The Last Dance
by Daniel Beadle - Monday, October 19, 2009
Graham leads Jennifer out to the patio. It’s a warm summer night, and the music from the dance echoes across the campus lake. Graham wears an ill-fitting black suit with a silvery-blue tie. A light stubble accents his jaw line, and his black hair falls into his green eyes. He smirks as he looks at Jennifer, who is wearing a red dress that hugs her slender body. Her long brown hair cascades down her exposed shoulders, and Graham can’t help himself from running his fingers through it. But of all the elements that make Jennifer beautiful, it’s the eyes that capture Graham. He looks in her eyes and sees his love for her reflected back at himself.
Graham pulls himself away, and kisses her hand with a soft kiss. “I wish today was yesterday…” he says, then looks up at her. “…So I could spend one more day with you.” Jennifer is taken with the comment, but there’s a hint of sadness on her face. Graham continues to hold her hand as he begins to kneel. “Jennifer…” he begins. Jennifer’s face lights up, as she covers her mouth with her other hand. “My knee is killing me.” Graham pauses, then smirks and stands back up. “Nah, it’s fine.”
“You jerk!” Jennifer shouts at him. Graham laughs, and Jennifer can’t help but join in.
Graham hugs her and pets the back of her head. “Gotcha.”
“You really are a brat.”
“You love it.”
Jennifer pulls back and looks at Graham. “I love you.”
Graham savors the moment before responding. “Me too.” He reaches up to tuck her hair behind her left ear. “It’s not going to be easy, you going back to school in New York, me staying here. That’s about five hours away, each direction.”
Jennifer furrows her brow. “Can we make it work?”
“Absolutely. I can visit you on the weekends, and we’ll talk every night.”
“You don’t have to visit me every weekend.”
“Every weekend I can.”
Jennifer begins to choke up. “I miss you every time we’re apart, Graham. I’d hold hands with you forever as long as you never let go.”
“I won’t.”
The music from the dance changes to a slow song, the last of the evening. The melodic tune reverberates through the night air. Graham kisses Jennifer’s forehead and holds her tight. Their bodies sway to the music. “We’ll be alright, Jennifer. I love you to much to let you go.”
Graham looks into her eyes, which are now quivering beneath a well of tears. They kiss, and Graham feels his eyes begin to water. “We’ll be alright.”
Graham pulls himself away, and kisses her hand with a soft kiss. “I wish today was yesterday…” he says, then looks up at her. “…So I could spend one more day with you.” Jennifer is taken with the comment, but there’s a hint of sadness on her face. Graham continues to hold her hand as he begins to kneel. “Jennifer…” he begins. Jennifer’s face lights up, as she covers her mouth with her other hand. “My knee is killing me.” Graham pauses, then smirks and stands back up. “Nah, it’s fine.”
“You jerk!” Jennifer shouts at him. Graham laughs, and Jennifer can’t help but join in.
Graham hugs her and pets the back of her head. “Gotcha.”
“You really are a brat.”
“You love it.”
Jennifer pulls back and looks at Graham. “I love you.”
Graham savors the moment before responding. “Me too.” He reaches up to tuck her hair behind her left ear. “It’s not going to be easy, you going back to school in New York, me staying here. That’s about five hours away, each direction.”
Jennifer furrows her brow. “Can we make it work?”
“Absolutely. I can visit you on the weekends, and we’ll talk every night.”
“You don’t have to visit me every weekend.”
“Every weekend I can.”
Jennifer begins to choke up. “I miss you every time we’re apart, Graham. I’d hold hands with you forever as long as you never let go.”
“I won’t.”
The music from the dance changes to a slow song, the last of the evening. The melodic tune reverberates through the night air. Graham kisses Jennifer’s forehead and holds her tight. Their bodies sway to the music. “We’ll be alright, Jennifer. I love you to much to let you go.”
Graham looks into her eyes, which are now quivering beneath a well of tears. They kiss, and Graham feels his eyes begin to water. “We’ll be alright.”
“There was a woman… There was a man… Call them lovers. For the moment.”—Neil Gaiman
