Kiss of A Titan
Chapter 49

Now it was the time for the ball dancing and the dancefloor was quickly left wide open for each guest with a dancing partner to dance according to the melancholy slow but breathtaking enchanting music. There were eight to nine dancers who went to the dance floor with their partners particularly Lori and Tyler who were the first the center of attraction for a brief period of time before the rest of the guests joined in.

I looked expectantly at Richard hoping he would accept to join the dance with me but he seemed too bewildered to be seeing Lori dancing the waltz with Tyler embracing her in his arms. The look on his face when he saw them holding each other was all too terrifying to behold and he appeared all too furious that his ex was dancing with someone else. So, I thought when I saw his gazed idly fixed on the two dancers as part of the group that didn't come to the dance with a partner. I wanted to talk to him but some hurtful feeling told me not to and I was about to leave when he asked me a question that caught me by surprise.

"Do you still want me to dance?", He asked, still looking at the group of dancers. I turned to face him but he still had his gaze upon those who were at the dance floor.

"I'd loved to dance with you.... but not anymore", I feebly replied knowing his intentions.

"Because of them?", He asked and we both looked at Lori and Tyler.

"Obviously, yes", "You must think that I am only using you to get back at Lori, isn't that right?", He asked and turned to face me.

"Looks like it", "Lori and I are done. I...no longer have any feelings for her except hatred", "You mean to say...". "What we had is in the past and I've forgotten all about it...", He replied, searching my face to see if I was convinced of his words. "But Clyde said you still have feelings for her", "What Clyde said was bullshit...At the camp, I admit I was surprised to see Lori there but that's it. There's nothing more to that",

I kept quiet ruminating if it would hurt me to believe him. He noticed that I was thinking about what he said and returned his look at the gathering once again.

"I won't force you to dance if you still in doubt....it is up to you anyway", He said putting his hands in his pockets and drank the last drop of his wine from the cup. Few minutes, I was still undecided about going on the spotlight with Richard in front of the same people who once badmouthed him behind his back because of our involvement in two incidents that had led to his defaming performance in the eyes of his home fans and I knew the rumors about us being in a relationship would not only heighten after prom night if we were to dance together but will certified whatever suspicion they have left in their hearts about Richard dating someone else other than Lori.

Knowing quite well that dancing with Richard would implicate both of us and worsen the condition that he was in, I made up my mind to spend the evening with him regardless of the consequences that lay ahead. I drew closer to him when he wasn't looking and pulled him close to me by the hand. He peered down at me since he was a head taller than I was and saw a charming smile glistening at him.

"Let's do this even if it means losing my chance for a better school year", "It seemed like you had made up your mind....", He said and looked further away into the opposite crowd.

"Aren't you afraid people will talk about us dancing together?", "I think I should be the one asking you that", "I can deal with whatever they say behind my back and I don't care what they will think after this", "Me either", I replied, getting comfortable with him by my side. A surprise grin like that of a little child appeared on his lips and I felt enchanted by his charming appearance which radiated in the spotlight.

"Let's go then", He said to me and stretched forth his left elbow for me like a gentleman would and I took his arm, tangling together on the dance floor without taking a brief moment to consider the repercussions of our actions. As expected, everyone including those dancing was taken aback when they noticed Richard and I embracing each other at the dance floor while dancing the Waltz Matilda by André Rieu. Not only were the guests particularly Chloe and Amanda astonished but I too was stunned to see a lot of eyes in our direction as we joined the dancers.

Ironically, our entry had drawn the same attention given to Lori and Tyler who were also appalled but Lori pretended not to be too shock at this though her face clearly showed her total displeasure of what our dance together whilst Tyler seemed not to concerned about this since he wasn't too bothered with the kind of noisy murmurings that arose in the midst of the spectators when we were spotted entering the dance floor.

Noticing I was far more scared than those that kept staring at us, Richard tightened his grip around my waist and brought me close enough to feel the hot breath that came from his nostrils. Then he whispered something into my ear even when he knew we were under close watch.

"Listen to me...you gotta forget about them and focus on the dance", "But-", "If you're still afraid, look into my eyes and focus on that", He advised and I nervously obeyed. I couldn't explain what happened during the party after the dance was over but I knew that the entire time we were at each other's arms at the dance floor, was one of the best moment and to some extent, a blissful breath taking minutes of dancing the waltz which I spent with Richard much more than all the mishaps we have been through together since I came in Houston.

After dancing the waltz, the party went on its usual exciting rhythm and ended with everyone departing the school grounds for their houses late at night in the same automobile they drove to the school with but Chloe had unintentionally left me behind when she couldn't find me since I was hanging out alone with Richard at the school stadium. He had taken me there when the party was getting too intense to have a proper discussion as it was about reaching its end. We spent a few hours talking to each other but when it was time to leave, Chloe had disappeared from the vicinity in her automobile probably thinking I already went home without her.

Consequently, I had no choice but to accept Richard's offer to drive me home in his dad's car and he had driven both of us a quarter mile away from my neighborhood when the car ran out of gas on the road. He had no choice but to pull over to the left corner of the main road that was surrounded with bushes on both sides where no houses could be seen in the area.

He left me inside the car and came down first to check if something was wrong with the car engine since the headlights were still on.

"I thought we were out of gas", I said from inside and watched him open the bonnet of the car. Thick fumes of smoke issued out and he coughed fervently trying not to get choked by the fog before withdrawing away from the fog. Then I came down curiously to join him at the front of the car. Then he returned when the smoke had cleared out.

"I think the engine's all fried", "But it clearly showed that it was out of gas before you pulled over", "Yes, I saw it too but I guess that the engine got damaged because of it", "What do we do now?", "Let me think", he said and walked further to the center of the main road. Then he looked to his left and right for an incoming vehicle but found none except the dark silent night hovering around the area. He came back to the car and I met him at the front door. "Any hope for a ride?", "Nope, it's best if we wait inside the car so as not to catch a cold", he said and moved to open the door but it didn't work when he tried to open the door.

"Shit...it won't open", "What's wrong this time?" I asked, already feeling the coldness of the night.

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait here instead", He answered and rested his back on the car. I joined as well and stood beside him anxious to get a quick ride home.

"I'm sorry about this", he said when he noticed that I was trying to stop myself from shivering.

"It's not your fault...I really enjoyed the dance but I didn't expect that I would end up here shivering in this damn cold", He took his outer jacket off leaving his natty tie dangling on his white shirt and covered me with it. "This is the least I can do for this kind of situation", he said and returned back to solitude. We stood there for hours and it felt really cold. I was beginning to lose patience that help was going to come and at the sight of some vehicle heading towards us from afar after several hours of waiting, I ventured to the center of the main road before Richard, who barely woken up sleep at the sound of my voice, could stop me from putting myself in harm's way. He quickly noticed that the incoming vehicle turned out to be a truck whose driver was driving at a high speed and came to my rescue when the truck driver failed to hit the brakes for a safe stop due to the speed of the vehicle. He pulled me to the car and I twirled in his arms till my back hit the car.

I looked at him in bewilderment and instead of reprimanding me for the foolhardy risk I took to stop the truck, he slowly kissed me on the lips and his warm fingers took me by the chin as he held my waist against the car. His tantalizing lips felt warm and I savored every bit of refreshing taste I derived from his kiss but it was brief when the headlights of another vehicle compelled Richard to break free from me.

This time, the vehicle turned out to be a smaller car and with a little less speed than the truck which enabled it to park safely at the side of the road.

The driver came outside at once and revealed himself to both us to be a cop on patrol around town. He walked briskly to us, peering at us with his flashlight as though we were wanted criminals. Richard quickly released himself from me and went to greet the officer before he could reach us.

"What're you kids doing out here so late at night, huh?" the cop asked as he confronted Richard.

"Evening, Officer", "Good evening to you too, boy. Care to explain this charade?", "The car broke down...and we got stranded out here", "Lady, is that the truth because...it looked to me that you two are here on purpose?" he inquired, not too convinced of Richard's explanations and pointed the torch at both of us still under the impression we were making out.

"Yes, officer", I said from afar trying to get my voice heard because of the cold.

"Perfect alibi, huh? But I'll have to check if you are both telling the truth. Where's the car key?" he asked Richard.

"I left in the car but the doors are kinda shut", "I don't believe you. Move aside", the cop said and tried to open the car. It didn't budge like Richard said and he felt disappointed.

"I guess you must be telling the truth", he muttered to himself after failing to open the door. I walked to join Richard facing the officer who seemed more irritated that we both were telling the truth.

"Fine, I'll give you a ride home this time but be warned. I don't wanna see you hanging around here at this hour of the night", "Got it, officer", Richard replied and we followed him to his police car. It was only after the cop had driven us out of the area that we got to know who he was. I sat beside Richard at the back seat whilst the cop drove towards my neighborhood since it was closer than the area where the car broke down.

"So, kid, ain't you that athlete star my daughter dated last year?" he asked as he eased his hands on the steering wheel. Richard and I stared at each other in shock. Richard, recalling that Lori's father was a cop, hadn't recognized him at first glance because of the darkness and I was beginning to feel that I was in deeper trouble than Richard was.

"You're...right, sir", Richard stuttered in bewilderment.

"And here you are with someone else", "Sir, I didn't mean....", "There's no need for you to explain. I clearly understand what happened", Richard was already sweating with fear but he felt relieved that he was on the safer side of the cop. "I thought you weren't aware about it", "I'm her father, why won't I know about it?", "I thought.....", "If I hadn't known what she did, I would have dealt with you and your new girlfriend", he said looking at both of us in the front mirror. We both went silent after that and allowed Lori's father to take us home like he earlier said. He dropped me first at home in his police car before dropping Richard at his mansion.

Upon arrival in a police car, my aunt had thought something bad had happened and she felt relieved afterwards when she found out that I was okay since she had been worried about my well-being for refusing to come home in the far end of the night.

She also told me that Chloe had visited to check if I truly had returned from the party and it was a result of her appearance at my doorstep when I was missing that had got her deeply terrified and worried to the point that she had phoned the police about my failed return but she was satisfied that I came back unscathed though she reprimanded me for being together with Richard so late at night.