As night progressed towards morning, as Dee continued to dance by herself, lost in the now-thinning crowd, Steve’s inner-dialogue focused on the limited time he had left to make his move.
This aggressive pep-talk took him away from his random partner and closer to Dee. Yet, when he finally had Dee in his sights, when he could see her without the filter of others between them, he froze.
He read in her movements how she was in her own world; how she was here for herself. She wasn’t interested in some random guy moving in on her space, even one she’d inadvertently bought a beer. Who was he to interrupt this strange public isolation?
A bump from behind spun him around, but it was only Ray.
When Steve ignored him, a more forceful bump pushed him forward, and he ran into someone passing thro
