Her Lifelong Dream

by Judy Kouzel

  "I've been expecting you," the waiter said. "I'm Bradley and I'll be your server this evening."

  "Hi Bradley," Leedy said. "How come we're not at the big tables with everyone else?"

  "Not that we're complaining," Terry added.

  "We were wondering the same thing ourselves," Bradley told them. "But, I can assure you, this is no mistake. This was by special request from the bride herself. Mrs. Ellis wanted you two to have a table all to yourselves." He smiled broadly and poured white wine into their glasses. "But don't worry. I will not forget about you. As a matter of fact, you're my only table. I'll personally see to it that you have a wonderful time." Bradley poured them each a glass of wine, bowed, then disappeared back into the crowd of guests.

  "That brat!" Leedy said to Terry after the waiter had left. "Brittany set this whole thing up!"

  "I don't mind," he said, leaning toward her. "In fact, I think I might donate another place setting of that china she picked out. This is the best seat in the house. And the best seating arrangement I've ever seen at a wedding."

  Leedy blushed, but she too thought it was the best seat in the house and the best seating arrangement she had ever seen at a wedding. She sipped from her glass of wine and smiled up at him. "I guess I can live with it," she said.

  They listened to the jazz music and talked, neither one having any desire to mingle with the crowd. The company of each other was enough for them. Suddenly, the room became loud and an excited buzz swept across the room.

  "Ladies and gentlemen," the band leader said into the microphone. "May I present to you, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Ellis!"

  The room went wild when Brittany and Mark swept into the room, making a grand entrance to the roaring applause of the approving crowd. Leedy tried to catch Brittany's eye, if only to stick out her tongue, but to no avail. It was obvious the bride had other things to attend to, what with greeting her guests, dancing with the groom and looking radiant. Leedy decided she would thank Brittany later.

  Bradley was true to his word: he didn't forget about Table Eight. Terry and Leedy drank the good wine and enjoyed a delicious dinner. But the filet mignon didn't take her attention away from the handsome man who was sitting next to her. As a matter of fact, with each passing moment her thoughts increasingly turned to the tantalizing possibility that he might kiss her again. Leedy could almost imagine what his body would feel like next to hers. She closed her eyes and let the desire wash over her. She could hardly wait to feel his arms wrapped around her.

  "Would you like to dance?" he asked, as if he was reading her mind. She nodded and he softly slipped his arm around her waist and led her to the dance floor.

  She couldn't remember the last time she had gone dancing-it seemed like forever. Dancing was something Leedy loved dearly but rarely was able to do. For a fleeting second Leedy remembered how much Brian disliked dancing. It was then she realized that this was the first time since the breakup that she had thought about Brian and not felt sad. It was liberating to no longer feel sad about her exboyfriend. There was no sorrow and no regrets. In fact, she thought about Brian and his new fiancee and wished them both happiness. Things were not meant to work out between her and Brian. Both of them were meant for someone else.

  Terry led her across the floor, and they danced as gracefully as a couple who had danced every day of their lives. They moved to the steady beat of the music, their bodies in perfect rhythm to each other. They danced to everything the band played. From pop to jazz to the Electric Slide and even the Chicken Dance. They danced until they were out of breath and thirsty and longing for their cozy table for two in the corner.

  "Hey, you two," Brittany said, sliding up next to them on the dance floor. "Are you having fun?"

  Terry gave Brittany an affectionate kiss of the cheek and shook Mark's hand.

  Leedy gave Brittany a gigantic hug. "You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen," she whispered in Brittany's ear. "And I owe you one."

  "Yes, you do," Brittany said, returning the embrace. Then she turned her attention to Terry. "Isn't Leedy pretty?" she asked him, grinning her pixie's smile.

  "Yes, she is," he said, smiling gratefully.

  "We have to keep moving," Brittany said, hugging Leedy again. "We want to say hello to everyone and not all of our guests are as easily entertained as you two."

  "We'll talk more later," Leedy promised as Brittany and Mark waved goodbye.

  "Maybe we can all get together for dinner?" Brittany suggested. "After we get back from the honeymoon, of course."

  "That sounds terrific," Leedy said. "You two have fun!"

  "You too," Brittany called.

  Terry led Leedy back to their table. "That was fun," he said. "You're a great dancer."

  "You too!"

  "We'll have to do this more often then," he said.

  "I'm game, if you are."

  "Oh, I'm game."

  They sat down and he scooted his chair closer. "Would you like to go to a movie with me and Deanna tomorrow?" he asked. "And, of course, my new friend, Chris?"

  "Yes," Leedy said. "Are you sure Deanna will not mind me tagging along?"

  "Of course not," he said. "She wouldn't mind a bit. She doesn't know about Chris yet, but it was her idea to invite you. In fact, she was insistent."

  "Okay then," Leedy said. "I would love to go."

  "It is our Sunday tradition," he said. "But Deanna gets to pick out the movie, I'm afraid. She told me this rule isn't open to negotiation. Something about some obscure Wisconsin child protection law. I find it's best not to argue."

  "I can see that," Leedy agreed.

  "I must warn you though, her movies usually involve a lot of gun play and exploding oil tankers. I hope you didn't have something more romantic in mind."

  Leedy grimaced. "I hate chick movies," she said.

  "You do?" Terry said in mock surprise. "You're beautiful, smart, and you hate chick movies! Where have you been all my life?"

  "Here and there," she said, smiling.

  "So you will join us?"

  "It sounds like fun," she said.

  "I'll pick you up at five, and we'll go back to my place and wait for the kids."

  Bradley appeared and refilled their wine glasses. He was true to his word. He took care of their every need, but they barely noticed he was there.

  "Remind me to offer him a job," Leedy said, clinking her glass with Terry's.

  "I will," he said. "In fact, that brings up something I've been wanting to tell you all night."

  "What's that?" she asked, enjoying the taste of the good Chardonnay.

  "I was going to wait until Monday when we could have Jo Anne with us, but ..."

  "What is it?" Leedy asked.

  "I shouldn't say."

  "Oh, come on. You brought it up!"

  "All right," he said, holding back his excitement. "I'm going to explode if I don't tell you. Are you ready?"

  "Yes!"

  "Your loan application was approved," he said, his face breaking into a huge grin. "The approval committee met last night. The director called me this morning and told me. 11

  For a second, Leedy sat staring at Terry as if she had not heard what he had said. "What did you say?" she finally asked.

  He carefully repeated every word he had just said, but she was still unable to fully grasp the importance of the message.

  "Are you sure?" she stammered, blinking.

  "You heard me!" Terry exclaimed. "Leedy! Your loan was approved!"

  She looked at him blankly, trying to comprehend the enormity of his announcement. "Say it again," she said. "Say it slower this time. I want to be sure I get every single word!"

  "You, Miss Leedy Collins, along with your partner, have been approved for a small-business loan," he said. "You know. Remember? There was some mooning about a lifelong dream of owning a restaurant? That loan?"

  Leedy leaped up from her chair and screamed "Yahoo!" She threw her arms around him and squeezed him with
all of her might, nearly knocking him off his seat, not caring that people seated at the tables nearby were looking at them curiously. "We did it!" she shouted, grabbing hold of his shoulders and shaking him. "We did it! We did it! We did it!"

  "You did it," he said, jumping up with her. He wrapped her in his arms and twirled her in the air.

  "You helped me!" she cried. "I couldn't have done it without you!"

  "No," Terry said. "The only thing I did was give the Approval Committee my recommendation. They made the final decision to approve it. You did it, Leedy! You and Jo Anne."

  "We couldn't have done it without you though," she repeated, hugging him tightly.

  "It was the least I could do," he said. "I mean, after all, you're the woman I adore."

  "You ... adore me?"

  "Yes," he said, the look of longing returned to his blue eyes. "I want to be a part of your lifelong dream, too, Leedy. Whatever it happens to be. I love you."

  She looked at him, too happy to speak. The news about the restaurant was good, but the words coming from his lips were even better.

  "Say it again," she said. "Only say it slower this time. I want to be sure I get every single word!"

  "Leedy," Terry whispered, holding her close to him. "I'm madly in love with you. I have been since the first time I laid eyes on you. Ever since the day you walked into my life. You're beautiful and smart and exciting and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you," he whispered softly in her ear.

  He kissed her again and she felt it all the way to her curled toes. "I love you too, Terry," she said, fighting back the tears of joy. He kissed her again, and again, his lips pressing against hers with an insistence that made her knees feel weak. Her mouth yielded to the delicious touch of his sweet kisses as her desire drove her deeper and deeper into his arms.

  Suddenly the sound of applause was ringing in her ears and she reluctantly pulled away from him. Maybe it was time for Brittany and Mark to make a toast or something. Leedy looked up, instead to find that the entire reception hall was looking in their direction, applauding, hooting and cheering wildly. Leedy noticed Brittany standing next to Mark, her eyebrows raised in mock horror, a victorious smile on her face.

  "Maybe we should find a more private place to do our kissing," Leedy whispered in Terry's ear.

  "You're right," he said, slipping his arm around her waist and facing them both out to bow for the crowd. "Maybe we should. And I just happen to know of the perfect place."