6 - Lost, Sir?
Ray sighed and looked up at Debra. "If you want to leave now I would completely understand."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Despite all those things you're a really nice guy. I wouldn't say luck was on your side... but still a very nice guy," she responded softly.
"You do?" he asked in amazement. He thought all that was left was to pick up the check and throw himself off the Brooklyn Bridge.
"Yeah, I do. I say we forget about all those things and go dance," said Debra, motioning to the dance floor with her hands.
"I have to warn you. I'm not a good dancer," Ray said hesitantly. He didn't think dancing was the best way to improve the evening.
"You don't have to be." She stood up and held out her hand before he could respond, putting him in a difficult position to refuse. He stood up slowly and reached for her hands. As if on cue a new song began and the two began to sway awkwardly to the music.
You can take all the tea in China, Put it in a big brown bag for me, Sail right around the seven oceans, Drop it straight into the deep blue sea, She's as sweet as tupelo honey, She's an angel of the first degree, She's as sweet as tupelo honey, Just like honey from the bee....
As Ray and Debra began to get into the music, a man approached from behind. "Sorry to interrupt sir, but did you lose something?" the man inquired.
"I don't believe so, why?" Ray asked slightly confused.
"Oh, it just looked like you were desperately looking for something... like your keys." He began mimicking the motion he had seen Ray doing on the dance floor. "I was going to offer to help to find them. Sorry, my mistake, I'll leave you two alone."
Ray stopped dancing and dipped his head until it was parallel with the ground. "I told you I wasn't a good dancer! That guy thought I was missing something. Little did he know it was rhythm," Ray spat out in dissapointment as he looked to Debra.
"And I told you it didn't matter, and it doesn't," Debra replied simply. She reached out and lifted his head back up by the chin, then pulled him closer to her until their bodies met.
He took the opportunity to breathe in the scent of her hair, and it smelled like sweet honeysuckle.
You can't stop us on the road to freedom, You can't keep us 'cause our eyes can see, Men with insight, men in granite, Knights in armor bent on chivalry, She's as sweet as tupelo honey, She's an angel of the first degree, She's as sweet as tupelo honey, Just like honey from the bee.....
He slowly pulled back to look her in the eyes. "You are an amazing woman." he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper yet filled with sincerity. "Anyone else would have bolted after what happened tonight."
"Maybe you are more charming than you think," Debra answered in kind. "Or maybe I have a really good feeling about you."
The words hung in the air for a moment, before Ray leaned in and kissed Debra fully on the lips. The kiss was sweet and slow, like they had all the time in the world.
Out of breath Debra pulled back ever so slightly, "Not to mention one hell of a kisser," she breathed.
They stayed that way on the dance floor, Ray's lips still centimeters from hers.
You know she's alright, You know she's all right with me, She's all right, she's all right (she's an angel) You can take all the tea in China, Put it in a big brown bag for me, Sail it right around the seven oceans, Drop it smack dab in the middle of the deep blue sea, Because she's as sweet as tupelo honey, She's an angel of the first degree, She's as sweet as tupelo honey, Just like honey from the bee, She's as sweet as tupelo honey She's an angel of the first degree, She's as sweet as tupelo honey, Just like the honey, baby, from the bee, She's my baby, you know she's all right.....
{ The Present }
Debra laughed, still lying on top of Ray on the bed peacefully as the two finished waxing nostalgia. "That was magic, wasn't it?"
Ray let out a contented sigh. "Well, for you maybe. After all, when it came to foul-ups the score was Ray 7, Debra 0. I think so, anyways. I lost track after my mother came in."
"I can imagine," she replied. "And to think, I actually offered to let her sit at the table!"
He nodded. "Yea well, I can forgive you on that count. I'm still mad about the one where you decided it was okay for us to move across the street from them..."
"Okay okay! You're not going to let that one go, are you?" Debra grinned, then rested her head on his chest again.
Reaching down, Ray kissed the top of her head. "How about I'll forgive you if you forgive me..." His words alluded to the problem that they had temporarily put aside as they reminisced on their first date.
Debra shut her eyes, preparing herself for the anguish and torment that she had felt so many times whenever she thought of what had happened beween Ray and her assistant. But to her surprise, she felt no pain now.
Seeing no immediate response, Ray gathered he had asked for too much too soon. "Okay um, maybe it was a bit too--" he began.
"Ray.... shutup," ordered Debra as she climbed up and quickly pressed her lips against his. She kissed him slowly at first, then hungrily and passioniately. Her tears had dried up a well that she so desperately needed to be filled with his love and warmth.
And Raymond responded in kind.