They continued to move through this slow song, right into another just like it. Somewhere along the way, her body moved closer and closer to his until her breasts were pressed against his chest.
She thought about her mother. Good Lord, the hell she would pay if her mother saw this. She should pull away. Take a break. Where the devil was Ruth? But each time she either looked around or tried to put distance between them, Malcolm held her tight.
When the song ended, the crowd called for another quick dance, and Sadie saw that as her opportunity to take a break. “I believe I’ll have that lemonade right now,” she said.
“Sure. I’ll refresh our glasses.” Malcolm took her hand in his and guided her off the floor. As he refilled their cups, she looked out on the floor, watching the quick steps of the couples. She tapped her foot.
Malcolm returned and handed her a brimming glass of punch. “Drink up, Sadie.”
She took a sip. It was sweeter than she remembered, and the tang of citrus had more bite to it. “You put something in this.”
“A little bit.”
The shine she had sipped before had had a bite to it, and it had burned on the way down. This was sweet and smooth and did not taste strong at all. Before she knew it, she had finished the glass, and he had pressed a second into her hand.
When he was refilling her glass for the third time, Ruth and her beau broke away from the group and came toward her. “Looks like you’re having a good time.”
“I am.” Her muscles had relaxed, and she was fairly sure she could dance as fast as any of the other couples.
Ruth raised a brow and smiled at her beau, as if they shared a private joke. “Yes, some girls always have a good time, don’t they?”
“What’s that mean?” Sadie asked.
“Nothing. Have a good evening.”
When Ruth and her date vanished out the front door, Malcolm returned. “Would you like to step outside? You look a little flushed.”
She sipped her punch. The idea of stepping into the cool air did appeal to her. Not only did she feel a little flushed, but she realized if she was going to kiss Malcolm, then she better do it outside, where there were no prying eyes.
“Sure, I’d like that.”
His grin returned. He watched as she drank the last of her punch and then set their glasses aside. A hand on the small of her back, he guided her outside. She was aware of some of the people staring at her. They were judging her again, but like Ruth, they always were judging her. That was the way in Bluestone. No matter how fancy her dress, she would always be Sadie Thompson.
She followed Malcolm into the darkness broken up only by the stars in the clear night sky. The moon was just a sliver. It would have been a good night to make a run of shine. Just enough light so that the driver did not need headlights, but dark enough to hide you from the law.
Malcolm walked her over the dirt patch of land toward a polished Pontiac coupe parked off by itself. The paint was faded, and she could see that it was an older car. “This your car?”
“Yes.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and lit it with the strike of a match against his heel. Smoke rose up around his face, and he reminded her of Clark Gable.
A slight wave of dizziness rolled over her, and she leaned against the shiny black roadster to steady herself. Malcolm was beside her, staring at her as if she was the only person in the world for him.
“You’re very beautiful,” he said.
She raised her fingertips to her warm cheeks. “No one has ever said that to me.”
“That’s because the boys in this town are blind fools,” he said.
She pulled her shoulders back a fraction. “That’s nice of you to say.”
“It’s true.” He inhaled and then dropped the remainder of his cigarette into the dirt. He exhaled as he ground the glowing tip into the soil. “I’d like to kiss you, Sadie.”
The music and the lights of the party faded, and she felt as if she were a million miles away, and it was only just Malcolm and her.
“Why do you want to kiss me?” She wanted him to tell her she was pretty again.