Afire Love

The Last Dance

let's see how much love this gets, yeah?

I'm ardently in love with you."

Karlie stated, her fingers trembling as her hand wrapped around the second girl's shoulders in a friendly hug. Leigh had to be the second most trusted confidante after Ivonne, of course such that she could unload her deepest and intimate feelings unto her.

"She'll say the same, right?"

Karlie asked her, as she pulled out of the hug, her hazel eyes searching for the truth in the dark ones below her. Pale faced as she remembered her to be the last time, though her hair had grown to shoulder length then, Karlie realized that the girl looked epicly beautiful as compared to the last time she saw her playing in a bar.

"Yes, believe me, cupcake! Nobody can say no to you, alright?"

Leigh laughed as she let in the model, who was relieved to hear so. She had no idea as if she would sound convincing to the singer or not; hence the first thought that came to her was to practice it on Leigh, knowing very well that she would reciprocate the same way as she would expect Taylor to.

"I can't wait for tomorrow, really."

Karlie breathed out, her fingers entangled in Leigh's, who led her into the studio, for she was so consumed by the evening; a well deserved sleep was all she could ask for right then for tomorrow was the day of her exclamation of love.

* * *

The tables had been set, and the room had been cleared for the dances. The most civil of crowds had come out to the ball tonight, an Annual arranged for celebration of the richest cultures, left behind by men and women of great cultural standing. The theme had to be primarily English, set up back in the early ages, when chaise and four used to be a thing. High pitched laughs and tinkling of glasses followed Karlie everywhere as she craned her neck to have a sight of Taylor; whom her aunt had assured would be reaching in a second or two. And the same would have been said half an hour ago, when the model had called for Aaron to see where the singer was at.

"A dance, Ma'am?"

A youngster, more of a frisky teen boy around 16 asked the model, who had unknowingly bumped into him. Recognizing him to be one of the Mayor's line, Karlie bowed down and humbly declined the offer as she had similarly done with about a dozen other men as well as women, who asked for nothing but a friendly dance. Civility and courteousness had to be cared for tonight and Karlie observed that most dutifully, even though her mind was wandering islands of possibilities as to how the day would turn out.

It was already 9 pm when the doors finally closed and Aaron had informed her that it would be time for the final dance in five. Should Taylor not reach there in a moment, Karlie would have to displeasedly dance with one of the extravagant men, who had been trying to reach out to her all night but in vain.

Peering over the crowd's heads, she noticed a familiar shade of blue, her slender figure laughing amiably at a joke that Karlie knew nothing about. Overwhelmed to see her there, Karlie made her way through the crowd, her heart beating against her bosom, as she reached there in time, only to see the singer being asked out to dance by another man, dressed in an Armani and having a portly air to him.

"No, I'm sorry to decline. I already promised to have the last dance with someone else."

Karlie turned to the singer, who was smiling sweetly at her, as everyone else dissolved to their respective posture, ready for the final call.

"May I have the last dance?"

Karlie asked the girl in black, who pressed her lips together before looking up at the fulfilled hazel green eyes that were staring so earnestly at her.