Page 21 of The Dance

Me: Bringing any back home?

Brandon: Hell no, and since you want to know about my dating life, are you still with Stacey?

I hesitated before I texted back a lie:

It’s complicated.

I didn’t feel bad telling my brother a little white lie. Stacey and I were on different paths. I didn’t know what path she was on since I hadn’t seen or heard from her in three months, but it was different from mine. Or maybe it wasn’t. It seemed we both wanted nothing serious, and I wouldn’t mind hooking up with her again.

Brandon: How so?

Me: We’re just on different paths.

Brandon: I guess we can’t all have what Jason and Becca have.

Jason and Becca met at A&M their freshman year and married a year after they graduated. I didn’t want that life, but it seemed my brother did, even though he’d always put work first.

Me: I don’t want that. You do?

Brandon: With the right woman, yeah. You don’t?

Me: *Sends GIF of Harry Potter with fire behind him, screaming never*

* * *

A week later,it was Mom’s birthday. Like he said he would, Brandon flew in for a few days.

Mom fancied an upscale New Orleans-themed restaurant we went to every year because she wanted the beignets for dessert. The four of us arrived at the restaurant, and as we were heading to our table, Brandon nudged me. “Isn’t that Stacey?”

My gaze followed his, and sure enough, she was sitting at a table with some old guy with gray hair. Maybe her dad.

We walked past her table, and when her eyes met mine, I winked. I saw she moved her hand back from being on the table, and as I looked down, it appeared she was holding hands with the guy she was with. Maybe it wasn’t her father after all.

Once we sat at our table, I made sure to get a seat where I could face Stacey. I didn’t know why, other than I wanted to look at her.

“Is that her dad?” Brandon whispered.

“I don’t know,” I replied, staring at the side of Stacey’s face.

“Does she have a thing for older men?” Brandon asked.

“I have no fucking clue.” I barely knew Stacey, so maybe she did. We were still strangers. I wouldn’t even say we were fuck buddies, since it had only happened once. But my family thought we were dating, and now she was with some old guy.

My parents didn’t seem to notice that she was a few tables over, and after we ordered and made small talk, Stacey rose from her seat and headed toward the restrooms.

“Going to the little boys’ room.” I placed my white napkin in my seat before I followed behind Stacey, looking at her ass that was hugged in a knee-length black skirt.

Just as she started to push the door open to the ladies’ room, she turned her head and looked at me coming up behind her. “Are you following me?”

“Maybe.”

She stepped back from the door, so we were both in the small hallway. “My date can’t see me with you.”

I stared at her. “Date?”

“The man I’m with,” she clarified.

“What would happen if he did see?” I probed.