Without Tears

 

I walked in through the front door.  The lights were dim and the main room was already filled with smoke and the smell of stale beer. 

 

 

“Do I really want to do this?” I thought to myself with a deep, self-punishing sigh.  He called me earlier and said that he needed to talk to me, but it wasn’t something he wanted to do over the phone.

 

I walked to “our” table.  I nodded at Mike, the bartender, and winked at Larry, the resident “you better keep yourself in check or you’ll have to deal with me” bouncer.  It always did my heart good see him smile.  He was one of my favorites.  Not just there at the pub, but anywhere.  The few times we spoke, he treated me like a real person.  Not like a hot red-head as most of the others did; a real piece of juicy meat as I came to joke with him about. He gave GREAT hugs.

 

As was customary for us, I arrived before he did, and got a few rounds on the dance floor with Gary.  Together, Gary and I cleared the floor with our rendition of the contemporary waltz.  The dance floor is where I apparently caught “his” eye.  He saw Gary and I ‘sweeping the dance floor as if gliding down from heaven on cloud number nine’.  Gary and I smiled and Gary excused himself to dance with his wife.

 

That thought made me smile.  It was a line for sure, but I had to give him credit for it being an original.

 

As Gary and I stepped off the dance floor, I felt my breath catch as I saw him walk in the door.  He shook Larry’s hand as I apparently caught his eye.   I knew why he called, but the sight of him made my heart feel like stones skipping on the clear blue water of a lake.  I couldn’t help it.  Like rippling water, he took my breath away.

 

His name was Brian.  He was tall, tanned, dark blond, muscular, and his dimples made me weak in the knees.  As he approached the table, I stood to give him a hug.  As I went to kiss him, he took my hand and asked me to dance.  The band knew us well.  Being that they had just finished their break, Brian gave the lead a look, and they immediately started playing our song.

 

Another deep sigh. 

 

I shouldn’t have come.

 

With practiced hands, he swept me to the center of the dance floor, where his hands knowingly found my waist and our bodies, as if rehearsed, melded together as one.  It was divine.  My heart raced, and my body burned with fire.  Betraying me, longing for him.  His hands glided, his feet moved, his eyes glittered, his smile stayed and I beamed.   As we glided across the floor, the fears that I had when I walked in the door melted away.  I relaxed in his arms and together we became the wish in everyone else’s eyes.  We were perfect together.  I closed my eyes and then, he spoke.

 

“We have to talk.” 

 

My heart stopped, my eyes stung, but as smooth as butter my voice calmly said “Finish the dance.”

 

He kissed me.  The room disappeared and for what seemed like forever, we danced.  Alone, on our cloud.  Lips on lips, dreams on dreams.  His hands moved in rhythm as our feet slowly danced.  I heard the music, and our song was almost over.  I kept moving but my heart was sinking fast.  He kissed me again…and said

 

“I’m married and she’s home.  This will be our last dance.”  My eyes opened, our lips met, and as the song ended, he pulled away.  I stood in the middle of the dance floor with no choice but to watch him leave...

 

Garth Brooks.  

The Dance. 

It ended just as it begun.  

Without tears.

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Tony Jordan]

Two people who needed love (of sorts) can often find it and come from such brief encounters without any scratches (well emotionally speaking lol) but does it help our self-esteem?
Is there any such thing as 'no strings attached' - perhaps there were much more mystical strings attached to begin with?

But... the writing is very sensual and deeply romantic which I love

[SM Davis]

Thank you. This is a true event. Written in ink to seal and savor the moment. Many years ago. :)

[Tony Jordan]

Wow - I see that the most recent reviewer before me was 8 years ago!! To me that just embodies the timeless nature of this one SM.
As fresh as the day it was written. True sign of a good poem methinks.
:))

[SM Davis]

Thank you, Tony. I'm flattered.

[Jennifer Patino]

Very well-written. You have a flair for writing romance. I really enjoyed this & I love the song where you drew your inspiration from. Nice work.

[SM Davis]

HI Jennifer! Thanks, again. This, as it happens, is a true story. Many many moons ago. Thanks so much for coming by again. :)

[SRMarx]

I really enjoyed reading this. I think you captured the emotion near perfectly!

[Forest Green]

Good finale to the storyline...the heartless departure.

Very nice selection of characters and the outcome is completely a surprise for me...

Remarkable...

Forest

[Bruce Bray]

bravo.. great story..
you can feel being there.. the romanticism..
and just when you think everything will turn out okay in the end?
reality sets in..

but the beauty of this is..
she doesn't cry..
she has a hard handle on reality..

which is what i got anyways!!!

[ginger kitten]

I like this story in that by the title and tone I can feel the trepidation felt by the narrator... The ending is rather abrupt, but I like that- it's shocking. As the narrator might have been shocked by hearing what she dreaded...
Thanks for sharing- it's awesome.