L. Marie Adeline- S.E.C.R.E.T

high on my thighs, but her kiss had thrown me o, bringing the crazed crowd to their
feet. I spotted Kit and Matilda sitting together near the bar, clapping and whistling like
proud dance moms.
When I turned to blow a kiss to the audience, my eyes rested on a familiar gaze. It was
Jesse, occupying a prime table near the front, with a grin on his face that would melt an
iceberg.
“Well, hello,” he said, leaning back into the chair, taking in the full length of me with
a tilt of his head.
How had I forgotten how sexy this man was? This time he wore a snug plaid shirt and
jeans, a white undershirt peeking underneath. That undershirt. His lean concave stomach,
his casual hand resting on the hair that leads to … “Oh my God,” I said, standing in front of
his table. His confused expression reminded me he didn’t know who was beneath the wig
and mask. I glanced nervously around the room. All eyes were on us. I smiled at Jesse
again and froze. Angela took my arm and turned me around for our dual butt-shimmy
move. I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was clearly thrilled to be on the edge of
the spotlight, a front-row spectator. When we’d nished our little number, he and
everyone else in the room erupted into hoots and hollers.
Emboldened by my anonymity, I turned around and leaned forward, placing both
hands on his shoulders, and giving him a good long look at the impressive cleavage my
dress had enhanced. To any onlooker, it would have seemed we knew each other and
were exchanging pleasantries, but when I leaned in, I whispered, “The things I’d like to
do to you.”
“Whoa, right back at you, baby,” he whispered, his hot breath in my ear.
So this is how it works, I thought, taking a nger and placing it under Jesse’s stubbled
chin. When I brought his eyes to meet mine, I thought I saw a ash of recognition cross
his face. I pulled away quickly, and he threw his head back, laughing, loving the irty
attention. Who was this bold woman doing these bold things? This wasn’t me. But it was
me! And Jesse had had a hand in liberating me.
By this point, all the girls had made their way down from the stage and were working
the crowd into a frenzy. Two were now hovering directly over Jesse, who had an
expression of pained pleasure on his gorgeous face. Suddenly the girl with the corkscrew
curls threw her boa around his neck. I watched her tug him to his feet. While the crowd
screamed, he willingly trailed behind her and out the door, the whole time wearing the
grin of the luckiest guy in the room. I had had my chance and I hadn’t picked him. I
smiled and said a silent, wistful goodbye to my lovely intruder.
I followed my duet partner, Angela, farther into the audience. When she moved behind
a wide post, I lost sight of her, and moments later locked eyes with another ardent
audience member, Pierre Castille, who was leaning cross-armed against the wall,
regarding me with a bemused expression, his bodyguard next to him. Here was my
choice. What power you have when you’re fully in command of your own body, I thought.
With my hands on my hips, my chin lowered and my shoulders thrust forward, I strutted
towards Pierre in rhythm with the drummer’s beat. I closed the distance between us,
reminding myself I was the girl in the platinum wig and black mask. I could see his