Disclaimer: Song and show doesn't belong to me. 'The Way You Look Tonight' by Frank Sinatra. Enjoy.
Someday, when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow
Just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight
Eighty-nine years old now, Craig Manning had been unsuccessfully married five times. As a result of these failures, all he had left now as he lay dying on cotton sheets was his most relived and most cherished memory.
Of her smiling up at him with porcelain stars reflecting in her eyes. It was the one instant in his life untainted and flawless.
The way she looked that night remained within him until his last breath.
. . .
. . .
Craig grinned to himself, enjoying the view of people, old friends and family, moving about the terrace from the privacy of his own balcony. Everyone had gathered around to celebrate his first anniversary to his second wife, Ellie Nash. Ah. How he had loved his redheaded beauty, despite everything—all the wretched things—they had ever put each other through. She was the first woman he had ever truly loved, with all the unbroken pieces to his heart Craig had to give.
Loved, Craig deliberated wickedly, taking a large sip of wine.
Little did Misses Manning know that Craig begun to tire of his boring married life to her. Every single time Craig came home to his wonderful, extravagant condo in L.A., Ellie was there like bubble gum on a shoe, complaining about how they never had 'us' time anymore, due to Craig always traveling for music career; she just refused to understand that his busy life as a musician called for touring everywhere. After all, Craig was only twenty-six years old and in the prime of his musical profession, and he could not be bound at home to sit in on a Friday night, watching the Notebook for the hundredth time.
Not when he could feast on the cheers and cries of his amazing fangirls, who served to satisfy the wants and pleasures of the body Ellie could not. Of course, Craig conducted these affairs with caution, wishing to avoid the public eye.
"Craig," a feminine voice whispered gently, dragging the rock-star from his thoughts, but he didn't tear his eye aways from the crowd, "what's wrong with you tonight?"
"Nothing," the musician muttered immediately . . . and bitterly to his wife, sighing deeply. His wandering storm-colored gaze landed on the most beautiful, familiar face Craig could remember.
Yes, you're lovely with
Your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me but to love you
And the way you look tonight
There she sat, all by her lonesome, with a content expression plastering her face while many others danced and laughed around her. Her olive skin glowed in the alabaster light of the crescent moon, with a silky lavender evening gown loosely clinging off her shoulders. Manny Santos.
"It's our wedding anniversary, Craig. I would like for us to celebrate it together," Ellie said, leaning her back against the balcony.
He smiled, not quite listening to Ellie. Instead, he fantasized on what it might be like to once again hold his ex-girlfriend's petite figure close to his own. Manny had never looked so beautiful, merely sitting on a chair. Had he not done away with his favorite camera all those years ago, he would have gladly taken a picture of her.
"Craig! You're not even listening to me!" Ellie shouted, stomping her foot to get his attention.
"I want to be able of enjoying this night, too, El, but you make it so difficult for me," Craig retorted, turning away from the object of his fixation. "The spark is gone, Ellie, and I'm sick of trying to get you to see that I don't want to be with you anymore. I'm just not in the mood to pretend otherwise. I'm sorry." With that, Craig left Ellie to herself, and went to accompany the one woman that always seemed to ignite the flame beneath his skin—in his chest.
Yet, Craig had never once fallen in love with the young girl, but was forever charmed by her vivacious spirit.
"Manny!" Craig greeted happily, making her squeak in surprise. "Sorry," he apologized, pulling up a chair to sit beside her.
"It's okay." Manny smiled warmly at him.
"Thank you for coming tonight. It's an honor to have Hollywood's hottest actress here, especially since—you know."
Manny's happy expression didn't falter. It had been three and a half weeks since her husband, Jay Hogart, died in a car accident. Reports in the tabloids said she had lost an extreme amount of weight and had to be rushed in and out of hospitals as a result. None of it was true, considering Manny quarantined herself to her home.
"How are you, by the way?" Craig inquired, earnestly concerned.
"Better," she replied, giving him a grateful nod, and discretely rested a hand on her stomach. "Thank you. I've recently learned something valuable, Craig. Jay is always with me now, watching over me. I don't have a reason to miss him."
Lovely, never ever change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it?
"That's wise," Craig observed simply.
"How about you, Craig? How are you?" Manny asked.
"It doesn't really matter," the brunette retorted, setting down his wine glass. "Care to dance with me?"
Manny giggled, nodding as she replied, "Sure. Why not?" She took his hand, the unrequited electricity pulsing through Craig's veins.
She encircled her golden brown arms around his neck as Craig laid his large hands on the curve of her waistline. For a moment, he forgot what he was doing, who he was supposed to be, that anywhere but heaven could exist, and even how to breathe—when gazing all too deeply in those swirls of velvet brown, which belonged to the amazing woman in his arms. No longer were his feet rooted to the ground, but gliding in mid-air.
'Cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight
God, she was drop-dead gorgeous! Her lips glossed with a tan red, smelling of vanilla and cherry; her raven-black hair all in light tendrils, cascading like a chocolate waterfall over her shoulders; and that smile—the same one he gravitated toward since the age of fourteen, in the library at Degrassi—which he mirrored, because it was just that contagious.
Craig felt a surge of happiness swell in his heart, pleading with God that this moment never end, not when he was so sure Manny could be the one.
"You are so beautiful," he said softly.
Mm, Mm, Mm, Mm. . .
"Thanks, Craig. You're not too bad yourself," Manny replied, totally unaware of the man's increasing feelings.
"It's just that-" Craig stopped; the song slowly dying away, as he knew it was best not to act on his feelings now.
"That what?" Manny pressed sweetly, raising an eyebrow.
"Back in high school, I never cheated on you. I was always crazy about you," he confessed whole-heartedly. But as fate would have it, I fall in love with you tonight, Craig mentally added. And it sucked because he had once held Manny's heart in the palm of his hand, and managed to drop it a thousand times before she finally took it away. She deserved better.
"I know," she nodded, releasing him from her embrace. "We were just never meant to be, were we?" It was a statement of life Manny had to learn to life with, Craig realized regretfully. "Goodnight, Craig. Happy anniversary to both you and Ellie."
Just the way you look
Tonight