Abe Sapien and the Witch

Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

Finally, after a plethora of loud and abrasive songs designed to jump around to, the lights dimmed, and a slow tune began to play. Abe stepped forward, eager to head towards her until Red caught his sleeve at the elbow, stopping him. "Not yet!" he hissed through clenched teeth, "ya can't be the first one across, that looks too desperate! Ya gotta wait a minute or two, let one or two other guys go out first so everyone ain't staring right at you through the whole walk across."

Abe nodded, anxious to do things properly and they waited with bated breath as the first young man waltzed across the room, cocky and foot sure until the lady of his affections turned her back on him, an outright rejection to dance. "Oh, my nerves, I can't look at this..." Abe said, turning towards the buffet in a feigned display of interest in the fruit platter.

*****

"Ok, take a deep breath, we just sway around here for a bit and after a little while the guys will come and ask us to dance, ok? You don't have to look so scared," Liz said, patting her arm, "it's alright. You know Abe will come to you, so just enjoy this ok?"

She nodded, swaying along as the lead singer sang a deep rendition of a love song. "Oh, shoot!" Liz said, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her the opposite way. "Close one!" she whispered, keeping her hands on Her shoulders, "the cheek of that guy, he was headed right for you! As if you would dance with him over Abe!"

She had been oblivious of the man's approach, and a peep over her shoulder showed a good-looking man she thought might be named John Myers, or Mathers, something like that heading towards a different woman in the group who took his hand and headed to the dance floor with him instead.

*****

"Stupid John...who does he think he is squaring up to our girls...?" Red growled, his fists clenching. "Alright, c'mon buddy, time to get our ladies and dance." he said as the band started a new song.

"Stand by me, darling stand by me..." the singer crooned into the mic, and the two made their way across the room, oblivious to the flash of the photographer catching their movements as they approached the two women, Liz turning her friend back around again so she could see Abe walking towards her, the lyrics of the music so fitting, "No, I won't be afraid just as long as you stand, stand by me..."

His hand reached for her, and in a single step she was in his arms, her dress swaying around them as he danced her around the floor to the relaxed tempo of the song, one hand holding hers high as the other cradled her back, supporting her and guiding her.

Her eyes felt wide on her face, like she could not get enough of seeing him, how the disco lights flickered bright colours across his face, how his lips were turned up at the corners, all of him. Her chest felt like it was swelling as he twirled her, the photographers flash lost in the sea of colours and the glint of sequined dresses around her. She was drunk in the moment, intoxicated by every part of this unexpected and wonderful adventure.

She felt light in his arms, a firm yet tangible weight as he guided her around the floor with his hand at her back, and he was struck with the thought that if he should ever let her go, she might disappear into the colours and sea of movement around them, never to be found again.

He would drown without her, this he knew and his grip on her hand tightened a little for fear of losing that which he knew he could never truly lose. How the whorls of her hair bounced in gentle waves around her shoulders as they moved, the way her dress seemed to swirl around her like the tide coming to shore, her delicate hand holding his.

"I love you..." he whispered, leaning close to her ear, not daring to meet her eyes as he swirled her around, the words he felt so strongly were said aloud at last. She stopped outright on the dance floor, stepping to the side as the band started a new song. He followed her, confused for a moment, her hand taking his in both of hers. _I love you too, Abe Sapien. _ her voice whispered, her eyes full of happy tears as he leaned into her, the disco lights flickering across them as they kissed, the crowd and the music gone as all they knew was each other.