“Well, I haven’t noticed the boys keeping their distance from you,” Betty said, without a trace of jealousy. After all, there were plenty to go around.

“Oh, boys have never been known to keep their distance from Liss,” Muriel joked.

Elissa examined her red mouth critically, hoping the Crimson Blush would mask the immaturity of its form. Her mother said that she had “rosebud” lips, but Elissa thought their curves too girlish. The soldiers would probably imagine she was all of sixteen, and want nothing to do with her. Despite what Muriel said, she really hadn’t had the best luck with boys to this point.

“Come on,” Betty said, grabbing Elissa by the elbow and dragging her toward the door. Elissa had to strain to reach her pocketbook and grab it off the vanity. “There are soldiers in need of dance partners!” Muriel followed. “We are here to serve!”

They made their way through the crowds on the mezzanine, where groups of soldiers and girls stood smoking and enjoying Cokes and snacks from the refreshment counter, watching the dancers below. When the girls reached the bottom of the steps, a boy was blocking their way, smiling at Elissa, and holding out his hand to her. He had black hair under his service cap, blue eyes, dimples in his cheeks. “Like to dance?” he said.

“I—I have to bring my pocketbook back to the coat check,” she stammered.

“I’ll bring it for you, Liss,” Muriel said, taking it from her. “You go on.”

“Oh, all right, Mur, thanks!” she said, and she took the soldier’s hand, let him lead her into the sea of bobbing bodies. The song was “The White Cliffs of Dover,” and he pulled her to him, the couples on all sides pressing them closer together than Elissa would normally have dared; a little thrill traveled up her spine as she caught a whiff of his Old Spice.

“I’m Buddy,” the soldier said, with a gently Southern accent.

“Hi, Buddy,” she said. “I’m Elissa.”

“I ain’t never seen you here before.”

She smiled more deeply than she intended. “I haven’t been here before. But there are so many people, how could you—”

“Oh, I’d’ve noticed you.”

She blushed.

“Do you live in La Crosse?” Buddy asked.

“No, I’m just visiting.”

“Darn,” he said. “I was hoping I might get an invitation to Sunday dinner with y’all.”

Elissa laughed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right,” he said. “We’ve got all the rest of tonight. Except, sometimes girls think you ain’t serious, if you don’t ask to see them on Sunday.”

“It sounds like you’ve got quite a lot of experience.”

He shrugged, gave her an adorable sideways smile. “Practice makes perfect,” he said. “But you know, you’re about the most beautiful girl I seen since I left Texas.”

“I suppose I hardly compare to the girls in Texas.”