Page 20 of Love Story
John wanted the song to last forever. He sang the lyrics quietly, so only she could hear. “You wonder if this heart of mine... will lose its desire for you. Never my love.”
A few times he caught a glimpse of her face, and each time her eyes were closed. As if she were feeling the same way he was. When the song ended, it took every bit of John’s willpower not to touch his lips to hers. Students began to file out of the dance hall, but John and Elizabeth stayed that way, cheek to cheek, lost in a slow dance they never wanted to leave.
Bill finally came up to him. “John... what are ya—” He stopped short. “Elizabeth. Your friends are leaving.”
She jolted from the moment and like Cinderella from a fairy-tale dream, she pulled away. “I have to go.”
“Wait.” John’s heart thudded in his chest. He couldn’t let her walk away without getting her number. He needed to see her again. No one had ever made him feel this way. He found a scrap of paper and a pen. “What’s your number? I want to take you out.”
“You can’t.” This time she wasn’t laughing. “I told you, John. My parents would never let me go.”
There had to be a chance at least. John’s mind raced. “Okay, then here.” He scribbled his number on the paper and handed it to her. “Call me. Find a way... please.”
She took it from him and slipped it into the pocket of her dress. Then just as she was about to run off, she came to him and hugged him. As they embraced he could feel her body against his, feel the way they fit together, and something else. He could sense the way she clung to him. She didn’t want to leave, either. Whatever crazy chemistry had ignited between them, she felt it, too. “Goodbye, John.” She whispered the words and then with one last look, she ran to join her friends.
John could barely draw a breath.
Bill walked up to him and waved his open hand in front of John’s eyes. “Earth to John Baxter. Hello.”
John laughed, but his heart wasn’t in it. All he wanted was to stand here on this very dance floor and relive every second of the night. Every dance and laugh and touch and moment with her near him.
But the janitor pushed a broom onto the floor. “Time to go, people. Let’s move it.”
“Standing here won’t bring her back.” Bill rolled his eyes. “Let’s get home, Mr. I-can’t-stay-at-the-dance-another-minute.”
John finally remembered to exhale. “She changed my mind.”
“You think?” Bill chuckled. “Tell me all about it at home.”
Back at the house, John didn’t share any but the most basic details. The night belonged to Elizabeth and him alone. He wouldn’t share it with anyone.
Three days passed and all John did was think of her. He couldn’t focus in class, couldn’t imagine studying for an exam. He couldn’t even get through a shift at the drugstore where he worked a few nights a week without feeling himself in her arms again.
Finally on the fourth day, the phone at the Wesleys’ house rang. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. John didn’t think anything of it until Joan Wesley lowered the receiver. “It’s for you.” She smiled and mouthed the words. “It’s a girl.”
John’s heart skipped a beat. He took the phone as quickly as he could. “Hello?”
“Hi. This is Betsy.” The girl paused. “I’m Elizabeth’s friend.” She uttered a shy laugh. “This probably seems crazy, but Elizabeth couldn’t call you from her house. She asked if you could meet her in thirty minutes on campus at the bench across from the science building.”
Only then did John realize he hadn’t asked Elizabeth where she lived. He had assumed she had a room in one of the dorms. But he remembered Elizabeth’s comments about her parents. “Does she... live with her mom and dad?”
“Yes. She can never call you from there.” The girl sounded proud of herself. “I told her I’d help.”
John felt a rush of relief. “Thank you, Betsy. You don’t know...”
“Actually, I do.” There was a smile in her voice. “What should I tell Elizabeth?”
“Tell her I’ll be there. I’d meet her on the moon if that’s where she wanted to go.”
John rode his bike to the bench and got there fifteen minutes early. Sure enough, at 3:30, Elizabeth appeared on the path, also riding a bicycle. She wore a pale pink blouse and navy short pants. Her pretty hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
When she climbed off the bike he took hold of both her hands. “You get more beautiful every time I see you.”
“Thanks.” She looked into his eyes, and the fear from the other night was back. “My parents would disown me if they knew I was doing this.”
“We aren’t doing anything.” He moved a step closer. “I just wanted to see you... to talk.”
That wasn’t what either of them wanted to do. The look in Elizabeth’s eyes told him that much.
