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willing to entertain me all evening. I noticed Ruth was enjoying herself too as she began to regale her friends with stories from college. It wasn’t long before I heard the group roaring with laughter.
    This time I remembered to ask questions. I didn’t want to go home again without knowing about the guy I had spent the evening with. Bennett came from money, very, very old money and lots of it. His family fought for the North during the Civil War and retained property, position and wealth.
    “We’ve been military men for centuries,” quickly followed by, “but not me. I’m attending law school first. I’m at Yale, and then I’ll see if the military holds any interest for me. My family historically has done it the other way around… service before law.” He put his arm out for me to take. “Would you like to dance, Hillary?”
    Finally, something I felt comfortable doing! I flashed to my years of dancing with my Father and then realized, for someone to dance like Dad was too much to hope for.
    “I’d love to dance, Bennett.”
    As we walked to the dance floor I could feel everyone in the room watching us. When we finally melted into the crowd, Bennett placed his other hand on the skin exposed by my backless dress and I struggled to keep my composure.
    The song was a waltz and he danced wonderfully. My Dad would have been impressed. We moved like we had taken dance lessons together.
    “You’re different than the other women here,” Bennett said, and it sounded like it might be a compliment.
    You can say that again , I said to myself while saying to Bennett, “What makes you think that?”
    “You seem comfortable in your skin. Tonight isn’t a competition to you.” The song ended and we stood, waiting for the next song to begin.
    I smiled and thanked him as I glanced around the dance floor. I noticed for the first time that many girls were looking over their date’s shoulders to peer at Bennett and me.
    “Wow, this group has me scared. If I make one wrong move, these girls might attack,” I told Bennett, making him laugh.
    When the evening came to a close, Bennett asked if we could see each other again and I said, “I’d like to.”
    I spotted Ruth walking toward the exit surrounded by a group of adoring friends, so when Bennett wrapped his arm through mine and escorted me out of the ballroom, I knew she was just ahead of us. He slowed as we approached the hotel’s front entry and directed me off to the side.
    “I really had a good time tonight,” he said and bent to kiss me softly. I could feel my heart beating so hard that I was glad my dress was open in the back and not the front. He would surely be able to see my chest pulsing as my heart prepared to explode in my chest. It didn’t help that I could feel the warmth of his hand pressing on the center of my naked back.
    “Come on girl!” Ruth suddenly said, tugging at my arm. “You’ll see him again.” She whispered, “Our limo awaits.” I gave Bennett a smile over my shoulder and let myself be pulled away.
    “Thanks for saving me. I think I was speechless. I couldn’t think of anything to say to him.”
    “What I saw didn’t look like talking ,” she said as we got into the limo.
    I collapsed into the soft leather seats and felt the magic of my princess evening disappearing as I started to drift back into my farmer’s daughter body. “Wow,” I said, “that was like living a different life!”
    “Not for me,” Ruth said. “That’s why it was fun to take you. That group gets too self absorbed without a little outside influence to keep them in check.”
     

     
    It felt like my head hit the pillow just a moment before the alarm clock buzzed. I had the same smile on my face as when I fell asleep. Ruth was snoring about three feet away from me and as usual, we had fallen asleep gabbing, this time about the party. “Come on Ruth, wake up and tell me if you’re holding anything else back. You could have told me you were stinkin’