Last Dance, Last Chance: Snippet

Cassandra knew it was her last night out with the girls before the vacation ended and they had to go back home. All she could think of was the waiter she had danced with two nights prior. Was it love at first sight that she felt? She didn’t think so he was a waiter for crying out loud. There was no way she could be romantically involved with such a man. Wasn’t she meant for a lawyer or doctor? Her thoughts went back to the first night she met him.

It was her and her friends’ first night out and they were looking for a night out on the town. After bar hopping in and out of an array of nightclubs they ended the night at one of the local popular bars. It drew you in with its colorful display of witty signs that lined the walls. Cassandra could’ve spent hours reading them from one to the next and still never find the last one. They were what gave the place its edgy ambience. And the wait staff provided a certain comedic tone as they served drinks. Each one had their own special personality that couldn’t be resisted. Whether they were told to behave that way or if the employees were handpicked and just naturally possessed their funny characteristics Cassandra could not be sure. But what she did know is the music they played was as if they selected them from her own personal playlist. She liked this place and was ready to dance.

Up she popped when one of her faves began to play. She along with another woman were the only two on the dance floor but she didn’t care. She loved the attention she got when she went out onto the floor. She could feel the eyes of the bartenders amongst the patrons watching her as she moved her hips to the pounding of the beat. As she occasionally looked out to the audience of filled seats it confirmed her feeling that all eyes were in fact on her. Once the song ended Cassandra gracefully stepped off of the dance floor in her golden 4 ½ inch pumps. They were a last minute purchase she did not regret buying as they added the perfect touch to her long tanned legs. As she made her way back to her table with her friends, one guy in particular seemed to not take his eyes off of her. Out of curiosity Cassandra slowly turned her head to her left to see whose attention she had caught. It was the eye of one of the waiters whom she had not seen earlier. He was no doubt attractive. His physique was unlike what she had been used to. She could see a slight hint of his flexed bicep from under the short sleeve of his uniform which consisted of a white cotton t-shirt and white slacks topped off with a red apron. His hair was coal black and styled to fit the frame of his face. As she gave a sly smile his way his eyes lit up and he gave a reciprocating smile back to her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that his smile was encased by two deep dimples that flexed effortlessly. Oh how she loved dimples. Without thinking more about it she headed took her seat. Soon after, he approached her with a request to dance on a song of his choosing. Trying not to show her attraction for him she gave an approving nod that he couldn’t read too much into. This seemed to make his day. As walked away a new song came on and before he could take the next step he pivoted back in her direction and said, “This is the song.” To her surprise he grabbed her by the hand and led her out onto the floor.

By this time, the floor resembled nothing of what it was a few songs prior. It was packed with people dancing and having a good time. Cassandra was led out onto the floor by her dance partner and as if they had been dance partners all their life, they danced perfectly in unison. Cassandra remembered thinking that it was almost as if he knew the moves she was going to make before she made them. She was enjoying their playful dancing to the fullest. He seemed to enjoy her as well. He bent down closer and asked what her name was. His thick Latin accent ran chills down her spine. She replied with her name and asked for his. “Ramon” He answered deeply. They continued to dance as the music played on. As they danced Cassandra remembered he was actually an employee there and asked him if he needed to get back to work. As though he had also forgotten, his eyes stretched wide and said he probably should. When the song ended he guided her by the hand back to her seat and thanked her for the dance. She gave a grin and winked. Even as he walked away she couldn’t stop from grinning. As the night went on, the place became packed with those looking for a good time. When Cassandra and her friends were ready to leave, Cassandra gave a once over of the crowd in the hopes of saying goodbye to Ramon but her search turned up with nothing. Her and her friends got up and left and headed back to their room. The next 2 nights of their vacation were the same. It became a routine to top off the evening with the same local bar. And for Cassandra it meant seeing Ramon. This last thought snapped Cassandra back into the realization that this was the last night of seeing him.

Cassandra glanced down at her watch. As she sat with her girlfriends she couldn’t help but wonder how much longer they’d be there. It wasn’t the club she wanted to be in. She now found herself eagerly wanting to see Ramon one last time. Why was she being so silly? She had only met him a couple of days ago. Dancing with someone two nights straight doesn’t constitute as a relationship you know, she told herself. He probably didn’t even care if she was there or not. He was a waiter, it was probably his job to schmooze the ladies and bring ‘em in. She was one of many. But the fun they had on the dance floor together always brought blushing smile to her face. She looked up at her friends as they sat cupping their chins as if they were bored watching the dancers gyrating on the floor. Cassandra, annoyed with their display, told them they could go back to the room and she’d be fine by herself. She wasn’t ready to go back to the room just yet. She lied to them and told them she was going to stay and dance with some friends she had made during one of their bar hopping escapades. Hesitantly at first, Cassandra’s friends agreed to go back to the room. What was she doing? She had never done anything like this before. Though she didn’t lie completely she joined the friends she spoke about but she didn’t stay with them for long. She freshened up in the ladies room and was off to where she had been drawn to for the past couple of hours.

When she reached her destination she knew she couldn’t turn back now. As she approached the entry way, somehow everything looked different. She couldn’t recognize anyone that she had seen before. When she walked in, she searched for a familiar face and found none. She sat at their usual booth but this time she was alone. She began to feel like a stalker. A waiter she had never seen before asked her is she wanted a drink. Trying to look as confident as she could, she ordered her drink. Maybe this will take some of the anxiety off she thought. He came back with her drink and she wanted to ask him if he knew if Ramon was there but somehow the words would not come. So she sat, slowly sipping her drink, combing the almost empty club for her dance partner of the past two nights. Her mind rushed with all kinds of thoughts. Was he not there? Was he off tonight? Maybe he saw her and was avoiding her. Maybe…. And there he was. She could see his 6’0 frame standing off to the side of the bar but he couldn’t see her where she was sitting. She watched him as he would walk back and forth almost pacing the floor glancing toward her direction but never seeing her. What was he doing she wondered to herself. How was she going to get his attention? If he doesn’t see her soon she was going to have to get out on the dance floor so he could. And almost as he could hone in on her last thoughts he looked in her direction. It was as if time stopped. He slowly walked toward her. Not once along the way breaking his gaze upon her. She could feel her cheeks start to hurt from the blushing she could not contain. As he approached closer another waiter began to walk up to him. But before this interrupting force had a chance to break Ramon’s eye contact with Cassandra, without looking, Ramon outstretched his arm to stop him from coming any closer. What the waiter wanted Cassandra and Ramon will never know. Ramon seemed mesmerized by Cassandra and couldn’t stop himself from blushing as well. “I’ve been waiting for you all night.” He said to her. She couldn’t believe it. She was so relieved that he had seemed to feel the same as she. “I told you’d I’d see you before I left.” She blushingly replied. “Will you dance with me?” he asked her. She eagerly obliged him.

Cassandra felt safe dancing in Ramon’s arms. She would rest her head on his chest as they’d sway side to side to the melody. It somehow felt familiar and comforting. Cassandra didn’t want the night to end. She didn’t have this waiting for at home. She knew it all seemed silly but there was something special about the way he was with her. They continued to dance the night away. Cassandra could feel again the eyes of those watching. As she glanced out to the somewhat empty crowd she could see that they enjoyed the show that her and Ramon put on for them. Cassandra gave off several flirtatious glances to Ramon and he seemed as smitten as she was with him. Before the end of the night they ended up sitting in a corner booth off to themselves. She learned that he was a writer and loved writing poetry. He told his touching story of how his desire to write came to be. She was so interested in everything he had to say. She took it all in. Unfortunately her life wasn’t as interesting as his so she just listened. Every now and then Ramon would blush, feeling as though he was rambling. He asked her what her interests were. She let him know she enjoyed painting and reading. They exchanged the names of their favorite authors. She couldn’t believe how deep their conversation had been after just an hour of talking. “You’re beautiful” he said. “No I’m not.” She responded. She continued on to say, “I think I’m pretty but not beautiful.” He gave a curious look towards her and said, “Everyone has a reality. He has a reality and she has a reality. And you have a reality. But in my reality, you’re beautiful.” What did he just say? Cassandra thought. Was that from a movie? As if she had no choice but to reply Cassandra said, “Well in that case, thank you.”

The night once again came to an end and Cassandra was so glad the bar wasn’t busy because she practically had Ramon all to herself. He wanted her to stay but she couldn’t. Her flight to go home the next day was very early. She tried to talk herself into staying a little longer but her responsible nature wouldn’t allow her to. Realizing that he couldn’t persuade her to stay any longer Ramon took her delicately by the hand and walked her to one of the cabs that lined the streets. He opened the door for her and held her hand as she stepped up to get inside. The silence between them was blanketed with sadness. They both know that this was their last night of seeing one another. Their last night of feeling whatever this feeling was they had for one another. At one final attempt Ramon asked Cassandra to stay and walk the beach with him until the sun rose. How could Cassandra resist such an invitation from such a beautiful being? What was she going to do? Should she dare throw caution to the wind?

These little snippets are not complete stories but an interjection into another's world. Just enough of something to take you someplace else for a brief moment. Feel free to let me know how you think the story should end if it is left open. Let me know if you enjoy these. Thanks for reading. Enjoy!