On an Edge of Glass

too.”
    “Well, he’s a classic Amer ican singer and songwriter.  Now you know who he is, so at least you’ve gained something of value from this experience.”
    I chuckle at his sarcastic tone.  “You are positively infuriating.”
    “Aww, you like me though.”
    “I do.”  As the words come out of my mouth, I realize how deliberate and full of double meaning they sound. 
    M y cheeks redden and I’m about to say something ironic to deflect the embarrassment coiling tightly in my chest, when I catch the look on Ben’s face.  There’s a strange fire in his eyes and he’s throwing out a smile so wide and brilliant in wattage that I’d like to save it and keep it in my pocket always. 
    Ben parks the car and turns to look at me.  I can tell that he’s thinking about what he’s going to say. 
    “I think that we’ve already established that I like you too,” he takes a quick breath.  “A lot.”
    I smile carefully and hold his gaze.  The air inside of the car seems to heat up.
    After a long minute, Ben clears his throat.  “We’ve reached our destination now so…”
    I cut my eyes out over the span of black asphalt parking lot to the large concrete building growing from the pavement.  It is an elongated rectangle with columns of blue-black windows by the entrance.  There is a wide textured dome-shaped roof spanning the center of the building that reminds me of the outside rind of a cantaloupe. 
    “You brought me to a planetarium?” My voice is dangerously close to an Ainsley-type squeal. 
    “ Ahhh, yeah.”  He runs his hands along the circumference of the steering wheel.  “You mentioned something about liking space awhile ago.  Once you put your foot down about animal sacrifice, I had to come up with something just as interesting but a little less grotesque.”
    “I can’t believe that you remember that I said that .”  I shake my head and push my bangs back away from my eyes.  “I do love space.  I used to beg my mom and dad to take me to the one in D.C. on Saturdays for the afternoon star show.  It was like an entire galaxy to explore all under one roof.”  I take a deep breath and smile.  “This is wonderful.”
    Ben is q uiet.  Maybe he thinks I’m lame—a space-loving future attorney who dabbles in photography does sound lame. 
    He takes my hand and I turn away from the window so that we’re facing each other.  Ben looks directly into my eyes, causing everything inside of me to roll over.  With his fingertips, he reaches out and traces the outline of my mouth.  It feels so good—like a sort of kiss that goes beyond mouths.
    I don’t reall y know what to say.  Saying thank you seems beyond strange and anything else feels like it would break the spell of the moment.  After a few seconds, we both wordlessly open our doors and step into the chilly air.
     
     
     
    At the entrance, we’re met by a beefy lady with thick glasses who rips our tickets and sends us through the doors into the round projection room.  Maneuvering down the aisle, Ben reaches back and takes my hand in his.  He leads me past a family of six and a couple of teenagers to a spot that’s just to the side of center.  These are planetarium seats—the kind of chairs that tilt back so that you can see the entire dome spread out and shimmering with projected night sky stars above you.  In the center of the room is a raised platform.  That’s where the projector is and where the narrator sits during the show. 
    We spend a few minutes playing with the newness of the seats and talking in low voices to each other.  Our faces are so close that I can feel his breath light and warm as it tangles with my hair and moves across my lips.  When the lights dim further the entire audience goes quiet and our eyes turn upward. 
    Ben is still holding my hand.  His fingers are twisted in mine and his thumb is tracing delicate patterns across the skin of my palm and up over my wrist.  In the darkness, his gentle touch makes my head swim.  I shift my body closer so that my right knee rests against his left one and my head bows toward his shoulder.  Covered by a veil of shadows, his hand finds its way slowly up my arm.  Soundlessly, his lips graze the soft groove on the inside of my elbow. 
    M y breath catches in my throat.  I feel like I could float away.   
    Then a low, male voice comes over the speakers, and the dome screen erupts in glossy light reminding my body to work properly.