Excerpt 71

“Alright.”  She bent forward to step out of both shoes and picked them up.  She felt his arm around her back and the other scooping up her legs.  She nearly lost her breath.  She had never been carried before and could feel his heart beating through his warm shirt.

“You don’t have to carry me.”

“We’ll be there in no time.” She closed her eyes and felt the predictable thudding of his feet hitting the ground.  They approached a white barn with the yellow light she had seen from far away pouring over the entrance.  He opened the door for her and she stepped inside.

There was a stage with a three-piece band and a singer wearing a black sequined tunic.  Milk crates were turned on their sides and people sat on them, swaying to the jazz music.  The bar had large canisters set up with fruit floating in between the bubbles.  He saw a beat up chair in the corner and they had a seat, sharing the cushion.  Ala couldn’t recognize the song, but when the next one began, she knew it was Bali Hai and perked up.

He took her hand and led her to the middle of the floor.  They swayed more than danced and she felt her cheek resting on his shoulder.  He placed his hand just above her hip and, she noticed, kept it there through the song.  When it was over, they went to the makeshift wet bar and had Fizzy Drops, which to Ala tasted like Lemon Drops with champagne.