Dance of Sparks

5:30 am on a cool fall morning. A gust of wind swirls around two figures in the darkness. A trail of smoke is blown away as the tiny end butt of a cigarette light burns weakly. A woman's fingers shake from the cold as she passes off the last of the butt. The young man reaches for it but it drops to the floor, he looks down at it and stomps out the last few ashes with his boot. She says, “I’m sorry about that” with a look of worry on her face that quickly transforms into a single tear falling down her rosy cheeks. He stepped closer to her, whipping it away from her face, and said, “Don’t cry darlin, everything will be alright.”  She smiled a crooked half smile and he looked deep into her eyes. She looked away briefly and thought all about the night she just had…

Probably one of the best and worst nights she has had in a very long time…

10:00 pm the day before, Jennie walked into her favorite country bar ready for her weekly escape from her regular life. She was going to dance the night away and forget about all her problems even if only for tonight. She said a brief hello to all the regulars, this is a small town and everyone knew everyone, and made her way to the dance floor. She danced for a while and then it was time for a break. She stepped off the dance floor and started to make her way to the bar. A man tripped and spilled his drink all over her white shirt, staining it the strangest shade of blue. He stared at the mess he had just made and then up at her and without so much as an apology, stubbled away. 

11:00 pm, Jennie makes her way to the bathroom and tries with all her might to scrub this blue drink out of her shirt to no avail. She sighs and makes her way outside to the patio area for a smoke break. She reaches into her pocket for her cigarettes, and pulls out a crushed soggy blue package of cigarettes. She sighs once more and tosses the pack in the trash. Jennie mumbled to herself, “Well those are no good now, and neither is this night.” A friend of hers hands her two cigarettes and skips away back to her new partner that she is completely infatuated with. Jennie sits down and takes out her lighter and lights her cigarette. She stays there for a while contemplating her life choices and how she got to where she was today.

11:52 pm, a man walks out onto the patio with a drink in hand and looks around the place. Jennie would normally have noticed him because she didn’t know this man and she prides herself on knowing everyone who means anything, but she did not because she was far too distracted by her thoughts. Her brain raced and all of a sudden she hears; “You got a lit?” “Sure”, she responded, looking up at the most handsome man she had ever seen. She stumbled with her lighter and managed to make enough of a spark to light his cigarette. He thanked her and sat beside her. She looked around nervously for a bit and then started up a conversation. “So, uhh… you're not from around here are ya?” stupid question she thinks to herself, then stumbles through her words and asks him his name and a few other things before he had a chance to get a word in edge wise. “First things first my name is Clover, second no I'm not from around here, and third dont worry so much.” he said with a smile. They hit it off immediately and talk about anything and everything from happy memories and favorite things to current struggles. 

1:25 am, Jennie checks her phone and is amazed and confused where all the time went. Clover is  the most interesting person she has ever met and every new thing she learns about him she just wants to learn more and more. Even his name is cool and unique, Unlike most of the guys she grew up with and interacts with regularly. Her eyes moved from her phone to her shirt and she realized in that instant that she was a complete mess and this guy she had been talking to was the complete opposite of a mess! Nervous all over again Jennie looks up at him. 

She says, “ Sorry that I am such a big mess tonight, I swear that I normally look better than this.” 

He says, “I think you look great.”

 “What!? But I have a big blue stain right down the front of my shirt!” 

He smiles and says, “The blue brings out the beauty in your eyes.” 

She laughs, “I hope you are joking because that is way too cheesy.”

He lets out a little chuckle, “It was kinda a joke, but I do really like your eyes.” 

Jennie blushes

1:55 am, an announcement for last call is made and Clover and Jennie look at each other. Jennie made a sad face and was about to say something to Clover but she was then bombarded by all her friends that wanted to say goodbye before she could. He disappeared from her sight and she was sad because that could have been the first and last time that she saw him. She walked outside the bar with her friends and they all headed directly to their cars. Jennie started to head towards hers when she heard a voice call out to her. She turned around and smiled because it was Clover! He waited for her, but why?

Jennie, “Why did you wait for me?”

“You looked like you had something to say before you were swept away.”

“Not so much something to say as a thought I had.”

“Ok. So? Out with it, that is if you feel comfortable enough.”

“I wanted to dance a little more”

“I could play something for you, I have my guitar in my truck.”

2:30 am, She looked pleased and gestured yes so they both headed towards his truck, which happened to be in the same direction that she parked. She shivered on the walk to the truck and he took off his flannel and put it around her. She smiled as he did so. When they got to the truck, he took out his guitar and started to play something. She was mesmerized and completely forgot that she wanted to dance. He plays for some time and then puts down the guitar for a break. She smiles and they talk some more about their lives, the night, everything. She puts her hand in her pocket and feels the cigarette she forgot about from earlier. She looks at him and says, “You wanna share it?” He nods and they continue to chat endlessly. He points out constellations and tells stories of his travels. She regales him with small town folklore. A cool gust of wind blows by…

Probably one of the best and worst nights she has had in a very long time…

5:45 am, She had just thought about the night she just had and her eyes re-fixed themselves onto Clover. He was smiling at her with a tear still on his finger not yet dry. She smiled at him and he said, “So how about that dance? May I?” Jennie laughed a little and then smiled and said, “Of course!” They danced until the sun could be seen in the sky, and there could not have been a better end to this day… or should I say, beginning of a new one.