April's Heart

One

"Do you still have that dress?"

April stopped mid-bite, black bean noodles hanging from her mouth. Kenny had brought her lunch from the Korean restaurant they had gone to together and he was dexterously using his chopsticks while she struggled with her fork.

"What dress?" She asked, her mouth full.  

"The one you wore to the wedding. Do you still have it?"

"Yeah, somewhere."

She actually knew exactly where it was because she put it on at least once a week and stared at herself in it for an hour before taking it off and cry eating an entire cheesecake.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to wear it out," Kenny said slowly, trying to measure her reaction.

April gave him the sideways glance she always gave him when he was talking nonsense, which was quite often. She wiped the black bean sauce from her chin with a napkin and shook her head.

"What, you don't want to wear it out?" He asked.

"I guess it depends where. And why. And with whom."

"My dad's company banquet. Because I want you to go. Me."

April laughed out loud, nearly choking on her food. She took a sip of water and looked Kenny in the eyes, trying to tell if he was kidding. He stared back expectantly.

"Oh, you're serious."

"Of course I am."

"Why would you want to take me to that, Kenny?"

"I don't know. We had fun there in the past. It would be nice to see everyone again."

"And showing up with me would really get your dad's goat."

"What? That's crazy."

Kenny tried to hide his smile by turning and looking at the nothing on the wall behind him. April laughed and grabbed his arm, pulling him back around. He gave her the puppy dog eyes that he used to use to get her to do things she didn't want to do. Those eyes had her golfing with the wives of his coworkers. They were very powerful.

"I'm not falling prey to sad eyes, Kenny. You lost that power over me."

He sighed, sticking out his bottom lip. He had reached new lows. April looked away, suddenly intrigued by the nothing on the wall beside her.

"Please, April. I know you don't owe me anything but it will be so much fun. Imagine his face when he sees you there, with me, wearing that."

Kenny shivered, obviously imagining the old man having a non-life threatening cardiac event at the sight of her. It was a pretty amazing thought, she had to admit. She just hoped the dress still fit after all the cheesecakes. She pushed her noodles away and nodded.

"Ok, I'll go."

"Oh my God, thank you," Kenny exclaimed. He leaned across the table and kissed her cheek then sat down looking confused as if stunned by his own actions.

"I'm sorry," he said, staring at the floor.

"Kenny, it's fine. We're good."  

April smiled, charmed by his shyness.  So much about him had changed since they were together.  She was enjoying getting to know him all over again.    

"Ok, great. I have to get to the gym. I'll text you all the details. I promise you won't regret it."

"I already am a little bit but it's ok."

Kenny laughed and left, smiling at April before closing the door.

In all honesty, she was looking forward to showing up at that party and knocking the orthopedic socks off Kenny's father. She would have to be more witty and engaging than usual, using her well-rehearsed "rich people party laugh". Kenny had told her more than once that her normal laugh was a bit bombastic for intimate affairs such as those. So instead of throwing her head back and snorting like she usually did, she learned to simply giggle, her hand delicately placed on her chest. Not that she laughed often at these parties but when she did, she did it like a princess.