Mer Tales 01 - Everblue

Ashlyn.”
    “ Well, okay.” Kylie put on her fake smile. “Good luck.”
    We turned away and looked for a number twenty-three in the centerpieces of popcorn boxes, fake movie reels, and glittery stars.
    “ Don’t worry. There’s always an overflow table,” Callahan said just to me.
    I finally relaxed my shoulders. How convenient for the mix-up to put Callahan in with Brooke and her hornets’ nest of friends. My heart warmed that he’d rejected the idea and insisted we be together, even if he didn’t have a seat.
    “ Oh, cool!” Georgia exclaimed after looking at her phone. She waved at Cassie standing on the other side of the room. “Cassie just texted me. There is an extra seat at table twenty-three after all.”
    Callahan and I exchanged relieved glances. “See? It all worked out,” he said.
    The group assembled around the table.
    “ I’m so glad you’re finally here,” Cassie said, looking a bit distressed. “People were trying to steal our chairs.”
    “ Thanks,” I said as Callahan pulled out my chair for me to sit.
    As we settled in, I noticed more students filtered into the room and floundered to find their seats like we did. Across one wall, a replica of the HOLLYWOOD sign stood and on the other were famous black and white pictures of actors and actresses. But my attention was at the center of the room where the buffet tables sat with covered chaffing dishes.
    Shortly thereafter, but not soon enough, Mrs. Kiefer finally dismissed our table to the buffet. The choices were palatable: grilled chicken, tortellini salad, green salad, diced red potatoes and wheat rolls. With a snug dress that left little to no room for stomach expansion, I stuck with the tortellini.
    When the music started, my heart sped up, but not for obvious reasons. The last dance I’d attended had been freshman year and ended horribly when Ricky Anderson, my date, tripped me on the dance floor and I ended up in the ER. I vowed then to never return to a dance floor from sheer embarrassment, until Callahan asked me to be his date.
    Callahan turned to me with a knee-melting smile. “Would you like to dance?”
    His gentle brown eyes made saying “no” impossible and I nodded, completely captured by his enticing lips. He pulled me to the middle of the floor for a slow dance, drawing me into his arms. I leaned into his chest as we swayed in a small circle. My heart fluttered when he pulled me closer, his hands holding the small of my back. Everything was finally perfect, the way I’d pictured this night since he’d asked me a week ago.
    “ This is magical,” I whispered in his ear.
    He hummed back in agreement. My throat hitched remembering Georgia’s suggestion. This was the moment she talked about, but on the inside, I was a bundle of nerves, out of my element. Last thing I wanted to do was kiss Callahan right here in front of everyone. We circled around again and I felt him shift, as if to coax me to look up. I didn’t dare move, keeping my cheek glued to his shoulder.
    “ Are you having fun?” he asked, his warm breath tickling my ear.
    “ Yes.” No. Maybe . I felt too light-headed to be sure.
    He brushed his hand over my hair and wrapped his fingers under my chin. My pulse hammered through my body as he guided my face upwards. Behind his blazing brown eyes, I saw his desire shimmer. He glanced at my lips and back again. With a smile, he leaned in toward me.
    I trembled, closing my eyes as he tipped my chin upward. This is it.
    Expecting warm lips to touch mine, a bright light flashed over my eyelids instead. I popped them open and turned, Callahan’s lips making contact with my cheek. With lipstick smeared faces, Jeremy and Georgia froze, wide-eyed and embarrassed, caught in the direct line of a chaperone’s flashlight. Then, the unforgiving light illuminated yet another couple whose display apparently was objectionable. I put my head back on his shoulder to avoid the probing beacon, my mind racing, embarrassed I’d messed up the kiss.
    The next song sped things up and resulted in people bumping into us, followed up with snide remarks to take our slow dance somewhere else. We broke apart and danced more appropriately for the music selection, but when Callahan moved behind me and took ahold of my hips, I wasn’t about to rub my butt up against him.
    “ I need a rest,” I said, pointing to my feet once the third song started.
    Callahan nodded and we headed to sit at our table alone.
    “ Sorry about the