The First Dance
This is just a short ditty that took me only about 20
minutes to write…. Hope you guys enjoy it.
Disclaimer: still stands true, they own it…I do not.
The first dance.
"Could I please have this dance?" The tall handsome
man asked as he bowed in front of the shy lonely
looking dark eyed girl who sat quietly against the
wall along with other girls including her friend
Blaire.
The girl looked over at her friend Blaire in shock,
as if to say…. "Is he asking me?" Blaire nudged her
with her elbow and nodded.
"Go on." Blaire urgently whispered, attempting to
hide her giggles.
The girl looked up at the handsome gentleman with
widened dark black ebony eyes, and then moved her gaze
away from him. "I’m sorry. I don’t really know how
to dance." She stated as if she were ashamed of her
own admittance.
"That’s all right. I promise I won’t do anything that
you can’t keep up with." The man stated with a warm
loving smile. "You have my word as a gentleman." He
assured her, as he held out his hand for her to take
it.
She meekly put her hand in his and he led them to the
middle of the dance floor.
"Now, put this hand here." He gently placed her hand
on his shoulder, "and the other hand here." He placed
her right hand in his.
He noticed how she would glance over at her friends
who were all sitting along the wall, giggling at the
sight of her out in the middle of the dance floor with
a man who was twice her size, and almost too tall to
dance with.
The music was soft and slow, "Just follow my lead."
He stated with gentleness to his voice. The sound
of his voice made her smile slightly as she gazed into
the blue eyes that sparkled down upon her.
The man took one step to the right and she awkwardly
followed, then he took a small step to the left and
she stepped on his foot.
"Oh I’m sorry." She apologized, knowing that her
friends were probably laughing at her clumsiness. She
felt her hands as they began to get clammy in his
hand.
"It’s all right." He stated with the same gentleness
to his voice that instantly made her relax and let
down her guard some.
The two of them moved slowly on the dance floor as the
awkward dancer followed the lead of the tall handsome
man. All she could think of was ‘please, please…let
this song be over soon." After all she was beginning
to feel like an idiot out here on the dance floor with
a man who her head came to his shoulders. At least she
had a good view of his tuxedo. Her palms were sweaty
and she knew she had an uncomfortable look upon her
face as she attempted to follow the handsome man’s
lead.
She stepped on his toe again. "I’m so sorry, maybe I
should just go sit down."
"No, no…you’re doing fine." He reassured her, it was
evident that this man enjoyed dancing with this young
woman, no matter how awkward she felt.
She stepped on his toe for the third time, and it
looked as if she was going to burst into tears and run
out of the room. He reassured her with a warm smile,
and she sensed a loving kindness that he held towards
her. She focused on the small twinkle in his eye and
continued to dance.
They danced, rather swayed and walked slowly across
the dance floor, he would take two steps to the right
and then one to the left, and she followed as best she
could.
She closed her eyes and prayed that the music would be
over soon, she felt like a total idiot. Yet the man
insisted that she was doing fine and she couldn’t find
the courage to flee the dance floor. All she wanted
to do was to go and sit along the wall with the rest
of her friends for the rest of the night. Or bury
herself in her bed under the covers and never come out
again. She felt like all she could do was watch all
of the other’s dance, and have a good time.
"Now, I’m the one who’s sorry." He said as he lightly
stepped on her toe. She looked up at him and smiled,
at least he had a sense of humor and was being a good
sport about it. It made her laugh slightly as she
began to relax and follow his lead, and before she
realized it…she was dancing.
She was dancing. Oh my gosh, she was dancing.
Actually dancing and to top it off she was graceful at
it…. It was only a simple step but she was doing it.
She was no longer embarrassed as the other girls who
sat along the wall and stared at the couple on the
floor. The other boys who were sitting on the
opposite wall all watched as the two gracefully
danced. Even Blaire, who sat along the wall, her eyes
full of amazement and shock, at the fact that her best
friend had mastered the steps of the dance.
Then the music stopped. "Thank you, if I may ask you
for this next dance also?" he asked with genuine
courtesy.
"I’d like that." She nodded slightly and smiled
gracefully. "Only if you promise not to do anything
fancy." She stated, the slight sparkle in her ebony
eyes made his heart melt and he knew beyond a shadow
of a doubt that this was one dance he would never
forget, nor ever regret asking.
"You have my word, madam." He stated with a slight bow
of his head.
The music began and they were dancing again. She
began to relax more as the music progressed; she began
to smile at her handsome partner. There was no one in
the universe but her and this man she was dancing
with, as she began to filter out the stares of the
others as they promenaded across the dance floor. His
heart couldn’t do anything but melt as he looked down
upon her smiling face. He returned the smile with one
identical and as warm as hers.
"May I cut in?" A voice tapped on the man’s shoulder.
The man moved to the side, and allowed another
handsome, very young man take the beautiful young
girls hand.
"It’s all right." The young girl whispered to her
previous partner as he gracefully stepped back out of
the way, and briefly watched as the young boy and girl
began to dance slowly across the floor.
"May I have this dance?" the tall handsome gentleman
made his way and asked another woman who had been
watching him dance from across the room.
"I thought you’d never ask." She answered as he led
her to the dance floor.
"That is that boy that she is always talking about,
Joey Pressmand." Deanna whispered as she watched the
young teenage couple dance diagonally across from
them. "He is quite handsome. Don’t you think so,
Will?" she asked her husband.
"I suppose." He stated as he glanced over at the young
couple. "But," he added as he whirled his wife
around. "I asked her to dance her very first dance."
"And you did very well if I may add."
"You may." He drew his wife close.
They danced a while longer and when the music stopped
he escorted his wife back to their table.
He pulled out the chair and sat her down. His
overprotective gaze never leaving the young couple who
headed across the room towards the punch bowl.
"And Joey and I will get along fine, as long as he
doesn’t do anything fancy." He stated with a fatherly
tone.
"I don’t believe she will be sitting there like a
lonely wallflower any longer, Will."
"Me either, Deanna." He sat down and sipped his
drink. "Me either." He repeated. Will Riker for the
first time, not really understanding or knowing what
lie ahead as he watched his fifteen year old daughter
laugh and giggle with the same boy who cut in and
stold his young dance partner’s heart.
Later that evening as he was sitting at his table and
the last song was being played, two slender arms came
from behind and wrapped themselves around his neck,
and then a soft voice sang into his ears. "Thank you,
Daddy." She bent down and whispered, "For making
every memory I have of you a good one." Her words
were followed by a kiss on his bearded cheek. "I love
you." She added.
"Mom?" she stood up straight and spoke over her
father’s head, her hands resting on top of his broad
shoulders. "Is it okay if I go with some of the kids
to ten-forward for a chocolate sundae?"
"All right, if you’re home by twenty-two hundred
hours." Deanna answered her daughter.
"Thanks." She stated a tone of happiness enveloped its
self around her voice, she whirled around, and then
their fifteen-year-old daughter was gone.
"Shall we go to our quarters and wait for our little
ex-wallflower?"
"After you, Counselor." He replied with a huge smile
that spread across his face.
THE END