The surprising gentleman

A man and a woman holding hands with fingers intertwined (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

She turns to face him, the tears still glittering in her eyes.  Becky waves her hand back and forth between them, “This…this guy and girl stuff…I’m so shy…I hate being this shy…I’m not…I’m just not…I don’t know how to do this.”  Her voice catches on the last word and she struggles not to burst into tears, beating herself up for being an idiot, knowing that Sean will be thrilled to get her back to her house and out of his truck as fast as possible.  And that he won’t waste any time getting as far away from her as his big truck will take him.

Sean’s looking at her with those deep chocolate eyes.  He sighs softly and brushes her hair from her cheek.  “I don’t want you to feel bad, Bec.  I mean, I like you…I really,  really like you.  But I would never…I wouldn’t expect you to, I don’t know, do anything you didn’t want to do…or weren’t ready to do…I mean, I didn’t really notice that you were that shy, seemed to me like we talked together pretty good, ya know?”  He stops talking and just shakes his head.  “I don’t want to make you sad or make you cry, Bec.”

Becky lowers her head, covering her eyes.  She then releases her pent-up breath, squares her shoulders, sits back in the seat and meets Sean’s concerned gaze.  “Really, Sean, it’s not you.  It really is me.  I’m guessing you’ve had lots of girlfriends…and me?  I’ve not been able to figure out the whole relationship thing.  I imagine I’m not like most of the girls you’ve gone dancing with, huh?”

Sean smiles sweetly, rubbing his thumb along the palm of her hand.  “Well, I’m thinkin’ you not being like most of the girls I’ve gone dancing with is probably a good thing.  It just hit me, all those other girls, mostly I wouldn’t ever have wanted to take any of ’em home to meet my mom, but you? You’re different.  My mom would be happy to meet you.”  Sean lifts his hands between them, “Not that I’m saying we have to do that any time soon, but still…”

Becky looks at Sean with a question in her eyes.  “I…you surprise me.  I would have thought you’d be like every other guy I’ve known and high tail it out of here.”

Sean snorts, “I think you’ll find out I’m anything but like every other guy.”  And then he gives her a bawdy wink and wiggles his eyebrows.

Becky laughs softly.  “Yeah, you just might be right.”

Sean turns the key in the ignition, “So, how do I find this house you share with those other girls?  I don’t know if you know this or not, but it’s after two in the morning…not all that late for a guy like me, but I’d be willing to bet it’s pretty darn late for a girl like you…right?”

Last dance

2008 4×4 Ford F-450 Pick up truck. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sean chuckles, “I think she likes you, Becky.  She’s a pretty special lady.  I’ve known her for years and she’s taken quite  a few of us under her wing over the years…”

Blushing, Becky half smiles at Sean’s comments.  “Well, I could tell she definitely likes you.”

Sean leans back in his chair, shrugs, and asks, “Hey, what’s not to like?”

Sean and Becky spend the rest of the evening dancing and talking, then dancing and talking some more.  They are both surprised when they hear the announcement that the club is about to close.  Sean escorts Becky out to his truck.  Petite little Becky stands there with her hands on her hips looking at the huge truck.  “This is your truck?  You actually climb in and out of this thing…without a ladder?”

“Hmm…well, I am a little taller than you, I guess.  Let me help you up.”  After opening the passenger side door, he offers Becky his hand and then realizes she’s going to need more help than that to make it up into the truck.  “I think I’ll have to lift you up so you can get in…okay?”

Becky’s cheeks flush and she looks down, then lifts her gaze up to meet Sean’s.  “Um…yeah…I think I’d have a hard time climbing up into this thing with a dress on…so…yeah…”

Sean’s  hands span her tiny waist.  Becky reaches up for his shoulders, neither of them able to take their eyes off of the other.  He effortlessly lifts her into the truck, “Watch your head, Bec.”  She nods and smiles at the nickname.  She sits down, smoothing her skirt under her legs.  Sean closes the door and runs around the front of the truck and leaps into the driver’s seat.

Shaking her head, Becky notes, “You make that seem so easy.”

Sean reaches over and envelopes her tiny hand in his much larger one, laughing…”Hey, when yer 6’6″,  big trucks are no problem…it’s those tiny little cars that make life difficult.”

Becky likes the feeling of their hands being joined, but finds herself blushing again.  Then, to her mortification, she feels tears in her eyes and quickly looks away from Sean.

“Uh..Bec…are you alright?  Did I do something wrong?”

Still not looking at Sean, she shakes her head and wipes the tears from her cheeks.  “No, it’s not you…it’s me…I just don’t know how to do this.  I’ve never been good at this.”

Sean gently touches her shoulder, “Good at what, Bec?  I’m not…not sure what you’re talking about.”

 

Dancin’ queen

Tiagpointe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Angel steps back from Sean, her hands cupping his face.  “Let me look at you!  Still the handsomest devil to set foot in this old dance hall, aren’t ya?”

Sean laughs and bends down to kiss the cheek of the older woman.  Angel is not a small woman, a bottle blonde, wearing a rust-colored suede skirt and vest, cream-colored low-cut blouse and hand-tooled cowboy boots.  She looks like she lives in a country dance hall.  “So sweetie, are ya home for the winter now?  We sure did miss ya around here all summer.”

“Yeah, we just got back last Sunday.”  Sean winks at Angel.  “Missed you too, gorgeous!”

Angel swats him.  “You’re definitely a sweet talker.”  Angel smiles at Becky.  “So, handsome, are you gonna use the manners I know your mama raised you with and introduce me to this cute little girl?”

Angel silently screams for joy as she watches her favorite young man sharing a look with the little blonde.  Sean gently touches Becky’s hand.  “Angel, this is Becky.  She’s new in town and one of the best dancers I’ve ever seen.  And Becky, this is Angel.  She owns this place and keeps us all in line…ha, get it?  In line!!”

Angel laughs, “Honey, it’s a good thing you don’t have to rely on your comedic talent to earn a living.”

Sean falls back in his chair, hand over his heart, “Ouch…”

Angel offers her hand to Becky and says, “Nice to meet you, Becky.”  In a stage whisper, she says,  “This one here is pretty special.  I try not to say that in front of him too much, don’t want him thinkin’ he’s God’s gift or anything.”

Becky shakes Angel’s hand, responding shyly, “I’m pleased to meet you too, ma’am.  I love your dance floor, it’s really nice.”

“Well, thank ya, hon.  I hope we’ll see you around here a lot.  Now, I gotta get back to the business of runnin’ my business.”  She points at Sean.  “Make sure the two of ya aren’t strangers around here this winter.”

Sean rises from his chair and hugs Angel again.  She whispers, “Hon, I think this little gal is a keeper.  You be good to her.”

Sean whispers back, “Oh, I intend to.”

Angel steps back, waves at the young couple and sashays across the dance floor, greeting her other customers, a smile on her face as she thinks about the two kids she just left.  After watching the girls throw themselves at Sean over the years, she has a good feeling about that little Becky.  She seems to be a different kind of girl.  Maybe, just maybe, the girl who can bring Sean some peace and contentment.

Slow dancin’

Ryman Auditorium, where The Byrds made their appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on March 15, 1968. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sean slowly walks around the perimeter of the dance floor, stopping to say a few words to friends, nodding at acquaintances.  Bethany hungrily watches him as he moves away from her.  However, the entire time, his thoughts are on the girl waiting for him at that small table in the shadows.  When he finally makes his way back to Becky, he places the bottles of water on the table with a flourish.  “One icy cold water for the lady.  And one for me.”

“Thanks, Sean.”

Sean waves off her thanks.  “No problem.”

Sean pulls a chair from under the table, sits down with both elbows on the table, and just looks at Becky with a smile on his face.  “So…Becky…come here often?”

They laugh and relax,  both feeling comfortable as well as curious.  Sean decides to go first.  “Are you, uh, are you from Nashville?”

Becky shakes her head.  “No.  I just moved here a couple weeks ago.  From Knoxville.  I’m starting grad school at Vandy on Monday.”

“Wow.  Seriously?  That’s impressive.”

Laughing, Becky says, “I don’t know about impressive, but that’s what I’m doing.”

“So, you got brothers, sisters, parents, a husband?”  Sean says it like he’s joking, but he’s secretly hoping to hear a “no” to the husband part of the question.

Becky laughs again.  “Well, let’s see.  No brothers or sisters…I’m an only child.  Definitely no husband or anything.  And, as far as my parents go, it’s just been my mom for most of my life.  They divorced when I was five and from then on, it was just Mom and me.”  Becky lifts one shoulder in a shrug.   “What about you?”

“Me?  Hmm…okay…let’s see, I’ve lived in Nashville all my life.  I’m an only child too…Mom and Dad adopted me when I was five and then they found out they couldn’t have any kids of their own, so they were pretty much stuck with just me.”

“I’m sure that’s not how they see it.”

“Well, yeah, you’re right.  They’re pretty, uh, pretty cool.  I’m lucky to have ’em.”

“So, do you live with your parents?”

“No, no…I live with four other guys in a big old house here in town.”

“I bet you guys have some wild times, huh?”

Sean chuckles and says, “Well, you’d think.  But we all spend a lot of time working, different guys out on the road at different times, so we’re not all there very often.  And it’s an old neighborhood with a lot of really old people, so we try to kind of keep a low profile, no loud music or wild parties.  I think the neighbors kind of appreciate that.   A lot of times, the ladies’ll bring us a cake or cookies or whatever.  Think they think we don’t eat right or something.  What about you?  Are you going to work while you go to school?”

“Oh yeah, I have to, I have to have the money. I already had a job lined up when I moved here.  I’m working 20 or so hours a week over at Pinky’s Diner.”

“No way!  We stop in there after work sometimes.  You know, to get breakfast for supper.  My dad and Charlie love eggs and bacon and hash browns or biscuits and gravy at night.”

“So, you and your dad work together?”

Sean looks at her questioningly.  “Well, yeah, we work together, always have.”

“So, where do you guys work?”

At that time, Becky’s friends stop at the table.  “Becky, we’re getting ready to go home here pretty soon.”

Sean jumps in, “I’ll be glad to take you home if you maybe want to stay and dance and talk for a while.”  As soon as he says it, he’s hoping he didn’t sound too desperate.

Becky hesitates, looking into Sean’s eyes, then nods her head slightly.  “Okay. I think I’d like that.”  She looks at her friends, “That be all right with you two?”

They both smile and nod.  Her closest friend, Dana, leans down to hug her and whispers, “He’s so cute.  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

 

Dance like no one’s watching

CajunPitStop-1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The music ends.  Sean and Becky, both breathless, remain on the dance floor, hands intertwined, the magic surrounding them.  As Sean feels himself falling deeper into Becky’s gaze, the corner of his mouth lifts in a half-smile.  “Wow.  Just wow.”Becky releases her pent-up breath, looks away, then looks back into Sean’s deep brown eyes.  “Right.  Wow.”  She smiles up at him, blushing.

As Sean returns her smile, he asks, “So…uhh…you want to get a table and maybe talk or something?”

Chuckling,  Becky nods her head.  “Yeah, that’d be good.  I’ll let my friends know, okay?”

Sean gently rests his hand on the small of Becky’s back as they make their way to the table where her friends are sitting.  As Becky gathers her jacket, she nods toward Sean.  “We’re going to sit over there and talk for a bit, okay?” Her friends nod in agreement, smiling at each other as Sean and Becky walk away.

Before they sit down at their table, Sean asks Becky if she would like a beer or something.  “Well, I…uh…I don’t really drink beer or anything.  A water would be good though.”

“Seriously, you don’t drink?  You’re not kidding me?”

“No, I never really have.  Is that…uhh…is that a problem?”

“No,no…not at all.  Whatever you want is fine with me.  I’ll grab a water for you and be right back.”  Sean turns to walk away, then turns back around, walking backwards with a huge smile on his face.  He lifts his hand, pointing his finger at her, “Be right back.”

Becky returns his smile, shaking her head as she watches him watching her.

When Sean reaches the counter, he says, “Hey, Bill.  Can I get a couple bottles of water?”

Bill raises his eyebrows, “Water?  Really, Sean?”

Sean shrugs his shoulders, “That’s what the lady ordered.”

“Well, gotta give the ladies what they want, right?”

“Oh yeah, for sure.”

“Saw you dancing with that little gal.  She new around here?”

With a slight shake of his head, Sean answers, “Ya know, I don’t really know.  She’s…uh…I don’t know.  But I think I’ll go find out.”  Sean pays for the water, turns around, nearly colliding with a very tall, very sexy brunette.

“Oh, sorry, Bethany…didn’t mean to run you over.”

With her beautifully manicured hands, the brunette grips Sean’s upper arm, leaning into him and caressing his arm.  “Hey, Sean…are you going to be around all night?  Maybe we can do something later.  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Sean’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes as he steps away from the girl.  “Umm…yeah…well, I’m with someone else tonight, Bethany.  Maybe some other time.”

Bethany steps back, trying to hide the pain with a smile, “Sure, Sean, some other time.  Whenever you want, let me know.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

As Sean walks toward the table where Becky sits waiting for his return, Bethany glares at the tiny blonde, muttering,  “You little bitch.  You will not take him away from me.”

Related articles

• How to Slow Dance (answers.com)

And then we danced

Do I Hear a Waltz? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Um, yeah, I’d love to dance with you, Sean.”

Sean offers his hand to Becky (just like the gentleman his mama taught him to be) and escorts her to the dance floor.  As they sway together in time with the music, neither of them gives a thought to what a striking couple they are.  Becky, the tiny, five-foot-tall, fair-complected blonde and Sean, the six-foot, six-inch, long, lean handsome young man.  For both of them, their only thoughts are how right this feels, how in tune they are with both the music and one another.  How perfectly they fit together as they glide across the floor, her skirt swirling around his legs as they turn.  They have eyes only for each other, sharing smiles and their passion for dance.

When the music ends, they step apart, hands still joined, eyes still locked, the electricity flowing between.  Still holding her hand, Sean begins to lead her back to her table, neither of them wanting this to end.  As they approach her friends, the band begins to play another country song.  Sean stops walking, a smile on his face.  “Uhh…you don’t happen to waltz, do you?”, he asks.

A huge smile lights up her face.  “Actually, I do.  That’s my favorite dance.”

“Well then…could I…have this dance?”, he asks as he jokingly bows toward her.

Becky responds with a mock curtsey and says, “Indeed you may, kind sir.”

As the music envelopes the young couple, the dance floor becomes their world, and they its only inhabitants.  They are matched perfectly, sharing the rhythm of the music, magic sparking between them.  No dance has ever been more meaningful for either of them.  No moment in time more full of possibilities.

Related articles

• The waltz of love (greatpoetrymhf.wordpress.com)

Want to dance?

Dance Hall (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When she reaches Sean, she hesitates for just a second and says, “Hello.”  With the briefest of glances over her shoulder, she continues walking away.

As Sean watches the girl in blue walk away, everything else in the dance hall fades into the background.  He no longer hears the music, no longer sees the couples dancing on the floor, his eyes are riveted to the little blonde as she sits down with her friends.  Once seated, she raises her eyes to meet Sean’s, then quickly glances away, her cheeks flushed.

Kenny stares at his buddy, finding it hard to believe that any girl can have this effect on Sean.  “Sean, you have to ask her to dance now, man.  She made the first move.”

With eyebrow raised, Sean looks at Kenny like he’s nuts.  “First move?  What are you talking about?”

Kenny raises both hands in the air, “Look…where do you think she was going?  She walked over this way for what purpose?  To say hi to you.  That’s it.”

Rubbing his chin, Sean considers what his friend has just said.  Looking at Kenny, a smile begins forming on Sean’s face.  “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Elbows on the table, hands clasped, Sean glances back toward the girl.  “Yeah…yeah…you’re right.”  Pushing himself away from the table, Sean slowly stands.  He pats Kenny on the shoulder, turns and walks away, not realizing that the eyes of most of the girls in the dance hall are following him as his long, jean-clad legs carry him around the floor.

When he reaches the table where the three girls are sitting, the little blonde turns her aqua eyes toward him.  He smiles and says, “Hi, I’m Sean.”

Biting her lower lip, the little blonde smiles and says, “Hi Sean, I’m Becky.”

With his smile growing, Sean says, “Hi, Becky.  I was wondering if maybe you’d want to dance?”

Related articles

• The Loon Lake Dancing Pavillion (bigbasslakemi.wordpress.com)

Dance the night away

Beer bottles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“She won’t be interested in a guy like me…not a girl like that, man.”   Sean gulps the rest of his beer, looking at Kenny, still shaking his head.  He places the empty bottle on the table with a sigh.

“Sean, I don’t even know what you’re talking about.  All a the chicks like ya…why would this one be any different?”

Sean sprawls in his chair, draping his arm over the back of it.  “Kenny, I don’t even know how to explain it.  She’s just different.  A different kind of girl.  And I just can’t see her wantin’ to have anything to do with me.  You know me, you know how I am.  And she’s just…I don’t know…different…”

Kenny picks his beer bottle up off the table and runs his index finger around the water ring.  “I…Sean, I don’t know what to say…you can have any girl you want.  So…I just don’t see where this is comin’ from.  I mean, she’s just a girl.  You haven’t even talked to her yet.  Just…just go over and ask her to dance or somethin’.”  Kenny laughs and says,”Hell, she could be stupid or somethin’…somebody you wouldn’t even want to dance with, much less talk to.”

Sean’s lip curls in a half grin, “Dude, have you even looked at her?  I’m definitely wantin’ to dance with her…and somethin’ too.”  As the two friends share a laugh, Sean glances back toward the girl.  When his chocolate-brown eyes meet her vivid aqua ones, he forgets to breathe.  A slight smile flits over her lips and she looks away.  Sean takes a shaky breath, runs his hand through his thick brown hair, and whispers, “Wow”.

With both elbows on the table, Kenny covers his eyes with one hand, looking down, trying unsuccessfully not to laugh.  “Dude, you got it bad.”

At that time, a couple  stops by to talk with Sean and Kenny.  After talking for a few minutes, the couple makes their way down to the dance floor.  Sean’s gaze is pulled toward the table the blonde is sharing with her friends.  She’s not there!  The dance floor…is she on the dance floor?!  In desperation, Sean tells himself he’s lost his one chance.  His shoulders sag, he drops his head toward his chest.  Then, out of the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of pale blue.  He looks up over his shoulder just as the blonde makes her way toward his chair.

When she reaches Sean, she hesitates for just a second and says, “Hello.”  With the briefest of glances over her shoulder, she continues walking away.

 

Dance the dance

Line dancing at a Country Western Dance Hall and Saloon. Italiano: Esempio di Line dance. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He glances across the dance floor, the beer in his hand forgotten as he stares at the trio of girls standing in the doorway.  Without taking his eyes off the girls, he leans over to his buddy and nods toward the girls.  “Do you know her?’, he asks.

His friend looks at the girls, takes a sip of his beer, and replies, “Yeah, I’ve seen the tall one around town.  Can’t remember her name though.”

“What?  No man, the little blonde.  Her.  Ya know her?”

Kenny looks back at the girls, then looks at his pal with a grin.  “Mmm…nah, don’t think I’ve ever seen that one before.  She is kinda cute, though.”

Sean stares at Kenny in disbelief.  “Cute?  Are you crazy?  Cute?  Are we looking at the same chick?  That’s the most gorgeous gal I’ve ever seen…ever!”  Sean shakes his head and mumbles, “Cute.  What the hell are you talkin’ about, cute?”

Kenny laughs and punches Sean on the arm.  “Dude, what’re you waitin’ on then?  You better make a move on her ’cause I’m thinking the guys’ll be lining up to dance with that one.”

At that moment, an older man walks over to the girls’ table and escorts the little blonde to the dance floor.  Sean can’t tear his eyes away from the couple.  As he watches the man slide his hand down her backside, Sean nearly leaps from the table.  He sits back in his chair when he sees the blonde move the guy’s hand back to her waist.

After another turn around the dance floor, the older man slides both hands down the girl’s backside and pulls her into his body.  Sean stands, thinking he’ll go to the floor and rescue the little blonde, when he sees her slip under the older man’s arm and walk away from him.  When Sean slumps back into his chair, Kenny looks at him questioningly.  “What the hell is wrong with you?  She’s just another girl.  Go ask her to dance.”

Sean rubs his face and shakes his head.  “Nah, man, she’s not gonna be interested in a guy like me.”

 

Related articles

• Dance, Dance, Dance (thefeaturewell.wordpress.com)
• Called to Dance (alaskapride.wordpress.com)