He looked around for someone to dance with. At first he saw no one free, then, near the door, he saw a little redhead, her eyes cast downward shyly.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, offering his hand.

She seemed shocked, but she nodded slowly. He took her hand and manuevered her onto the wooden floor, gently turning her in time with the music.

Max glanced over at the singer onstage. He suspected that she was the lead act of Liz's group -- a beautiful, thirtyish singer with a raspy, throaty alto. As Max watched her, she cleared her throat and began a familiar song.

"Heaven, I'm in heaven And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak And I seem to find the happiness I seek When we're out together, dancing cheek to cheek."

Max came out from the spell of the song slowly, and realized that Maria was steering him, a questioning look on her face. He glanced over at Liz. Her head was tucked into Alex's chest, her eyes closed. She looked blissfully peaceful. Max's heart began to pound, partly with confusion, and partly with anger.

"Heaven, I'm in heaven And the cares that hung around me through the week Seemed to vanish like the gambler's lucky streak When we're out together, dancing cheek to cheek."

He took control of the dance. Maria didn't seem to mind. He spun them around, twirling closer and closer to Liz and Alex. He heard Maria's deep, unhappy sigh.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning close to her ear.

She looked up at him, and he saw the understanding in her green eyes. "It's all right," she whispered back. "I understand."

Max smiled. "Thank you, Maria," he said.

She shrugged. "It's okay. Just do whatever you need to do. But there's something I need to tell you first."

He frowned. "What is it?"

"Before you came here, Liz was worried about something. Not just about Alex, or whether he'd been killed, or hurt or something. But when you got here, it was like everything came to a head for her. And since then, she's been different."

"Different how?"

Maria brushed a strand of long blond hair out of her eye. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry."

Max felt someone bump against him, and he realized that they'd wandered their way over to Alex and Liz.

"Oh, I'd love to climb a mountain And to reach the highest peak But it doesn't thrill me half as much As dancing cheek to cheek."

"May I cut in?" Max asked, tapping Alex's shoulder.

Alex turned around with a smile. "Sure, buddy. No problem. Just don't wear her out, okay? I want another turn after you're done." And with that, he grabbed Maria and spun her away, dancing goofily. Max heard her laugh and knew she was okay.

He looked down at Liz. She wasn't looking at him. He grabbed her and forced her to look in his eyes. "What's wrong with you, Liz? The best night of sex you've ever had just a little overwhelming for you?"

Liz glared at him. He could see that she was tempted to slap him, but didn't want to draw unnecessary attention their way. Her lips worked as though forming words. Finally she said, "Why are you questioning one night of sex with no commitment? Isn't that what a man loves?"

Max was so taken aback by her reply that for a moment his mind went blank. Maria was right. Liz had changed, in some way that wasn't physically visible but was clear enough in her words. The Liz he had known his whole life would never have said anything so crude about sex. Especially sex with her best friend. "What *is* wrong with you? Why would you...Liz, I know you better than anybody. And you know me. You know that I'd never, I'd never have made love to you if it didn't mean something to me. I thought the same of you."

"Well, maybe you thought wrong," she hissed, her voice lowering as Lieutenant Valenti came closer.

"Oh, I'd love to go out fishin' In a river or a creek But I don't enjoy it half as much As dancing cheek to cheek."

Max pulled her closer, ignoring the stirring of his body. He could still remember what she felt like against him, writhing, her hair falling loose around him. "I don't know you anymore, Elizabeth Parker," he said, more than a little sadly.

"Yeah, all that physical pleasure you gave me last night just left me a changed woman."

Max winced, stung. "If you hate me so much, then why do you keep on dancing?"

"Who said I hate you?"

He paused, stopping their slow dance so suddenly that Liz stumbled and Valenti, with his partner, bumped into them with an annoyed glance. "If you don't, then what is going on?"

"I guess you'll find out soon enough."

Max didn't like the sound of that at all. The song was drawing to a close, and he pulled her close again, wanting to relish the feel of her against him, just for a little while.

"Come on and dance with me I want my arm about you That charm about you Will carry me through to heaven I'm in heaven And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak And I seem to find the happiness I seek When we're out together, dancing cheek to cheek..."

He could see her distancing herself from him. He didn't understand anything that had happened. Why had she wanted him last night? All things considered, it had been her who had initiated everything. Why was she so cold and unfriendly now? He remembered two nights ago, being tucked tenderly into her bed, her face so loving and forgiving, offering a shoulder for all of his hurts.

The song finally ended, the beautiful red-headed singer, who seemed vaguely familiar to Max, taking a drink of water offered to her by one of the soldiers. While he was still looking away, he felt the warmth that was Liz slip from his arms. When he turned around, all he could see was her petite rear end as she walked back out the door. Alex, still dancing with Maria, looked at Max in obvious puzzlement. Max didn't think he'd ever seen Alex's face echo his own thoughts so perfectly.

****

Max could already hear the little plane, all the way outside in the makeshift landing field. It was just big enough for all the USO girls. Even their instructor, who Max had briefly heard called Sarge, was staying behind. There just wasn't enough room.

He'd had a sleepless night the night before, the image of Alex making love to Liz flashing repeatedly through his head. He couldn't get the image out of his mind. He'd never thought of himself as the jealous type, but now he had insomnia over a girl who wasn't even his. Apparently, one night was all Liz had wanted, and now that she was going, he was going to have to learn to live with that. He'd been able to have her for one night, and he knew that for those few moments, he'd possessed her body and soul. But that was all he was going to get.

Max watched wordlessly as Liz exited the old hospital, tripping in her high heels as she tried to walk too fast.

He saw why after a few seconds. Alex was coming after her. He seemed partly angry, partly hurt. *That's probably a hell of a lot what I looked like last night*, Max realized.

She turned around to speak to him, her face emotionless. They weren't too far away, but whatever they said was drowned out instantly by the noisy propeller plane. He glanced over and saw the last of the girls loading her tiny allotted bag. Liz was going to have to leave, and soon.

He watched them, and realized that they were arguing, Liz's words flying fast and furious to counteract anything Alex said. He remembered her doing that sometimes when they were children, annoying them both with her superior verbal ability. *Girl stuff*, they had sniffed together at the time.

Maria leaned out of the plane, and though he couldn't hear her, he read her lips easily. "Time to leave, Liz!"

Liz turned around, throwing a nod to her friend. She turned around and said something more to Alex. Max didn't know what she said, but whatever it was, it made Alex's shoulders slump visibly. She turned on her heel and walked away, and for once he didn't try to stop her. Instead he ran in the other direction, and Max realized that his face was blurred with tears.

Max was totally astonished. In all their years as best friends, he'd never seen Alex cry. Ever. What in hell had she said to him?

By the time the plane began to taxi down the grass-and-cement runway, he was the only soldier standing near the building. He watched one face through the distant window, certain that it was Liz's. He thought he saw a flicker of recognition in the girl's eyes, before the plane rolled into the distance.

When its wheels left the ground, Max sighed and turned back toward the old hospital, not looking forward to what lay ahead, and longing for what had been left behind.