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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Long</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Storied</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jose</strong> <strong>Montoya</strong> 74have limped on the way back to his room, had he not floated the entire distance.<strong>The</strong> next Wednesday night went just as well as the first one, <strong>and</strong> so did the Wednesdayfollowing. Walking Eudora home at the end <strong>of</strong> this third Wednesday, <strong>Jose</strong> at last worked up thecourage to grab her h<strong>and</strong>. <strong>The</strong> night air was cold, but her h<strong>and</strong> was warm <strong>and</strong> unbelievably s<strong>of</strong>t. <strong>Jose</strong>thought for a brief second that his own h<strong>and</strong>, roughened by soldiering, must seem calloused <strong>and</strong>leathery to her. <strong>The</strong> thought quickly evaporated, however, when she squeezed his h<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> turned tosmile at him, <strong>and</strong> a tingling sensation shot up his arm before settling down into the bottom <strong>of</strong> hisstomach. <strong>The</strong>y held tightly onto each other’s h<strong>and</strong>s for the rest <strong>of</strong> the way to her quarters, <strong>Jose</strong> afraidthat at any moment she might let go. Outside <strong>of</strong> her door, she squeezed his h<strong>and</strong> one final time as sheturned to face him. Not waiting this time for her to st<strong>and</strong> on her toes, <strong>Jose</strong> leaned over <strong>and</strong> kissed hers<strong>of</strong>tly <strong>and</strong> briefly on the lips. <strong>Jose</strong> could not straighten back up, <strong>and</strong> their eyes lingered inches apart.All he could see was how blue they were, even in the dim light <strong>of</strong> the night, <strong>and</strong> he could not decide ifit was her eyes that he wanted to fall into, or the s<strong>of</strong>t warmth <strong>of</strong> her mouth.Eudora kept her gaze still as she told him she needed to get inside, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Jose</strong> could only slowlynod. It was definitely her eyes that he that was falling into, he decided. Without taking her eyes fromhis, Eudora told him that she would be pleased if he would escort her to church on Sunday morning.Still mesmerized, <strong>Jose</strong> nodded again. She leaned slightly forward <strong>and</strong> returned his brief kiss, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Jose</strong>realized that he would have agreed to almost anything if it meant another kiss. She took a stepbackwards <strong>and</strong> told <strong>Jose</strong> to meet her here at her quarters at eight o'clock Sunday morning, <strong>and</strong> not to belate. For the third time, <strong>Jose</strong> could only nod. Eudora smiled, turned <strong>and</strong> ran into the building. <strong>Jose</strong>stood for a moment, tasting her lips <strong>and</strong> hoping he might catch a glimpse <strong>of</strong> her through a window.When no such glimpse turned out to be forthcoming, he once again floated back to his room.<strong>Jose</strong> awoke the next morning feeling even more in love than he had the day before.
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