CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – GIRLS WANNA HAVE FUN

For a moment, Mara felt a flutter of anxiety in her chest. But then Jenna grabbed her hand, pulling her into a conga line, and all thoughts of Cassius were forgotten in a wave of laughter and music. Later, as Mara was catching her breath at the bar, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Mark from the IT department smiling at her. "Hey Mara," he said, looking slightly nervous. "I was wondering if you'd like to dance?" Mara hesitated for a moment, then smiled. Why not? "Sure, Mark. Let's show these people how it's done!" As they made their way to the dance floor, the DJ switched to a sultry Latin beat. Mark placed his hands on Mara's waist, and they began to move to the rhythm. Mara was pleasantly surprised to find that Mark was actually a pretty good dancer. As the song progressed, their movements became more fluid, more intimate. Mark's hands slid lower on her hips, and Mara found herself pressing closer to him, caught up in the music and the moment. "You're full of