Making an Entrance
Oliver
For the fifth time, Oliver checked his pocket watch. It was 7:27 p.m. - only two minutes later than the last time he looked. Norman and Alan from international shipping chattered about … something. Oliver wasn't sure about what exactly as he was a little lost in thought. Was Shane going to be fashionably late just to tease him? Was the very pale pink (so pale as to be almost white) boutonniere going to match Shane's outfit? Was she going to like her early Christmas present? Would Ramon have remembered the song he had requested? He sighed, then reached for his watch again.
But suddenly there was no need. Norman elbowed him, then nodded in the direction of the door. To say that he was floored was an understatement. Others may have noticed Charlie was looking lovely in a long red dress (that had originally been Shane's and had been given as a gift to the newest DLO postable), that Rita was stunning in an emerald green, tulle, A line gown with asymmetrical hem and beaded bodice, but Oliver only noticed Shane.
Looking like a 1950s screen siren, Shane was simply stunning. The women in the room took note of her black velvet top and white, taffeta, cocktail-length skirt, her matching velvet wrap that hung stylishly from her elbows and her smooth and elegant chignon, her perfect makeup and towering black patent heels. Oliver just knew that she was gorgeous and that he was feeling like the most fortunate man on the planet.
Oliver couldn't suppress a small bounce as he walked towards the trio. He thought he must have said the right things to Rita and Charlie, but really, he was only focussed on Shane. He took her arm and steered her to their table, whispering in her ear how much he liked her outfit on the way.
Shane
Shane was almost giddy as she made her way to the ballroom. The spa had been so much fun, almost like a grown-up version of a slumber party, but with pampering, cocktails, and lots of giggling. Shane considered arriving a couple of minutes late just to tweak her husband, but decided that she didn't want to – she was keen for every moment of the ball.
Shane paused at the entrance, her eyes looking for Oliver. The words the Greek stoic Epictetus crossed her mind. "Know first who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly." Oliver in a work suit was lovely. He was someone who had a style and lent into that. Oliver in a tuxedo was one of the wonders of creation. She took his arm and they walked to their table, both thinking it was a truly wonderful night.
Once at the table, Shane watched as Oliver took a plastic box from the table and turned to her.
'May I?' he asked with a smile.
'Of course,' she replied
Shane watched as he took a pale pink rose from the box. Tiny stars were almost hidden in the baby's breath and greenery around the open rose. What caused her eyes to open wide and a gasp to fall from her lips was not the flower, or the stars (even though she was touched that he would go to Blooms and Hugs for her corsage) but rather the band to which the flowers were attached. A white gold and diamond tennis bracelet made this floral tribute stunning.
Tears in her eyes, Shane exclaimed as Oliver attached the bracelet to wrist, 'It's too much!'
Oliver smiled. 'Think of it as an early Christmas present.'
Oliver
Oliver made his way back to the table following a serious discussion with Ramon, the DJ for the night. Upon arriving at the table, he took Shane's hand, and requested the next dance. Shane knew that he was up to something, but was happy to acquiesce. They arrived on the dance floor just as the music resumed.
Oliver and Shane loved to dance. It had been a physical embodiment of their feelings long before they were able to express their emotions in words. Now, their dance was effortless, completely in sync. They swayed and spun almost without conscious thought. The slow strains of Billy Joel filled the air – not the song she had been expecting, but rather another one entirely.
'I must have listened to this song a thousand times,' Oliver explained. 'After you suggested 'And So It Goes' for the dance showcase, I discovered a love of Billy Joel's music. This one seemed to encapsulate all the things that I couldn't put into words.'
Shane listened to the doo-wop sounds of 'This Night', tears filling her eyes as she listened.
'How many nights
Have I been thinking about you
Wanting to hold you
But knowing you would not be there'.
'It's beautiful,' Shane sniffed, the words filling her heart. Then she smiled. 'Heaven knows Billy is a much greater lyricist than I, but I can suggest an improvement.'
Oliver looked at her in amusement. 'Really?'
'Uh huh. It's not just this night.' The song ended, and Shane recited.
'You're mine
It's only you and I
I'll tell you
To forget yesterday
Forever we are together'
'Much better,' he said.
Let it Snow
Life in Denver was wonderful, Shane reflected, if one didn't consider the weather. This whole week, snow had threatened, and last night, it arrived with a vengeance. A carpet of white covered everything. Even though Shane had tried to convince Oliver that today was the perfect day for her to work from home in flannel pyjamas, beanie, blankets and sheepskin boots, her unfeeling husband was not impressed. So, a cranky Shane, two coffees in for the morning, left the house reluctantly, ignoring Oliver's impatience.
Shane walked to the car slowly. Oliver, she knew, despite the cold, would walk around the vehicle to open Shane's door. Quickly, Shane decided that her husband's morning cheerfulness needed to be toned down. She glanced around, making one of those split-second decisions. Almost in one movement, Shane bent, gathered a large handful of snow between her gloved fingers and turned ready to pitch the snowball at Oliver.
What happened next was truly shocking. As she turned to launch the projectile, she was met with a face full of snow! Oliver had thrown a snowball at her! She spluttered, attempting to wipe the frozen precipitation from her face with one hand. Oliver cautiously walked closer towards the passenger side door. He was wearing the grin of a very naughty child. If a conservative, professional gentleman could giggle, Oliver giggled. Shane walked close. Then closer. Oliver took the ends of her scarf and gently wiped the last of the snow from her rosy cheeks. When he was satisfied that all of the snow was gone, he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
'Sorry, he said.
Shane raised her left hand and placed it on his shoulder. She grinned, looking him in the eye. She lifted her other hand behind his neck. Oliver was expecting an embrace. He did not expect the handful of snow that she smooshed into the ends of his hair and the top of his neck.
'Really?' she replied. 'I'm not.'