The Sweetest Victory - Intertwined Series

Chapter Twenty | The Storm **adult content**

They worked their way down the tables, beginning with a trio of empanadas, then plates of grilled meats and other flavourful offerings. They tried the El Salvadorian pupusas and the Panamanian tamales.

True to her word, Victory matched him plate for plate.

Finally gorged on food, hand in hers, they walked off the meal, strolling by the side of the lake, pausing to browse tables of jewelry, hand carved trinkets and handmade goods. And the deeper they went, the louder the music got until they reached a stage where a lively band played and people danced to the rhythmic sway of salsa.

Smiling, he snatched her hand, and against her protests, dragged Victory into the thick of the dancing mob.

"I don't know how." She balked and had to shout the words so he could hear her above the roar of music. Before he could argue, Victory caught the hand of a woman, bold and beautiful enough to dance on her own, and pushed her at Gage.

"Go on," she laughed when his brows shot up with surprise. "Show me what you've got."

The woman leaned into him with a laugh, and had Gage smiling as he spun her out and together they leapt into the melody. The musicality came naturally to him, veering off the sidelines, Victory admired his comfort and fluidity with the music. His movements were graceful and held all the cultural swagger of someone who had grown up surrounded by this sort of thing his entire life.

A little breathless with awe, she watched as he threw in turns, played with the rhythm and stylized the footwork, injecting a bit of his own personality into the mix.

And the woman was right there with him, tossing in a playful shake of her shoulders, a roll of her hips, a toss of her wild, Spanish curls. By the second dance, all eyes were on them, applause rang out, and when the song was over even the band stopped to give them a hand.

Parting with a friendly hug and kiss, Gage maneuvered his way towards her, pausing here and there to smile, laugh and shake a hand as people doled out praise.

"Wow," Gage swiped a hand across his brow. "Forgot how much energy that takes."

"You were fantastic." Victory smiled. "Really incredible."

"It helps when you're dancing with the right partner." Gage shrugged. "Dorotea definitely kept me on my toes."

"So I saw. How about we grab some churros?"

Beyond them the music swelled, and the beat surged to something faster, his smile lightened with challenge. "I like the sounds of that. But only if you dance with me first." He held out a hand, watched as she eyes grew a little wide, a little panicked.

"This song sounds complicated and fast."

Reaching out, Gage tugged her to her feet. "Merengue is easy. Trust me."

So, she did. It took a moment to work through the initial shock of nerves and awkward anxiety, but soon the music latched on to her with hooks of fascination. Letting go of her fears, Victory fell into the flow of the melody and the rhythm of his body.

Nowhere near as complicated as what she'd witnessed, but certainly required a basic sense of rhythm and a very strong, capable leader, which he was. And she didn't fumble or lose her step when he tossed in a couple flashy turns.

A little flushed and breathless, as they sat down on a concrete ledge with the bag of freshly fried churros in her hands.

"I've always wanted to learn how to dance but couldn't find the time. Or the nerve. It's so intimidating."