Page 46 of Dreams of Falling
He smiled, and for a moment Ceecee thought she might be drowning on dry land, because when he smiled like that, she found it difficult to breathe. “Anything for you, darling. I hope I’ll have the opportunity to meet your parents while I’m there as well.”
She had to grab both of his arms so she wouldn’t swoon. “I’d like that very much.”
“And if you really get lonely, I think you’ve taken about a thousand photographs with that camera of yours—hopefully there’s one or two of me for you to look at.”
He grinned, making her lean up and kiss him again. “One or two, I’m sure.” Sobering, she said, “I have a huge favor to ask of you.”
He pulled her close. “Anything, darling. Just ask.”
“It’s not for me—it’s for Margaret. You’re driving to Charleston with Reggie tomorrow, and I’d like to ask you to use the time to try to talk Reggie out of joining the army. I know what you said before, but I promised Margaret that I would ask you to at least try.”
His beautiful eyes met hers. “I don’t think I can convince him, and I’m not sure if it’s even my place to try, but I’ll do anything to make you happy.”
“Oh, my dearest darling.” She stood on her toes so her lips could meet his. “I do love you so much, you know.” She bit her lip, unsure if she should have been so outspoken, to have said such a thing before he’d said it first. Margaret had taught her and Bitty never to be the first to say it.
His face became very serious, and Ceecee stood back hard on her heels. “I’m very glad to hear that,” he said, his gaze locked with hers. “Because I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you at the gas station. There was something about the way you walked, and the sweet smile on your face, and your gorgeous mouth with that red lipstick. I remembered thinking to myself that I’d met the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. What do you think of that?”
She threw her arms around his neck, not caring who saw, and kissed him long and hard on the mouth.
“What would your mother say?” came a familiar voice behind them.
As if waking up from a long nap, Ceecee cleared her head to look at Bitty, who was offering them each a Tootsie Roll from her bag. “These will give you something else to do with your mouths that won’t shock little children.” Her voice was stern, but she was smiling.
“Where’s Margaret?” Ceecee asked, looking around at the people still exiting the Pavilion.
“She told me to tell you two that she and Reggie would meet you at the movie theater—the movie she wants to see is playing at the Gloria right across the street from here. Margaret was hungry, so she and Reggie were grabbing a bite to eat and asked that you save them a seat.”
Ceecee frowned. “I hope they’re not too late—it was her idea to see the movie. I don’t know anything about it.”
Bitty lit a cigarette and took a long draw. “It’s calledNight Train to Berlin. I think it was directed by a friend of Margaret’s uncle—a Carroll Goring. It’s based on Robert Langford’s latest novel.” She blew out a puff of smoke before regarding Ceecee with a half smile. “Which you should read instead of the latest edition ofVogue.”
Bitty was in a fractious mood, most likely because, even though she’d spent the evening dancing with different partners, none of them had been “keepers,” as Bitty put it. Too old, too young, too fat, too skinny. Too many freckles, not enough freckles. That sort of thing. Margaret had whispered to Ceecee that it was really because Bitty was so much smarter than the average man that it would take someone with more than a stellar ability to dance to impress her and make it worth her while to spend time with him.
“Fine.” Feeling magnanimous, Ceecee slipped between Boyd and Bitty and placed a hand in the crook of their elbows. “We’ll just go to the movie theater and save them seats. And if they don’t show, we’ll tell them how it ended and ruin it for them.”
Boyd laughed, placing his hand over hers, and left it there while they walked to the theater.
Two hours later, there was still no sign of Margaret or Reggie.They waited outside the theater for another fifteen minutes, and when they still hadn’t shown up, Boyd reassured her and Bitty that Margaret was in good hands and that he would drive them home.
The three of them sat in the front seat, with Ceecee in the middle. “Make sure you leave room for the Holy Ghost,” Bitty said, indicating the lack of a space between Ceecee and Boyd. “Isn’t that what your father would say?”
Ceecee slapped her friend lightly on the arm, then moved even closer to Boyd.
They’d expected the lights to be on in the house when they returned, but it sat dark and empty, only the moonlight guiding their way up the white brick walkway. Ceecee walked through the house, flipping on lights and calling Margaret’s name, Boyd right beside her.
When they’d made the rounds of the small house, Boyd touched her elbow. “Don’t worry, all right? I’m sure they’ve just lost track of time and she’ll show up any minute. They’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Ceecee nodded, not completely able to get rid of her uneasiness. “Will you call me if you get back and Reggie is there?”
“Of course. And you let me know when Margaret shows up. No matter how late.”
He kissed her on the forehead, aware of Bitty watching, then headed toward the door. He turned around once and winked at her. “And I’ll see you in Georgetown as soon as I can make it.”
Unable to bear the thought of not kissing him in a proper good-bye, Ceecee raced across the room and threw herself at him, making sure he was aware of just how much she would miss him. He let her go, and she slowly backed away across the room, then mouthed,I loveyou.
Bitty rolled her eyes and looked away in time for Boyd to say it, too, before closing the door behind him.
Ceecee and Bitty got ready for bed, Ceecee taking the time to press her skirt and blouse, knowing her mother would notice if she was unkempt in any way, and then pin-rolled her hair before slipping on the sleeping cap her mother had packed for her, but which she hadn’t put on once. She’d have to be careful that her mother didn’t see her in a state of undress, because her suntan carried the damning evidence ofthe two-piece bathing suit Margaret had let her wear. It was modest for a two-piece, but her mother would probably have a heart attack if she knew that Ceecee had bared her midriff for everyone to see.
