Midsummer-Night's Dreaming

"Ears?" Greg asked again.

"Really great looking too. Most of the things like that you see at costume shops are pretty lame looking like that old arrow-through-the-head gag? I have admit, these were great. Those big ears even twisted back and forth while they were listening to us just like on a real donkey. Never saw anything like it. I damned near peed myself.

"Uh, sorry, Sarah," he added.

"So what happened? Where did they go?" Sarah asked.

"Shoot, I don't know. They acted like they were real offended that we were laughing at them, and just took off." Mike gave another snort of laughter and downed the last of his drink. "What an evening. I was even ten bucks ahead on the game before that broke things up. 'Scuse me. I need a refill."

Greg looked at Sarah with a puzzled expression. Sarah tipped her head toward the lodge and they both started that direction.

Sarah was shaking her head and muttering, "An ass. He gave them the ears of an ass...?"

"What was that?" Greg asked.

"Oh! Oh, nothing. Really." She hesitated a little. "At least nothing I can really talk about just yet." She felt so close to Greg, yet she wasn't quite ready to share the details of what had happened that afternoon and evening. Still, she was certain from what they had just heard it must have been Puck "helping."

"Like to share a bottle of wine?" Greg asked.

Sarah was conscious of her disheveled appearance and started to say no.

"Oh, we don't have to go to the bar. I don't feel like talking with anyone but you. Why don't we just get a bottle and find some where quiet to talk."

She smiled. "That would be great."

Greg left for the bar, and Sarah turned to the dessert end of the buffet table which the lodge always kept well stocked until after midnight. When Greg returned with a chilled bottle and two glasses, Sarah was waiting with a couple of pieces of cheese cake.

"Hey, that looks great," he said. "Let's see. It's the red wine to go with the red cherries on the cheese cake? Or is it the white wine to offer a contrasting color..."

"Or why don't we just go drink it and worry about the social graces later?" she added.

"Which makes even more sense. Now my lady, where would you like to go?"

Sarah found herself almost blushing. "Well, most of the public areas of the lodge are pretty busy. Would you like to come to..." Her voice faded as she realized she wanted to invite him to her room.

"Your place or mine?" He nodded to himself. "Well, I have a room mate who could come back any time and interrupt a perfectly good conversation. I think you have a room to your self, don't you?"

Sarah shook off the feeling of reserve. In the brightly lighted corridor of the lodge their recent intimacy seemed very remote. Determinedly she pushed back towards those feelings of warmth and togetherness they had just shared. Meeting his gaze she said firmly, "Let's take this to my room. It will be quiet there."

The room was made up and tidy when they arrived. Sarah was glad she had taken time to put her clothes in the closet before she'd went to supper. They sat on either side of the little table and shared a glass of wine and ate the cheese cake.

Neither said anything of importance, but the conversation began to flow. At first she had felt a little awkward alone in the room with Greg. Now, however, she was starting to relax as they talked about little things they liked and disliked.

Finally Greg pushed his empty plate away. "Sarah, I really want to see you again..." He stopped. "That sounds awful. I really don't want to even let you out of my sight!" He took her hand. "This just feels so right being with you." He kissed her knuckles lightly.

Sarah smiled in return. "I think you're right. This was no accident. In fact, I'm sure we were meant to be together. I had it on good authority that the man of my dreams was staying at this lodge."

Greg smiled quizzically at that, but before he could reply, Sarah stood and turned off the lamp on the table. "Why don't we have another glass of that wine and see if we can't recapture a little of what we shared in the woods?"

Greg's smile broadened into a grin and he stood up too. They shared a soft kiss and Sarah began to unbutton his shirt. Greg helped her and as he laid his shirt aside, he looked down at the dresser and said, "What's this?"

Beside the TV movie advertisement sitting on the dresser were a couple of the chocolate mints left every day by the maid. But beside that was a tiny white silken packet with a little purple tie.

Sarah recognized it at once and picked it up. "Oh this is a little present from a friend. I think I'll keep it on hand in case we ever need a special magic moment."

Greg smiled and cocked his head. "Right now, you are all the magic I need." He took her into his arms, and she forgot everything in the magic of his kiss.