A high-powered, gruff, guitar riff, followed by a raspy scream, announces the beginning of the song. The audience instantly bursts into wild cheers. People from all corners of the hall flow like a tidal wave to the stage, forming a dense, unruly throng in front of us. Security hastens to restore order with little success. No one observes the marked areas despite their insistent instructions. The crowd starts swaying to the sensual beat and shouting our names, impatient for the spectacle to begin.
My heart is racing. The adrenalin rush makes my hands shake. I am startled by the unexpected, tumultuous reaction our dance competition evoked, but euphoric and ardent at the same time. I understand now how rock stars feel watching their fans whooping it up to the sounds of their gritty music.
Victor wastes no time and grabs Purple by the hand, sweeping her off her feet. The girl can't be easily surprised and, with one swift jump, wraps her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. The couple starts moving together to the rhythm. As much as I hate to admit it, they look smoking hot.
It's time to put my carefully crafted plan into action. I had already noticed upon entering the club that a long catwalk wound along one of the walls, connecting the stage to the bar. A number of dance poles are lined on it at equal distances. I assumed that the star girls use them to perform when there are no special events like Dark Sun's gig. This is my target, the detail that will play the essential part in Victor's downfall.
Constant dancing and everyday jogging have made my legs pretty strong. My arms are quite resilient from all the cutting, dough kneading, and stirring in the kitchen. Cooking takes strength and is not as easy as most people think. I've spent a lot of time climbing trees as a child as well. I still remember some of the tricks that frightened the living daylights out of my mother. So, I'm ready to beat Victor in his own game and make Sam's jaw drop... in a good way, I hope.
It doesn't take much for Scarlett to figure out my intentions. She nods in approval and leads the way, holding my hand with a regal bearing, a playful smirk on her lips, and a delightful sway of her hips.
"We're gonna win this, baby," she yells in my ear since the uproar is deafening. "Follow my lead, and we'll smash it."
The climactic battle will obviously be fought on two fronts. The stage is Victor and Purple's territory, while we will oppose them from the runway. The crowd splits into two. Half of it follows us, swarming at the foot of our new arena. Sam is stuck in the middle but quickly clears his way and earns ground on the best spot, right at my feet.
Scarlet is tapping her foot, singing along with the music.
Before I know it, the girl is five feet up the pole, steadily settled in a leg lock. She bends back and shakes her voluminous, red tresses over my shoulders like a waterfall of fire. The crowd goes wild. I know exactly what to do. One more glance at Sam's wide grin and excited expression gives me all the courage I need. I grip the metal rod and climb like a monkey to my partner's height, mirroring her position. She instantly reaches out and grips my forearms. I bend back like her, squeezing the pole tighter between my thighs. The next second, we are spinning around it to the rebellious electric guitars and the thunderous applause.
We gracefully slide back to the ground. Scarlet immediately does mind-blowing front splits and starts clapping with her arms high in the air, making the crowd even more ecstatic. I turn my back to them and go pushing out my hips from left to right as seductively as I possibly can, supporting myself on the pole. Sam says I have the cutest bubble butt and, I think, is even slightly obsessed with it. I'm starting to believe him, listening to the encouraging whistles and shouts behind me, or maybe, it's the star girl's tanned legs that evoke the frantic reaction. In any case, I am happy to hear it's a success.
I peek at the stage to see how our rivals are doing. Viktor is shirtless and on his knees. Purple's delicate ankle is on his shoulder. She's doing sexy body waves, flipping her long, golden ponytail, much to the tremendous delight of their supporters, who are no less enthusiastic than ours. It seems we are even. I need a winning move. It is time to take a risk. It will be all or nothing.
I take firm hold of the pole and push off the floor, steadying myself with an elbow lock. Then I make a full, flying legs rotation, followed by middle splits in the air. I make a quick climb a little bit higher and transition to a one knee lock. I hope it is firm enough because what I am about to do is kind of scary. I've hung upside down from trees many times, but not in the last ten years. It would be really stupid to break my head just to prove a point. I take a deep breath and gather all my courage, carefully removing my hands from the rod and relaxing my body to a handstand. My fingers are barely touching the floor.
My face is close to Sam's now. He is gazing at me wide-eyed and wonderstruck. I smile at him. His flushed cheeks and heavy breathing leaves no doubt that he's strung out but also turned on. I can actually see the bulge in his pants. It makes me proud of myself.
God, it's so good to feel sexy! It has never happened to me before I met him. I might actually get used to it. I think I'm done here. I got what I wanted and, honestly, don't give a fuck who's winning this competition. I will never question my worth again.
Suddenly, something in his expression changes. A shadow of concern crosses his face. This is the moment I realize that my shirt is rolling up, or rather down, since I am in an inverted position. I can do nothing to stop it. If I move my legs or arms, I will surely collapse straight on my head. I'm panicking. What shall I do? Maybe, it's better to fall than to be humiliated by everyone's pitiful gazes. I'm petrified and barely breathing.
"I've got you, honey. It's all fine," I hear Scarlet's voice in my ear. She wraps her arms around my torso just on time to prevent the disaster from ruining my perfect moment. She helps me get back on my feet. I wheeze. My eyelids drop in relief for a brief second, but the amplifying noise quickly forces me to look around.
The song has ended. The hall is shaking with applause. Victor and Purple are waving at as, grinning from ear to ear. The crowd is screaming our names.
"How did you know?" I yell in Scarlet's ear, leaning heavily on her. My legs are like jelly. I am barely able to stand next to her.
"Your boyfriend loves you, baby," she yells back, blowing kisses left and right at the same time. "Can be quite scary too. He told me I should never let you loose your shirt, no matter what we do. Otherwise, he said, there'd be no contest at all. I don't know why he put that condition, but it didn't even cross my mind to argue. Those green eyes can make you freeze on the spot. You were so pale. He must have had a good reason."
I look at Sam and he beams at me. My friend Danny calls him 'the man with the glares'. I know my tattooed man can make anybody nervous with a simple glance, but not me. He is my Teddy Bear. I love him so much. He will never ever let something bad happen to me.
I take a step towards him, but my weak legs and the sheer exhaustion from all the intense emotions I experienced today, play a trick on me. I stagger forward and loose my balance right on the edge of the podium.
"Teddy Bear, can we go home now?" I mumble, snuggling closer in Sam's warm, strong arms.
I didn't worry for a second when I fell off the runway. I just knew he was going to catch me. He always does.
_______________________________
Photo 118391252 © Volodymyr Tverdokhlib | Dreamstime.com
Photo 27230561 © Dean Bertoncelj | Dreamstime.com
A/N
Hello at the end of chapter 65!
Thank you for reading and supporting! ❤❤❤
You are amazing!
Phew! This was a difficult chapter to write. I almost became a choreographer. 😂😂😂
Did you have fun?
We still don't know the winner, but does it really matter?😉
Share your thoughts, ask questions, and criticize if you think it's necessary.
And don't forget to vote if you liked the story.
Love: Anny
YOU ARE READING
The Hots (mxm)
RomanceThis story is complete ✅ Alec is a twenty-five year old gentle boy with the looks of an angel. He has not figured out what he needs in love yet and has never had a relationship. But something urges him to act, or rather someone, a person who is his...
