the front
door, where he knew he would find some of his friends enjoying cigarettes
outside. Halfway to the door he heard someone call his name. He whipped
around. “Carol, how are you doing? I saw you earlier, but I haven’t had a
chance to come over and say ‘Hi.’ ”
“You really should leave break dancing to the street kids,
Alan.”
“Oh, you witnessed that impressive display?”
“Yeah. Don’t quit your day job.”
“Everyone’s a critic,” Alan smirked.
Carol quickly changed the subject. “Alan, this is my friend
Julia.”
Alan extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
Julia took his hand. “The bells on the ears are an
interesting accessory. Here, it’s not quite complete.” She took one of the
white blossoms from her hair that was attached by a bobby pin, and shoved it
into Alan’s hair. “There. Now you’re properly dapper.”
“Why, thank you.” Alan bowed in mock deference. “I don’t
know what I’d do without your fashion expertise.”
“Probably continue to look ridiculous,” Julia said, and she
and Carol giggled.
Alan feigned an air of indignation. “I can be abused like
this outside, where it’s cooler. See you ladies later.”
“All right,” responded Carol, still laughing.
Alan went out and cooled off while talking with the smokers
congregated around the main entrance to the hall, then went back in, got a rum
and coke at the bar, and joined his friends for some more dancing. After a
while, he went back to the bar for another drink. As he turned back to join
his friends, he saw Carol and Julia approaching again. He reached up to his
hair to check on the positioning of Julia’s bobby pin, but it was gone. It had
obviously fallen out of his hair during his wild gyrations on the dance floor.
“I’m so sorry,” He said when they got into earshot, “but it
seems as though I’ve lost your wonderful addition to my attire.”
“Well, then,” Julia responded with mock snootiness, “I guess
we have nothing more to say to one another.” She continued past him to the
bar.
Well, I guess I can knock her off of the checklist of
potential conquests tonight, Alan thought, and returned to his friends.
The wedding partiers carried on for another hour or so,
until the hall staff closed the party down. “Back to the motel! We still have
alcohol there,” rose the cry from several people who were under the impression
that they had not yet had enough fun. After not too long a time, Alan and his
friends found themselves gathered in Jeff and Sandy’s room.
“This is great!” Jeff yelled, giving Alan a one-armed hug.
“We should get some more people in here.”
Steve chimed in. “I know where some of Jane’s friends are
staying. Come on, Alan, let’s go drag them down here.”
Steve and Alan strolled down the hallway of the motel to the
other end, where a door was open and other partiers were gathered. “Hey! Party
down the hall!” Steve exclaimed, entering the room. Alan followed and spied
Julia sitting on the edge of a table, extracting bobby-pinned flowers from her
hair. He was struck with a notion. He quickly approached her, sank to one
knee, and took her hand. Gazing into her eyes, he said, “I must beg you abject
pardon, my lady, for losing the gracious gift of your flower. If you can find
it in your warm, generous heart to grant me another, I shall never lose it, and
cherish it always.”
Julia chuckled, more from embarrassment than anything else,
and looked around the room. Everyone was watching her, silent and expectant,
wondering what she would do. “All right,” she said. “Here.” She handed him a
bobby pin with a white flower still stuck in it.
Alan took it with one hand while kissing the back of her
hand that he held. “Thank you, my dear. You have won my heart forever.” He
slipped the bobby pin into his hair, over his right temple.
Julia rolled her eyes and took
door, where he knew he would find some of his friends enjoying cigarettes
outside. Halfway to the door he heard someone call his name. He whipped
around. “Carol, how are you doing? I saw you earlier, but I haven’t had a
chance to come over and say ‘Hi.’ ”
“You really should leave break dancing to the street kids,
Alan.”
“Oh, you witnessed that impressive display?”
“Yeah. Don’t quit your day job.”
“Everyone’s a critic,” Alan smirked.
Carol quickly changed the subject. “Alan, this is my friend
Julia.”
Alan extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
Julia took his hand. “The bells on the ears are an
interesting accessory. Here, it’s not quite complete.” She took one of the
white blossoms from her hair that was attached by a bobby pin, and shoved it
into Alan’s hair. “There. Now you’re properly dapper.”
“Why, thank you.” Alan bowed in mock deference. “I don’t
know what I’d do without your fashion expertise.”
“Probably continue to look ridiculous,” Julia said, and she
and Carol giggled.
Alan feigned an air of indignation. “I can be abused like
this outside, where it’s cooler. See you ladies later.”
“All right,” responded Carol, still laughing.
Alan went out and cooled off while talking with the smokers
congregated around the main entrance to the hall, then went back in, got a rum
and coke at the bar, and joined his friends for some more dancing. After a
while, he went back to the bar for another drink. As he turned back to join
his friends, he saw Carol and Julia approaching again. He reached up to his
hair to check on the positioning of Julia’s bobby pin, but it was gone. It had
obviously fallen out of his hair during his wild gyrations on the dance floor.
“I’m so sorry,” He said when they got into earshot, “but it
seems as though I’ve lost your wonderful addition to my attire.”
“Well, then,” Julia responded with mock snootiness, “I guess
we have nothing more to say to one another.” She continued past him to the
bar.
Well, I guess I can knock her off of the checklist of
potential conquests tonight, Alan thought, and returned to his friends.
The wedding partiers carried on for another hour or so,
until the hall staff closed the party down. “Back to the motel! We still have
alcohol there,” rose the cry from several people who were under the impression
that they had not yet had enough fun. After not too long a time, Alan and his
friends found themselves gathered in Jeff and Sandy’s room.
“This is great!” Jeff yelled, giving Alan a one-armed hug.
“We should get some more people in here.”
Steve chimed in. “I know where some of Jane’s friends are
staying. Come on, Alan, let’s go drag them down here.”
Steve and Alan strolled down the hallway of the motel to the
other end, where a door was open and other partiers were gathered. “Hey! Party
down the hall!” Steve exclaimed, entering the room. Alan followed and spied
Julia sitting on the edge of a table, extracting bobby-pinned flowers from her
hair. He was struck with a notion. He quickly approached her, sank to one
knee, and took her hand. Gazing into her eyes, he said, “I must beg you abject
pardon, my lady, for losing the gracious gift of your flower. If you can find
it in your warm, generous heart to grant me another, I shall never lose it, and
cherish it always.”
Julia chuckled, more from embarrassment than anything else,
and looked around the room. Everyone was watching her, silent and expectant,
wondering what she would do. “All right,” she said. “Here.” She handed him a
bobby pin with a white flower still stuck in it.
Alan took it with one hand while kissing the back of her
hand that he held. “Thank you, my dear. You have won my heart forever.” He
slipped the bobby pin into his hair, over his right temple.
Julia rolled her eyes and took
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