The Dance
When Joe and Shayla arrived at the dance that Friday, they noticed a commotion in the main hall. Men crowded around a sitting Elisha. Occasionally he could see her face peak through.
"Hey, your sister's here," Joe said.
Shayla looked up and immediately noticed that all too familiar crowd formation around one person. Her sister. What was she doing here? Shayla looked around. Elisha couldn't find her here with Joe!
"Little Joe, on second thought—"
"You know my father, right?" he interrupted her.
"Well, no. We've only written to each other. When I got to town, I dealt with the theater manager."
"Well, come on, let me introduce you."
Meet Ben Cartwright? She couldn't pass up this opportunity.
In the kitchen where food being prepared Joe found his father and brother. Before a polite Ben and Hoss, Joe introduced Shayla. " … she's the person you corresponded with, Pa. To get this dance show going."
"Oh, yes …" Ben said uneasily.
"Mr. Cartwright, it is an honor and a privilege …" Shayla said holding out her hand and going into her spiel.
Joe silently melted into the background. Now that Shayla was out of the way, he was free to roam about as he pleased. He walked back to the main hall.
Joe returned to the crowd of men around a sitting Elisha. She was seen as a queen, a celebrity. Her long hair was braided and wrapped around her head like a crown. She wore a fashionable East Coast dress, far more sophisticated and elegant than any other ingénue there. Men were falling over themselves to get a look at her. It was bad enough to be jilted by her, Joe thought. It's even worse when she throws it in his face her limitless supply of male suitors vying for her attention. Well, he wasn't going to be one of them.
Graciously accepting compliments, Elisha maintained a queenly stance to her adoring subjects. Nearly every eligible male was crowded around her. That is except for the brooding young man standing off at a distance by himself.
Elisha blinked. Could that be him? Squinting, she recognized the flirty young man from weeks ago. No longer in his dressed up blue suit, he wore a tan shirt and dark pants and a small tie decorating his neck. He looked even more appealing in his cowboy duds.
She wasn't sure how to react. On occasional glances, she could see him looking her way. She would immediately turn her face away. The old jilted feelings came back. She would have nothing to do with him. She'd make him sorry.
Oblivious, he sullenly stared at her. She smiled to herself. He was so transparent. Now maybe he's recalling what he passed up.
Joe pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards. He was so obsessed with plans of revenge, he wasn't aware he was staring at her. He noticed Adam buzzing around her on occasion. She must know who I am, Joe thought. She's probably using my brother to get to me. I won't give her the satisfaction, he thought with his constant dead stare.
In the meantime the women were ignoring Elisha. They stood in small tight groups in their own circles. Elisha sensed she was the topic of conversation. She could feel the surreptitious glances her way. No matter how many times she had been through this, it was still hurtful.
"Why Little Joe, I do declare!" one girl coquettishly called out among her giggling friends. "What ever are you doing there sitting all by yourself?"
Elisha watched as the young man climbed off the chair and moseyed over. There was a burst of giggles among the girls as he received a warm reception. He was soon grinning and joking with the others.
Well, at least he's having a good time, Elisha thought ruefully.
The fiddler started up the band, but no one was dancing. Men were still crowded around Elisha and the girls were in small circles of their own. Joe took the initiative and asked a girl to dance. After a while he pulled a guy away from the crowd around Elisha and paired him up with his female partner. Joe then asked another girl to dance. Soon the men broke away and paired up with girls on their own. People crowded the dance floor.
Adam promenaded Elisha around. It wasn't long before one man after another would cut in. Every suitor, that is, except Joe.
Joe started cutting in on couples. He'd dance a bit and then cut in on another one. The girls loved having a chance to dance with one of Virginia City's most popular young men. It was obvious to everyone he was trying to dance with every girl in that one song. People stomped their feet to the beat as Joe would break away at predictable times and dance with another. He was getting closer to Elisha.
That didn't escape Elisha's notice. That's an interesting way to worm his way back into my good graces, she thought. Well, he was imaginative.
Joe was now next to Elisha. He could simply turn and cut in on Elisha and her partner. But he didn't. He skipped over Elisha and cut in on the couple on the other side. The two danced away.
Elisha was steaming. What was he trying to do, deliberately humiliate her yet again?
The song ended and another one began. Elisha decided to sit this one out. Adam was still on the dance floor, so she wandered to the food table.
"Joe, I'd like to go home," Shayla said catching up to him but trying to stay out of sight of Elisha.
"No ma'am," he said softly as he drifted off. She wasn't going to spoil it for him now.
In the background, Hoss watched Joe's unconscious rudeness. "Don't mind my brother, ma'am. I'll get someone to take you back to town. It's no trouble."
"Thank you, Hoss. I think Joe's just a little preoccupied right now."
At the buffet table, Elisha covertly glanced around looking for the young man. Where was he now? Oh there he was. In the corner playing cards.
Amidst a group of poker-playing chums, Joe was uncharacteristically silent. He couldn't keep his mind on the bantering reverie to keep up with his peers. He was thinking.
He was thinking now that he got his revenge, what did it get him? She was angry at him more than ever. Whenever he'd look her way, she'd turn her back. Her back was becoming the most familiar view he had of her. How foolish. They didn't even know each other and they were playing every hurtful lover game ever made. "Deal me out," Joe said getting up from the table.
In the meantime Elisha was forced to entertain some drunk who staggered over. When she was finally able to send him packing, she looked back at the card table. The young man was gone. She panned the room. Where'd he go off to now?
Oh, there he was. Talking to, of all people, Adam! Hmm. What's he up to? Trying to get Adam to introduce me to him? That can't be it. Why would Adam introduce the girl he brought to the dance to another suitor? Especially some common cowboy?
Adam had pointed out his father and brother, Hoss, earlier in the evening. But because so many men crowded around Elisha, he wasn't able to make proper introductions. He had to go through too many layers of men, Adam joked.
As Adam and the young man talked, she noticed Ben and Hoss join them. They had a few words with each other and shared a laugh. They seemed to enjoy a camaraderie and then broke up. Elisha cocked her head. The young man seemed awfully familiar with the Cartwrights.
Throughout the evening she noticed him skate in and out of the Cartwright's circle with apparent ease. Obviously hobnobbing with the upper class, she thought. A young man like that would probably use his good looks to marry a rich man's daughter. Once the elder patriarch even put his arm around the young man! Wonder what Adam thought of that?
"Ben!" a elderly man rushed up. "You've got to get rid of her!"
"Get rid of who?" Ben boomed in his low voice.
"That dancing girl. The ladies are in an uproar."
"Oh, yes. I noticed her earlier," Ben said. "Or at least the crowd around her. So there's a few jealous women. I can't send her away for that."
"It's not a few women, Ben, it's the entire female population. She has no right to be here. Be reasonable. This is a good and decent place. It's no place for a woman who makes money—sashaying about."
"Now, Emmit, let's not get carried away." Ben looked over at the sad but stunning creature standing at the buffet. She didn't look like she was having a good time anyway, Ben considered. "Alright, as soon as I find out who brought her, I'll ask if they would leave."
Joe just couldn't get her out of his mind. She won, Joe decided. She bested him. He had no alternative but to cave in and find a way to get back in her good graces. First order of business was to get Adam out of the picture. He didn't need more competition from, in Joe's opinion, the second most eligible bachelor in town.
Elisha looked around. Where was he now?
Joe followed another man out of the room. "Hey, Henry! Henry Grissald!"
A graying older man curiously turned Joe's way. "Hi, Little Joe. Enjoying yourself?"
"Working on it," Joe answered putting his arm around the man's shoulder and steering him back to the main room. "Hey, Adam tells me you got a real fine stock of steer. He's here, you know. Great opportunity to wrangle—"
"Now, Joe. I'm sure Adam doesn't want to talk shop here."
"Are you kidding?" Joe persisted. "That's all he's been talking about all week! Hey, don't tell him I tipped you off. He hates it when the other guy has an edge in negotiations," Joe winked.
"Well, if it's that important to him—"
"Strike while the iron's hot!" Joe rushed on. "You never know when another seller's going to come along and change his mind."
That comment got Grissald's attention. He stopped resisting.
"There he is," Joe pointed. "Go on, get him before he's shanghaied back to the dance floor!"
"Oh, Adam," Grissald said, pointing his finger up.
Joe watched from a distance as Adam turned and politely listened to what Grissald had to say. That ought to hold him for a while.
Back at the desert table, Elisha was bored. Adam was nowhere to be seen and she was left to fend for herself every foul-smelling hillbilly that caught a fancy to her. No woman would introduce herself and welcome her. She didn't have a friend to stand with and time ticked away ever so slowly. Her only amusement was secretly watching what that young man was up to.
Where was he now? Elisha thought. She panned the room. He was nowhere in sight. She pivoted 360 degrees and bumped right into a body next to her.
"'cuse me, ma'am," Joe mumbled. "Looking for something?"
She blushed. Losing her nerve, she quickly turned around. She couldn't think, he was right behind her!
Well, there's that familiar back, Joe thought. Still, it was nice being so close to her, he could smell her perfume. And Joe got an eyeful. She was intoxicating at this close range.
Someone could come at any time and engage her in conversation, Joe worried. But no one came. People assumed Joe and Elisha were involved in some sort of social engagement since they were the only ones at the buffet table.
They stood with the backs to each other, intensely aware of the other's presence. The old jilted memories came back, ushering in the big silent wall. They were repulsed by one another, yet they didn't want to leave each other's company. There may never be another opportunity to be together again and the night was growing old.
"Would you like the dance?" a man walked up to Elisha.
"I prefer to sit this one out, thank you," she royally dismissed him.
"We need another poker player!" a buddy said to Joe.
"I'm all played out," he replied not budging an inch.
They stubbornly stood by the food table and pretended to ignore each other. Elisha turned around to pick up a cookie only to find another hand going for it. She and Joe looked up at each other and both immediately recoiled.
"Oh, well, ladies first," Joe said dismissively.
"Sorry, are we?" Elisha said.
"Sorry about what?" Joe said a little too emotional. "I was just being a gentlemen."
"Ha! Some gentlemen you are!" The old rejected feelings flooded in. Elisha was sufficiently angry to leave and turned to walk away.
Joe grabbed her forearm. "What're you talking about?"
"Take your hand off me! Let go!" Elisha pulled away.
"I will when you tell me what's eating you." He realized he was stepping over the line by holding her back and removed his hand. He grabbed the brownie and presented it to her. "Here."
Elisha looked from Joe to the cookie. She stared, uncomprehending. Then she burst out laughing. How boyishly charming, she thought in spite of herself.
Joe wasn't sure how to take it. Was she laughing at him? "Well, if you don't want it …"
Elisha accepted the cookie and took a bite. There was a look of amusement in her eyes. Joe relaxed and smiled.
"I was under the impression you were coming to see me after the show," she hesitated, somewhat embarrassed.
"I did! I was told you wouldn't see me," Joe said.
"That's ridiculous, I was never notified—" she stopped to remember the man her sister told her was waiting for her. She forgot the details, there had been so many other callers since then. Everyone had their own story on why they were worthy of seeing her. She searched her mind, but all she could remember was ordering the young man away as she did all the others. "You mean that first performance … that was you?"
"One in the same, ma'am."
"Oh, dear. There's been a terrible misunderstanding. I thought … I thought you were someone else. You must forgive me."
Joe smiled. She was as socially refined as she was pretty. "So… all this time . . . you thought I stood you up?"
She blushed and looked down. "How silly of me."
"Not at all," Joe smiled. "Feel like dancing?"
They both smiled. After all, she was a dancer.
Engaged in dancing, for the first time they were facing each other. It took a long time to reach this point. They would talk later. Right now they enjoyed a happy truce in each other's arms where Joe was able to drink in her beauty and she took in his rugged cowboy charm.
As they danced, Joe was tapped on the shoulder. He was so engrossed in Elisha, he didn't notice. More tapping got his attention.
"No cutting in," Joe mumbled. But as they danced, the tapping continued. It was became downright painful.
"I said—" Joe turned around. "Adam."
"You don't mind if I take back my girl here?" Adam said.
"Oh. She's your girl?" Joe gulped.
"In a manner of speaking. I'm her escort."
"Sure, Adam. Sorry." But Joe still hadn't relinquished his hold on Elisha. Adam had to literally rip him away from her.
"We'll talk some more," Joe promised Elisha. "Later."
"No you won't," Adam said curtly. "Ellie Sue's been asking about you. Something about that other girl you came with."
"Oh, now wait a second," Joe protested. "There's nothing going on between me and Ellie Sue—"
"Maybe someone should tell her," Adam quipped.
"Now see here, Adam," Joe said trying to save the situation. "I mean—I—I—" Joe couldn't for the life of him come up with a quick explanation.
Adam turned to Elisha. "He's just a kid, you know. Still hasn't gotten past that stuttering phase."
Joe was no match for Adam's wit. He reduced himself to cocking his head back and forth and silently mimicking Adam's words while making a face.
"Just got through talking to Henry Grissald," Adam turned to Joe. "Didn't have a clue what he was babbling about until he mentioned you were behind it. Then it all made sense."
Adam turned to Elisha. "There's still time to salvage this dance. Shall we?" he said holding up his elbow. Elisha took it and he led her away. She looked back helplessly at Joe as they walked off.