The Starlite Ballroom

you two together sooner or later."

  For the first time, Emma saw Jonathan looked thrown. "Elaine, what made you come out here? I told you to stay inside."

  "That’s what you wanted. Isn’t it, Johnny boy? I saw you two in the Ballroom before, kissing up a storm."

  "You're drunk, you don’t know what you saw. Go back inside and sit down. I’ll be in shortly."

  "Pretty slick, setting things up with your little hussy before the wedding."

  Jonathan grew angry. She’d never seen him angry before. The suave Cary Grant image vanished. "I will talk with you later, now do as I ask and go back inside."

  "What's she talking about?" Emma asked. "Before what wedding?"

  Elaine laughed sardonically. "What, you mean he didn't tell you the big news? Well, I'll fill you in sweetie. Ole Johnny and I are now officially engaged.” She thrust out her left hand, revealing a substantial diamond ring. “He proposed yesterday. And today I catch him smooching out here with you."

  “Proposed?” Emma said with a moan. “Oh no.”

  "Elaine, shut your mouth and go back inside," Jonathan growled.

  "Ah, don’t feel so bad sweetie, you’re not the first skirt to fall for his attractive shell. Cause that’s all it is, just a shell. You don’t know what’s really inside though, do you? But you see, I do. I know what I’m getting myself into. What did he tell you? Did he say you’re different, unlike any girl he’s ever known, so smart and pretty. That you'd move to the big city, that you’d be rich and happy."

  "Oh no," Emma said again. Her perfect dream began to crack and crumble. Is that what he’d been proposing?

  "Stop it right now, Elaine!" His face was growing redder by the minute.

  "Well you can forget it sweetie, cause he's still mine. Don't you know? He has to marry in his class or daddy won't give him a penny of his trust fund. He's just stringing you along until you wise up." She chuckled again. "What do you think of your Prince Charming now?"

  "Shut up!" Jonathan barked. The debonair image had evaporated. He brought the back of his hand down sharply across her cheek, slapping with such force it sent her flying to the ground.

  "Jonathan!" Emma shouted.

  Elaine covered her stinging face. A trickle of red blood ran from her nose. Emma dashed down to help her up.

  "Stay away from me!" the battered girl shouted. She stood up on her own and staggered back into the Ballroom. “He’s still mine, no matter what he tells you.”

  Emma stood and turned to face him. "My God, how could you do such a thing?"

  "Emma, you’re a smart girl. Surely you must understand. My family is forcing me to marry within my own class. I don't love Elaine."

  She began to pace back and forth along the verandah, feeling sick to her stomach. "It's true then. You never had any intention of marrying me. My God, I've been such a fool. All these years I thought …"

  "Emma, I have to marry Elaine or my parents will disinherit me. I'll lose everything that's rightfully mine. In time, I can divorce her and we can still be married."

  "And in the meantime I'm to be your ... your mistress! Conveniently set up in a townhouse for whenever you have the time and the … urge? Why you arrogant, self-centered slimeball!"

  "Slime ball?"

  "The only things you love Jonathan are yourself and your inheritance. You can forget about your little New York arrangement. If Elaine still wants you, she can have you. I’m done."

  Jonathan grabbed her by the upper arm, fingers digging into her skin. His eyes flared with a covetous rage she’d never before seen. "Now you listen to me. Nobody talks to a Pierce that way. I don't make deals like this with just any girl. There are hundreds of skirts out there who would kill for what I'm offering you."

  "Let go of me," Emma said, trying to squirm free.

  Just then another figure appeared in the open verandah doorway. However, it wasn't Elaine this time.

  "Emma? What's going on?"

  "Jimmy!" Emma yelled.

  “What the hell are you doing to her?”

  "Stay out of this soldier," Jonathan shouted back.

  Emma fought harder to get away andJimmy broke into a run.

  "Let go of her!"

  Her young defender grabbed Pierce by the arm and tore him away from Emma.

  Jonathan faced his attacker. "I said stay out of this, you hick." He swung his fist and connected with the side of Jimmy's head.

  The boy staggered back, but did not fall. He didn't give up either. Jimmy lunged forward and pushed the man against the verandah railing. One punch to the stomach bent Pierce over like a horseshoe. A second one to the jaw sent him sprawling to the deck. A fountain of blood emerged from the corner of Jonathan’s mouth.

  "You stay the hell away from my girl!" Jimmy shouted.

  Pierce rubbed his jaw and made no attempt to get up.

  “Take her. She’s all yours.” He stayed on the floor while Jimmy led her back inside. Tears streamed down Emma's cheeks. How could she have been so blinded, so foolish to believe in a fairy tale, happy ending?

  Once in the Ballroom, she hugged Jimmy as tight as she could.

  "I'm so sorry," she said between sobs. “I’ve been such an idiot.”

  He hugged her back. "What was going on out there? I saw Elaine Warner come inside crying as well. And her nose was bleeding."

  "Oh James, I almost made the worst decision of my life … twice."

  They separated and Jimmy smiled. "That's the first time you ever called me James."

  Emma wiped the tears off her cheek and then gently touched his. "How's your head?"

  He shrugged it off. "I'll be all right. Not my first fight."

  Emma smiled softly and sniffled. "I guess I'm finally realizing what I've known for years."

  "What's that?"

  "That I made the right choice."

  Jimmy frowned. "I'm not sure I understand."

  "You don’t have to. But you can understand this." Emma leaned forward and kissed him. He was shocked at first, but responded soon enough. It felt perfectly comfortable, like a thousand kisses before it, and a thousand kisses to come. She wrapped her arms around his back and he did the same.

  When they finally separated, Jimmy blushed red from ear to ear. "You never kissed me like that before."

  "The first of many," Emma returned. "I promise."

  The band struck up another number. It was the song "Moonlight Serenade." The melody was slow and the lyrics romantic.

  ‘I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moon light.

  I stand and I wait for the touch of your hand in the June night.’

  "Dance with me again," Emma said.

  They joined hands and began a gentle Fox Trot, slowly gliding onto the dance floor. The lights dimmed and flood lamps hit the faceted, crystal ball. The sky above exploded with a thousand spinning stars.

  ‘The stars are aglow and tonight how the lights set me dreaming.

  My love do you know that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming.’

  Emma rested her head against Jimmy’s shoulder. It felt unquestionably right; there was no indecision about it. She was happy again. Everything was as it should be. Her young guide had been right. She should have never tampered with what was.

  When the music finally stopped, she was the first to speak. "I think I'm ready to go home now."

  Jimmy nodded. "I'll get our coats."

  She watched him head towards the front of the Ballroom, her gangly hero, her future husband. He'd gotten about twenty steps when he turned and faced her, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm crazy about you, Emma!"

  Emma smiled and waved back. She watched him disappear into the crowd. Emma sighed deeply. What a miraculous night. She’d somehow managed to reach peace with herself, and the life she’d lived. She wanted to go home now, to another James in another time.

  Emma looked across the dance
floor, somehow knowing he would not be far. The mysterious young man was standing there, only a few feet away.

  "I knew you'd be here, close by."

  "Hello Emma."

  "I’ve been such a fool. Thank you," she said. "Thank you for making me young and letting me live it all over again. It opened my eyes. It confirmed the decision I made back then, and made me appreciate what I've had all along."

  "There's no need to thank me. You did it all yourself." He motioned to the Ballroom dance floor. "With maybe just a little help from this place."

  Emma drank in the atmosphere of the young Ballroom one last time, the music, the magic, the starlight. It would be sad to leave this behind, but the energy of this dance hall would always be with her. She turned back to him. "I'm ready to go back now."

  The stranger took her hands in his. "Are you sure?"

  Emma nodded. "Yes, I don't belong here. I have a life back home to finish, not another one to start over."

  "Then you don't need me." He dropped her hands and started to back away.

  "Wait, I don't even know who you are."

  The man continued to walk backwards. "It's not important."

  “But I want you pay you back in some way.”

  He shook his head. “You already have.”

  Emma smiled sadly and the man smiled back. Slowly, the room began to darken. The spinning starlight gradually started to dim. The dozens of dancers, the tables, the band, all drifted away like a lifting fog. By the time the music was nothing but a distant echo, Emma was alone again, back in the old Ballroom. The floors were empty and dust covered. The single bulb hung back overhead.

  Emma looked at her hands and then felt her face. The lines and wrinkles were back. So were the old beige dress and the extra pounds. Emma welcomed the