Out of Oblivion

Chapter 23

Five o’clock rolled around and it was time to get ready for Grace’s birthday dinner. Nerves and excitement swirled inside me. I tried to laugh off the tingly feeling in my stomach, thinking it was silly for me to be nervous. They subsided for the time being.

            I decided on a black dress with black laced long sleeves. I finished it with black tights, sparkly black flats and a silver necklace. I fixed my hair in loose curls and touched my face up with make-up.

            When I was satisfied with my appearance, I slipped on my gloves and coat and headed out the door. Although it was cold, I took pleasure in walking to Claude’s.

            I arrived just as two motorcycles pulled into the parking lot, rumbling loudly. Rogers and Grace were on one and Bucky on another. I walked over to where they parked, a gleeful smile on my face at seeing Grace with Rogers.

            “El! Did you walk?” Grace exclaimed, greeting me with a hug.

            “Well, yes. Happy birthday, sis!”

            “It’s kinda cold, don’t you think?” Rogers asked, pulling up beside Grace.

            “Hey Rogers, nice ride,” I greeted, motioning toward his shiny motorcycle.

            He flashed me a smile and put his arm around Grace, leading her inside. I hesitated before following them.

            I felt his presence before I saw him. He was walking silently beside me. The nerves that had subsided resurfaced as we stopped at the hostess’ stand and I looked at him.

            He was dressed in an all-black suit, including a black dress shirt and tie. His stormy eyes held a steady gaze on me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to run away, or keep staring back at him.

            “Hello, Eleanor,” he finally said, the same musical tone when he said my name.

            “Hi…Bucky,” I squeaked.

            “You look very nice,” he said.

            My face flushed red and my palms beaded with sweat. “Thank you.” Now I really wanted to run away.

            As the hostess led us to our table, I took the chance to catch up with Grace and get away from Bucky. Grace gave me a smile of excitement which I returned. I glanced back at Bucky, who was following with a disappointed droop on his face.

            I sighed, wanting to slap myself for shoving him off so soon in the night. He was just giving me a compliment; being a gentleman. I tried to shake off the emotions going through me in order to enjoy the evening for Grace.

            We sat at a table near the dance floor. A live band was playing a mix of 40’s and modern music. I sat in-between Grace and Bucky, with Rogers sitting closer to Grace than he was Bucky. I smiled.

            The conversation was light and full of laughter. Even Bucky was laughing. I caught myself enjoying the sound of his laugh.

            “So, Grace, you’re twenty-one now. How do you feel?” I piped in after a bout of laughter died.

            “I feel the same, I guess,” Grace announced with a giggle. “But now I feel great!” She added as the food arrived.

            We ate our scrumptious meals heartily over a conversation about Grace’s adventure photographing Rogers and Tony Stark on the roof of a one hundred story building on a blustery day.

            “I could barely stand straight. I don’t know how my camera was able to capture the images,” Grace explained, glancing at Rogers often, who couldn’t gather himself from laughter. Roger’s laughter alone made the story funny.

            “And Tony…kept standing on the edge…scaring you…to death,” Rogers added between bursts of laughter.

            I had been chirping with light laughter, but finally I couldn’t keep it in. Silent laughter shook my body until I couldn’t breathe. The rest of the table had resounded in uncontrollable laughter as well. I couldn’t tell if they were laughing at the story, or at me.

            The truth was, I wasn’t sure what I was laughing at. It was as if all the emotions that had been trapped inside me were exploding. As I wiped the tears away and settled my breathing, I looked up at everyone else, who seemed to be doing the same.

            “Wow…” Grace said, “I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.”

            “Yeah, doesn’t it feel great?” Rogers asked, staring at Grace. I noticed then that his arm was resting on the back of her chair.

            I glanced at Bucky, who hadn’t said much that night. He was smiling. There were crinkles around his eyes from laughing. I wasn’t sure how or why, but he looked younger…happier than I had seen him. The thought tugged at the corners of my mouth.

            The lights dimmed and the band started a slow song. The four of us sat in silence for a moment, digesting our food. Rogers spoke up first. “I think it’s time for dancing. May I have this dance, Miss Grace?” He took her hand and stood up, taking her with him.

            “It would be my pleasure, Mr. Rogers,” Grace replied with a twinkling smile.

            I gazed at them as they fell into an easy sway with the music. They were whispering in each other’s ears things that I could not hear. They kept their faces close and their smiles bright. As I looked at them, I realized that there was one thing radiating from them. Love.

            There was no doubt of it. They were falling for each other, and it was beautiful. I felt a warmth of happiness spring inside my heart for my sister. She deserved someone as good and kind and honest as Steve Rogers.