Free Teased to Death (Misty Newman 1) by Gina LaManna Page B

get back into sexy mode." She glanced around. "Y'all ladies know how it is…you get comfortable after a while. I used to be hot, but now I'm older."
    The fake smile froze on my face. "Great. Anyone else?"
    Please , I prayed. Anyone?
    "I'm in a new relationship, actually," Sarah said, swooping in to save the day with another distraction. "I thought it might be a fun way to spice things up. Not that things are boring or anything…just…"
    "Excellent." I nodded. "Absolutely. It's always fun to add something new before things get boring. It can help keep long-term relationships fun and interesting."
    Sarah had been my sworn enemy since kindergarten, but at that moment I could've kissed her. After Mrs. Jenkins had spoken, the room went silent. Not a great start to any sort of class, especially one that relied on a loose, fun atmosphere.
    "Burlesque is a great way to spice things up at home. In the living room. In the kitchen. Over breakfast. Anywhere." I smiled, more genuinely this time. "The best part, at least for me, is that burlesque is all about feeling comfortable and sexy in your own skin. It's less about the other person and more about becoming a strong, confident woman with a fun spring to your step. If your partner gets enjoyment out of it, that's even better."
    With a wink, I dragged a chair to the front of the classroom.
    "Let's start slow. We'll do some basic chair work, put you all in some gloves and a feather boa, and then we'll get you all buttoned up in an oversized man's shirt. All things you can find at home or pick up very cheaply."
    Walking over toward the radio, I glanced over my shoulder. "Anyone got a song they'd like to start with?" I asked. "Give me something a little sassy."
    A few recommendations were shouted out, and I quickly built a playlist in my phone, hooked it up to the stereo, and hit play. As soon as the tunes began pulsing through the speakers, I relaxed. This was my happy place. My comfortable zone. The place where I could go and nobody could disturb me.
    "Let's start with a nice little walk. Swing those hips. Good, Barbara!"
    I was lying, but Nosy Barbara didn't seem to notice. Instead of swaying her hips, she ticked back and forth like a very robotic clock, but maybe her husband thought her rigid movements were a turn on. Who was I to judge?
    "You're a natural." I walked past Sarah and nodded. I was slightly disappointed that my praise wasn't a lie. She moved with a suave grace that only certain people were born with. "Your new boyfriend is a lucky man."
    She giggled, and for a moment I thought maybe I could let bygones be bygones. In fact, I was sure of it. Grudges held since kindergarten were a terrible, exhausting way to live. I took a long, deep breath and promised myself I'd try to be better friends with Sarah. After all, maybe it would be fun to get drinks and talk about boys and gossip about bigger cities than Little Lake.
    Unlike most people in this town, she had a similar experience as I, in that she left the tiny town and came back. I had visions of us bonding over martinis about traveling, culture, and coming back to the place where we'd started from originally.
    "That's it. Maybe a little…less of that." I was afraid Mrs. Jenkins would hip check the girl next to her. Jenkins appeared to be trying out for the National Hockey League as opposed to swaying her hips gently.
    "Good, you guys are doing great!" I clicked a button on my phone. "Next song…and we're adding feather boas. Ignore the molting feathers. It might look like a peacock was de-feathered here after class."
    I got a small laugh, and the air started to loosen up. Mrs. Jenkins relaxed her hip swaying, the other students stopped looking around at everyone else and began following my lead, and Sarah was truly doing a great job. Even Barbara seemed a bit less robotic, but that could've just been my better mood.
    The sixty-minute class flew by, and before I knew it, I was a little sweaty and leading the class in a