Last Dance

By Rita

"Thank you." Rita said as the saleslady handed her another dress. It was a floor length black gown with spaghetti straps. Rita looked at it wondering if this was the one. She began trying it on.

"Rita are you satisfied yet?" Sherry yelled from the outside. Sherry hated shopping and was trying to encourage her friends to shop faster. Though she should have known better since she was with the pair that prided themselves on being championship shoppers. Somehow the other ladies had known better and decided to see some sights around town.

Rita laughed and said, "I think you had better ask Curlly that question."

"Now ladies," came from the other dressing room. "Perfection cannot be rushed though it can be pushed and prodded a bit."

All the girls burst out laughing at that statement. They had all decided to meet in New York for a gala charity ball. It was supposed to be a wonderful party with all the money going to a good cause. Plus it was a chance for the girls to get together.

Rita looked at herself in the mirror and did not like the cut of the dress on her. Why was it that they always looked better on the hanger? Too bad there were rules about bringing more than five dresses into the dressing room. "Sherry hand me the other dress please."

"For goodness sake Rita this is the 8^th dress you try on. You didn’t like..." Sherry suddenly went quiet.

Rita’s eyebrows went up. Wondering what had rendered her friend silent. "Sherry?" She said as the curtain opened a sliver and a dress was handed to her. She could not see the person handing her the dress. It was gorgeous and strapless. And in a lovely shade of lavender, Rita racked her brain she did not remember seeing that in the store. She immediately tried it on.

Glancing at the mirror quickly she realized this was it. She opened the curtain to show Sherry who she was sure would be pleased that she had finally found a dress. "Hey Sher! Check it out." But when she saw Sherry’s face she noted that Sherry had a dreamy look. "Earth to Sherry!" Rita turned to see what had her friend's attention and her heart caught in her throat.

"Hello darling. I see you like the dress." Michael said as he stood there watching her.

Rita was stuck to the floor. She had not seen him in months not since their wedding. At this point she thought she would never see him again. There were no letters or emails, or gifts just a silence. The only reason she believed he ever existed was that she had the jewelry he had given her and most of her friends had gone to her wedding in Hawaii. It was hard to deny when they were constantly asking where was he.

Curlly came out of the dressing room in a deep blue dress. "What is going on out here you guys are awfully quiet?" Then she saw Michael. "Hey Michael I thought you were out of town on business and could not make the ball?"

"I finished business early and came to see my wife. It was meant to be a surprise but I did not mean to render her speechless."

Rita moved slowly towards him scared that he would vanish like he did in her dreams. Looking at him she saw shadows deeper and darker than anything she had seen. He looked tired and worn down. His arms opened in greeting and she moved in them. When he closed them around her it felt as if they had never been apart. Wrapping her arms around his neck she clung to him hoping to help whatever was troubling his soul.

He breathed in deeply the feeling the connection that brought her to him in the first place. She anchored him. Leaning in he whispered softly in her ear, "I have missed you."

It warmed her heart to hear that. She held him closer if possible.

"Hey you two break it up. Some of us need to finish shopping." Curly said.

Michael partially released Rita. He held her hand tightly in his grasp. Rita smiled and squeezed his hand back reassuringly. "I think I am done this is the dress. Let me get changed and we can go have lunch." She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. As she released his hand and moved quickly into the dressing room.

"Uh huh, lunch. Right that’s what I call it." Curlly called out to her.

"I can think of a better euphemism for that." Sherry said.

Rita began to laugh in the dressing room. "I told you Michael they are incorrigible."

"No we are angelic. Don’t you see the halos?" Sherry said sweetly.

"Nope not at all. I told you they were a figment of your imagination." She said as she stepped out dressed in gray slacks with the matching top. Walking over to Michael she slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow. The other hand held the lovely dress. "Ok all I have to do is pay."

"No need I already did and I have arranged for it to be delivered to the hotel." Michael said. "Shall we leave?"

"Glory! I need to find one like you. Got any younger brothers at home." Curlly said hopefully.

"I am sorry I do not." Michael said quietly.

Rita looked at her friends apologetically. "I’ll meet you guys at the hotel later. Curlly find a dress soon!"

"You guys go on. I’ll make sure Curlly finds a dress." Sherry said.

"Thank you ladies." Michael said as he walked out with Rita.

Walking out into the bright sunshine Rita and Michael sipped on their sunglasses. The street was busy with pedestrians hurrying to their destinations. They began to walk with no particular destination in mind. In silence they began their journey. Words would come eventually for now they enjoyed the feeling of being together.

********

North, Brenna, and Avillion were sitting in the hotel room joking around in the hotel room.

"Who wants to place bets on when those three get back from shopping?" North said jokingly.

"We can have a pool. Everyone can pick a different time on their guesstimated arrival and who every gets the lucky timeslot wins." Brenna suggested.

Avillion started to laugh. "What’s the prize?"

"Good question. Let's see..." North stopped mid-sentence as the door to the room opened. Curlly came in with several bags and Sherry was behind her holding as many if not more.

"Sherry! You bought all that stuff?" Avillion said in surprise.

At that Sherry giggled, "No some of this belongs to Curlly and Rita."

"Thanks Sherry for helping me out."

"Well show us what you guys bought." Brenna asked.

"Hey wait a minute where’s Rita?" North said as she saw Curlly close the door.

"She is still shopping isn’t she?" Avillion asked.

"Nope she with her husband." Curlly said.

"What Michael is in town? The other girls are in for a surprise. Well let's see how long it takes for them to surface for air." North said.

"They are going to the ball together." Sherry said as she placed packages everywhere and anywhere there was room.

"Well, Avillion and I still have not met him. So I can’t wait." Brenna said.

"Glory look at the time! I have to start getting ready." Curlly said as she rushed for the bathroom.

"And it begins." North said. "Care to start a betting pool on how long it takes her?"

Everyone laughed.

*************

The ball was in full swing by the time the girls arrived. It seems a few of the ladies took longer to get ready than what was planned. Thousands of balloons decorated the ceiling in silver and dark blue. There were a profusion of flowers in the arrangements at each of the tables. Their table was close to the dance floor. As the girls sat down they watched as couples were already on the floor swaying to a slow jazz composition the band was playing.

"This place is lovely." North said as she sat down in her jewel toned ruby red dress.

"It is and the music is great." Sherry added. Curlly was still standing looking around the ballroom. "What are you doing Curlly?"

"Looking for Rita and Michael."

"I’ll be surprised if they even show up."

Avillion who was taller was looking too. "There she is." Avillion pointed at the couple.

Rita and Michael were dancing oblivious to anything but each other. Staring into each other eyes without saying a word.

"I think Rita is in seventh heaven." Brenna commented. "Not that I blame her at all."