Ginger Harrow:Pam of Babylon #22 is one of the most challenging of the stories to write. It’s loaded with new characters who were introduced in Dancing by Moonlight and involves a murder, intrigue and a new romance. I’ve been rereading #21 to immerse myself in the characters again and boy, I had a couple of laugh out loud moments in this excerpt. To set you up, Pam is at the famous roadhouse with private investigator, Jake Stevens. Dan Chua and Laura Long arrive for dinner with the resulting comedy. Warning: a few F bombs and some provocative imagery. xo

Holding out his hand for her, Jake pulled Pam into an embrace that included pressing his hips right up against hers and for the first time in her life, Pam was swept around the dance floor with a hot guy grinding against her, hips to hips, shoulder to shoulder. Within second, she could feel his hard penis up against her, his arms wrapped  around her like he was going to fuck her right on the dance floor. All the while Pam’s thoughts bounced between I’m a grandmother, and I’m having sex with Jake Stevens tonight if it’s the last thing I do.

So while Jake is looking into Pam’s eyes with the Biblical lust of the flesh, Dan Chua pulls up in the roadhouse parking lot in his dusty Porsche with Laura Long sitting next to him prettily.

“Oh Jesus, the Nascar crowd is here tonight,” Dan said when saw the monster car. “Who else would drive that piece of shit to a dance hall on Friday night?”

“My new boss,” Laura said, remorsefully, wondering who he’d be there with, hoping it was a bunch of guys and not a date.

“Ha!” Dan barked. “So, how’s that working out?”

“So far, so good. He came by the house to see if he got any ideas [about the dead baby case] but left with Pam and I never heard from him again.”

Parking the car, Dan didn’t reply, but Laura could see a tick in his jaw. They walked in together, holding hands, no longer needing to hide their relationship. Dan usually attracted a lot of attention, but tonight all eyes were on Jake Stevens and his date, moving like they were auditioning for Dancing with the Stars. Laura cringed when she saw it, wishing she’d listened to her inner voice and ignored Dan’s call.

“What’s the attraction?” Dan asked the host, nodding toward the dining room where diners had abandoned their meals gathering around the dance floor to watch.

“Watch that couple in there, a little kizomba, a little salsa, my boss wants to call the cops for indecent dancing but he’s gettin’ all horny now.”

The employees around the desk laughed, and Dan had a premonition it wasn’t going to be good. “If you’re not too horny will you seat us?” he asked.

They continued to laugh as the host grabbed two menus and led the way.

And his hunch was right, there was Pam in the arms of Jake Stevens, gyrating for all she was worth, spinning around with Jake’s hands on her waist, and then their hips melding, doing the two step around the dance floor to the clapping of onlookers.

“Yikes, Pam and Jake dancing,” Laura said, envious that she couldn’t dance like that. “She’s too old for him.”  

“She is not,” Dan snapped. “He looks older than I am.”

“Maybe a little bit,” she said forlorn, thinking that the concern she had in the office that Jake was attracted to her was wishful thinking.

They sat down, unable to take their eyes off the provocative dancing, and the waiter came to get their drink orders.

“Straight scotch,” Dan mumbled.

“Dan, no way. You’re driving.”

“I can have a drink,” he said, frowning. “What, are you my mother now?”

“I’ll have a Coke,” she said, seething.

“Let’s dance,” he said, pushing away from the table. “I want to have fun tonight.”

“Look, you’re not going to have fun with me then because I have two left feet.”

“Oh. Why didn’t I know that?”

“Because all we’ve done so far is fuck,” Laura said. “That might be all we’re good at.”

He looked at her, sitting across from him with her hands folded in front of her like she was at a job interview and laughed. “I hope we’re good at other things because I really like you.”

“You said you loved me last night.”

“Okay, I really love you. Come on. Let’s get out there. I’ll teach you to dance. Just pretend you’re making love to me standing up. If you watch those two, that’s all it is.”

“They just met,” she snarled.

“Some people are just naturals at it,” he murmured, gazing longingly at Pam.

“If all dancing is is grinding, I can do that.”

“Now you’re talking!”

But the set had ended just as they stood up.

“Oh god, they’re coming over here,” Dan moaned. “Don’t invite them to eat with us.”

“Yeah, right.

After an awkward few seconds of greeting, Pam and Jake returned to their own table with body language announcing a new romance.

“They make a nice looking couple,” Jake said about Dan and Laura.

“They really do. She’s my step daughter, you knew that didn’t you?”

“Laura might have mentioned it.”

“And Dan is my former son in law. As a matter of fact, he’s my grandson’s father. We have a lot of intermingling on Sea View.”

“I see that. So are you going to let me be the fresh blood you all need?”

Covering her face, Pam burst out laughing. “You can if you’d like.”

He leaned over the table getting right up in her face. “Do you dance like that with all the men you date?” he whispered.

She shook her head, slowly smiling.