It was last call at Barry's Night Club. The remaining couples on the dance floor were dancing to Sam Smith's "Stay with Me". From a corner across the room, Jason had watched Karen dance with one man after another. Her sparkling blue eyes and chestnut color hair shimmered under the lights and gave her an ethereal look that made his heart melt. She was a classy woman, not stick thin like models, but had curves like Marilyn Monroe and when she laughed, she made the room light up like it was Christmas. It was the same way Jason remembered her before she left for Boston three years ago. He had tried to move on and even dated a woman for several months, but that faded to a "maybe I'll call you sometime" arrangement. Now Karen was back and in his own backyard. He could hear Humphrey Bogart say..."in all the gin joints in the world, she walks into mine".
He told himself that he wasn't interested in her anymore, but it was a lie. Every time she got up to dance, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He sat in the corner and watched her while he nursed a beer. He pushed his shoulder length jet black hair back from his forehead with his hand. He had removed his tie early on in the evening and his white shirt sleeves had been rolled up. He wore black pants and a black vest which fit perfectly on his toned body and he could have any woman he wanted on the dance floor, but he saw only one. He leaned forward in his chair and just watched her in her silver shimmering dress that was a short halter dress that hugged her body.
The song ended and Karen thanked her partner and returned to her table where another couple sat. She took a sip from her wine and leaned back fanning herself with a napkin. The music began play again. This time the song was Barbara Streisand singing "The Way We Were" and Jason could feel a lump grow in his throat. He drank the last of his beer and rose from his hiding place in the corner and walked across the dance floor to where Karen was sitting and put out his hand to her.
"Dance with me," he said softly looking into her eyes.
Karen looked up at him as if she had seen a ghost, but said nothing.
"Dance with me," Jason said again firmly and took her hand.
Karen stood and Jason led her to the dance floor where he wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled her tight and she melted into his body molding into him just as he remembered. Streisand continued to sing and Jason buried his face in her hair smelling the perfume she always wore. They moved across the dance floor in a symbiotic rhythm that felt as natural as breathing.
"I've missed you," he whispered in her ear.
Karen leaned her chin on his shoulder, "I've missed you too baby," she sighed.
"Why did you leave?" he asked feeling her body tense against him.
"I don't...I don't want to talk about it now. Let's just dance. It just feels so good to be in your arms again," Karen's voice cracked as she tried to hold back the tears.
Jason said nothing more as they danced the last dance of the night and while others were on the floor with them, it was just the two of them. It was if time had stood still when they were finally alone again in Jason's apartment sitting on his black leather sofa with the lights dimmed.
"I can't stay long," Karen said as Jason poured her a glass of wine.
"You have someplace else to go?" Jason asked not sure if he really wanted to know.
"Yes," Karen said leaning forward so that her hair covered her face and Jason couldn't see it.
He leaned back with his wine and closed his eyes.
"Do I want to know?" he asked.
"I can't tell you right now," Karen eyes watered.
"A lot of questions were left unanswered when you left," Jason pushed.
"You have to believe me when I tell you that I had no choice," she replied.
"Have to believe you?" his eyebrows raised. "And why should I do that?"
"Because it had to be that way," Karen said.
Jason leaned in and kissed her lips. Her lips were full and so warm that it excited him and he could feel the heat that he knew so well when he was with her rise deep within him.