Dancing the Night Away

We were spending every free second together. Talks of the future continued to lay just beneath the surface. In our hearts we knew this quite possibly could be the last dating relationship for both of us. We agreed we wanted to be in this for the long haul: marriage. As mere college freshmen though, we were supposed to be years away from anything permanent, right?

After a full semester at Iowa State, Joey and I found an activity we both enjoyed: swing dancing. For me it was the thrill of dancing again. For Joey it was flipping me over his arm and doing other super cool tricks. A few trips to the ballroom and we were hooked.

The cool spring air chilled my skin as we hurried into the ballroom. We claimed a table off to the side before hitting the dance floor. The live band played  song after song. All the while Joey and I spun, flipped, dipped and square danced into the night. My blue lace dress—a favorite of Joey’s—swished and flared with every turn. After a few hours of dancing, our faces glistened with sweat and our throats screamed for some water.

Joey gently led me from the dance floor, a perfect gentleman. We quenched our thirst with what tasted like the worlds best water and headed out into the crisp spring night air to cool off. No one else was around. It was just the two of us and the star-studded sky.

He pulled me close, his arms covering mine, relieving me of my goosebumps. I melted into his arms. We stood in that warm embrace as the minutes ticked by. His head rested on mine and we just stood and swayed. It was the perfect moment. However, my mind was not as peaceful. Was this it? Was Joey going to propose in this quiet, perfect moment? My thoughts and my heart raced.

And then the spell was broken. Joey pulled me in for one last squeeze, kissed me oh so sweetly and grabbed my hand, leading me back into the warmth of the building. As we rejoined the other dancers, I realized I wanted it to happen. I wanted to call this man my husband.

Us at a swing dance. Gotta love pre-smartphone photography!

Catch up on the rest of the story:

I: Middle School Band, Day One
II: He likes me, he likes me not
III: Summertime Crush
IV: Royalty and Selfies
V: Cookies + Texting
VI: Gas Station Hugs
VII: The First “Date”
VIII: The First Kiss
IX: Plans for a Future
X: Dancing the Night Away