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Romeo made his way across the party. He wasn’t paying as much attention as he should. He nearly knocked into a server with a tray of pigs in blankets and a fifty-something couple carrying a duo of dirty martinis. They sloshed half their drinks to the ground in his wake. They were not happy.
Three steps later he was intercepted by that same gray haired grandma who was still hoping to get the hookup.
“Sandwiches?” she asked again. Her voice cracking slightly as she did.
“Almost,” said Romeo, brushing past her.
Then, just before he reached the edge of the d
ance floor he slipped on a slick of cheap chardonnay. Barely managing not to full on fall, he caught his balance, regained his footing and kept on going. Ironically aware that the universe seemed to be putting one obstacle after another in front of him.
In seconds he would be close enough to talk to her. He had no idea what he was going to say. He only knew that he had to try. One more time. He just had to. And that’s when Cap stepped in front of him.
41
“What did I tell you about bothering my daughter?”
“Please. I just want to talk to her. Ant please. Five minutes.”
Cap looked at his daughter. Even he could see she was conflicted.
Frankly, Ant was more than conflicted. She was overwhelmed. She’d actually thought she was done. That with all the things she’d learned about Romeo over the last couple of weeks, all the things he’d done, all the things she thought he’d done, she was finished with him. But seeing him. Thisclose. Was harder than she’d thought it would be.
She’d thought about this moment. The moment she’d see him again. She knew they would probably run into each other at this party. She knew both their families would be there. She thought she had prepared for it. She thought she was good with her decision. Wasn’t she the one who could always move on and not look back? So, why did it seem so hard this time?
She shook her head no.
Cap folded his thick, meaty arms across his thick, meaty chest. “She said no.”
“Ant please. Come on.”
The Mayor moved the scooter slightly. Enough so that he was now part of the conversation. “Son, we’re not going to have any trouble here are we? ”
Romeo looked at him. He went from face to face looking at all of them. It was obvious he wasn’t wanted there. Glaringly obvious, standing there in his white cook’s shirt and grease stained jeans, that he didn’t belong there.
He looked at Ant one more time. He tried to find her eyes. But she was looking away. Down at the floor. That’s when she noticed that one of the crystals in her flip flop had already popped out and was gone. Really? she thought. These are brand new.
Then, Patrick spoke up.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” he said, stepping in front of Ant and putting himself between her and Romeo. “Why don’t we go dance.”
“Yes!” exclaimed Mrs Cap. “That’s a great idea. “You two should go dance.”
Ant looked up slowly. Patrick was good looking enough, and he’d always been nice to her. Then she looked at Nikki, who to tell the truth, hadn’t been all that nice to her lately. And then at Romeo who, as far as she knew, also hadn’t been all that nice to her lately.
“You know what, sure, I’ll dance with you,” she said.
“Fantastic!” squealed her mom, as she practically pushed them together toward the dance floor.
Nikki and Romeo stared after them. Not believing what they were seeing.
It took a minute or so for Ant and Patrick to get out there and get moving. To start swaying to the music. But once they had, Mrs Cap was beside herself. “Look at them. Don’t they just look perfect out there? Hmmm?”
Cap didn’t see it that way. In fact, he didn’t see it at all. What he did see though, was Monty’s stand and the long line snaking up to it.
The Mayor didn’t see it that way either. All he could see was the pile of poofs in front of him. As soon as Patrick walked away the Mayor flagged down the cheesy poof guy and began going to town on the whole platter.
“Oh! There’s Anita,” said Mrs Cap, seeing her friend Anita. “Anita! You hoo Anita honey,” she cooed as she walked off.
