If Only For a Day

"So does this story have a happy ending? Did you get the girl?"

"Don't rush me. I'm getting to that part. Jenny was a hard girl to approach, especially for a shy guy like me, but then one day, I heard that Jenny lost her partner in the "Sly Cats" so..."

"What's a Sly Cat?"

"It was a song and dance group. A kind of a club in the performing arts department that went around doing shows for charities and fairs and stuff. Think like the T.V. show 'Glee.'"

"I believe I see where this is going."

"Yeah, I figured it was an in for me, so I tried out. I didn't tell any of my friends. I mean the 'Sly Cats' were kind of made fun of on campus. They dressed in bell bottoms and wore white shirts with red suspenders and performed a lot of really dated Pop music."

"So it really was 'Glee,'" said Fiona starting to laugh.

"'Glee,' but a whole lot worse. I ended up getting in. I think it helped that no other guys bothered to try out. So there I was in my ridiculous outfit, but at least I was partnered with the girl of my dreams."

William stopped to cut another piece of meat on his plate.

"Hey! Don't leave me hanging here! What happened? Did you warm up to her and ask her out? Give her a hickey behind the performing arts building?"

"Give her a hickey? What kind of a guy do you think I am? I would never stoop to marking women in such a barbaric fashion, at least nowhere that showed. The story actually kind of ends with a whimper and not a bang."

"Bang as in..." Fiona's voice trailed off as she made a circle with her finger and thumb, pushing the finger of her other hand through it repeatedly.

"What are you, fourteen? Jesus, Lady," said William laughing.

"So, no bang?"

"No bang. We went out once, and frankly, it was a disaster of a date. She spent the whole night talking about herself and offering me tips on being a better performer. I think it was safe to say Jenny was more than a little narcissistic. All I ended up getting out of the whole experience was seriously teased by all the other guys for being a song and dance pansy. Oh! and I can sing you any number of Broadway show tunes."

"I'll pass, but it's nice to know you're my goto if I forget the lyrics to 'Oklahoma.'"

"Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain..." sang William under his breath.

"Please!" said Fiona, holding up a hand in mock horror.

"So what about you? Any embarrassing stories in your past?"

Fiona pushed her food around her plate for a second, letting out a quiet sigh, "Teddy Carmichael. My freshman year of college."

"I'm all ears," said William leaning forward.

"He was the fraternity president of one of the largest Greek houses on campus, and I was smitten with him from the start. I was like you though, terribly shy, and he was so popular. I couldn't bring myself even to try talking to him."

"I feel for you."

"Yes. The most I could do was adore him from afar until one day my sister, who is two years older than me and much more outgoing wangled us invitations to one of the biggest Greek bashes of the year. So I pulled out all the stops. I put on my sexiest outfit, slutted up my makeup, and went to get my man!"

"The build-up is killing me. I wish I had popcorn for this..." joked William.

"I arrived, but my willpower failed me. I figured I had one hope and that was to get filled with Dutch courage, so I proceeded to hit the keg like I was going to float it single-handed."

"How could this go wrong?"

"How indeed," said Fiona, "There I was pumped full of liquid bravery, and I marched right up to Teddy, and I said 'Teddy! I'm Fiona Stewart and...'"

She paused, stopping to sip from her wine.

"And? And what?" entreated William.

"And...I promptly vomited all over him. I mean an avalanche of predigested hops all over this poor boy. It was truly a devastating moment for both of us."

"What happened then?"

"Oh! I got out of there at a dead run and didn't stop running until I made it back to my dorm. I spent the night dry heaving in the lavatory and passed out ten feet short of my bed. Truly a night to remember which is why I've spent years trying to forget."

William wiped tears from his eyes; he was laughing so hard, "We are quite a pair, Fiona. It's a wonder either of us ever had a date."

They kept working on making a dent in their wine bottle while the waiter cleared their plates and offered them dessert. They decided to split a piece of chocolate cake and were scooping up the last bites from their plate when the train shuddered with the lights flickering momentarily.

"What the heck was that?" asked William looking nervously overhead.

A voice suddenly broadcast over the intercom system in calm, professional sounding tones, "Folks! This is your conductor speaking. We've had a small technical issue that we need to come to a stop to deal with there will be about a two-hour delay before we get underway again. We will be stopping at the platform in McGivern, and you will be allowed off the train if you would like to stretch your legs, but please don't wander too far."

"Huh? Well, I guess it beats falling out of the sky because of a malfunction in an engine."

"Ever been to McGivern?" asked Fiona.

"Can't say that I have."

"It doesn't have much to recommend it, but it does have one thing, and it's close to the train station."

"This one thing would be?"

"A dance hall!" said Fiona grabbing his hand.

"Did I mention I haven't gotten over the whole 'Sly Cats' thing?" groused William.

This was quite literally the last place William had expected to end up on this trip. In the dance hall of a small town on a Thursday night with a slightly inebriated Scottish girl. It turned out that Fiona had visited here once before under similar circumstances which gave rise to the idea in Williams mind that she might be bad luck for trains.

The dance hall appeared to be quite a favorite local hangout for the people that lived in McGivern. A blast of loud music hit William and Fiona as they strode in through the big double doors, and were confronted by a swirling collection of humanity engaged in a coordinated celebratory movement that both instantly recognized from grade school.

"Seriously? Square Dancing!"

"Come on, William. It's a small town and very traditional."

He had always been somewhat indifferent to the art of square dancing when he had been in school, though that could have been because no girls ever wanted his nerdy young self for a partner. A lack of partner was no problem tonight. Fiona pulled him out onto the floor with a grin wider than the bandstand plastered on her face. It was hard to argue with her enthusiasm, and she was undoubtedly sweeter than Jenny Dean had ever been. They joined hands, and before he knew it, the steps were coming back to him, and he was caught up in the carefully choreographed swirl of human bodies.

Fiona's smiling face went flying by him more than once, and he had to admit she looked gorgeous with her skin flush from alcohol and excitement.

Despite his early misgivings, William discovered to his surprise that he was enjoying himself immensely, and for the first time that day, he forgot all about his parents.

"Whew! I don't think a job behind a desk has me in the proper shape for this much dancing," said William wiping sweat from his brow.

"You should get out more too much time indoors isn't healthy," laughed Fiona as they took a break.

He led her to a table where they were selling fresh lemonade and paid for a cup for each of them. The tart liquid was quite tasty, and he gulped the cup dry, trying to rehydrate. Fiona was drinking hers so fast she had a small stream of liquid running down her chin.

"You appear to be quite experienced with this whole square dancing thing," observed William.

"It's not too far from Irish Country dancing, and my Mom made me take lessons when I was a kid."

"What like 'Lord of the Dance' type stuff?"

"You're thinking Irish Step dancing, and I'm no Michael Flatley."

"I'm glad I would rather dance with a pretty girl."

Fiona blushed looking away bashfully at his compliment. The sudden darkening of her skin made her pink lips stand out all the more, and for a moment he was sorely tempted to kiss her which seemed more than a little crazy given they had just met. He was saved from his dilemma by the ringing of his cell phone.

"Would you excuse me for a minute?"

He left Fiona by the lemonade stand but ended up having to step outside in the cold to take the call due to the loud music.

"Mom. Did you need something?"

"Your father called here. He said you two talked and you were going to meet with him. Are you taking his side now?"

"I know you're hurting right now, Mom, and everything seems like an attack to you, but I'm not taking anyone's side. He's my dad, and I want to hear what he has to say about all this it has nothing to do with taking one side over the other."

"He'll try to turn you against me and make this all my fault I just know it!"

"You need to calm down. This isn't about assigning blame. There are two sides in every divorce action, and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle."

"The truth is your father was lying on top of a barmaid that's the truth," said his mother as she started to cry.

"I'm sorry. I know this isn't easy for you, but let's not get into it over the phone. I'll be home soon, and I promise we can hash this whole thing out."

He could hear her talking a deep breath on the other end of the connection, trying to get her emotions under control.

"Fine...I'm sorry I bothered you."

"It's no bother. Why don't you try to get some rest, o.k."

"O.K. See you soon..."

He lowered the phone disappointed that his good mood had been ruined.

"So not just any divorce then. It's one close to home that's got you down."

"Jesus, Fiona!" said William jumping in surprise, "I guess I need to add eavesdropping as well as being nosey to your list of bad habits."

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to sneak up on you or hear your call, but can I say I sympathize. My parents divorced several years ago. I know what it's like to be caught in the middle."

"It's a lousy place to be," he admitted.

She sidled up closer, putting a hand on his arm.

William appreciated the show of support.

"If you don't mind me asking what happened between them?"

Fiona looked away gathering her thoughts, "I guess some would say it was my brother's fault, but that would be unfair to him. My brother, Kenny, was a born adventurer. When he was growing up, he was always getting hurt rock climbing or rafting. Once he tried to build his own hang glider out of spare parts from my dad's garage. He planned to take it up on our roof and jump off. My dad caught him and grounded him for a month with a spanking thrown in for good measure."

"He sounds like a hand full."

"He was all that, but he also doted on his sisters, and we loved him back. Of all us kids though, it was Kenny that was Mom's favorite. She tried to hide it so as not to make the rest of us feel bad, but you could tell she had a special place in her heart for her first born."

"Mom's can be like that," said William.

"Kenny joined the military right out of school. I wasn't at all surprised it fit his adventuress nature, and he always did want to see the world. My mother was mortified, scared to death that something would happen to her baby boy."

"And something did..."

"Yes...something did. I.E.D's I guess they call them. The explosion flipped his vehicle, and my poor brother broke his neck. My mom was never the same after Kenny died. She just went into a shell and never came back out again. My dad tried to reach her, he really did, but no amount of therapy seemed to make a difference. I don't blame him for leaving at some point your life has to go on, and Mom was never going forward from that mess."

William put a hand over hers patting it gently, and she glanced up at him, "I'm sorry for your families loss, and for your mom, Fiona, that was a terrible thing to have happen."

"What about your Mom and Dad?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it was nothing nearly so dramatic. They just grew apart as I got older, and once I left home, things changed between them. I guess maybe I should have stepped in some time ago and tried to push them toward counseling, but I was so busy all the time with law school and then getting my career going."

"It's hardly your fault. It was your parent's marriage, not yours."

"Thanks for that, but I still feel like I should have done something."

"It looks like you're doing something now."

"Well, we will see what happens when I get home."

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think we've rested enough and it's colder than a witches tit out here. I believe the dance floor would be a good place to warm up."

"Don't you ever get tired?" cracked William.

"No...I don't believe I do..."

Fiona kept him on his toes for the next hour, and it turned out to be the best therapy because he soon got caught up again in the live music and her excellent company forgetting his problems at least for a brief time. The sounding of a whistle called them back to their train, and they staggered forward arm in arm having discovered that the dance hall also served wine and beer.

They returned to the lounge like two criminals coming back to the scene of a crime and leaned against that bar while the bartender took their orders.

"My feet are going to be seriously sore in the morning," complained William.

"It was good for you! Dancing is wonderful exercise. The only thing that burns more calories is sex," joked Fiona.

"I suspect that's not true."

"It depends greatly on how you do it," she replied with a wicked smile.

"Geez! You're going to make me blush! Doe's your mother know you talk like that?"

"How do you think she got my Dad?"

Fiona burst out laughing at the scared expression on Williams' face.

"Don't worry William I'm not husband hunting."

He didn't know whether to be relieved or sorry.

"I could stand to sit down," remarked William.

The lounge was pretty full though, and the only unoccupied seat was the bench in front of a piano that was secured to one wall. At a nod from William, they made their way over, and he set his glass on top.

"My mother always wanted me to take piano lessons, but I never had any interest really," said Fiona brushing her hands across the tops of the keys.

"Really? Do you think you would have done this if you could?" asked William, and while she looked on in astonishment, his fingers danced across the keys in a complicated melody.

"Well, look at whose multi-talented!" she clapped in delight.

"My dad's side of the family has a smidgen of musical talent, and even if my dancing was never up to 'Sly Cats' lofty standards, I could be called on to play the piano."

The other people in the lounge started shouting out song suggestions, and William decided to play along launching into the ones he knew. In a short while, he had an impromptu sing-a-long going, and the train car rang with the sounds of voices uplifted in song.

"We should have nabbed a glass bowl from the dining car. We could be raking in some serious tips!" said Fiona in his ear.

He loved the way her breath tickled him, sending a shiver down his spine.

They did land some free drinks from the more appreciative audience members, and William played until it started to get late and people began to drift out. He finished with one he thought Fiona with her knowledge of movies would like.

"I know this one! 'As Time Goes By,' from the Bogart and Bergman movie..."

"Casablanca, 1942..." William finished for her.

"It's one of my favorites."

"Mine too. My grandfather loved that movie, and we watched it together a bunch of times. He used to say that grandma was prettier than Ingrid Bergman."

The last notes of the song drifted over the bar as William finished with a soft flourish.

"It's getting kind of late," he said, looking at his watch.

"I told you I don't get tired and the night is still young. Have you been to the observation car?"

William hadn't even been aware there was one, so Fiona led the way.

The observation car had a raised floor and an enclosed glass ceiling that made it seem as if you were riding along in the air. The night had closed in around the train, and a million stars were lighting up the sky. The place was practically deserted with most folks gone off to bed. The couple took seats side by side reclining their chairs back so they could look almost straight up.

"This is really something," admitted William.

"Beautiful," breathed Fiona, "I love looking at the stars at night. One of the advantages of living in a small town with not so much light pollution. That's a super bright one over there!"

"It's bright because that star is Jupiter. It's a planet."

"Is there anything you don't know?" asked Fiona turning her head to look over at him.

"Here...I'll show you something."

He reached up to take her hand in his moving her finger to pick out a series of stars in the sky.

"This is Orion the Hunter. See, these stars are his legs, and this fuzzy spot is his head," he instructed using her finger to trace the outline, "then these three bright ones here are Orion's Belt."

"What about this strip of stars here?" she asked, pointing at the line that included the bright Orion Nebula that lay below the belt stars.

"That's Orion's penis," said William deadpan.

"Ha! I think you're pulling my leg," she laughed, slapping his arm.

"I am...That area is called Orion's sword."

"Ah! So, in essence, it is his penis."

They both looked at each other and laughed together.

"I'm glad I met you, Fiona."

"I'm glad I met you too."

They continued to stare at each other, and William could almost feel himself falling into her bright eyes.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she said quietly.

"Would you mind if I kissed you right now?"

"I think I would mind a lot more if you didn't."

He leaned in, brushing his lips across hers. They were just as soft as they looked, and though he had intended to go for a sweet sort of quick first kiss, he couldn't help but linger enjoying the feel of her warm, full lips. Fiona didn't seem to mind at all. If anything she was more than happy to keep the kiss going reaching up to slide her fingers into Williams dark hair pulling his mouth a bit tighter to hers. The kiss began to evolve slowly into a more passionate touching, a sensual sliding of their mouths together that graduated into a full-on French kiss. Fiona sighed as William gently slid his tongue into her mouth, making a steady stream of tingles erupt down her back. When they finally parted they were both breathing harder, looking wide-eyed and surprised.

"I didn't mean to get so...Um...carried away..." said William.

"I didn't mind it was nice," replied Fiona.

"Would you like to..."

"Yes, Please!" she said quickly before he could finish, and just like that, they were kissing again.

The train rocked slightly from side to side, emulating the Earth-shaking nature of the kiss the two strangers were sharing.

They went straight back into a warm, wet, French kiss letting their tongues swirl together and explore. Fiona scooted closer, and then closer still until she found herself in William's chair practically on top of him. They were panting now, groaning in the back of their throats with the desires that started to course through their bodies. When they came up for air this time, Fiona smiled, feeling the beginnings of Williams arousal starting to press on her thigh.

"Is that a gun in your pocket?" she began making William look away in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that..."

"Nothing to be sorry for, I would have been worried if you weren't responding. I can't kiss much better than this."