“Antonio.....” I called him once again, and for what felt like the hundredth time, he left his post and asked his friend to take over behind the bar. He came over to me with a worried look on his face.
“Oh dear, look what happened to you. You still remember how weak you are with alcohol, right? I didn’t give you that much for you to finish it all in such a....”
I cut off his ridiculous words by pressing my index finger to his lips. “Dance with me, Antonio. I want to dance, and I think this song is perfect.” He chuckled softly at my words, then left his station and muttered something about the music being good before I could make out the rest.
Antonio walked toward me while fixing the sleeve of his shirt that had come loose. I stood up, only for Antonio to catch me when I staggered and nearly fell face-first onto the floor.
“Thank you.” He only looked at me with his gentle eyes before guiding me toward the dance floor.
The people who had been dancing to the pounding music suddenly stopped when they saw Antonio and me standing face-to-face. A bartender in a white shirt, black pants, and white sneakers held tightly to the hand and waist of a woman in a white wedding dress and high heels, accompanied by the dim glow of the bar lights. Maybe this was the most inappropriate place for it, but so what? Just for a little while, I would break my usual habits and do something I wanted to do.
Antonio slowly turned toward the DJ, perhaps signaling for him to change the song to something more suitable for dancing. The slow, sweet song filling my ears made Antonio and me move in harmony with the music. Then a few other people joined in. If the place hadn’t been filled with the smell of alcohol and strangely dressed teenagers, you could have said we were dancing in a luxurious restaurant.
“Antonio, I’m sorry for leaving you like that,” I said softly, looking into his grayish eyes.
“No, dear, it’s okay. I know there’s someone else there who can make you happy.” I was just about to throw myself into Antonio’s arms when a gentle tug pulled me away from him.
“Cheryl.... You promised you’d dance with me tonight. Why are you dancing with someone else now?” Suddenly, the brown-haired man with blue eyes was standing in front of me. My eyes burned, and tears fell without warning. He gently pulled me closer and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, burying my tear-streaked face against his chest.
“Sorry, dude. I’ll take Cheryl home.”
“Sure. Please get her all the way home.”
“Thanks.” I faintly heard the conversation between William and Antonio. My head grew heavier, my face felt hot, and my stomach churned. Maybe this was the effect of the alcohol. William helped me walk to his black Mini Cooper, his favorite color. Then he opened the back door, but I turned and gently held his hand, making him stop.
“I want to sit beside you, Will.” In the dim light, I saw him smile before opening the door on the passenger side. He helped me sit down gently and slowly. How ironic. I could no longer see him as my lover. Not anymore. Because of these feelings, from today onward I had to change them into the affection I felt for an older sibling.
Will then sat in the driver’s seat, and I looked at him sadly. His hair looked more disheveled, his tie had loosened, and his black shirt had come untucked. I smiled faintly as I watched him sit there in silence, so flustered that he simply gripped the steering wheel.