at keeping them,” Dorsey said. His hands were at her back again, and his thumbs stroked the gold chain. Tight bolts of electricity shot out from where his fingertips touched her skin. “Time is Isaiah’s only enemy.”

Her breath kept hitching at the touch of his warm hands andthe cool metal at the small of her bare back. She remembered the heat of his body when she’d been pressed on top of him in the nap pod. He kept snatching looks at her mouth. He’d be insane to kiss her here with his board and her family looking on. But she wet her lips anyway.

Liza, remember WIC.She closed her eyes and focused on the image of her eviction notice. “And if WIC did anything to offendyou, God help him. What was it you said? You’d drop them and never look back?”

Dorsey opened his mouth to comment but was tapped on the shoulder. His hands whipped back to his sides. The reverend, her mother’s date, stood with a grin you could play piano on.

“Everybody here is talking about you two! You are lighting up this dance floor!” The reverend clapped enthusiastically.

Liza saw Dorsey’s face twitch with the slightest bit of embarrassment.

“Our Liza is a fine girl, you know, and she’s gonna need some company if her sister runs off with that white boy.” The reverend laughed, stretching the thin mustache atop his lip wide. “You both look made for each other when you dance!”

“Okay, Rev. We’ll be seeing you!” Liza enthusiastically nodded. She was looking for the exits. She had to get out of here. The band started up a smoky rendition of “You’re My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration.” She knew she couldn’t survive Teddy Pendergrass. It had all the ingredients for a mistake:

Feeling rejected by man of your choice

Drinking more than you should

Man not of your choice pressing you near and wearing some kind of human pheromone cologne

Teddy Pendergrass

She moved to bow out of the dance. But Dorsey’s hands curled around her back, then slightly stiffened. The singer crooned on—a soft encouragement.

Dorsey’s breath puffed in her ear. “So, I drop people and never look back. Is that all you know about me?” he asked.

Heat crept up her neck, and she needed about forty gallons of water to get this lump out of her throat. “I... keep trying to get a sense of you. But everyone I talk to has a different opinion of you,” Liza said, surprising herself with her honesty.

“Have you been persuaded one way or another?” he said while swaying her. Liza tried not to sigh into him. “Or are you just pleased to hear the gossip?”

Liza smiled. “Column B, I think.”

“Well, far be it from me to deny youanypleasure.”

Okay, I need to get out of here, or Dorsey is going to get all my cookies tonight.The part of her—with the tiniest sliver of self-respect—scrambled for safer conversation.

“Who would you most like to invite to dinner, living or dead?” Liza asked.

Dorsey tilted his head down in surprise. “You downloaded the app?”

“Just answer the question.” Liza rolled her eyes. She’d downloaded the app ages ago.