Hiding In Plain Sight

Is nobody going to say it? That's all I thought, over and over. There he was dancing with the most beautiful woman. He could really dance! He worked the room with the charm and elegance of a king. Socializing with everyone from the servers to the other guests. Dancing to the fast songs, swaying to the slow ones. He danced with many of the ladies.

I will admit, the room was dimly lit depending on the song and there were lots of people there, but I think there were a few of us that were the first to notice. It's not like his fly was open, but that would have been a better situation. He arrived a little late to the event, so most people didn't notice.

Here's what they did notice. His looks were impeccable. The crisp white shirt and black slacks were very neatly pressed. His very expensive watch was peeking out from under the impressive cufflinks that charmed his wrist. His shoes were shined and scuff free and his cologne smelled of sophistication and class. He was very well put together.

Each partner was swept away with his dancing skills. Once you spotted him dancing, you couldn't look away. There was this sense of awe and anticipation. The fast dances were more exhilarating, but the slow ones had their moments of wonderment, too. We wondered what would happen. More than one partner was left blushing by his charm, dance moves and gorgeous face. He danced almost every dance.

Is nobody going to say it? Again, my thoughts repeated what the elephant in the room couldn't forget.

I watched his interaction with the bartender. Nothing special but the smile on the bartender's face that told me he was enjoying this way too much to say anything. It must have made his night, and he was not going to ruin his entertainment.

After a while, there were more and more people that noticed. I don't think that anyone wanted to change what was happening, but someone should have said something.

His next partner was a woman that was just slightly taller than him because of the stiletto heels she was wearing. She was thin and had beautiful long hair that was held back with an up-do hairstyle that allowed the ends of her hair to drape down her back. When they danced, the dips were the most fun to watch. Each movement had professional precision. The grace and timing were impeccable. But then there were the dips. Her hair touched the floor with a sweeping motion and then she was whisked back into his arms as the dance continued.

A couple songs and one drink later, the music was more upbeat and exciting. He had a short dance partner this time and both of them were so good that he would flip her over his back and keep on going. This dance was much more physical and full of dynamic movement. That's when we were over the top with anticipated excitement.

At this point, nobody better say anything. It was too good! The elephant in the room just had babies!

Okay, I'll let you know what we are enjoying so much because I don't think that anyone will want to spill the beans.

His (probably very expensive) toupee was sitting way to the back of his head. I guess it had slid way back on his head and there was one portion of it that was not secured down. With each dip, flip and gust of air we waited for the top to come down. I wonder if he felt the air when the loose flap came up. We saw it all. It was exciting! There was a couple that came just to enjoy the music and watch the dancing, they took bets on when it was going to come flying off. The fast dancing with the short lady was the sure bet after the "flip over the back" move. But it was still hanging on.

I will admit, it was a thick rug. At the right angles, it looked like a mound of hair that you would see in the 'beehive' updos from the 1960's. We were having a blast but then so was he.

The evening was winding down. What was hiding from him was so visible to everyone else. I don't think anyone wanted to tell him. It would have been too embarrassing to him and why ruin his time here.

But then it happened. It was the last dance of the evening. Everyone was a bit tipsy and tired. He had gone to the bathroom, and we hoped that he would have fixed his "situation" but instead he came out of the bathroom with the toupee GONE!

Immediately, after we saw that the rug was gone, a guy who was terribly inebriated, came out of the restroom, went up to the band leader with the rug in his hand. The drunk told the band leader that he found "this" in the stall. The band leader used his mic to make the announcement that someone had lost their "item" in the men's restroom. Holding it up to show the folks what he meant, the man to whom it belonged, looked up and saw what the band leader was holding. Everyone got quiet. Nobody moved. People just looked around wondering what the response would be.

There he was, over on the opposite side of the dance floor. He sashayed over to the band, waved his hand over the blank spot on his head and grinned from ear to ear. His fun, sophisticated style was still there even when he was not all "put together." The crowd gave him a standing ovation. He plopped his toupee on his head, grabbed it again, tipping it like a hat. Then he held it to his chest, adding a couple of dance moves while the band played a fun little tune.

The slow dance partner came over to him and hugged him. The short lady dance partner laughed and laughed. Over at the table where the couple were betting, I saw that the man handed the woman some cash and the bartender offered a free round for everyone. It was delightful.

The band offered to play for 15 more minutes.

It needed to be said. It wasn't said. His character said it all. The elephant in the room became the charm of the evening.