Chapter 3: Shall We Dance?
We arrived at the restaurant called "La Rosaleda". The tiled roof and authentic stone walls gave it a rustic and romantic feel. I headed up to the desk to put our names on the list, there would be a wait. But, he pulled me back, once again touching me, this time on the fore arm. I got goose bumps. He quickly removed his hand and said "No, I've got a table reserved for us." A waitress wearing traditional roman dress led us to a table on the terrace, close enough to the band so we could hear the music, but far enough so we could hear each other.
After our food came and we'd had our banter of jokes and hilarity we sat there listening to the saucy Roman music and the dancers doing a rather sultry dance. They went over to a girl maybe only fourteen and pulled her onto spanish tiled dance floor. They started to teach her a less mature version of the sultry roman dance. They started grabbing other people, and older couple, maybe in their fifties who apparently knew how to do this dance rather well and they added their wisdom to the other dancers, amongst them a teenage boy and girl who had been thrown together, a couple in their late thirties twirling with their little, brunette, toddler girl between them laughing with glee. All of a sudden the waitress who had seated us came over to our table and said " Do you and your boyfriend want to dance? You're such a beautiful couple." She looked expectantly at me and I quickly explained that we weren't together, just acquaintances, nothing more. But, suddenly Martin grabbed my hand and said "I did say this would be the only time I'd lay a hand on you and why not for 'newly weds' sake? I know you want to dance with me, I can see the longing." He said jokingly. "You can not" I replied defiantly. But, he just pulled me up from my seat and brought me on the dance floor. "You can't say you don't slightly owe me, after all I am buying you this lovely dinner." I rolled my eyes at this but I gave in and followed him to the dance floor.
The rhythm of the music was getting faster and I could feel Martin staring at me intently. It must have been the combination of the wine, the stress of the days events, and the intent gaze Martin's emerald kept looking at me such, such, wanting and …. Then it happened. I danced and not just a little bit, but a hell of a lot.
Martin's POV
I kept my eyes on her, willing her to dance and throw off that shield she'd been wearing all night. She pretended to be genuine in her answers about her family, but he could see the pain in her eyes. So he dragged her on the dance floor. He could see through the fake act she put on, he could tell she wanted to dance. So, he kept staring at her and then it happened. Her hips started swinging in time to the music and she smiled that dazzling smile, but this time she had a glint mystery in it. She began to dance around him and would touch my chest every once in a while before she'd continue on her way. Her hips would sway and she'd swivel down a little, just so the already short dress (Not that I minded) would display a little bit more of her chest. Then she'd comeback up and begin again. She did this for a while before I couldn't take it anymore and I pulled her to me. We began to move together and she turned to face the outside and started to do her swiveling down number. It drove me insane!! One foot forward, one foot back. Her hips moved against my front. This girl was killing me, slowly and painfully killing him. I'm going to die right now if she doesn't stop. G-d, I know I said I wouldn't lay a hand on her, but her dancing is making me want to lay more than a hand on her. But I don't want to hurt her, not after what she seems to have been through. Oh man, the songs over, she's asking if I'm ready to go. Of course, after a dance like that I can't wait to get you home and … and walk her to her door, that's it, nothing else, at all.
Later at the Hotel
"Well I had a good time tonight with you" I said. She smiled, "Me too." "Well, I guess this is goodnight then." I whispered "Yeah I guess it is." Then she kissed her index finger and her middle finger, walked up right to me, her body facing my front and placed her too kissed fingers on my cheek and whispered in my left ear, so her body had to touch me, and said "Goodnight." I was in a daze and right before she closed the door I replied huskily, "Goodnight." She smiled as she closed the door.
In Ruthie's Room
I leaned against the door and sighed. Tonight had been great, despite my reservations about it. It started out as payback and turned into something more. I slipped off my dress and bra, put on my white, lacy nightgown and slid into bed. I fell asleep dreaming of those eyes, the eyes I could get lost in. And for some reason it was as if in my dreams all the walls fell down and I let myself get lost.
In Martin's Room
I banged the back of my head on the door a few times, trying to get Ruth or Ruthie, as she told me to call her, out of my head. Martin, nothing can come of this, you know that now stop. And you only just met her!! My conscience chastised me with its reason. But my heart was telling me something was special about this girl and that I had to get to know her. But she doesn't want to be anything but friends and my job can't have this. Another person whom I'm emotionally attached to, that is. But that kiss, even if it was on the cheek, we shared a moment. Or at least I did, but maybe that's just a guy-deprived-of-a woman's-love-for-too-long kind of wishful thinking.
I turned out the light in my room and tried my best to fall asleep, I finally drifted off to sleep around two a.m. Envisioning Ruthie's smile and the lips that surrounded it and that left a mark on my cheek and on my heart.