Free The Muse by Nicholas Matthews Page A

other half of your booth filled for a change.  You guys enjoy it.” 
                Gibson and Faith attacked their food.  Both of them were starving.  The cheeseburgers were good and greasy.  The fries were crisp and hot.  The shakes were so thick they had to use a spoon to drink them.  “This is heaven,” Faith said around a mouthful of burger. 
                “Agreed,” Gibson said.  “Now, do you see what I love about this place?”
                Faith nodded, her mouth too full to reply. 
                The Platters stopped singing, only to be replaced by The Five Satins.  “In the Still of the Night,” was one of their big hits and one of Gibson's favorites.  For the first time in a long time, he felt alive.  He felt good, and he didn't want it to end.
                “Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. 
                Faith looked at him with confusion. “Where are we going?”
                “Just come on,” Gibson said, offering his hand again. 
                Faith took his hand and slid out of the booth.  He pulled her close to him and began to dance to the song playing on the jukebox.  She instinctively laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.  “This is perfect,” she whispered.
                The song wasn't nearly long enough.  When it was over, neither of them wanted to let go.  Joanie and Tony were watching them from behind the counter.  Tony slipped his arm around Joanie's waist, feeling a bit romantic himself. 
                Gibson and Faith went back to their booth, feeling something neither of them had ever felt before.  Tony whispered something into Joanie's ear before smacking her playfully on the butt, sending her on her way.  She giggled and blushed before disappearing into the back for a second.  When she returned, she had a huge hunk of chocolate cake prepared for them. 
                “Oh, no,” Gibson said, laughing.
                “It's on the house,” Joanie said. 
                “I should have worn my pants with the elastic in the waist,” Gibson said.  Faith began laughing uncontrollably at that. 
                They spent the rest of their dinner like that, laughing, staring into each other's eyes, wondering how they had found each other and questioning just what it was that they had discovered. 
                When they left the diner, they left arm in arm.  The night was fair, the air was brisk, and there was a crispness to the night that signaled the approaching end of summer. 
                “Thank you so much for tonight,” Faith said.  “You have been truly amazing.”
                Gibson stared at her and sang gently, “ And then I tell her, as I turn out the light,
I say, 'My darling, you were wonderful tonight.'
                “That’s one of my favorite songs,” she said.  Her lower lip trembled, and she seemed on the verge of tears again.  Gibson didn't give her time to cry.  Instead, he pulled her close and kissed her beneath the moonlight.  She melted in his arms like soft wax on a hot day, and he didn't want to let her go.
                They stood there like that for a while, embracing beneath moonlight, drawing strength from each other, not wanting the moment to end.     
                Come on,” he said at last.  “Let's go home.”
               

Chapter 9
     
     
                The world was all fireworks and angelic choirs until they reached the apartment.  Gibson felt like a real man.  He had a real woman on his arm who seemed to be totally focused on him.  It had been a long time since he had felt this way. 
                The feeling was ruined once they got back home.  Calvin was sitting on the front steps, smiling smugly at her.  Gibson tensed,