Answered Prayer, Part 7

"Why would the American ambassador just offer to de-arm?" the bartender asked.

"I don't know," Rob said, "But it makes about as much sense as China and Russia offering to adopt a U.N. sanctioned religion."

"I can't see the French going for that, either," Dawn added. "And I think India is one of the current Elected Members, so I doubt they'd support it."

Rob and the bartender turned and looked at her.

"What?" she held her hands up, "I was a poli sci minor. I'm a total politics geek."

Rob shook his head. "I wish I'd known what I was getting in to."

"Hey, you decided to stick around."

"I guess I did." He turned back to the bartender, "Um, hate to change the subject, but can I get a cheeseburger?"

"Sure thing," the bartender replied, looking relieved to be thinking about something different. "And for you, miss?"

"I'll have one, too," Dawn said.

"Nice," Rob said, smiling.

"What?"

"I like a girl who can order a cheeseburger."

"Then you'll love this," she winked at him, then turned back to the bartender. "I'll take a Johnnie Walker Black. Rocks." She looked back at him. "Your move."

"Maker's," Rob said. "Double, neat."

* * *

They left the bar three hours later, the strange video long forgotten. She was having a hard time standing up straight. Rob was more than happy to wrap his arm around her waist and keep her walking in a straight line.

"I just want you to know," Dawn said, slurring her words slightly, "That I usually don't drink like this."

"It shows."

They got to his car and he helped her in to the passenger's seat. "Hey, Rob?" she asked as he started to close her door.

"Yeah?"

"Let's not go back to Colin's place."

"Where do you want to go?"

"It just so happens that I have a perfectly cute little apartment of my own." She smiled up at him. "Let's go there."

"Okay."

He ran around the car and hopped in on the driver's side. As soon as he pulled away from the curb Dawn rolled down the window and began gulping in huge lungfuls of air. "Okay," she said after a minute, looking and sounding quite a bit more sober, "I'll have to give you directions."

"That would be nice."

An uneventful ten-minute drive brought them to a little apartment complex set off the road in a leafy residential neighborhood. She led him through a security door, up a staircase, down a hall, and in to a bright apartment decorated in reds, blacks, and whites and organized along sharp, straight, modern lines. "Here we are," she said. "Take off your shoes, please."

"Really?" He asked, kicking off his shoes. "This doesn't look at all like what I imagined your place would look."

"I got the stuff in this room from my sister," she replied. "The bedrooms and the kitchen are all me, though." She walked over to a stereo in the corner and turned it on. A soft guitar filled the room, followed by a Scottish-accented tenor voice.

Row gently down the waves as they grow
Unlike the land the sea can let its pride show
When you're hand in hand in a storm's command
Let the boat go gently

"I love this song," Dawn said, walking back across the floor and taking Rob by the hand.

If morning ever breaks its spell
We'll be floating on a heaven that whispers hell
And the wind sounds like the world is waking
So row gently now

She led him over to the couch. He sat down and she put her leg up on the couch so she was sitting facing him. "Um," she said, shyly, "So..."

Between every grain of sand there are chances
And better times to make advances
The walls of stone
That we'll leave behind us

He looked in to her eyes for a moment, then put his hand behind her head and leaned towards her. Their lips met.

As we go now into the blue, into the blue
Whatever this moment turns into
Go now into the blue, into the blue
Whatever this moment turns into

She pulled back slightly. "You're a good kisser," she said, then met his lips again.

Let the sails down, let them blow
When we're awake we won't feel so alone
The tide has its pride, but it's a pride that comes and goes
First so strong then so gently

He stopped, then looked at her for a long moment.

"What?" she finally asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I'm just trying to figure out how I got here."

"Don't think about it," she said, "It can only ruin the moment."

There are hills beyond these hills
Where the air is still grey in its mystery
That thankfully will always remain a mystery to me

"C'mon," she said, grabbing his hand and standing up. "Let's see if we can't find a way to get you to stop thinking about the past for a little while."

As we go now into the blue, into the blue
Whatever this moment turns into
Go now into the blue, into the blue
Whatever this moment turns into