Amie leaned to kiss Mark’s cheek again. “Well?” she whispered.
“He’s cool. Straight up, he’s not looking for a one night stand with her.”
“Good, she didn’t even realize he was interested. She was so caught up in his looks, she didn’t notice he was looking at her.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I told her to be cool and just follow our conversation. She’s nervous now and afraid she’ll do something stupid.”
“Nah, she’ll be fine. I want to see this work for both of them. They deserve it.”
“You’re right about that.” Amie leaned back enough to kiss his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
* * *
Kera saw them kiss, “Okay you two, wait till you get home!”
“Okay okay! I just can’t resist him!” Amie laughed.
“Must be nice,” Kera half grinned.
Cocking an eyebrow, Amie grinned back. “Well, ya just never know what can happen!”
At this, Jason spoke up, “Nope, ya just never know. Anyway, ladies, Mark, I need to get back to work.”
Kera’s heart sank. He was leaving them. Then she heard her name.
“Kera? Will you walk me back to the bar?” He reached out his hand.
“Sure.” Taking his hand, she allowed him to help her up from the couch.
As they walked slowly back toward the end of the bar, Jason kept hold of her hand. Reaching the opening to the back of the bar, he stopped and turned to face her. “I want to ask you something.”
“Okay.”
“Will you wait until I get off tonight? I want to spend some time with you. I’m really interested in getting to know you better. And I want to apologize.”
“Apologize? For what?”
“Stay and I’ll tell you then.”
“Okay, I’ll be here.” Kera smiled softly, “I can promise that.”
On impulse, Jason leaned closer and kissed her very softly on the lips. “Till later.”
“Till later.” Kera sighed as her heart left her. She knew this was going to be a night to remember. A night that might change her life completely.
Reluctantly, Jason backed away from her. Finally letting go of her hand, he knew as their fingers slipped apart that he couldn’t get back to her soon enough. Touching his fingers to his lips, he threw the kiss to her.
Slowly, Kera turned back to where her friends waited. She knew that she had probably just lost her heart. If he kept that sort of thing up, she knew she was in trouble. Good trouble. But definitely in trouble.
* * *
“What did I tell you? That boy is sunk!” Amie laughed as Mark hugged her close while the watched the interaction between their friends at the bar.
“Yeah, I would say he probably is.” Mark kissed her. “But then, I think Kera is about to find what she wanted.”
“I hope so. She deserves it.” Amie looked into her husband’s eyes, “She deserves to find someone as great as I did.”
Mark pulled her close again and kissed her. “I love you. And I hope she is as good for him as you are for me.”
* * *
Kera dropped onto couch again. “What the hell just happened here?”
Amie laughed, “I think you just found something you wanted.” She got up and moved to the couch with Kera.
Mark stood up, “I need a drink. Anyone?”
“Sure, Amie?” Kera nodded to Mark.
“Sure, I’ll have another.” Amie smiled.
Kera looked back to her friend, “Amie, I’ve been coming in here for a year and he JUST noticed me?”
“Well, sometimes it just takes the right moment. Don‘t knock it, just enjoy it. This could be something awesome.
“You know, I think you may be right. ‘Cause I just left a piece of my heart at that bar. I don’t believe this.”
“You want proof? Turn around.” Amie pointed toward the bar. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off you.”
Turning, Kera looked where she was pointing.
At the bar, Jason was getting the drinks for Mark. Any time that he didn’t have to turn away to get something out of the cooler, he was watching her.
Kera smiled and blew him a kiss. She couldn’t believe that this was happening to her. But she was glad it was.
“So, what did he say?”
“He asked me to wait here until he gets off tonight. Can you guys stay for a while?” Kera grudgingly turn away from the bar. “I really don’t want to sit here by myself all night.”
“Yeah, we’ll stay for a while. Maybe not until closing, but for a while at least.”
Kera looked into her friend’s eyes, “Hey, Amie, thanks.”
“For what? I didn’t do anything. You did this on your own.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. Thank you for being my friend! I just wanted you to know what it means to me.”
Reaching out, Amie pulled Kera into a hug. “Anytime, girl, anytime.”
* * *
At the bar, Mark knew Jason had something to say. Patiently, he waited as he finished getting their drinks. When Jason brought what back what he had asked for, Mark looked curiously at the extra shot glass Jason had set down in front of him. “What’s this?”
“Don’t ask, just do it with me.” He held his own shot glass up in toast. As Mark raised his glass, he continued, “Here’s to miracles. ‘Cause that right over there,” as he gestured toward the ladies, “is proof that they do exist.”
“Amen brother.” Mark touched his glass to Jason’s, “Amen.”
* * *
A couple of hours, a few stolen moments to talk and many long lingering glances later, around midnight, there were only a few people left in the bar. Kera knew that they would close soon. Amie and Mark had left about an hour before. Amie had to work in the morning and they had to get home. Kera sat waiting with her notebook on her lap. She had hoped that an inspiration for a poem would come so that she could capture the feeling of this night. But her mind was so scattered and in turmoil that she couldn’t even concentrate. She knew the words would never come when she felt this way. And now, the lights had just been turned on. She knew that the moment of truth was getting closer. She had felt much more confident when Amie and Mark were at her side. This was their friend. Kera didn’t know anything about him yet other than the tiny bit of information Amie had given her over the past couple of hours. And now she was about to find out what he was really like.
Minutes later after the lights were turned on, Jason came and stood in front of her. He laughed gently, “Bret told me I could go. He could see I wasn’t going to be a lot of help closing up tonight.”
Swallowing back the butterflies of her sudden nervousness, Kera managed to ask, “Why is that?”
“He said I couldn’t do very much with my eyes glued to you,” Jason smiled down at her. Reaching out, he waited for her to take his hand, “Come on, let’s go somewhere and talk.”
“Okay,” Kera reached to take his hand as she stood up from the couch. “Where did you have in mind?”
“Doesn’t matter to me. We can go park somewhere and sit in my truck and talk if you want.”
“That’s fine with me. You’ll bring me back to get my car, right?” She laughed nervously.
Slipping an arm around her waist, Jason led her toward the door. “Of course I will, in a couple of days!”
Laughing, Kera knew then that this was going to be okay. Her nervousness began to fade as she realized that this was something special.
* * *
“So where to?” Jason turned to face her after closing his door.
“Mind taking a ride? I know somewhere that I like to go.”
“Let’s go, tell me which way to go.”
“Head for Bush Field, I’ll tell you from there.” She was still in shock. He had opened the door for her, assisted her into the truck, and kissed her hand before he let it go. She was blown away by this man so far. If he proved to be everything he seemed to be, she was going to fall in love.
“Works for me.” He smiled at her before turning his attention to driving.
As he maneuvered the truck out of the parking spot and onto Broad Street, Kera remembered what he had said at the bar. She was curious, “So, what was that you said about an apology?”
“I wanted to apologize to you.” Jason took one hand from the steering wheel and reached out to her.
Intertwining her fingers with his, she asked, “For what? You haven’t done anything to be sorry for.”
“I just want to tell you that I am sorry for waiting so long to realize what I was missing. I kick myself when I realize that I have been seeing you weekly for the past year and it took me this long to really see you. I regret the time that has been wasted that I could have known you.”
“So what changed tonight? Why did you just notice me tonight?”
“I don’t really know. You walked up to the bar and when I looked at you, it was like I had been blind for the past year. I honestly don’t know how to explain it.”
“Okay, don’t try. It might spoil the magic of this night. Let’s just enjoy it for what it is from here on out.”
“Do you believe in miracles?”
“I’m sitting here with you, aren’t I? How could I not believe in miracles after this night?” She squeezed his hand. “I’ve wondered about you many many times over the past year. I honestly thought you would never notice me. So, yes, I believe in miracles.”
“So, why did you think that?”
“Well, I just didn’t think that I was the type you would be interested in.”
“Type? What type did you think I would be interested in?” He chuckled.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but I do know that if you keep laughing like that, I will wind up in trouble.” Kera laughed.
“Really? Why?”
“It’s just really sexy.” Kera turned to look out the window to hide her blush.
Jason laughed gently again, “Well, I guess I’ll just have to remember that.”
After about fifteen minutes on the road, the lights of Bush Field came into sight. Giving directions, Kera guided Jason back to the boat ramp behind the airport. After parking toward the back of the lot, they got out and walked down to the ramp.
As they gazed out over the night-blackened Savannah River, Jason slipped his arms around Kera from behind and pulled her back against him. “You know, you are truly beautiful,” he whispered into her hair. “I can’t believe that I never noticed until tonight.”
“Jason, you are amazing. Please, don’t worry about what’s passed. Let’s enjoy this moment, and all the moments to come.” Kera turned in his arms till they were face to face. “I want to know you. I want to know everything about you. I realized standing here, that even though this feels so perfect, I still don’t really know you. I look forward to finding out though.”
“Well, let’s start with this,” as whispered as he leaned in to kiss her. As their lips met, they both felt the electricity between them. Deepening the kiss, Jason sought to taste her. As their tongues teased and retreated in a lover’s dance, he knew that this was it. He knew that nothing would ever take this woman from him.
Kera could not believe how perfect his kiss was. It was everything she could have ever dreamed of. She knew that he was something special. No matter that she had only known him for a few hours, she knew. She had always felt that her heart would tell her when she found him. And now here on the banks of the silent river, she knew he was the one.
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