Second Chances in New Port Stephen - Chapter 34

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Second Chances in New Port Stephen - Chapter 34

He was certain there was something between them. Right? That moment in the library, before
everything went to hell—that had been real.
The pop-country song ended and “Party Rock Anthem” started playing. Nick hadn’t thought
about that song since he’d dated Laurie. It had been playing everywhere then, and it seemed
the Anvil had not moved on from it.
“Holy shit.” Eli turned to him with a gleam in his eye. “They’re playing the song from the
hamster commercial? Unironically?”
“Uh.” Nick didn’t know what he was talking about, but then again, he probably hadn’t seen an
honest-to-god television commercial since the last time the Marlins were in the playoffs.
Eli grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away from the sticky bar. “Come on. I have got to
dance to this.”
Nick had guessed that dancing might make an appearance at some point in their outing, so he
wasn’t shocked to find himself on the dance floor. He was determined not to be like one of
those straight guys who were such fuddyduddies about it. Sure, he wasn’t the world’s best
dancer, but looking around
the Anvil, he could confidently say he wasn’t the worst. A middle-aged woman in the center of
the floor was currently having the time of her life miming an electric shock treatment, and one
of the younger patrons was trying to grind on his partner with offbeat, robotic hip snaps. One
extremely buff dude stood near motionless over by the wall, naked from the waist up save for a
strand of blinking Christmas lights draped around his neck and a jaunty Santa hat on his bobbing
head.
Nick at least had rhythm. His strategy was to keep it casually low-key. A little swaying, a little
bopping, and he could get himself into Eli’s orbit. They’d danced together at parties and winter
formals; why couldn’t they dance here, tonight? He glanced back at Eli to gauge the distance
between them.
And realized that Eli had somehow grown into a worse dancer, which didn’t seem possible.

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When they were kids, Eli would throw himself into a song double-time, his hips and arms flailing
twice as fast as was necessary. Nick distinctly remembered a middle-school dance where he’d
suggested Eli take it down a notch during TLC’s “Waterfalls.” He’d gotten a butterfly hair clip
chucked straight at his forehead for his troubles. That was the moment he’d decided to let Eli
dance as badly as he wanted. For as long as he wanted.
He just hadn’t thought that would extend all the way into the next quarter century.
“I love this song! It was playing around the clock when I first moved to New York,” Eli shouted
over the pounding bass. Nick didn’t think it was the best time to share what he’d been doing
when the song was big—embarking on the relationship that would become his failed
marriage—so he nodded pleasantly. Eli sipped at his cup of water and turned to survey the
crowd.