by Chelsea

  He looked at her from across the room. She was standing there, laughing with her friends. She turned and smiled at him, and his heart caught in his throat.

He had hadn’t seen her for years. He had talked to her here and there through the years, but he hadn’t seen on her in years. But he had always harbored this crush on her, since the first time he met her.

They had gotten off on the wrong foot, but had made up and become friends in the end. They used to see each other nearly everyday, as they used to go to school together.

His heart fluttered as she threw her head back and laughed. She was so beautiful, so perfect. It was then he knew that he could never be with her; she never would want him. She was always going to parties and events with Him, the man she had worshiped from a young age. He had heard though, that she wasn’t looking as happy with him these days as she used to. She had come to this party without him. He had important work to do, and couldn’t take time off to go to an engagement party for Nadine Ison, one of Trixie’s friends from high school.

 

  She turned to her friend and pointed out the young man across the room. Her friend nodded appreciatively, he was a looker. Her friend teasingly asked her if she liked him. She blushed. She had never told anyone about the crush she had harbored on him since a girl.

Her friend nudged her in the side, then motioned her head towards him. He was looking at her. She smiled at him, and she thought that she was going to faint when he gave her a grin back.

"Why don’t you ask him to dance?" asked her friend. She shook her head. She could never do that. What if he said no? Her friend gave her a nudge though, so she tentatively started walking towards him.

 

  He started as he saw her walking towards him. Surely she is going to someone else. She hadn’t seen him in years; surely she wouldn’t recognize him after all this time.

But she was. Suddenly she was right up in front of him, asking him to dance.

"You recognize me?" he finally managed to spit out.

"Of course," she said with a grin, "I never forget old friends."

She led him out on the dance floor, just as a new song came on. "Tub Thumping" by Chumbawamba came blaring over the speakers, and they immediately started dancing. They were both laughing and out of breath before the song had ended. After several more dances they finally sat back down.

"Oh, that was so much fun," she said. "I haven’t had that much fun in a long time." Her good mood seemed to fade quickly.

He instantly grew worried. "What’s wrong? Is he not being good to you?"

"No," she said quickly, "He’s not hurting me or anything, it’s just, he doesn’t make time for me anymore. It’s like his work is more important than I am."

He frowned. "Don’t think that way. Don’t think that you’re not good enough for him. You’re too special just to waste away, waiting for him to call. How old are you these days anyway?"

"Twenty-five."

He whistled. "And he hasn’t married you by now? The man must be wrong in the head."

She giggled. "Want to dance again?"

"Definitely."

They danced the night away, finally breaking away from the party to go out on the Ison’s deck.

"It’s a beautiful night," she said as she gazed at the star filled sky.

"It is," he agreed, "and it’s even more beautiful, because I get to spend it with a beautiful woman."

She blushed as she turned to him, and before they both knew it, they were locked in a kiss.

When they finally broke away, he said, "It’s been too long, Trixie."

"Yes," she said. "It has."

The End