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Post by Duke Julian Holt on Sept 8, 2011 16:48:10 GMT -6
It seemed that Julian found himself coming to the island at a good time. There was supposed to be a wedding in a few days and from what he told it involved his half brother. Of all the things had had to witness it would have to be a wedding. One that showed that the blood related sibling was even now still better off them him. No matter what happened to the ungrateful lycan his life seemed to always go well. Even with Rebeckah leaving he still had everything he could ever ask for in life. It just further annoyed Julian as he stood in front of the mirror in the guest room he was staying in. When he had told Dustin his best mate from back home that he was going to be heading to the Island full of wolves, his wife Angela had suggested he stay with one of her siblings. Julian figured it would be far better staying with someone else instead of camping out in the forest with the insanity that was Rebeckah. That was where he was currently, taking his time to change into the costume he had acquired for the masquerade. It seemed it was open to everyone on the island and coming in with a lycan couple would make him seem like less of an outsider. This could hopefully let him converse with people instead of them being suspicious of him. Getting a costume for the event had been less of a hassle then he initially imagined. After all he had expected there to be nothing left to pick out of. However, the little shop he had went to was more than willing to put something together that looked quite decent in his opinion and that of the shop keepers who had been more than willing to help him out. Tugging the shirt forward, he shrugged his shoulders a bit moving the fabric around as he buttoned the last button on the silk black shirt he was wearing. The costume was specifically suited for the masquerade; most of the attired was black with a bit of gold trimmings to certain areas of the jacket. Fixing the cuff, Julian’s eyebrows quirked up when he heard a knock on his door. “Come in..” he started not turning away from the mirror he was currently standing in front of. Shrugging his shoulders again, he pulled the collar of the shirt down just as Katherine popped her head into the room, already completely dressed for the event. To him that was a surprise, most of the time women were quite fashionably late when it came to getting ready for anything. That was the reason as to why he was running late in getting dressed himself, the woman of the house had insisted on hogging the bathroom for a good portion of the day leaving him waiting for a chance to get a shower in. “What a surprise, you’re not ready yet?” she questioned her hands going to her hips as she observed him from the doorway. Julian chuckled as he picked up the coat off the side of the mirror he had hung it on when he first started getting dressed. “And whose fault prey tell was it that the bathroom was occupied until less than an hour ago?” he asked his charming grin on his face as he questioned the lycan woman staring at her though the mirror. Swinging the jacket behind himself, he quickly shrugged it on before tugging the sleeves down as he finished getting dressed. “Entirely yours for not anticipating it would be occupied.” she threw back his way as Julian turned around chuckling softly. “Forgive me, I’ll know next time to shove you harder during our run to the bathroom.” he teased before picking the gold mask up off the bed. Putting the accessory on, he held his arms out in a ‘voila’ kind of way to get her opinion on his outfit. “Much better with the mask on, it suits you. Now let’s go.” she teased before heading downstairs. Julian merely chuckled again as he followed the young lycan woman downstairs to where her husband was waiting for them. Despite being the kind of person who wouldn’t care if a woman was married, Julian wasn’t even thinking about putting a move on Katherine. For one, Angela scared him far too much to even head down that road knowing what she would do if she found out. To this day he still thought that Dustin was insane for marrying the Spanish woman. It didn’t take long for them to get to the palace where the event was taking place, the entire time Julian listened to some more information about the royal couple. He hadn’t told anyone that he knew who Henry was or that he was in a small way related to him. All that he had told anyone about his visit was that he was going in search of some lost family he had yet to meet. Katherine and Arthur knew only that story as he continued to try and pretend to be looking for someone who would know about them. Granted he never used last names when he spoke certain names during his search. Most people assumed it was his last name and often said they knew no one with that surname. It worked well for Julian as he continued to gain some needed intel on his mothers previous life. Walking into the room the event was held in, Julian stopped for a moment taking in what it looked like. The decorations and the way the place looked quite lavish. His jealously for his brother continued to grow as did his hatred. No wonder Rebeckah wanted to come back. Not only was her previous son there she had left behind a very interesting life to say the least. Not saying that his father didn’t provide her with his own version of lavish. He was the master of the city and with that came several perks meaning Rebeckah had been equally well off with either men. Part of him often thought that had she not gotten pregnant, the woman would probably have continued with her life with his father. He really didn’t know seeing as he only knew bites and pieces about the woman that brought him into this world for whatever reason she had at the time. His expression stayed that of neutral amusement as he smiled at the couple he had arrived with. “Impressive to say the least.” he told them pushing his jealously to the back of his mind for now. Looking around the place, he took a few breaths taking in some of the scents, his nose wrinkling as he smelt that growling familiar wet dog smell. Thankfully there were several humans among the crowd whether they were guests or staff he wasn’t too sure but it seemed to balance out the smells in the room. One smell disgusted him while the other made him hungry. Luckily he was able to keep his natural instincts under control for now. Standing with the couple near one of the windows, Julian listened to the chatter as people came back for a quick chat before leaving. He simply introduced himself and played the polite house guest that he was. Part of him wondered if anything interesting would happen.
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Post by Selena Torres on Sept 8, 2011 19:25:24 GMT -6
“Mom, now isn’t the best time for a phone call.” Standing in the middle of her bedroom, Selena placed a hand on her hip while staring at her half dressed self in the full length mirror. In the time it had taken her to get off work, get home, and shower, the young woman had only managed to slip into her glistening purple skirt. Her hair was still damp, her face was completely clear of any make up, and somehow she had misplaced the matching bra top for her costume. “I have every intention of dancing tonight mom. It’s good publicity.” Not to mention a hell of a lot of fun, but her mother had gotten beyond that excuse once Selena had started to develop curves and drawing attention from the opposite sex. Mentioning that dancing paid or had to do with getting herself known around the island as an entertainer dancer was much more appropriate in her mother’s mind which always got her out of these types of conversations. “Good bye mom.” Pressing the end button on the phone, Selena dropped it on the bedside table before running around her room on the hunt for the last of her outfit. The whole time she was cursing under her breath trying to figure out how she’d misplaced a bright purple bra with sparkling fringes dangling from the center. Taking a deep breath in, she released it, figuring she’d put her make up on before worrying about the last few bits of her outfit. However, along the way to her vanity table the over head light bounced off something silver and purple under her tousled bed sheets causing her to grin when she was reunited with her missing top. One mission accomplished, she set to work on her makeup which only took a few minutes to give herself a strong cat eye with colorful eye shadow. Grabbing a few bangles for her wrist and ankles, Selena passed a glance over herself in the mirror once more, pleased with what she saw. As she turned on her heels to head for the door out of her home, she picked up her mask to slip across her eyes along with a pair of flip flops she could ditch once inside the palace. The journey to the palace was short and thankfully she was able to slip into the back part because of her ‘servant’ status since all the guards on duty knew her. Inside, she threw her flip flops in the coat room before heading straight for the ballroom. If her outfit caused a stir in the people, she honestly didn’t notice as her large brown eyes were taking in the grand room with its colorful decorations. Taking a moment, she did a pass over the heads of all the lycans and humans in the room, on the hunt for her sister, Katherine, or even her brother in law, Arthur. The reason she wasn’t part of the servants running around giving out drinks was because Lady Elina had made one small request for the young dancer…to dance at one of the lower points in the masquerade. So with that knowledge, she knew she had time to locate her sister to talk to her for a moment. It felt like years since they’d last spoken. It must have been the last family dinner back during Easter when the whole family was there. “Katherine!” The cream dress with the large dramatic dip in the back gave away Katherine since Selena had been there to help her pick out a dress for the evening. Rushing over to her sister’s side, a grin formed over her lips watching the reaction on the other woman’s face at her own costume. Shock formed first before laughter fell from her lips. “Does mom have any idea what you’ve managed to wiggle into this evening?” Selena laughed at the accusation knowing that their mother would have flipped at the outfit. Instead, she shook her head causing Katherine to laugh even more. “Arthur get back over here.” Her sister tugged her mate over to greet Selena but the young woman’s eyes were already drifting off to the side towards the man standing close by. Not close by as in he just happened to be standing at the windows out of coincidence, no it was the type of stance one took when they were part of a group that came together. The gold and black mask covered the majority of his face but if the way his suit fit over his chest and arms were anything to go by, the guy was a hell of a looker. “Oh! Selena! This is Julian Holt. Julian this is my older sister Selena.” Pursing her lips, Selena tilted her head while eying the man. Was it the male from the market? “The pleasure is mine, sir.” It was a little difficult to do so, but she curtsied in the purple belly dancing costume out of habit from working around the palace. The small act caused Katherine to sigh heavily while Arthur placed a calming hand over his mate to prevent her from going off.
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Post by Duke Julian Holt on Sept 8, 2011 20:52:10 GMT -6
While leaning against the wall near the window that he was near with Katherine and Arthur, Julian couldn’t help but let his eyes roam over the whole place. The people and the decorations as well as the servants that were bustling around trying to serve everyone they could. The young hybrid had never found much in the whole servant master scenarios that his father continued to try and instill within him. Back when he was a mere teen wanting nothing but his father’s approval, the young man would do anything he was told and follow whatever traditions were set out before home. However, finding out he was nothing but a weapon, and that his father never wanted another son, Julian took to rebelling completely against all he had been raised to know. Of course he still pretended to be the obedient son for now. There were perks at being related to the master of the city when everyone left you alone. It also helped that he could walk around in the day while the rest were left to the night time.
The place was far more lavish then the one his father lived in. It was a decent sized mansion near the outskirts of the main city; however this place was far bigger. Granted they did have a whole island to make of use to their territory it seemed. Rubbing his chin, he half listened to some of the chatter that went on between the couple he was currently staying with. They seemed to know a great deal of people who found the need to be social. Staying out of the conversation when he could, Julian’s thoughts drifted to what it would be like to finally reveal who he was. Of course Rebeckah’s return would be the most sought out subject at the moment but he would still be able to stop his cover. Not knowing much of the lycan traditions, he was curious as to how someone of his nature would be treated given that if he was harmed in any way he could simply inform his father who would be quite pleased to start something. The man was quite vicious and his dislike for lycan’s wasn’t kept secret. The man was an old soul and stuck in his ways.
During a moment when there wasn’t someone chatting the couple up, Julian joined their conversation. “Are all the events this glamorous or is it like this because of the special occasion?” he asked curiously while continuing to look around. There were a few familiar scents of some people he had already met. “I could defiantly see the appeal of living here.” he added just as another familiar scent caught his attention. His eyes turned towards the scent just as he heard someone calling Katherine. The blue orbs fell upon the young woman heading towards them, taking in the outfit she was wearing. The moment he saw it, Julian recalled as to where the scent was from. Selena, the dancer he had met during his time at the market that day. It seemed that even she knew the couple as the two woman greeted each other. He couldn’t help but notice Arthur trying to inch away from their little group only to be pulled back by his mate. A light chuckle escaped him as he watched this exchange, finding the two to be quite entertaining. He did have to admit that Katherine often reminded him of Angela and for good reason. It seemed some things simply ran in the family.
Watching the two woman exchange pleasantries he simply took in her outfit and muse about how much better it looked then the one he had met her in. When Katherine introduced him, Julian smirked, the mask covering most of his face unfortunately. Reaching out, he took hold of her hand, bringing it to his face making sure not to poke her with the mask as he placed a kiss on the back of it. “You’re quite mistaken my dear, the pleasure is all mine.” he told her standing straight after his half bow when he kissed her hand. “It would seem that we have already met. I much prefer tonight’s outfit over the other one you wore in the market.” he added, his hand still holding on to hers for a little bit longer then needed. The smirk on his face was quite evident in his voice as he continued to observe the dancer in front of him. “Will you be performing tonight?” he asked curiously noting she was wearing a dancers costume or one he assumed was for her routine.
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Post by Selena Torres on Sept 10, 2011 10:55:00 GMT -6
As Julian spoke up, Arthur was the one to response as his mate seemed to be off looking around the ballroom for someone. His eyes glanced around the colorful display of the outfits that twirled around the dance floor and the decorations that seemed to make the whole place glow. “The costumes are a little over the top then usual and there are commoners present but mostly, yes. This is pretty much how the parties go around here.” Arthur had turned towards Julian to speak up but he clearly made sure to stick close to his mate’s side, ever the faithful lycan mate. “It is a pretty nice place to live. Most of the people are welcoming.” As the last words came from the male lycan’s mouth, Selena had approached the small group with a large smile on her face at the sight of her sister. Not that she wasn’t just as happy to see her brother in law, but sometimes being near him reminded her of the stupid growling contests between him and Dustin, her other sister’s mate who was a vampire. Of course, her mother thought it was the funniest thing in the world to place Selena in the middle during those large family meals. Selena didn’t find it funny at all.
“Hello, Arthur.” Passing a quick glance over her brother in law, Selena nodded at him with a soft smile not wishing to upset him. But as soon as she’d paid her sister’s mate his proper respect, her eyes had quickly gone to the other male in their party. She knew Arthur was a very jealous mate, he hated a strong male being too close to Katherine so for some stranger to be in their party he must have trusted him to keep his hands to himself. There was no denying the power that came off this new comer’s body in waves or the calculated look in his eye as if waiting for someone to pounce on him. It seemed like her eyes were examining him, this stranger was doing the same to her. It only seemed a natural thing to do since she was wearing a very revealing costume that did stand out more in the crowd of ladies in long elegant dresses with colorful feather masks.
For the moment, Selena forgot about her sister and Arthur in an attempt to solve the mystery of the blue eyed stranger. Those eyes were familiar but she couldn’t place them in her memory. Her hand was taken by him up to his mouth and a spark seemed to jump off his lips on to her hand causing her lips to part slightly. Once more, she was reminded of the guy who had helped her out of a sticky situation with Leonard. Her eyes glanced at her hand and back to his eyes as he continued to hold her smaller hand longer than most for a simple kiss on her skin.
Finally, his words triggered her memory into place. “Hello, Hero. It really is nice seeing you again.” A smirk graced Selena’s lips finally seeing why he had looked so familiar. It really was Julian from the market place and not some very bizarre coincidence of another Julian being on the island. Thinking about it reminded her of the faint bruise still on her up arm from that day in the market. Licking her lips, she nodded at his question if she was going to be performing. “That would be the plan.” Off to the side, Katherine sighed heavily as if not liking that idea in the least bit, not that she would voice that opinion in front of Selena. She could safely say every person in her family had at one point asked her to pick something else to do with her life but she always just ignored their advice. Dancing was in her blood.
“How do you know my sister and Dustin?” Selena’s eyes glanced off to her sister and brother in law as they had already gone back to conversing with other members of the court. Finding it a little safe to flirt with him, she smirked behind her mask. “I’m sad you didn’t enjoy my green costume more. It was my first one.”
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Post by Duke Julian Holt on Sept 10, 2011 19:11:28 GMT -6
Julian’s gaze fell towards Arthur’s then the lycan spoke up to his question. Having spent time with the couple, he had found out a lot about them. Being observant helped at times but he noticed that Katherine did a lot of the talking in situations. It was as if Arthur preferred to let his wife take the lead when it came to the small chit chatting that went on between people. Not only that but the man was fairly protective of his mate. He wasn’t surprise; it seemed that a lot of lycan’s were like that when it came to their mates. That was one thing that he liked about lycans was their loyalty to people they cared about. Some of the vampires he knew weren’t that loyal. However, that could merely be how his father was simply. He hadn’t even been fazed when Rebeckah had left him as if he simply didn’t care. Granted it was well known that she had simply been used. Nevertheless, Julian wasn’t stupid enough to take on the man. Not when he was related to Angela, or the simple fact that they were being quite hospitable right now. In his few decades of life, Julian had not encountered many that would openly welcome a stranger into their home. Of course he knew the woman’s sister but that was still a long shot. “I am surprise that none of you have found the weather to be quite unbearable especially during a change?” he offered finding the thought of all the fur in such tropical weather being just too much for him to handle.
Once Selena came into the picture to greet her family, Julian stayed quite letting the three catch up. He might have alternative motives for being there, but he had manners. Despite the fact that he often said things that he shouldn’t Julian knew enough on how to behave it seemed. How he wasn’t really sure given that neither of his parents were nourishing. Hell they weren’t even around to really do much. Changing a look around the place, he could tell that the couple who this event was taking place for hadn’t made their appearance yet. Things wouldn’t be this calm had they already presented themselves. Not to mention it seemed that Selena would be dancing for either the couple or while people waited for them to finally make their appearance. From what he heard, it seemed that Prince was missing however he figured the event wouldn’t be held if he wasn’t around to make an appearance.
Taking his attention off the crowd covered in colourful costumes, he looked at Selena, curious to see what kind of dancing she’d be exhibiting today. With that outfit, it was a sure bet that a lot of eyes would be on the belly dancer. Quirking his eyebrow, Julian watched the younger woman seeing the recognition appear on her face once his comment sunk in. The hero comment only caused a small chuckle to escape the young hybrid as he finally let her hand go. When she confirmed that she was going to be dancing, Julian’s grin only widened under the mask he was wearing. “Looking forward to seeing you perform M’Lady.” he added glancing over at Katherine when he heard the audible sigh coming from the older woman. He couldn’t help but wonder what that had been about but the hybrid stayed quiet as the couple continued on with their chit chat with other couples and lycans that approached them.
Turing his full attention to Selena, the young hybrid was glad the couple had turned away from them. This way he didn’t have to completely keep his guard up around the young woman. He had found her attractive and after their little performance, Julian didn’t mind the young woman’s company along with other things. Problem was she seemed set in her ways, but he figured he could wear her down eventually. A waiter carrying a tray of beverages walked by their little group and Julian reached out taking a glass off the tray. He took a sip his attention still on Selena for now. How the woman didn’t have men surrounding her right now was a wonder to anyone. “I grew up with Dustin. When I mentioned my plans to come here, Angela suggested I stay with Katherine and Arthur. They’ve been nice enough to let me stay with them during my time here.” he explained finding that it really was a small world it seemed. At the mention of her outfit, Julian couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him that moment. “Forgive me; I didn’t intend to spoil your mood. I do enjoy both your outfit, however this one seems more appealing. Granted I find that I might enjoy just about anything on… or off you my dear.” he added a mischievous smirk appearing on his face at the last statement. Glancing at Arthur and Katherine who were still busy chatting with yet another couple, Julian took another sip of the Champaign in his glass. Setting it down, he turned to Selena again holding his hand out. “Would the lady do me the honor of a dance, before she is swept away by the crowd after her performance?” he asked curiously his eyebrow raising as he waited for a response.
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Post by Selena Torres on Oct 8, 2011 13:40:19 GMT -6
Arthur slipped a protective arm around his mate?s waist while still allowing her to speak to the couples nearby. However, the majority of his attention was diverted to Julian when the male spoke up. "Most of us have either been raised on this island or have lived so long on it that the heat doesn't bother us when we change." It was only those newborns who found the heat difficult to bear when they had no idea how to regulate their wolf form's body heat.
After greeting her sister and brother in law, Selena found all her focus turned to Julian. She loved her sister and Arthur, but they could wait. She saw them every Sunday for their mother's weekly lunch and dinner family meals. It was rare she didn't seem them during the week either when Dustin worked at the palace and would pass her in the halls, normally with a smile on his face at the sight of his mate's sister. Something about this new guy had stolen her attention away from her beloved family. Sure, Julian was attractive, she had no doubt he knew that. He was different for some reason. She could not put her finger quite on it but there was something there. He was a contradiction that was it! The young guy had shown up in jeans, a shirt, and a jacket in the middle of an island in the tropics as if he was some tourist who had no idea about all the creatures on the island. Then he appears at an event dressed the part of a noble lord alongside her sister and brother in law. It was puzzling and she had so many questions but wasn't sure the middle of a party was the proper place for them.
When her hand was released, an odd sadness fell over her, as if she was missing his touch. Then again, she was so rarely touched in a manner outside of family hugs and kisses that maybe she was just desperate to be wanted outside of family company. "You're probably the only one." Casting a glance towards her sister, Selena had heard the heavy sigh when she?d mentioned dancing before the guests. She had no desire to get into a fight with her sister right then about her choice in hobbies outside of working in the palace. But she was thankful when Katherine didn't appear to have heard the remark or just decided to ignore it.
The passing waiter turned Selena's attention away from Julian long enough for her to pick up a glass to sip on. Her nerves were starting to get to her with the sudden realization this would be the largest audience she had ever danced. It had a pretty powerful affect of turning her stomach inside out. "Oh, now it all makes sense. I see now why Angela suddenly kept speaking to Katherine when those two can never get along." It now made sense why Angela would suggest Katherine for Julian to stay with instead of Selena who had far more room to spare. Clearly Angela or Dustin had thought Julian would attempt to take advantage of her. "More appealing, hm?" Glancing down at her outfit, she probably could have pointed out a few things that deemed the purple costume more 'appealing' in his eyes. Looking up, her face flushed with color at his blunt remark. "Careful what you say, Julian. As the last woman in my family not married, my brothers, including Arthur and Dustin, are pretty protective of me." The smirk on his face instantly made her smile before sipping at the champagne as well. The small dose of alcohol was beginning to work wonders on her uneasy nerves.
"I think I can manage a warm up dance with you. Just be careful of my toes." Pointing down, her bare toes wiggled against the cool tile floor, praying they wouldn't be crushed by accident. So far, she'd been lucky when moving through the crowd to the corner where her sister and brother in law were located. The hand holding the champagne placed the half empty glass down on a table close by before stepping closer to his body. Her hand slid into his and she was instantly filled with warmth that stemmed from the tough of his skin against hers. Had she been a lycan she might have through it was reaction mates received, but she was no lycan so her mind was had a loss for the heat building between them. Maybe it was just a one sided occurrence. Staring up at him, she was once more put in the position of realizing he was much taller than she was. "Lead the way."
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Post by Duke Julian Holt on Nov 21, 2011 18:15:35 GMT -6
Their conversation seemed to take an interesting turn as his comment about not being able to wait until Selena performed wasn’t taken as he had expected. It seemed that the young woman’s family wasn’t all that happy with her dancing around on the streets. It wasn’t like she was hugging a stripper pole half naked. Her outfits were simply a bit more revealing than what more people were used to. At least that was his opinion. Katherine on the other hand wasn’t too taken by the mention of her dancing tonight it seemed. Julian just threw up an eyebrow as he looked at Arthur wondering what it was that got her disliking the whole thing in the first place. He figured if anything Arthur would explain it in a few words or less, where are Katherine would go on and on about it to a point where it would never end and only cause their night to be ruined. When the older man only shook his head, Julian just nodded taking that as a sign to let the subject drop. He focused his attention back on Selena when the other couple’s attention was stolen away by someone else. At Selena’s warning, Julian only took a step closer to her, grinning as he leaned in. Instead of leaning forward as if to kiss her, he moved his head at the last second and moved to where her ear was. “You should know, I live on the edge darling.” he whispered teasingly nipping at her ear lobe gently before pulling back as if nothing had just happened. Taking a sip of the Champaign in his hand, Julian merely watched Selena waiting for a reaction from her hoping she wouldn’t be offended and ended up slapping him. “Besides they don’t seem too concerned about you right now as they seem to have left you alone with me.” he pointed out. Knowing Angie the young vampire had probably already thrown out all the warnings about him to her sister.
Seeing Selena pointing down to her bare feet, Julian chuckled and nodded his head taking into account that her toes were currently bare. The one thing that Julian knew how to do well was dance different dances giving that he had enough time in his life to learn. Not only that but he had spent a lot of his free time traveling the world and partaking in different cultures. This allowed for him to pick up not only many different languages but dances as well. It was something he liked to keep under his belt until he needed it in order to impress a woman. “Dually noted M’lday. If it helps the matter, you can simply step on my shoes in order to avoid getting accidentally stopped on yourself.” he suggested having done that when he danced with kids. Oddly enough there were always quite a few that wanted a dance with him no matter where he went. Something about kids that Julian simply had a soft spot for. Not that he would really admit it openly.
He didn’t have anything against kids and often found that they were quite a good source of information if asked the right questions. Hell kids don’t know what to say and not to say they just tell it like it is. Once Selena’s hand was in his, the young man set his Champaign down on the table beside hers before pulling her gently onto the dance floor. Weaving between the couples already there dancing, he stopped near a clear spot on the dance floor giving the young woman a quick spin around before he slide his hand down to her waist letting it rest there for a moment. Smirking down at the young woman, he listened to the beat of the music before picking out the rhythm so as to know where to get into the song. Once that was accomplish, the sly smirk widened on his face as he moved his hand to the small of her back, bringing the exotic dancer closer to his boy, keeping her close to his body. Keeping a close hold on the young woman, he grinned and danced her around the room with everyone else.
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