8:44 (pm)--

For New Years Eve, I went dancing in a small town, where the rest of my family was. We ate decent food and listened to decent music.  I danced a little bit for a few hours. My Love and I had been talking about if he should attend and make a public showing of our affections for each other. I know, it sounds silly. But in the society that we live in, things must be considered and discussed before they are done in public. It was about 9:45 when i called him and begged him to come. He is was upset about some technical problems we were having, so i wasn't sure whether or not he was going to come. For the next 30 minutes, i was nervous, anxious, and in desperate need of hard liquer. at 10:15, i was back at my table, drink in hand, and losing hope. I had been watching the door and everytime i saw the handle more, i would perk up, only to be disappointed by little children and older fat men. Finally, after i had given up, My Love walked into the room. I could see the frustation on his face and soon i stood up to greet him. I walked over to him and lead him back to my table. This little gesture might seem insignificant to others reading this, but it caused the entire room to buzz with chatter. We sat and talked all night and we barely touched each other. There were no kisses, no hugs, no holding hands. Ever so secretly, i would brush a finger over his knee, or he would touch my shoulder. Those are the touches that set me on fire. I knew what he was thinking just by looking into his eyes. My father was the most uncomfertable man in the room, realizing that this boy.. this man.. was trying to take his daughter away. I suppose its a fear that all fathers face. At midnight we hugged, and i kissed his cheek and there was a moment when we held hands, despite all of the old women watching us, judging us, talking about us. Then he left, hugging me, letting his hand linger on my arm as we tried to resist  touching lips. It was a magical night. Today, the phone has been off the hook with other old women, curious to know if i have a boyfriend. Oh.. to be so well known.