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The same question ran through Peggy's head.
'What the hell are you doing?', over and over again, for the past two hours.
This is not something that she would normally do, as sensible and grounded as she is. She has always been able to handle rejection and loss well. Not to say that she's cold-hearted, but she's not one to succumb to heartaches.
Like in a trance, she took a shower and put on a nice dress. Her mind lingered back to the week before.
"A week next Saturday..." she remembered saying.
It was already Saturday.
Her red lipstick glided on her lips smoothly and she headed out. She hailed for a cab and told the cabbie her destination.
"The Stork Club," she remembered saying.
She knew the night would end in a disaster even before it began, but she couldn't help herself. She had to be there.
The place was already crowded. The band played, song after song, but all she could hear was the crackling static from a disconnected radio. Couples dance across the dancefloor. Her arrival caught many eyes, but after turning down several offers to dance, and almost breaking the fingers of one who tried to get fresh with her, they all left her alone. She ignored the stares and the mutterings. She didn't care. That's not what she was there for. She's not even sure what she was there for.
An hour passed. Two hours. Three hours.
"Don't you dare be late..." she remembered saying.
The crowd began to thin and the band announced their last song. The vocalist looked over at her and gave her a sympathetic smile. She appreciated it and tried to smile back, but couldn't. She got up from her seat, held her chin up and headed out the door. Her composure fell as soon as she was at the sidewalk, looking at the man who stood there looking back at her.
He looked handsome as always, in a three-piece grey suit. Hands resting casually in the pant pockets. He tilted his head a little and she could hear the sound of his heart, breaking for her. Her heart was breaking too, breaking all over again as she felt her last strand of hope slipped through her fingers.
She couldn't stop herself from going into his arms and as he held on to her, her tears began to flow. She couldn't stop. It felt like she could cry forever.
They stood there for what felt like an eternity until she finally stepped back and out of the embrace. She returned his smile and said, "Mr Stark, could you be so kind as to take me home?"
He just nodded and lead her into the car, before taking the driver's seat. They never spoke of that night.