CHAPTER TWO
He took hold of her hand and bent down and kissed it tenderly. There was a buzzing sound and it seemed to come from his lips touching her skin. He looked so handsome in his uniform. That was it, the uniform is what caused her reaction.
"Hello," he said in a voice that seemed to vibrate right through her.
Somehow, she found her voice and replied hesitantly, "hello."
As he smiled, and those dimples flashed again Della felt weak in the knees. Suddenly she felt an elbow hitting her in the ribs and looked to see her friend, Andrea.
"Who are your friends?" her best friend asked staring at blond haired man, in uniform, standing next to Della's obvious admirer.
She opened her mouth and began to stutter, "ugh…I…I…um I didn't get their names."
Taking off his hat the dark-haired man said, "Oh I'm sorry Miss my name is Perry and my friend's name is Paul."
Andrea batted her eyelashes at Paul who grinned at her. "You are navy men I see."
Paul took her arm and said, "when I see someone I like I don't waste time how about if we all get a table together."
Della looked at her friend pleadingly, "I don't know if that would be such a great idea."
Rolling her eyes Andrea remarked, "Del, we'll be together. Remember these boys are shipping out very early tomorrow."
"I don't know," Della told her redheaded friend.
Perry laughed, "I won't bite I promise."
"You have nothing to worry about Miss, my friend is a perfect gentleman." Paul told her.
The orchestra began to play, and Paul swept Andrea out on the floor. "Do you dance? Del is it?"
"Actually, it's Della." She melted as she looked into his incredible blue eyes. She should make an excuse and go. Something was wrong. She was an engaged person and should not have feelings for another man.
"Della," Oh she loved how he said her name. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Let's just say it was nice to meet and go our separate ways."
There was pleading in his eyes and she suddenly knew he didn't want to say good-bye any more than she did. After all he was going to war and who knew what might happen. "Well I guess we could talk."
Alright what do you want to know?" He asked.
Where are you from? She asked.
He smiled, "I'm from California, how about you?"
"We live in a suburb of Chicago. I do have an aunt who lives somewhere in California, but I'm not sure where."
Perry acknowledged, "it is a big state. Do you work?"
"I recently finished business school." She started to say she was getting married in a couple weeks but surely, he saw her engagement ring. Looking down she realized she had not put it back on. This was not good.
"Will you be looking for a job soon?" he wanted to know.
"I'm…..I'm not sure." If Michael was furious who knew what might happen.
The hall was filling up, the music was getting louder, and it was getting warmer. Perry suggested, "why don't we go outside for a while where it's cooler."
Della hesitated and then thought if they weren't in the main hall not that many people would see them. "I guess we could do it for a while."
He took her hand and they weaved their way through the crowded dance floor out to a small garden area where tables and chairs were set up. "This is better. I can hear what you say out here."
Fanning herself with her program Della acknowledged it was cooler. Sitting down she turned to him and asked, "What do you do in the Navy?
"I'm a JAG officer."
She smiled and questioned, "What is JAG?"
He smiled back, "It stands for Judge Advocate General, I'm a lawyer."
For some reason she felt relieved, "so you won't see combat?"
"Well you never know." He commented.
She thought about it for a minute and asked, "What does your friend, Paul do?"
He looked at her for a moment, "are you interested in him? He is in intelligence."
Della hurried to reassure him, "I'm not interested in that way. Andrea is my best friend. I was asking on her behalf."
"Oh," he said sounding relieved. "I was afraid I had competition before we even got to know each other."
"Perry, I don't think we should talk this way…I"
He held up his hands, "Della, you are so beautiful you take my breath away, I didn't expect to meet anyone special tonight, I wasn't going to come, but when I saw you, I was enchanted. So just for tonight can we be two people who get to enjoy just being together."
She was breathless. "I wasn't going to come either. So just for this time and place let's talk, laugh, and share our lives."
He took her in his arms and swept her to the edge on the dance floor. They moved perfectly together, and she felt she was floating. When he kissed her hair, she felt it tingling down to her toes. She was afraid to examine what was happening to her and decided to just live for the moment. He murmured wonderful things in her ear. They ate, talked, and laughed, on the terrace. It was as if they were in a magical bubble.
The time seemed to fly by. Della couldn't remember what they ate or drank, but they talked about everything, music, books, philosophies, orchids, religion, politics, the war, and families. As the evening was ending he pulled her off her chair and led her into the garden.
Before she realized it, she was in his arms and they were dancing again, and he began singing to her.
"Nothing like you has ever been seen before, Nothing, like you existed in days of yore,
Nothing like you has ever been seen before. Never were lips so kissableNever were eyes so bright, I can't believe it's possible That you give me such delight,
Nothing can match The rapture of your embrace, Nothing can catch The magic that's in your face, You're like a dream come true Something completely new, Nothing like you has ever been seen before. Nothing like you. Nothing like you has ever been mine before,
Kisses I've known But none so divine before, No one has your magnificence Who can describe your charm, I'd like to make my residenceForever in your arms, I never knew How wonderful life could be,
No one but you Could ever do this to me, Call me a fool in love One thing I'm certain of, Nothing like you has ever been seen before. You're everything I really wanted, Nothing like you. I never knew that you existed, Nothing like you has ever been seen before, Nothing like you."
He asked her, "please write to me. Give me your address and I'll send you mine.
She began shaking her head and yet she wanted to tell him yes, yes, she would write. Was she crazy, under a spell? She was marrying Michael this couldn't happen.
Then he was kissing her. It was a soul wrenching kiss. It left her shaken to her core. He was begging her, "I don't want to lose touch with you."
Tears were streaming down her face as she pulled away from him. "I can't Perry, I can't, I am getting married in a little over two weeks."
He didn't try to follow her, but the last words she heard were, "Cinderella, won't you at least leave me your slipper?"
