Could I Have This Dance?

The music was loud enough to dance to but not so oppressive that it would stifle conversations, the selection just as quirky and eclectic as the bride and groom. The only reason he was here was because he was currently serving as the talent agent for Max Ironside. It hadn't even dawned on him that Max's fiancée was his ex-wife's sister until he'd seen her name on the guest list— what a small world, after all. He'd already agreed to attend, even though he had no date to accompany him. By then it had been far too late to make up some random excuses and back out of the thing.

Luke Fancher sat alone at the table in the corner, watching others cut a rug on the dance floor to a song he hadn't heard in at least fifteen years. It had been almost five years since the last time he'd seen Cassidy and just the sight of her in profile at the ceremony had cut right through him. He'd been sweating, anticipating the later conversation with a sort of dread that was usually reserved for something as awful as nude bungee jumping. Tapping his fingers against the table, he picked up his drink with his free hand, taking a sip of the cucumber-infused Tom Collins. He hadn't had a drink in years and figured gin was the least dangerous of the choices for the specialty cocktails the cash bar was offering. It was hitting him harder than expected, even after a nice meal and he could feel the tingle in his toes that could possibly spell disaster. It didn't stop him from taking another gulp as he saw the beautiful blonde moving through the couples on the dance floor, headed in his general direction. Before she arrived, he set down his drink and got up out of respect— his mother had drilled manners into his head from the time he was little and he wasn't about to dishonour her memory by forgetting them now.

Cassidy Barnes had her blonde hair pulled back in this elaborate updo that looked like it had taken hours and an engineering degree to accomplish. As she moved through the crowd, he had a moment to admire the sapphire blue gown she had on. It was very low-cut. She looked absolutely stunning and he couldn't keep himself from staring.

She had spoken to Luke through Twitter a few days before and had asked him for a dance. She hadn't expected for her heart to stop. Still, she approached him with a warm smile on her face. He looked so handsome in his suit and tie. She was surprised that he hadn't shown up with anyone, he'd always been so handsome and charming. For the life of her she couldn't remember why they hadn't worked out.

"Hi, Luke." She was now less than a foot away from him. "It's good to see you."

"Cass," his tone was warm, an easy smile on his face as he took her in. The dress was perfect for her, accenting her eyes and making them sparkle. He felt a little too garish next to her polished perfection in his maroon suit jacket with a black and white flowered tie— it was one of his nicer business suits. "Would you like a drink? The bartender isn't bad. He's not mixing them too strong and they don't seem watered-down, either. Sometimes, they do that. Cash bars and all. Want you to spend more money…" he trailed off, realizing he was nervously rambling. "Sorry. It's my first day with this new mouth and it just doesn't seem to be connected to my brain yet."

She laughed, unable to help herself. He'd always had that effect on her with his deadpan humor. "It's fine." She continued to smile at him as she nodded. "I'd love a drink." Being this close to him, Cassidy could smell his cologne and it took her back in time to some good memories. She remembered Christmas Eve, standing in the kitchen of her old place while he fastened a delicate gold chain around her neck. Her fingers stole up to touch it, the memory was so clear and she was almost disappointed to find it absent.

"Such a nice ceremony," Luke said softly, following Cassidy's gaze to spot her parents being their terrible snobby selves. "I bet they absolutely loathe this DJ."

"I've spent the last day with them," she sounded like she regretted that choice, "the stronger the drink, the better." She had been surprised that Rayna had actually wanted them there. When she'd married Luke, it had been a justice of the peace ceremony because she'd known they would have made it about them. "My nerves are pretty shot."

"I can only imagine." Her parents hadn't ever really approved of him either, despite the fact that his parents were wealthy and owned a 36-acre cattle ranch. "Something strong. Something delicious, though. If I remember correctly, you like flavor over fire." He gestured to the chair he'd been sitting in, "have a seat? Or, if you'd rather…" he held out his arm to her, "you can come along. Nice leisurely stroll with an old friend," his smile made the corners of his blue eyes crinkle

"Honestly, I'd rather stick with you if you'll have me." She slid her arm through his as they made their way to the bar area. She locked eyes with her mother for a split second before keeping her attention on Luke. "Could I ask you for a huge favor?"

"Of course." He looked down at her, steering them around the edge of the dance floor to join the small line at the bar. She could have asked for his kidney and he'd have willingly torn it out then and there and offered it up on a platter. "Anything."

Cassidy turned so that she was facing Luke. She hadn't realized until they had locked eyes at the wedding how much she missed him. "Do you think I could leave with you?" She'd come with her parents and the thought of spending anymore time with him was panic-inducing. "I don't care where we go." She was a bit buzzed, having been drinking throughout the day. It was never a large amount of anything, but she was feeling it.

He blinked, surprised by the question even though he found himself nodding immediately. "I think that would be-" he stopped, realizing they had reached the head of the line and he leaned on the counter, glancing at the list of liquor on hand. "Double-shot Zombie for the lady," he said, glancing at Cass, "make it with Cherry Brandy, please? And I'll have another Cucumber Collins. Thanks." While the man went to work making the drinks, he turned slightly and slipped his arm around her waist. It felt so natural, less stiff than her arm in the crook of his elbow. He looked over her shoulder, catching the disapproving look from Cassidy's mother. He grinned, his gaze settling back on Cass. "We're getting the evil eye from the Ice Queen."

"I didn't care five years ago and I don't care now." She slid a hand up to his shoulder as her body pressed against his. "I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've seen you." It felt so good to be close to him again. "We kinda did our own things, didn't we?" They'd had such a whirlwind romance and he'd been the one.

"We did," Luke nodded in agreement, turning away for a moment only to grab her drink before handing it to her. He snagged his own and then, with his arm around her waist still, steered her away from the crowd. "I sold the bar to Devon. I went to Australia… managed my sister and a friend of hers as a tag team for a little while." He didn't elaborate on the fact that he'd gotten involved with that friend or that she'd ultimately broken his heart by choosing someone else over him. Some things weren't suited for polite conversation, after all. "Let's see. I came back from Australia. I bought the bar back from Devon so he could go to Reno. My mother passed. Shirlea dropped off the grid— last I heard she was somewhere in Europe. I think she married that Fletcher fellow."

He felt like he was pulling a page from Billy Joel, catching an old friend up on Brenda and Eddie. "I don't know if you heard about that. So many things have happened," he sighed, taking a small sip of his new drink. "But none of it really matters."

"Your mom?" The news about the older woman's passing threw her a loop. "She was such a wonderful lady." Luke's mom had always treated Cassidy like one of her own children. "I'm sorry to hear that." When her own drink was in hand, she took a long sip and looked up at Luke. "I have a travel blog and it's doing pretty well. Makes me miss home, though." A home where she lived alone and hated being there, whether she admitted it or not.

"It was a blessing," he sounded sad for a moment, his gaze distant, "she wasn't in her right mind. Not at the end. She didn't even know who I was." Forcing away the melancholy, he shook his head. "Travel? That sounds like a lot of fun. Do you enjoy it? Outside of missing home, I mean."

Cassidy's shoulders went up in a shrug, "It pays the bills. It gets tiring and I dunno, sometimes I think maybe I'll just go off and never come back."

"Thought about doing that when I went to Australia." Luke took another swallow of his drink, stalling. He couldn't get over how much he'd missed talking to her. "Ended up coming back because I missed slinging drinks at the bar. I missed the simplicity of it."

"I remember watching you making drinks. You've always had a knack for that." She remembered how much fun she used to have at the bar with him. She'd help him clean up at the end of the night and then go home with him. She missed those days. "Where are you staying?"

"Tonight?" He shrugged, "here. The same hotel I suspect everyone's at. They did give me a quiet room away from the elevator, though. So that's nice." He finished off his drink and set it down on the empty table they stood next to. "If you mean in general, I've settled into Mississippi. Was working as a ranch hand for a friend for the last year, helping her get the place back up to snuff… her father was ill so I offered to help out. Rebuilt all the fences. Broke a few horses. It was honest work— now that he's passed, I think she might end up selling it."

Exhaling, she took another long drink, finishing hers as well. She set the glass down next to his and found her arms around his waist. "Are you with anyone?" She'd dated a bit after their divorce, but no one made her feel like he did.

"Not anymore." He smiled at her, enjoying the feel of her embrace. "I was. For a while. It didn't really go anywhere, though."

"I'm not with anyone and when I was, they weren't you." She moved so that she was in front of him, her arms still around him. Together, they'd always thrown caution to the wind. "Take me back to Mississippi with you. I know it's been five years, but I still love you. I never stopped and it's never diminished. "

"You'd want to?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Travel, right? Could go anywhere."

"Yeah and I can work from anywhere. I have a loft back in New York, but I'm usually just there to sleep. Everything I need, my laptop and such, are in my hotel room." She leaned into him and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I could help you with your friend's ranch. I'd go anywhere with you, Luke."

"Be the girlfriend of a lowly ranch hand and part-time talent manager? Your parents would have a fit." He murmured, checking to see if they were still watching. They were. "Quite sure they did a happy dance when we split."

"Well, if I go with you to Mississippi, then we'll be thousands of miles away from them." She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What's the downside?"

"There isn't one that I can see." Luke was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. "So how late do we have to stay? For the sake of being polite?"

Cassidy looked around at the crowd of guests and then looked back at Luke. "It's thinning out. I think people are starting to call it a night. I don't think we'll be missed."

"I still owe you that dance."

"No time like the present." Cassidy slid her hand into Luke's and led him to the dance floor. She wasn't sure what the song was as she put her arms around his neck.

Smoothly, he turned her around and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's been a while since we did this… remember the jukebox at the bar?"

She looked up at him with adoration in her eyes as she nodded. "I do. I remember we'd wait 'til everyone cleared out and then we'd put on some country, sometimes we'd find ourselves in your office on the desk."

"Luke Bryan. I remember that one about driving all night." He pulled her in closer, "we should go up to my room. Put on some country."

"I've got a playlist on my phone." The smile on her face only widened as put her lips next to his ear. "When we get up to your room, promise you'll rip my dress off?"

He grinned, twirling her around before dipping her down. When he pulled her back up, he kissed her impulsively. "Promise," he said when the kiss broke, "but only if you'll wear my shirt after."

The kiss left her breathless and she needed a few seconds. Cassidy kissed him hungrily and when she pulled back, her hands slid down and grabbed his. "Take me upstairs?"

"We should find the preacher," Luke replied with a laugh, taking the hint and pulling her towards the door. "See if he's free."

"Seriously?" Her eyebrows raised as she looked at him wide-eyed. "You wanna do this?"

Maybe it was the booze talking. Maybe it was the loneliness. He found himself nodding. "Wouldn't you?"

"I absolutely do." Cassidy nodded as her hands cupped his face and she pulled him in for a deep kiss. "Let's go find him!"

"I have a confession," Luke said as they headed across the dance floor, scanning the crowd. "I never actually signed any divorce papers. I absolutely do not remember filing them. I was in Boston and then Australia and it utterly slipped my mind to even... was it something you did?" He grabbed the half-full glass off the table he'd been sitting at and tossed it back as they passed, needing the liquid courage.

"I… hmmm." Cassidy thought as she stayed next to him. For the life of her, she couldn't remember filing them or signing them. "As a matter of fact, I don't. I kept putting it off." She couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her lips. "Well, how about that?"

"Absentmindedness and procrastination save the day?" He laughed, taking her hand and pulling her from the ballroom. "We'll have to follow up on it in the morning." He was thinking her parents might have had it annulled. Who knew what connections they had? "Come on then, Mrs. Fancher. I believe there was talk of dress ripping and country music."

"You owe me another dance." 

Luke grinned, "partner for the rest of my life?" He caught her around the waist as they skidded to a stop in front of the elevator, as excited as two teenagers on prom night. "You can have this dance for the rest of our lives, Cass." He kissed her neck, whispering in her ear, "promise to be your partner every night. From now until the end of time."