Blue Angel

SEPTEMBER

Los Angeles

Brains in the clouds, party people danced with high energy to the DJs tunes as the two of us fell out of sync. Transporting to our own little planet, he twirled my front away from him and glued my back to his chest, four arms now tangled around my waist. God? What is happening to me?

As we swayed to our own tempo, Prince blew game in my ear. "Take all my guitars, rip out all the keys. I'll be fine as long as this feeling stays floating in me. Take all the lyrics, just leave me with the beat. I'll make new words in these blue eyes I drown deep."

My smile reached new heights.

"Come." He kissed my cheek, sending a swarm of tingles to overtake half my face. I was straight mush. Our bodies detached and the solid floor transformed into a tight rope. "You alright?" he asked, catching me by my elbow. There wasn't an ounce of alcohol in my body but this dancer's embarrassing ungainliness told another tale.

Hand in hand and close, we stepped out of the square of the dancefloor and walked back to his section, sandwiched between the paid burly men who had been secretly babysitting us. It was a private party but Prince is Prince. People were staring hard, the kind where you catch them and they only bore deeper. Prince and I's body language perhaps translated to "yes, we're a thing," when in reality we had only met roughly seven minutes ago.

A tall, slender, blonde met us as we reached the table and asked if we needed anything to drink. I say "we" but her eyes stayed fastened on him.

"She might need water," he said for me.

"And what about you, my friend?"

"What about me?"

"Need that refill yet?"

"Not yet. Still quenched," he said grinning towards her, and by the way her face reacted, it was obvious I was sitting third wheel to their private joke. "Just take care of my new company."

"Of course. Anything, remember?" The words were desperate enough but she still added a wink before walking off.

Before I could detach and claim the adjacent seat, Prince pulled me sideways and propped me on his lap. "You got moves."

The poke up under me had me tongue-tied.

"There you are." Rebecca Blake approached, one of a five I arrived with. "You stole my friend," she said to Prince.

"You should've come and danced with us," he played.

"Yeah, right. Raven, can you come with me to the Ladies Room?"

First thought was no but I managed. Prince didn't let go of my hand until our arms couldn't reach any longer.

Inside at the sink, I was trying to conform back to reality, finding my voice again. "What did you do to me, Mrs. Cupid?"

Rebecca palmed her hip. "Well, well, well. If this goes anywhere, remember who to thank at the wedding."

I laughed. "That's ridiculous. No one is thinking about weddings. Do you know who that man is? He might've screwed the cocktail waitress."

"Yeah, but he doesn't come out of his VIP for anyone as far as I know. People go to him."

"Oh stop."

"I heard he's been wanting to meet you since he saw you on the cover of Essence. That's why I told his assistant you'd be here. She said he's been looking for you."