Release the Stars Read Online Free PDF Page B

amber flecks in her eyes stand out. The slim straps of the dress accentuated Ava’s square shoulder line in a way that made Charlie salivate.
    “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?” a voice announced over the sound system. “The entertainment has arrived.”
    The soft lounge music that had been playing was replaced by a Bollywood tune and a dozen dancers clad in brightly colored robes emerged from the dark recesses of the garden.
    “Oh yes,” Ava shouted over the music. “I love this.” Her hips started swaying to the beat.
    Everyone gathered on the patio between the house and the swimming pool and looked on as the dancers performed a very intricate dance.
    “How about you, Charlie?” Ava whispered in her ear. “Do you like to dance?”
    Charlie was standing between Ava and Liz and their body heat radiated onto her skin. Charlie looked into Ava’s dark eyes, and, though taken aback by the question, tried to add some swagger to her voice. “I have some moves.”
    Ava quirked up her eyebrows. “I’d like to see those some time.” She shot Charlie a quick wink and redirected her attention to the dancers while swaying her hips with a bit more abandon—seemingly not caring that she frequently brushed against Charlie’s side while doing so. Charlie, on the other hand, cared a great deal.
    The dancers performed two numbers to grand applause from the crowd, after which Abe took the floor and made a speech. Charlie tried to listen, but all she could focus on was the way she felt with Ava standing so close to her.
    “I’m going to find Michelle. I need to ask her something,” Liz said when the crowd broke apart after Eisenberg’s speech. Liz stared at Charlie a fraction longer than was necessary when making a simple announcement like that, then turned on her heels and left Charlie alone with Ava.
    “Now would be the perfect time to bust some moves,” Ava said. The music had come back on, playing a sixties soul song that Charlie couldn’t remember the title of.
    Charlie looked around for Sandra, but she was deep in conversation with a woman Charlie recognized from meetings with EBC.
    “Come on, Charlie. Show me what you’ve got.” Ava grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her onto the corner of the patio that doubled as a dance floor. A few brave people were already gyrating their hips and throwing their hands in the air. Ava let go of Charlie’s hand and joined them, flipping her long hair from left to right as she found the beat.
    Charlie had no choice. She had to dance with Ava. It was hardly a chore. Charlie started moving to the rhythm of the music and inched closer and closer to Ava. Perhaps this song would be followed by a slow one and—
    “I love this song,” Ava said. Her dress whipped up and down as she danced, revealing some knee and, once in a while, a little bit of thigh. They danced alongside each other wordlessly for another song. When Charlie spotted a waiter with a full tray of glasses she grabbed two and offered one to Ava.
    “The most fun I’ve had on an ordinary Thursday night in a long time,” Charlie said.
    “You do have moves, Charlie,” Ava said.
    “Not too bad yourself.” Only last night, Charlie had watched a re-run of Knives Out , comparing how Ava licked her spoon on TV to how she did it in real life.
    “Do you want to sit down for a bit?” Ava asked.
    “Sure.” Instead of heading to the cluster of tables skirting the patio, Ava led her in the direction of the swimming pool where two sun loungers sat side by side.
    Ava draped herself onto one in an elegant fashion Charlie could only aspire to. Charlie sat and twirled her glass between her fingers.
    “I started reading Crying Rivers again,” Ava said. “It’s a different experience to read a book when you’ve met the author.”
    “I watched a re-run of Knives Out last night,” Charlie said. “I agree. Also a totally different experience.”
    Ava laughed. “It’s hardly the same.” Her