CHAPTER THREE
Della Street ran blindly into the ballroom her vision was blurred with the tears running unheeded down her face. Andrea seeing her friend in a blind panic excused herself from Paul and took out after her. She finally found her in the back of the building sobbing her heart out. "Oh my God Del. What did that guy do to you? I know you disappeared, but I thought it was by choice."
"It was," Della moaned. "It was. He was a perfect gentleman."
Absolutely puzzled her best friend asked, "so what is the problem?"
"I..ugh…I think…oh no it isn't possible." She was almost incoherent.
Shaking her friend's shoulder Andrea questioned, "what are you talking about?"
Her eyes were swimming with tears as she confessed, "I think I fell in love with him?"
"WHAT! Her friend exclaimed. "In love, in love, are you crazy?"
"I think so, I must be," she moaned.
Andrea put her arm around Della and suggested, "start at the beginning and tell me exactly what happened."
"Well we talked a little and he suggested going out on the terrace and talk where it was quieter. I thought that would be harmless. You know that he would get tired of that and go looking for another girl. We talked about everything, he wanted to know my opinions about things, he encouraged to be my own person, he's a lawyer and when the war is over he wants to go into private practice and make a difference in the world. Oh, Andrea I have never met anyone like him. Then we danced, and it was as if we had danced together forever. When he kissed me, and I never felt like that before."
There were stars in Andrea's eyes when she said breathlessly, "He kissed you?"
Della nodded her head, "And I didn't want him to stop. I am a terrible person."
"Oh Del, what you going to do?" her friend wanted to know.
"He sang to me Andrea, he sang to me. Then he begged me to write to him. I started crying and told him about Michael and then I ran away."
"So, what ARE you going to do?" Andrea ask her again.
Della looked at her, "what can I do. I'm committed to Michael. Who knows what will happen in this crazy war. I have to just forget it ever happened. I'm just afraid if Michael ever finds out he will be so angry."
"Look, you didn't really do anything wrong. I kissed Paul, flirted with him, and danced with him a several times. I also saw him looking over the other girls too. He told me he plays the field, just my luck. He didn't ask for my address. He was sure good looking, but I guess we both just chalk it up to an interesting evening."
Andrea led her into the restroom, by the kitchen, before they headed back to the ballroom. Unfortunately, the place was almost cleared out just a few couples saying goodnight. There was no sign of Paul or Perry.
"Let's go home and we have some very interesting memories to go over. I'll drive, and you relax."
They said goodbye to Andrea's mother after making sure she didn't need any help cleaning up and headed for the parking lot.
There were still people in the parking lot, but Della didn't see a tall man, with wavy dark hair, killer dimples, and incredible blue eyes waiting for her. As she took a deep breath it seemed to hurt inside that he hadn't made that extra effort. Andrea was right it was time to chalk it up to a memorable occasion.
She closed her eyes as Andrea wheeled out of the parking lot. Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax, but all she saw was Perry's handsome face and how it lit up when he looked at her. No one had ever looked at her like that, not even Michael. Maybe she was making too much out of it and was being swept away by the romance of the moment. She sighed.
Andrea looked over at her. "Are you okay?"
"Why is life so complicated suddenly? I love Michael, I've known him almost all my life. I know he is older, but he is steady, he knows what he wants. If I marry him I know I will have stability, the family I always wanted, and be around everything I've always known. I'm just being silly."
Sounding dreamy her friend said, "I will admit those guys were really good looking. You know they are best friends, and from California. They enlisted together and are shipping out together. Say why isn't Michael in the Army?"
Looking at her companion Della explained, "I told you, he is the only support for his mother. His brother is too young to help. He really wanted to go, but I don't know what Mildred, with her bad heart, would do without him."
"So, she will be living with you two?"
Della shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not sure. You know his Uncle Joe has that compound and she could move in there. Michael wanted us to live there too, but I am afraid it is too much family. After all their office is in there too."
"It sounds like you would be cut off from a lot of people. Are you getting your own car?" Andrea wanted to know.
"Maybe, we haven't really discussed all that." Della explained.
Andrea raised her eyebrows. "So, let me get this straight. You are going to be married in a little over two weeks, you are not sure where you are living, who is living with you, and how you will get around once you are married."
"Michael said it will all work itself out." Della justified.
"Sweetie this is your best friend talking. You usually like adventure, excitement, and taking chances. You are suddenly talking like our folks. If you have kids right away, you may even become matronly." Her friend cautioned.
"Andrea," Della stretched out her name. "I am not going to forget my friends. We can meet for lunch, when Michael is out of town we can shop and go to the movies, and when you find Mr. Right we can go out together. It will work out. Actually, I feel better."
Days later what she didn't share with her friend was every night there were visions in her head and dreams of a tall stranger holding out his hand to her. Over and over she heard him call her Cinderella. Then there was the sound of a clock ringing as it was about to strike midnight, and then the lights went out.
She wasn't sleeping well, her appetite had vanished, and she was losing weight. Her mother put it all up to pre-wedding jitters. Della felt as if she was walking in a fog. Every time she saw her mystery man, in her dreams, she was deliriously happy. Waking up was a shock as she didn't want to leave that heavenly place.
During the daytime she felt guilty, depressed, and terribly confused. She had dated a lot, so it wasn't as if no other men were interested in her. Why couldn't she get this Perry out of her mind. Maybe once she was married those thoughts would go away. After all it might all be an illusion he probably was someone she had built up in her mind. Too good to be true.
