Elizabeth, looking like a present on Christmas

Rachel yielded to Elizabeth, whose stunning gown took my breath away. Deep red, held together in front by a combination of ribbons, which begged to be pulled. Would her bust come pouring out? The thought held me spellbound.

"May I have this dance?"

She asked like the shy girl she still was sometimes, but, like me, Elizabeth had come out of her shell significantly in the last year. We had grown up together, and very nearly fell in love. I saw the ways that she looked at me sometimes...sometimes I looked at her that way. Looking at her now, I knew that I would be madly in love with her, except that Talia had taken up all the air in my brain.

I took her hand, and pressed her into an intimate embrace, befitting all that we meant to each other. I felt totally relaxed around her, perhaps because neither of us had ever felt comfortable in our own bodies. I closed my eyes, and held her, and almost for a moment believed that I had come to the dance with her.

She broke the silence, "Ian, why...why didn't you ask me to the dance? Did I do something wrong?"

My words caught in my throat, followed by tears. The thought that, even for an instant, I had caused Elizabeth any discomfort brought a deep pang of regret.

"Elizabeth," I struggled to find the right reassuring tone, "you've never done a wrong thing since I've known you, and if for a second I let you think that you did, then I am no man."

"Don't say that. I'm sorry that I brought it up. I'm happy for you...and Talia. Ian...are you...." She trailed off, afraid to ask the question that I knew must had been on more than a few minds that night.

"I don't know, really. I just...I think that I needed to find out for sure, you know? Talia...I think about her a lot, I love every moment I spend with her. But I feel that way about you, too. Still, there might be something more...I'm all confused. I think...I think I love her."

"Then...then, I'm happy for you, I guess. So long as you don't cross Rachel. She's scary sometimes."

"We've talked. I think that we're good there. Elizabeth, I don't want you thinking that I don't have feelings for you too. I mean, what I mean to say is..."

She brought her lips up to mine, a tender kiss that caught me totally off guard.

"You need to be more confident about going after what you want." Who was this, and what had she done with shy, sweet Elizabeth!?

My partner immediately buried her head into my shoulder. "Oh my God I'm so sorry. Stephanie told me to go for that I'm such an idiot."

"Elizabeth, don't apologize."

"What I mean to say is," she was still talking into my suit coat. "when this, whatever this is, is done with Talia, I still want you to be my first."

"Huh? What about Josh? I thought that...."

She pulled up and met my eyes, a patronizing smile on her lips. "Oh Ian, Josh is gay! He asked to take me as a friend, once Stephanie told me that you weren't going to ask. Your friend Andy asked too, but I hadn't given up hope yet. And, who knows. Maybe you'll get it figured out before the end of the night."

Just then, Rachel sashayed over to us. Clearly, she had been waiting all night for the chance to take Elizabeth for a spin. Suddenly, I was back in the arms of my singular obsession. In her heels, Elizabeth's ample breasts were nearly at Rachel's chin, perfect for "accidental" contact. Rachel was ecstatic.

Talia held my full attention, as I held her. We swayed to the music, and she asked the question I knew had been waiting all night. The nearly forgotten bet.