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into the night sky. It looked tall enough to touch the stars. Everything was illuminated in its glow and warmth, and I loved it. I’d always loved bonfires. Outdoor parties were awesome—you could be with a bunch of people or all by yourself under the open sky and in the fresh air.
    Jules and I had polished off the bottle we had snuck away with. It was only half full so we were nicely buzzed. I liked drinking until I was close to drunk but not so much that I had to worship porcelain.
    She offered to refill my drink or get me a beer. I knew her guise; her real plan was to stalk past Nate, wiggling in her little dress and hoping he’d catch a whiff of her perfume.
    “ I’m good, but you go ahead.” I went the opposite way, over to the rocked out DJ that they’d hired, and asked if he had Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride.” It was my all-time favorite feel good song.
    “ Cool with me, beautiful,” the DJ said, winking.
    I flashed him my biggest smile. “Thanks.”
    Yep, no doubt. I was buzzing, from my fuzzy brain to my almost numb feet.
    I let myself bask in the warmth of the fire and get lost in the song. I lifted my arms over my head as I swayed my hips to the beat. At the moment I was the only person dancing. So I closed my eyes and remembered my theme song tonight, “Fuck You.” I moved myself to the beat; jumping and curving my arms around me as I let all the pent up adrenaline, energy, rage and a million other emotions come out through my feet and fingertips, until I felt like a goddess. I was sorry that the song was almost over but, at the last chorus, the DJ spun it again from the beginning. My hero.
    Speaking of heroes … the social lubricant worked its magic on my courage and I put on a show for the one set of eyes I cared about.
    I zeroed in on Jake while I invited him closer with my body. I lifted my arms above my head, bending them at the elbow and bringing my wrists close to my hair as I turned a tight circle, rolling my hips and ass and making sure my torso stayed strong and my breasts pushed out just right.
    When the whistles started up, I wondered if this was what a stripper felt like when every guy in the room had their eyes locked onto her body. Of course, my clothes were staying on and I was only dancing, but still. I didn’t feel dirty in the least. I felt empowered. Especially when Jake’s jaw dropped and his eyes stayed glued onto mine, even as bitch-girl Jessica was trying to reclaim his attentions.
    Something came over me in that moment; seeing her hands groping on his hard body when he was obviously more interested in what I was doing. I gathered my long skirt into my fists and showed him some leg.
    The guys were now whooping and hollering and I was pretty sure I heard Jules yell, “HOLY SHIT!”
    I swished my skirt about my knees and thighs until the look on his face read that he was all mine. Like a magnet to steel I let my dance draw me closer to him until my hand reached for his.
    “ Come on, soldier, how about a dance?” I offered.
    Mesmerized, his hand lifted to mine, while Jessica pouted off to the side. Some idiot yelled “LAP DANCE!” and I almost lost him. Jake’s face twisted up with fury towards the voice. But before he could engage I gave him a pull and turned his attention back to me.
    I brought him closer to the fire and we danced. Not sexually now, just fun. We jumped and he twirled me, and for a moment … for that moment … we were friends again with no time or space between us. The darkness I’d seen in his expression earlier dissipated and he looked … just like Jake. We both smiled from ear-to-ear and I could feel the heat of the Celtic knot against my skin under my shirt. He had done this, knotted out hearts together. I was hoping to remind him.
    A few seconds later a bunch of others came into the fray and started throwing themselves around. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
    I am awesome!
    That’s when the DJ changed the music. “We’ve got so