Reaching out to take the offered hand, Shay felt his pulse quicken, trying to come to terms with how fast things were moving along. "Well, I'm certainly glad one of us knows, apologies in advance if I step on your toes, miss Vera... never been known for my graceful footwork." He said, perhaps speaking a bit too quickly than he meant to. [I]Good lord, am I nervous?[/I] he thought, glancing back, eyes transfixed on the crimson lips that spread into a warm smile, her blue eyes inviting like a pool of water. Shay definitely felt bashful; he wasn't expecting things to turn out this way, and Sam would likely be infuriated.

But to hell with caution, he wanted this. After so long of following others' lead without complaint, he deserved some measure of enjoyment.

Guiding her to the dance floor, Vera took the lead and positioned herself before him, so close he felt her warmth radiate from her. Shay felt his neck flush, he was rather unaccustomed to being this close with a woman before, and the past twenty-four hours, despite how they came about, were something he had begun to cherish and feel a happiness he forgot he had. No gangs, no war, no English hatred... just her. His hand found the small of her back, and he committed her touch to memory. Following her step, and losing himself in the moment, the music, the crowd, all of it faded until his world was directly in front of him, looking him in the eyes. "I..." he began, finding himself at a loss for words. He smiled softly, shaking his head slowly, as if he couldn't believed he were here. "I needed this. Thank you."