Gordon cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt—"
We all turned.
"—but Charlotte's outside."
Every trace of color left Gordon's face at once. "El, I can't." He took a full step backward. "I really can't do this."
Elliot started toward him. I reached for Elliot's wrist without quite deciding to, and stopped, looking at Gordon instead.
"I spent all morning believing love had quietly disappeared out of my marriage," I said. "I was wrong."
His eyes met mine.
I gently took the white rose from his shaking hand, then pressed it right back into it. "Please don't spend one more day wondering what would have happened if you'd just been brave for five more seconds."
Please don't spend one more day wondering.
Gordon swallowed hard. "What if she says no?"
"Then you'll know," I said. "But I don't think she will."
He looked toward the doorway. A woman with soft silver hair had just stepped inside, wearing a pale blue dress, scanning the room until her eyes landed on him. Her smile appeared almost instantly.
Gordon took one shaking breath. Then another.
Finally, he walked toward her. "Charlotte."
She laughed softly. "Hello, stranger."
He held out the rose. "I've been meaning to ask you something since 1968."
She waited, not saying a word.
"Would you give me the dance I was too frightened to ask for, back then?"
I've been meaning to ask you something since 1968.
For one long, suspended heartbeat, nobody in the room made a sound.
Then Charlotte accepted the rose. "I was starting to think you'd never ask, Gordon."
The room broke into gentle applause. Music filled the studio again. Gordon offered his hand, and Charlotte took it without hesitation. His first step was clumsy. His second wasn't much better. By the third, they were both laughing too hard to care about the timing at all.
read more in next page
