I don’t know what happened. I was walking along the musty aisles of a Goodwill I decided to visit and my arm brushed along a velvet red dress hanging on the racks. The moment I touched the dress, I was taken to somewhere else. A place from a time long ago where people used to go for a good time. To get away from their troubles in the world. The club was dark. An easy dark where you could feel comfortable with yourself. Loud frantic music playing…Jazz I think it was. The chaotic sounds of Charlie Parker were striking out over the air coupled with the smoky haze of lucky strike cigarettes. I could smell her perfume mingled with sweat. We had been dancing to the rhythm of Parkers’ saxophone. The memory is getting clearer now. Her velvet red dress becoming brighter in the hazy darkness. The cherry red was the only thing clear in the room. It was intoxicating. This mystery woman whom I had been dancing with looked up at me. I can barely make out her eyes, but what I do know is there was love in them. Love for me, whoever I was.

As quick as it came, it was over. I was standing there right next to this red velvet dress. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at the dress. I wouldn’t say I am a hopelessly romantic man, but for the first time in a long time, I felt the warmth of love from that dress. I never found out who that woman was but my thoughts will drift to her from time to time. A blurry vision of loveliness that will haunt my heart for the rest of my days.