~Marcus in the great room after dancing with Marisol~<br/><br/>They stood there, smiling at each other like two people out on their first date, and Marcus loved every minute of the moment.  The dance alone had been enough to tell him that he had picked well with Marisol but the nervous energy bouncing back and forth between them was another thrill altogether.  It had been a long time since he had felt nervous around a woman, at least when it came to sexual energy, but he was definitely feeling it now.  When she squeezed his fingers with her own, maintaining their contact as if it were a life preserver, his smile softened.  Was she feeling it too?<br/><br/>He didn’t know the answer to that question, and it really didn’t matter in the long run, so he just stayed by her side, basking in her inner glow.  “I do believe you are right…two bodies in perfect sync…in more ways than one I suspect” he said in agreement, finishing his words with a sly wink.  Glancing out at the floor, he noticed that the other couples had also finished dancing so he slung an arm lightly around Mari’s waist.  “It looks like the others are done also.  Let’s go rejoin them.”  Pulling her to his side a little, he steered them back to the group, covering the distance slowly, as if he didn’t want to leave her side.<br/><br/>The minute they were back among the others, Marcus sensed it, that change in the air that raised the hair on the back of his neck.  Glancing at Vince first, he studied him then moved on to Mila, feeling that everything was normal there.  His gaze drifted to Bo next and he hesitated though he wasn’t sure why.  A few seconds of observation revealed nothing so he gave a mental shrug and moved on to Nicci.  Her eyes were downcast and her manner seemed frailer than it had before the dance; it could have been nothing but to Marcus’s astute eye, honed from years of leading people in one manner or another, something was wrong.  Was this the first sign of tension among the group?  It was, of course, bound to happen eventually and would no doubt happen again but that didn’t mean he had to like it.  Wanting a way to lighten the mood, but not step on Bo’s toes, he released his hold on Mari and clapped Bo loudly on the shoulder.  “That was a wonderful performance, my friend” he said, addressing the man directly.  “You really must teach me some of those moves; I’ll do anything to improve my performance next time.”  Flashing him a smile, he turned next to Nicci, reaching out and raising her chin with his fingers.  “And you, dear lady, were simply radiant out there.  I hope to learn so much from you also.”  With that, he turned to Vincent and Mila, complimenting them also, hoping that his words to all of them helped to brighten the mood.<br/>