Don't Let Go
Chapter Seventeen: If I Came Right Out and Said You're Beautiful
Christian smiled shyly as Sarah gaped at the restaurant. It was a quaint fifties style diner, with television sets running clips of shows like I Love Lucy and Leave It To Beaver. The menu was simple enough, but the atmosphere was the real seller. The hubcaps lining the entrance and the huge finned car out in front practically screamed with classic joy.
"Christian," Sarah said, laughter bubbling beneath her words,"This place is great!" She turned to face him, and his wide grin shot right through to her core, melting her down to a quivering ball of comfort and warmth. She picked up the menu and looked through it. A waitress in costume shortly appeared and asked perkily if they wanted to order.
They placed their orders and waited for the food, enjoying the bustling of the staff and the loud laughter of accompanying tables. One table with a child had a loud round of 'Happy Birthday' sung by the wait staff, and then one the serenaders ended by throwing straw wrappers at the kid, who giggled with delight.
Sarah interlaced her fingers and placed her elbows on the table. She glanced at one of the monitors where Lucille Ball was doing her best to hide from Ricky in a Japanese kimono. "I love watching 'I Love Lucy.' She's just so completely comical."
"I know," he answered with a grin. "She's such a goofball." He picked up his fork and played with it. "I remember when I was little, my dad taped as many episodes as he could, and I would watch them. I think she was my first real crush." His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he concentrated on the fork, daring to glance up at Sarah only once.
"That's so sweet!" Sarah exclaimed.
"Hey, no elbows, miss!"
Sarah and Christian blinked and stared at the waiter. "Huh?" Sarah fumbled.
The waiter pointed at her elbows. "No elbows on the table. Didn't your mother teach you manners?" The twinkle in his eyes relaxed Sarah, and she sheepishly pulled her hands into her lap. "There we go, much better," he said contentedly. Then he raised his index finger. "But if I catch you placing your elbows on the table again," he warned mischievously,"To the corner you go!" He winked at Christian. "Keep her in line, boy."
Sarah and Christian exchanged looks as the waiter left, and they burst into laughter.
After dinner, Christian walked Sarah home. The sky was dark enough to see a smattering of stars, but the glare of the city bounced off the clouds and made any real astronomy impossible.
Impossible, perhaps, for all but the true dreamers left in the world. "There's the summer triangle." Sarah moved her hand up and pointed. "At the tip is the Cygnus, the Swan. See it? It looks a bit like a cross." She glanced at Christian, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face.
He looked far from amused, however. His blue eyes were soft with wonder as he stopped on the sidewalk, gazing at Sarah. "You're amazing," he said softly.
Sarah blushed in the dark, the bright color safely blending into the shadows. "Not really," she protested mildly,"I'm just me."
"And so you are." Christian smiled softly as he took Sarah's hand in his. He brought it up to his face, studying it with his eyes and fingers. "You're so- magical. You know that? You're like some fairy princess come to earth to tease us poor, foolish mortals."
The words rang in her head, bouncing back and forth in their echo until Sarah's mind was covered in dizzying gauze. "Oh," she breathed. The ground beneath her wobbled. "Really?"
Christian chuckled as he lowered her hand and renewed his pace. She fell into step beside him dazedly. "Sarah, you're amazing. Pure and simple."
It was the single most thoughtful, genuine compliment she'd ever been paid. So why was she not rejoicing? As they walked in companionable silence, a nagging concern bordering on cynicism nibbled at the edges of her consciousness.
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A/N: I know, I know, this is taking forever and a day to get through. Would it help if I claimed it will all be worth it in the end?