Second Chances in Lavender Bay (The Lavender Bay Chronicles #3)

25. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

D iana wore one of her favorite dresses to go dancing. It was a dark emerald green. She copied the hairstyle of Veronica Lake that she’d seen in a magazine at the beauty parlor. There was a knock at the front door. She applied some red lipstick, capped the tube, and set it down.

Her mother had been waiting for Preston’s arrival, and by the time Diana stepped into the parlor, he and her mother were seated at opposite ends of the sofa, making small talk. As soon as he spotted Diana, he stood, twisting his hat in his hands, staring at her.

“You look beautiful, Diana,” he said, not taking his eyes off of her. Behind him, her mother smiled proudly.

“Thank you,” Diana said.

He drew in a breath and smiled. “All set?”

“I am.” She grabbed her handbag and on the way out, she said to her mother, “Leave a light on, Ma.”

Her mother nodded and waved them off.

Although the air was warm, Diana shivered, and Preston smiled at her. “Cold?”

“A little bit,” she said. She was sorry she hadn’t brought her coat.

“Here, let me warm you up a bit,” he said, and he slung an arm around her shoulder.

They walked over to the community pavilion. Tonight’s dance was a fundraiser for the Red Cross. Last week, they’d raised money for the Salvation Army. The Pavilion was at the far end of Pearl Street, overlooking the lake. It was a large octagonal-shaped building with a cupola that had been built at the turn of the century. All that white trim and glass gave it a romantic look, Diana thought. That evening, it was all lit up, looking like a jeweled star against the dark lake.

Preston held her hand as they went in and paid for their tickets.

The place was almost packed, and a quick glance showed that it was predominantly filled with women. There were some men in uniform and other men dressed in civilian clothing, many of whom, like Preston, were getting ready to ship out.

The energy was frenetic. The music was loud, and the dance floor was filled with couples dancing the jitterbug to the strains of Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood.” Diana began to tap her foot to the beat of the music, eager to get out there and join them.

Preston, with his arm around her waist, led her to a small table for two at the far corner. It was covered in a white linen tablecloth, and on top was a lit tealight candle in a frosted glass.

A cocktail waitress appeared. “What will you have to drink?”

Preston looked at her. “Diana? What’ll you have?”

“A sloe gin fizz, please.” She felt so grown up ordering an alcoholic beverage.

The waitress scribbled it down on her notepad and looked at Preston.

“I’ll have a Genny,” he said, referring to Genesee beer.

She nodded and wound her way to the next table.

A cigarette girl wearing a short dress and a tray of cigarettes held in place by a strap around her neck went around calling out, “Cigarettes! Cigarettes!”

Preston pulled out a pack of Camels and tapped out a cigarette. He held the pack out to Diana, but she shook her head. Once it was lit, he snapped the lighter shut and returned it to his pocket.

It wasn’t long before their drinks appeared, and Diana sipped from her glass while Preston took a swig of beer from the bottle, not bothering with the glass.

He set his beer down and looked at Diana sitting next to him. “Are you ready to do some dancing?”

She nodded, holding her drink in one hand and the straw in the other and taking a sip. It had a nice tart taste.

Preston stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and stood and held out his hand to Diana. She jumped up and placed her hand in his.

The band, made up of middle-aged men, was fabulous, playing all the current hits from Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and Artie Shaw. Due to the shortage of men, some women danced together, and Diana suspected they’d be seeing a lot of that.

Preston was a wonderful dancer, his footwork impressive. He knew all the latest steps, and Diana couldn’t remember when she’d last had so much fun. The air was energized around them. At the back of everyone’s minds was the fact that there was a war going on, and it seemed to make them all determined to squeeze every bit of fun out of the evening.

One of the few times they sat down to drink and for Preston to smoke, Diana asked, “Where did you learn to dance like that?”

He laughed. “I’ve got three older sisters. Who do you think they practiced with?” He stubbed out his half-finished cigarette and stood again, hand out. Diana took a quick gulp of her now warm and watered-down drink.

As the evening wore on, she was perspiring heavily, but she was having such a good time she didn’t mind. Preston was a lot of fun. By eleven, she declared it was time to go home. He wanted to stay later, but she begged off. She didn’t want to worry her mother.

They spoke animatedly as he walked her home, and beneath the porch light, as Diana rifled through her purse looking for her keys, he threw an arm up against the wall.

“How about tomorrow night?” he asked. “Dancing?”

“Is there another dance?” she asked, snapping her purse shut, keys in hand.

“Yep, saw it on the board as we left the Pavilion. It’s for the Ladies’ Auxiliary. There are dances almost every night this week. And on the other nights, I thought we could go to the movies or something.”

Diana smiled. She liked him taking charge and making plans for them. “I’d love to go dancing and to the movies.”

“That’s swell,” he said. “You know, I’ve seen you around town before.”

“You have? Where? When?” She was embarrassed to admit that she’d never noticed him.

“Yeah, you’re such a knockout you’re hard not to notice!”

Although she was secretly delighted, she blushed all the same.

“I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw you walking down the street yesterday,” he said with enthusiasm.

She smiled at him. He was excited when he spoke to her, and he seemed to really like her. The experience was heady.

“Can I kiss you goodnight?” he asked.

With a nod, she said, “You can.”

With a broad smile, he whispered, “Come here, doll.” He pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her in earnest. She got lost in it, and as he trailed kisses down the side of her face to her neck, she closed her eyes and let herself get swept up in the wonderful feelings.

Suddenly the porch light flicked on and off several times in a row, and Diana pulled away from Preston, breathless.

“Boy, you sure know how to kiss a girl,” she said.

He grinned.

The porch light flicked on and off again, and Diana said, “That’s my cue. I’ve got to go inside.”

“I’ll be here tomorrow night at seven.”

“I’ll be ready,” she said.

He stepped back, holding on to her hand, until their arms were stretched out. “I had a great time, Diana.”

“Me too.”

He rushed her, kissed her again, and then hopped off the porch.

Inside, her mother stood by the front door, wearing a bathrobe over her nightgown and a hairnet covering her head full of pin curls.

“Ma, were you spying on us?” Diana asked.

“No, not at all,” her mother said, appearing affronted. “I was getting a glass of water.”

“All right,” Diana said, not quite believing her.

“How was it?” Millie asked.

“It was a lot of fun. My feet are killing me from all the dancing. Anyway, we’re going again tomorrow night. Can’t wait.”

They went out almost every night. The two nights where there were no dances scheduled, they went to the movies and saw Reap the Wild Wind with John Wayne and Saboteur with Robert Cummings and Priscilla Lane. In the darkened theater, they ate popcorn and Preston put his arm around her shoulders.

On his last night, he was unusually quiet as he walked her home. “Diana, will you write to me? While I’m away?”

She nodded. “Sure, but you’ll have to write to me first so I know where to send my letters.”

“I will, as soon as I get situated,” he promised.

“Good. I’d like to hear from you.”

“Thank you for a fabulous week. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me.”

“You’re welcome,” she said, leaning against the house.

“Now, Diana Quinn, I’m going to kiss you goodnight,” he said. His voice was low in the shadowy darkness.

“I’d like that very much.”