Set Me Free by Jennifer Collin

wanted to poke each
other’s eyes out.
    Craig glanced at
her every now and then, searching for something to say. She beat him to it.
    ‘So did you get
what you needed out of your community meeting last night?’ she asked as Geoff
and Cassette began arguing about some jockey who’d ridden in the Melbourne Cup.
    Craig gave
Charlotte a steely look. ‘What do you think?’
    ‘I think you would
have gotten an idea of how the local community feels about the proposal.’
    ‘I’m not sure I
did,’ he countered, self-assurance returning. He geared up to challenge her. ‘Crowds
are a funny thing. They're easily led and easily swayed.’
    Charlotte stared
at him. He was frighteningly smart. Smart enough to recognise she was smart. This
was going to be an interesting battle.
    ‘And they didn’t sway
your way, did they?’ she said, leaning forward a little and lowering her voice.
    ‘That was only round
one, Charlotte. I know how to get what I want,’ he added just as quietly, discretely
looking her up and down.
    Charlotte’s fist
clenched, and she was ready to swing when Jackson miraculously, and finally,
appeared at her side.  
    ‘You warmed up
now?’ he asked, offering his hand.
    Craig’s head
snapped up, and he looked daggers at Jackson.
    ‘For sure,’
Charlotte said, accepting Jackson’s hand and giving him her best girly smile. As
he led her on to the dance floor, she pranced, clacking her heels and swinging
her hips. Now she was the confident one. This dance was going to clear her
head.
    ‘Something fast,’
she called to Sanjay as Jackson pulled her into the middle of the floor.
    Sanjay got the
message. ‘You’re in for a treat now, ladies and gentleman. It looks like
Jackson and Charlotte have found their groove. Step back if you don’t want to
get blown away!’
    The crowd on the
dance floor cleared, leaving them alone in the centre. The drummer counted them
in, and a great rocking beat roared out of the guitars. Granted the space,
Jackson was not gentle with her. He pulled her with him, their feet perfect
mirrors as they moved back and forth across the floor. After their first triple
step, he didn’t just nudge her backwards, he pushed hard and she responded,
throwing herself into the dance. Their feet became a blur as they indulged in
some technical footwork, in no rush to reach the climax but in sync with what
they were building to. Their barrel rolls were fast and elaborate.
    As expected,
Charlotte’s anger evaporated quickly, and her mind cleared of everything but
the dance. She could feel the burn and damn it felt good.
    Half way through
the song, Jackson pulled her in and asked if she was ready. ‘You bet,’ she
replied.
    They started a
series of lifts with a Pop Around the Back immediately followed up with a
Crocodile Roll. The crowd cheered the first lift and then roared after the
second. Jackson was in his element, and Charlotte was happy to tolerate his
showmanship because he was pushing her so hard and throwing her so high. He
threw her back out again and they rocked their way back together, hips swivelling,
feet snapping. He tossed her sideways and she returned, rolling and wrapping in
tight. Picking her up, he laid her out horizontally across his torso. When he
unrolled her, she threw out her arm in a flourish, much to the crowd’s
appreciation.
    But they weren’t
done yet. One last Hammerlock, then he steadied her in front of him. He grasped
her hips and lifted her, pitching her first left, then right and then between
his legs, sliding her halfway across the floor with the force of his throw. She
flicked her arms out as she slid on her hip across the stage, and came to a
stop in perfect timing with the end of the song.
    The crowd roared,
and the applause was deafening. The entire bar was whooping.
    ‘Hate to say I
told you so,’ announced Sanjay over the hooting and whistling. ‘Give it up for
Jackson and Charlotte, everybody.' And unbelievably, the roar got louder.
    Jackson