Intermission
Back at the club, Jonathan has been dancing with an absolutely striking young woman for the better part of the evening. Not only is she beautiful, he thinks, but for the past hour her quick wit has made for stunning conversation.
There's just something about her, Jonathan thinks, some combination of magnetism and grace and all that good womanly stuff.
"Would you like to go to dinner tomorrow?" Jonathan asks, and immediately wonders why. He can't remember the last time he spoke those words in that combination to a woman. 'Would you like to come over for a nightcap,' sure, that's what you're supposed to ask women whom you meet in dance halls.
"Oh, gosh," she says, obviously trying to find a way to back out.
"Well, if you're not interested," Jonathan says. It takes him a minute to assign a name to the sudden sinkhole in his chest: disappointment. He really wanted to see her on another night, in a different place, in a different context. How odd. Jonathan starts to pull away, finding an excuse to leave her.
"Not in dinner. But we could go back to my apartment." She turns and walks away, knowing he'll follow.
Jonathan stares after her retreating (sculpted, porcelain) back, stunned. Girls aren't supposed to say that! he thinks.
He quickly gets moving so as not to loose her in the crowd.
*
Continued in part 5.