Read Online The Dance by Christopher Pike - Free Book Online Page A

haven’t said anything about my demand for sexual favors?”
    “What am I supposed to say? You were kidding, weren’t you?”
    “No.”
    She realized she was blushing, and that he could tell she was blushing. “But you need to triple whatever I give you in less than a week,” she persisted. “Nobody in the world can guarantee they can do that.”
    “Nobody in the world can guarantee anything. But I do believe—in fact, I’m almost certain—I can do great things with your money. Now as far as your deadline is concerned…” He picked up his pen again, reached for a piece of paper. “Who do you owe?”
    “Mainly the caterer and the band.”
    “I need their names and phone numbers. I’ll arrange it so we can pay them later.”
    “They won’t go for that.”
    “They will after they talk to me. Give me the information.”
    “Wait! Let me get this straight. I’m going to give you a thousand dollars, and in return you’re going to take responsibility for all the homecoming bills?”
    “What is this responsibility crap? I’ll do the best I can. That’s all a man can do.”
    She swallowed. “And when you pay everything off, I have to sleep with you?”
    “Yes.”
    “How many times?”
    “Once.”
    “Is that all?”
    “When it’s over, you’ll wish there were a hundred times yet to come.”
    “But you’ve been through half the girls on campus. God only knows what diseases you have.”
    “My vast experience has only made me all the more careful. Trust me, Sara, I’ll take exquisite care of you.” He paused. “Have we got a deal?”
    She grimaced. “Has anyone ever told you what a sleaze ball you are?”
    Bubba threw back his head and laughed.

Chapter Seven
    If anyone else had chased after him so long to do something he didn’t want to do, Nick Grutler thought, he probably would have punched him in the nose by now. But he respected Michael, and he learned it paid to listen to him. Michael was trying to persuade him to go out for the basketball team.
    They were near the end of a one-on-one game, playing on an outside court near the girls’ baseball field. The storm the night before had left an occasional puddle for them to dodge, but the water was slowing neither of them down. School had ended about an hour earlier, and the varsity team’s official after-school practice had been canceled. The new coach had wanted the gymnasium floor waxed, and Tabb High’s most recent crop of janitors had never done it before—and probably shouldn’t be allowed to do it again; at the rate they were going, the floor wouldn’t be ready for the homecoming game.
    Michael had asked Nick to hang around to help him with his jump shot. Naturally they had ended up trying to show each other up. Ii was no contest. Nick was ahead forty-four to thirty in a fifty-point game. Michael had trouble stopping Nick because Nick was able to palm the ball with equal ease with either hand, hit three-quarters of his shots anywhere within a twenty-foot radius of the basket, and—according to Michael, although Nick thought he was exaggerating—fly.
    “But if this new coach you guys have is such a jerk,” Nick said, tossing the ball to Michael to take out of bounds, “Why should I put myself out for him?”
    “You won’t be doing it for him,” Michael said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Nick admired Michael’s gutsy determination, especially on defense, even though he knew if he really wanted, he could score on him every time. “You’ll be playing for yourself.”
    “On a team sport? Sure you don’t want to take a break?”
    “I’m all right.” Michael said, dribbling slowly in bounds. “I mean you don’t know how talented you are. I bet you could average thirty points and twenty rebounds a game if the rest of us didn’t get in your way.” He paused, panting, his free hand propped on his hip. “Are you ready?”
    “I’m ready.”
    Michael nodded, continuing to dribble at the top of the key. “You get that