Chapter 577 Lust & Found:>65

• The evening was as much fun as any Joey could remember; the band was good, a sound somewhere between West Coast country-rock and Chicago urban blues, good dance music, and Luna made him dance with her, Joey shuffling self-consciously as he held her with a chaste space between them until she pulled herself close to him, holding his hips and making him sway with her.
• As he danced, he found himself remembering dancing with Karen this way. Strangely, this time the memory didn't sear him; instead, it left only a gently poignant, warm sadness, but also an appreciation of just how alive and vital the girl he was dancing with really was. Almost against his will, he found himself enjoying her lithe curves and the graceful way she moved as she danced, all the more alluring because she was unconscious of his scrutiny.
• Luna eventually announced she was all danced-out, and led Joey back to their table to sit, drink a cold beer, and share Chilli cheeseburgers and fries. For Joey it was the crown of the best time he'd had in what felt like forever. The food was good, the beer was better, and the company was exquisite, and he hadn't felt so alive and relaxed in a long, long time. The healing process had begun, and Luna had helped him get there, he suddenly realized, the thought making him wistful rather than guilty.