Chapter 90
Chapter 90:
Hadley ascended gracefully, ribbons encircling her as if she were an angel descending from the heavens.
“Where’s she going?”
“Who knows!”
“Over here, please!”
Many in the audience stretched out their hands, eager to graze the fabric of her celestial costume.
Yet, Hadley was floating directly towards the booth by the stage, where Eric and his group were seated.
Eric remained in his seat, intently watching as the dancer approached his location.
As Hadley neared, she caught sight of Eric.
A slight surprise registered in her, though she masked it quickly and stuck with the choreography. With a deft movement, she swept her long, flowy sleeve towards Eric. Eric reflexively reached out to catch it.
However, Hadley swiftly withdrew her sleeve before his fingers could make contact.
All Eric grasped was the faint scent left behind in the air.
Behind her veil, Hadley was sure Eric wouldn’t recognize her. She flashed a brief smile and twirled back towards the center of the stage.
“Wow! Who’s the lucky guy?”
“It’s that booth over there!”
“Which VIP got that attention?”
“Why wasn’t it me?”
The crowd was abuzz with excitement, and then the stage lights suddenly went dark, and the music stopped. When the lights flickered back on, S had disappeared from view.
Eric sat motionless, deep in thought.
Your next journey starts at gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․𝒸o𝗺
To his friends, it appeared as though he had been hit by a bolt from the blue.
“Hey!” Barrie jolted Eric’s shoulder. “Come back to us, man!”
Marshall laughed at the scene.
“It seems Eric’s changing his ways. He’s buying gifts for a mystery woman and now he’s captivated by Galant’s lead dancer. I’m really impressed, man.”
“Knock it off!” Eric retorted, his voice a blend of humor and annoyance.
Yet, he couldn’t explain why his heart had skipped a beat when S flicked her sleeve toward him, or why he had instinctively held his breath.
And that peculiar feeling of familiarity with the dancer? It puzzled Eric.
That evening, Hadley performed just a single dance.
When the crowd shouted for more, Hadley felt a bit bashful.
Lennon dismissed the calls for an encore. “Look, Hadley, one performance per night is enough. Do you know how much revenue you generate in those few minutes? Remember that. With the Toasting Ceremony coming up, a slice of the betting pool will be yours. You’ve earned it.”
Hearing about her share of the earnings cheered Hadley up.
After all, money was her primary reason for dancing at the nightclub.
“Time to pack up and head home,” Lennon instructed.