First Dance - MunchingCanadian

1: First Dance

The first dance always made me cry. A bride and groom sweeping across the dance floor, white dress brushing the ground, fingers intertwined, foreheads leaned together, a song playing from their past...
     I leaned against one of the pillars at the corners of the dance floor, rubbing my eye under my glasses before the tear could fall. The other people I worked with had become numb to the idea of a first dance. They said it was sickly sweet, overdone, but I adored the tradition. It made coming to work every day worth it.
     Working at a party house wasn't all that bad, in all honesty. Sometimes it was hard watching the people partying and having fun while I had to watch, and having to clean up afterwards was tiring, but it paid enough for me to have my own place.
      Tonight was a beautiful couple; a couple of girls. I had heard their fathers talking about how they had met in kindergarten. I sometimes felt sad about that sort of thing. When I was in kindergarten, I was so horribly shy that I never made any friends. By the time I was ready in seventh grade, all the kids at his school had already made exclusive friend groups and weren't willing to let me in. I still didn't have any good friends outside of high school, just some of the people I worked with. I envied the brides, to be honest. Oh, to have a love I could have known all my life... Fall in love with me best friend...
     I hummed sadly at myself before one of the brides, grinning, dipped the other and kissed her deeply. Everyone clapped as the song ended, including me as I returned to work, going around and picking people's empty plates up off their tables.
      I disappeared into the kitchen as the father-daughter dance began for the both of them. Both my arms were covered in plates stacked high. "Here!"
      Steve sighed and glared at me as I let the plates slide into his sink. "Oh thank you for this lovely gift." He turned on the water to wash them. "I owe you my life."
     I just winked at him, leaning on the counter beside him as he began. Steve was the closest thing I had to a best friend. We had been coworkers for a long time, since I started work here two years ago.
     "What time is it?"
     "Um..." I looked at my watch. "Seven."
     "What time does the reception end?"
     "Nine-thirty, I think."
     Steve groaned. "It never ends."
     I rolled my eyes and patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Good luck, dish boy."
     Steve stuck his tongue out at me as I left the kitchen again by the exit closest to the bar. I stood still for a moment, looking around for more plates to pick up.
     "Rough night, buddy?"
     I looked to my left and smiled a little as Ty leaned on the bar. He was the other kid I knew enough to call a friend. He was actually a junior in high school going into his senior year, having a part time job as the bar tender on weekends. He was a nice guy, a little dark, but fun to hang out with mostly.
      I shook my head. "Nah, I'm okay." I said. "Thanks though."
      He shrugged. "Suit yourself. Hey, me and Will and Jacob are going out to eat after this, wanna come?"
     I shook my head again. "No thanks, I kinda just wanna go home... Wait, it's Sunday, don't you have school tomorrow?"
     "Mhm."
     "And you're going out drinking?"
     "Yup."
     "...Have fun."
     Ty smirked in the stoned-looking way he always did. "Oh, I intend to."
     I rolled my eyes and waved a hand at him dismissively before walking around the edge of the dance floor, where the traditional slow dances had ended and now people were joyously dancing to a new song. It was one I often heard at parties held here, one of those many party songs that wouldn't be nearly as good to listen to if you weren't on the floor. I made another round to the kitchen before coming back out to get more plates.
     I only picked up one before I turned around, and there he was. I stopped in surprise, taking a half step back.
     I opened my mouth, then shut it. He was smiling at me, with straight white teeth. His hair was groomed perfectly so it fell evenly on both sides, framing a face that wasn't too tan or too pale. His lips were curled into a soft, mischievous smile. He was wearing a white shirt with a vest that had a red tie, so he wasn't part of the bridal party because they all had blue ties. His caramel eyes were above a perfect nose, and they were shining right at me.
     Before I could say anything, he did.
     "May I have this dance?"
     My eyes widened a little. This boy, this total knock out, was asking me to dance? Me? 
     It took all the willpower I had to turn him down, and my heart hurt doing it because he had looked so interested too... I shook my head slowly. "I... I'm sorry, I'm not allowed..." I told him, suddenly struggling to find my voice. I tapped my name tag to bring his attention to it. "S-See...? I work here. I'm sorry."
     His gaze remained on my name tag a moment longer than I expected before he nodded. "Shame... Another time, I guess. See ya round, Tyler." And then the mysterious boy walked away after calling me by my name.
     I watched him go in confusion and mild sadness. It had been so long since I danced with anyone, I would have loved nothing more than to accept his offer. But I couldn't...
     I suddenly felt ticked at my job as I continued to do it. Worst wingman ever.
     And so, the night went on like it always did. I kept collecting plates and being polite to even the rudest of guests and telling Steve the hour every single time I dropped off a load, which made it seem like no time was passing at all. Not that I was complaining, exactly. I had no reason to want my shift to end besides wanting to go home and sleep. I had nothing to look forward to tomorrow, just another day of work. Although, I was thinking about maybe going to that yoga class...
     Maybe not. I didn't even have a yoga mat. I could barely touch my toes. I would look like a moron. I shook my head and stacked one last plate onto the tower of my left arm, picking up the other stack in my right arm before I headed into the kitchen through the door, which I pushed open with my back. As I went in, another waiter went out just as quickly.
     "Hey Steve." I greeted for the hundredth time that night.
     He grunted. "Time?"
     I rolled my eyes, sighing. "You do realize there's a clock right behind you. You do realize that, right?"
    "Yeah, well, I'm too lazy to turn around!"
     I sighed loudly, and looked at the very same wall clock I had indicated. "It's nine-twenty."
     "Fantastic. I might get to go home by ten."
     I rolled my eyes at him again, which I often found myself doing. "Don't bet on it. There's still lots of plates out there."
     Steve groaned behind me as I left the kitchen again. There was a slow song playing on the dance floor again, usually that would signal the last song of the night. Some people were already leaving, the rest slow dancing in couples in front of the big speakers playing May I by Trading Yesterday. I wouldn't have been able to recognize it if I hadn't heard it being played here a billion times at previous receptions. It was all the way at the end of the song.
-is all worth trading
Just to have one moment with you
     I was beginning to scan the sea of empty tables for more plates, already walking around the rim of the dance floor, when all of the sudden, I felt someone grab my wrist and yank me onto the floor.
So I will let go with all that I know
     I gasped in alarm, eyes widening as I was pulled into the mass of people crowding the place, right in the middle.
     I looked at the one who had dragged me in and I stopped. My eyes widened. There he was again.
Knowing that you're here with me
For your love is changing me
     His warm caramel eyes were staring down at me, still smiling that same mischievous smile of his. His hand, already gripping my smaller one, pulled me close. He put his hand on my hip and it was instinct for me to put my hand on his shoulder so we were in the same position as all the couples around us.
     My eyes widened as he started to sway back and forth with me in tow. "Hey, I-I told you, I can't dance with-"
     "Relax, Tyler, I got it handled..." He grinned at me, sending shivers down my spine as it heard him say my name. "Look around you."
May I hold you as you fall to sleep
When the world is closing in
     I looked around. I couldn't see the edges of the floor; just more dancing couples, all of which were too focused on their partners to cast a wayward glance in our direction.
     "See?" I looked back at my own partner as he spoke. "Nobody can see us. C'mon, song's almost over, nobody will miss you for just a minute!"
     I swallowed. My heart was pounding and our chests were so close together, I was certain he must have heard. I couldn't deny him now, even if I wanted to. Nobody could see us but the dancers, who didn't care, and we were so close together he probably wouldn't let go anyway. Not that I was complaining. "O... Okay..." I said softly, certain he would have had to read my lips because my voice was so quiet and the speakers were so loud.
And you can't breathe
May I love you, may I be your shield
     The stranger holding me smiled. "That's what I like to hear." He spun me and, taken by surprise, I giggled a little.
     He brought me back into his arms and I saw him smiling. Why was he doing this? Was he pitying me for being alone, or was he actually interested in me? I was so anxious, I decided that either was okay with me. He was so cute and charming and pretty... Already, after such a short time of knowing him, I had fallen for him.
When no one can be found
May I lay you down
      The last lyrics had been sung, and I was starting to wish I had agreed to dance with him far earlier in the night. But the tune took awhile to play out. He didn't let me go, still gazing down at me with those shining eyes.
     My heart raced as I stared back up at him with my darker brown eyes behind my glasses.
     Then, as the end of the song was in sight, he shifted. His hand on my hip moved up to my face and slowly, he took my square glasses off of my nose. I blinked in surprise and confusion, seeing his face totally out of focus, his eyes intensely set on mine.
     I didn't have time to question him because he dipped me, one hand behind my head, other carefully holding my hip. And suddenly, his lips were on mine.
     My eyes widened, inhaling a gasp of shock. His eyes were closed. People were starting to exit the dance floor, crowd thinning out. I stared at him a few seconds longer before slowly, I accepted it, and I kissed him back.
      The DJ gave her goodnight and people clapped. Enough people were still on the floor so we couldn't be seen. Only one window could be seen from the bar, and when Ty noticed, he just looked impressed.
     Finally, to my utter disappointment, he pulled back. His cheeks were pink while mine were flushed red. He stared at me like he wanted to say something. I stared back, speechless and still in shock.
     He opened his mouth to tell me what he was thinking - but then we both heard a voice near the door. "Mitch! C'mon, we're leaving!"
      The stranger frowned, looking over his shoulder at them, giving them a wave of acknowledgement. He looked back at me and shrugged sadly. "See ya round, Tyler." Then he put my glasses back on for me, turned around, and jogged over to the door to leave the wedding reception with his family without another word.
     My mind was buzzing with shock and confusion and longing, but at least one of my many questions had been answered.
     "Mitch..." Just saying his name softly to myself in the middle of the dance floor put butterflies in my stomach.
      I went home from work that night feeling better than I had for a long time. I couldn't shake the taste of Mitch's lips from mine for the whole night, even thinking of them as I was falling asleep.
     Not that I was complaining.

Author's Note:
So this was really fun to write, and I have a lot of cool ideas, but I'm not sure
I think I wanna continue this into a story, with this as chapter one, but if I did, would you guys read it?
Please, give me some feedback on this so I can decide what to do! <3

Song: May I by Trading Yesterday