They danced and looked each other in the eye. Their eyes had a special glow and Steve for a moment thought that his happiness was hidden in her eyes. Catherine looked at him keeping a wonderful smile.

"Are you laughing at me? Do I dance that badly?"

"I'm not laughing at you, I'm just happy. After all, it's not every day I go on a date that's taken almost two years to happen," she answered.

Steve also smiled. "Oh, OK." He was also happy and regretted it took him so long to create the courage to ask her out. The affection in her eyes gave him a sense of warmth and love that he had never felt in any other way. She looked at him with such a special brilliance in her eyes that it embarrassed him: "If you don't intend to accept me in your life, then don't look at me like that, don't make me like you even more," Steve told her.

"Well, you've been in my life for some time now, Steve."

"I mean to be in your life in a special way," Steve answered and kissed her neck discreetly. Catherine felt a chill run down her spine and closed her eyes.

Steve also closed his eyes and felt the perfume of her skin. He knew he couldn't go ahead with so many people there. He opened his eyes and took her by the hand. "Come on!"

He took her to a more private place in the garden and kissed her before she could say anything.

"Wow!" She smiled.

"Every day, during those two years, I imagined myself by your side. I don't have much to offer you besides a smile, a tight hug, and a lot of wanting to be with you," Steve told her.

Catherine was surprised by his direct words and ran out of words. She opened her mouth but the words didn't flow.

Steve didn't know how to interpret her reaction. "If you don't want to go out with me anymore I'll understand, and..."

"You're talking too much, sailor," Catherine pulled him and kissed him intensely, leaving him even more in love. "I know we don't have much to offer each other because we're always traveling for work and spend a lot of time away, but let's live what there is to live, let's allow ourselves to be happy when we're together," she told him.

Steve smiled. "It sounds like a good plan for our "dating" mission. Will you kiss me more, Lieutenant? I loved your kiss."

Of course, Commander".

"I'm not a commander," he said to Catherine.

"Not yet," she answered with a smile.

"Wait a minute... I'm getting promoted, and you know it?"

"Yes, your name is first on the list for a promotion, but I didn't tell you anything, okay?"

"Ok," he answered. He was happy to know that he was going to be promoted, but that wasn't what interested him the most at the moment. "But what about my kisses?"

"Come here," she said to him. They kissed a few more times and then returned to the dance hall.

They enjoyed the rest of the night dancing to different rhythms and Steve was unable to keep up with Catherine's mood. "I didn't know you liked dancing so much."

"Hmm ... you're already tired, right?" She asked him.

"I will be honest, Cath. Yes, I am very tired."

"Okay, let's sit down then," she told him, but she didn't see much enthusiasm on his part. "On second thought, we can get out of here and go somewhere else. Shall we eat something? Dancing made me very hungry," she said and he readily agreed.

They left the Army's ball hand in hand and Anthony saw it. "Poor Greer, it looks like she doesn't stand a chance."

They went to a diner and Steve ate greedily. He loved the fact that he could be himself in her presence. She just smiled when she saw him eat like that.

After they were done, Steve took her hand. "Did you like our first date?"

"I loved our first date. Thank you for inviting me."

"You're welcome. I thank you for accepting," Steve kissed her hand.

"I think it's time to go home. It's already four in the morning."

"Okay, let's go. I'm going to ask for the bill," he replied.

They drove away in her car and Steve accompanied her to the apartment door. Catherine kissed him slowly. "Thank you for accompanying me. We say goodbye here."

It wasn't what Steve wanted to hear, but he respected it. "OK see you later?"

Catherine gave him her car keys. "Take my car and you'll be back later."

"Okay," he took the keys, kissed her and left.

Catherine watched him until he got into the elevator. She knew she had frustrated him by not letting him in. "Waiting makes everything more special, sailor," she said in low voice and entered the apartment.

Thank you for reading!