“What was this idea you were speaking of in the car?”
“Oh,” Joseph said, blinking. He had nearly forgotten. He let out a long, low sigh and extended his hand as he stared back at her sad, shining eyes.
“I was wondering if you would like to dance.”
Carolina’s silhouette instantly brightened and her eyes grew wide. She glanced down at his extended hand and smiled.
“What? Here?”
“Where else?”
“But there’s no music,” she said, her smile widening.
“I can fix that,” Joseph said, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out his phone and Carolina scowled.
“Oh not that thing again. I know what kind of screaming music is played on that machine.”
“You pick. What do you want to listen to?”
Carolina tilted her head and half-smiled again.
“It can play anything?”
Joseph nodded.
“How about ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart’?”
Joseph tapped at the screen and immediately scrolled to the old barbershop quartet song. The tinney tune from long ago filled the sitting room and Carolina’s form grew brighter than ever.
“How will we do this?” she said.
Joseph extended his hand again as the singers began to harmonize. It wasn’t his type of music by any means, but seeing Carolina appreciate the song made his chest swell.
“We won’t know until we try.”
Reluctantly, Carolina reached for his hand, and Joseph gasped as their fingers instantly connected. At first her touch was a pleasant zap, like static electricity after shuffling over carpet. Then the sensation dulled to a soft buzz, until all he felt was the warmth of soft skin beneath his touch. He placed his other hand on her hip as his senses were filled with nothing but Carolina, her scent like orange blossoms and something dreamy and long forgotten.
“You follow,” she said, her whisper a soft, sweet breeze at his cheek. “I’ll lead.”
Joseph let the moment carry him away as they fell in step with one another in a lazy waltz. He still didn’t know if he liked dancing, but he liked being so near to Carolina. He liked making her smile. Before he was able to perfect his footwork, the song had ended, but neither of them were ready for the dance to be over with yet.
“That was lovely, Joseph,” she said, still holding onto his shoulder and hand. He didn’t want to lose the unreal connection that they had just made. He hadn’t connected with anyone in so long. Hadn’t wanted to. He didn’t want to let it go.
“Carolina,” he said, his eyes trained on her lips. “I...”
“Joseph,” she said, squeezing his hand tighter. “Can I ask one last favor? As a friend?”
He nodded, taking in another effervescent breath of the moment, slowly and deliberately.
“It’s been so long,” she said. “Joseph, would you kiss me?”
Joseph didn’t even have to think twice. Before he knew it, their lips met in a soft crackle of electricity. He closed his eyes as a white light grew from her core. He held her tighter, losing himself in her hair and the fabric of her dress, the solid weight of her form beneath his hand. Just like the dance, he didn’t want it to end, and just like the dance their embrace was over nearly as soon as it began. In a flash of heat and light, his arms were empty and that heavenly scent and sensation he had been immersed in had dissipated. Joseph opened his eyes, and Carolina was gone.
