The male cat swept the female cat across the dance floor, as the band played an upbeat swing tune. The two cats moved every which way, spinning and sliding; at the same time, their movements conveyed their love for each other. Finally, as the song ended, the couple went into a dip. The male placed his free hand on the back of the female’s head, as the female wrapped her hands around the male’s neck. They came closer and closer to each other, until their lips met. The two cats moved out of the dip, still remaining in the kiss. When they finished their kiss, they opened their eyes, remaining in an embrace.

“Cut!” a voice sounded from the corner of the room. “Print it!” The director got out of his chair, walking towards Danny and Sawyer. “That was wonderful! Marvelous! Brilliant!” Sawyer smiled sarcastically at the director. “Just like always, huh?”

The director laughed. “No, I really mean it! I can’t understand how, but no matter what, you two can always get it right on the first take!” Danny smirked. “I guess you could call it luck.” The director patted Danny’s shoulder. “Well, whatever it is, keep it up.”

The director spoke into his megaphone. “All right, people! Pack it up! We’re done for today!” he said to everyone on the soundstage. Danny and Sawyer walked towards the stage exit. “Time to call it a day, huh, Sawyer?” Danny asked. Sawyer smiled at Danny. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Sawyer,” Danny said, “there’s something I want to ask you.” Sawyer smiled; she could already guess what it was. “If you’re not doing anything tonight,” he asked, “would you like to go have dinner with me?”

Sawyer maintained her smile; she was right. “Why, Danny, I’d love to,” she said to him. “Well then,” Danny said, “how about I come pick you up around…oh…five o’clock?” Sawyer took Danny’s hand. “Sounds like a plan,” she said to him. Then, she kissed Danny goodbye.

Danny left the soundstage, and went towards his dressing room. He was incredibly glad that Sawyer was available tonight; he had something special in store for her, something that just couldn’t wait any longer…

A Night to Remember

By Jeffrey Gray

Danny opened the door to his apartment. He still found it a little hard to believe that such a big movie star as he was still living in an apartment. But then again, he thought, there were a lot of things he hadn’t known when he had come to Hollywood three years ago.

Three years, he thought. Has it really been that long? Danny had come to Hollywood with not much more than a song in his heart, and in this short period of time, he had been able to make a name for animals in Hollywood, land a big contract with a major movie studio, and become one of the most well-known actors in the business, human or animal. He had even been the star of a musical on Broadway, for a short period of time. Was it luck, he wondered, or something else? He decided not to wonder much; he was a star, and that was that.

As he got ready, he thought about Sawyer. She had been his friend, companion, and lover for almost the entire time he had been here. Additionally, she had acted with him in quite a few of the movies he had done; they were usually the romantic leads. She wasn’t only known for her work with him, though; she had done several projects on her own as well. Either way, they had quickly become one of the most known couples in Hollywood, both on-screen and off.

Danny had loved every minute of his time in Hollywood; that is, except for the first week or so, when he had to struggle to break into the business, and almost gave up. But aside from that, it was the best three years he had ever had. The starring roles, the premiere parties, the swarms of reporters at every event, the droves of adoring fans he had attracted; he enjoyed all of it. Some people wouldn’t be able to take all the pressure that comes with being an actor, but Danny didn’t care one bit. It was all part of the fun to him. Nevertheless, he knew it wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable if he didn’t have Sawyer to share it all with.

Sawyer. He had been in love with her since the moment he first laid eyes on her; he met her in Farley Wink’s talent agency, the day he arrived in Hollywood. But unbeknownst to him, he had caused some trouble for her as she was on her way to work that morning; he had accidentally knocked her into a fountain, and didn’t even know it until after he had met her. But even with that rough start, and with all the times that his actions had annoyed and angered her that first week, they eventually got off on the right foot. Ever since, they had been deeply in love.

Danny wondered how Sawyer would react to what he had planned for her tonight, and he hoped that things would go smoothly. They had to, he thought to himself. They just had to. Tonight was that important to him. Still, there was a worry needling him, a worry that something might go wrong. He tried his best to brush it off; after all, he might as well just hope for the best.

Danny decided that he would wear the green pants and jacket that he wore the night of the premiere, those three years ago. It reminded him of how, that night, Sawyer had first admitted her love for him, and they had kissed for the first time; that was the true beginning of their relationship, and he thought that on this special night, he would try to remind her of that as well.

As he headed for the door, Danny picked up a small box off of the table, and put it into his jacket pocket. It was a little gift for Sawyer; something so that she would remember tonight, even after it was over. He hoped that she would like it…

When Danny got to Sawyer’s apartment, he knocked on the door. “Sawyer,” he said, “it’s Danny.” He heard her say from inside, “Okay, Danny, I’m coming.” The door opened, and a surprising sight greeted Danny: Sawyer had also chosen to wear the green dress that she had worn to the premiere. She had even decided to wear the same bracelet. Wow, he thought, I guess we were both thinking the same thing. “Wow, Sawyer,” he said at the same time, “you look very beautiful this evening.” Sawyer blushed, as she usually did when Danny made a flattering comment. “Why, thank you, Danny,” she said. “You’re so sweet...as always.”

Danny offered his hand to Sawyer. “Well,” he said in a gentlemanly tone, “shall we go?” Sawyer took his hand, and almost instantly, Danny brought her hand to his lips, and kissed it. Sawyer blushed and giggled. “Why, Danny, you’re quite a gentleman this evening,” she said. “Why, yes I am,” said Danny. “Do you not like it?” Sawyer looked at Danny and smiled. “I love it.”

“So, Danny, where do you think we should eat?” Sawyer asked. Danny smiled at her. “Sawyer, I have already found a place, and I already know that you will like it. Just follow me, my dear.” Then, he put his arm around Sawyer. “You’re especially charming tonight,” she said in response, before giving him a kiss. “Keep it up.”

As they rode the trolley towards their destination, Sawyer, who was resting her head on Danny’s shoulder, asked, “Danny, where exactly are you taking me?” Danny stroked the side of her face. “I want to keep it a surprise, my darling. You’ll find out when we get there.” Sawyer snuggled up to Danny. “That’s fine. I’m sure that it will be someplace wonderful.”

A trolley ride and several blocks of walking later, they arrived at an elegant, romantic Italian restaurant. Sawyer gasped. “Danny! This is one of the most expensive restaurants in town!” Danny smiled, putting his arm around Sawyer. “I know. I decided that I’d show you to the time of your life tonight. The sky’s the limit.” Sawyer smiled back at Danny, as she rubbed her cheek up against his. “Well, thank you for choosing this place, Danny. You know what I like.” As she said this, Sawyer thought to herself…what was Danny up to? He always treated her to excellent dates, but never this excellent…

Inside, the restaurant was dimly lit, and like all good romantic restaurants, each table was lit by candlelight. There was even a house band, which played soft, romantic music for the guests’ entertainment. Danny and Sawyer had been to many romantic eating establishments in the past, but both agreed that this one put all the rest to shame.

Danny and Sawyer found a table, and sat down. Danny gazed at Sawyer; the candlelight lit her face in a way that made it look even more beautiful. Sawyer gazed back; the light also made Danny look that much more handsome.

When it came time to order their food, Danny reassured Sawyer. “Don’t worry. You can order anything you want. I’m paying.” Sawyer smiled. “Oh, Danny, that’s very sweet of you.” Danny blushed. “Thank you. I’m just trying to make things a little easier for you.”

As they waited for their food to arrive, Danny and Sawyer gazed into each other’s eyes. The feeling they had when they were with each other was just as wonderful as it was when they first fell in love; in fact, now that they had been together for a considerable amount of time, it felt even more wonderful.

The two cats felt incredibly content. Here they were, eating a wonderful dinner, in a romantic locale, with each other as company. They both felt that this was shaping up to be one of the best evenings they had ever spent together; however, only Danny knew what was going to happen before the night was done.

As they ate their dinner, Sawyer spoke. “Danny, I have to say, you’re still one of the most considerate people I’ve ever known. Nobody else would do all of this for me…nobody but you.” Danny smiled. “What can I say? I love you.” Sawyer said in reply, “It’s not just that. You’ve always been nice to everyone you’ve met, even when they’re not nice to you.” Danny placed his hand on Sawyer’s shoulder. “Well, I guess I’m just a nice person. My mother always told me how important it was to be nice to everyone…even if they’re not nice to you.”

Sawyer reached her hand out to Danny’s cheek, and softly caressed it. “She sure knew what she was talking about,” she said. “Because that’s part of why I love you so much.” She began to lean in towards Danny; he leaned in towards her, in response. They came closer and closer, until they finally kissed.

After the couple had finished their dinner, they left the restaurant. As they were walking down the sidewalk, Sawyer spoke. “Thank you for the wonderful dinner,” she said sweetly. “That was the best I’ve had in months.” Danny smiled. “Anything for you, Sawyer.” He paused for a moment. “Well, what would you like to do next?” Sawyer went into a ‘thinking’ position. “Hmm…I don’t know,” she said sarcastically. “Why don’t we go dancing?” Danny looked at Sawyer. “What an excellent idea,” he said. “I know just the place.”

Danny led Sawyer to a classy dance hall, one which both of them had wanted to go to for a long time. “Well, Sawyer,” Danny said. “You always said you wanted to come here. Now’s your chance.” Sawyer giggled, extremely pleased at Danny’s choice. “Oh, Danny, thank you! Once again, you’ve chosen the perfect place.” Danny took Sawyer’s hand. “I’m showing you to the time of your life this evening…remember?” Sawyer gazed at Danny and smiled. He certainly was.

Inside were many human and animal couples, all of them well dressed. In one part of the room was a huge band, bigger than any Danny and Sawyer had seen at any other dance hall. The establishment, and everybody in it, “said” one word: class. The two cats could have only dreamed of going to such a place three years ago, but with their current status, they fit in perfectly.

The band started by playing a swing song; Danny and Sawyer’s favorite kind of song. As always, they went into a kinetic frenzy of movement. At one point, instead of dancing together, they went into a “duel,” trying to one-up each other’s moves, as they had done in the alley so long ago. But by the end of the song, they had rejoined, and when the song ended, they went, as always, into a dip. They were never sure why they enjoyed doing this so much; they just did.

The band went through many different kinds of music that evening: swing, tango, samba; you name it, they played it. Whatever the music, Danny and Sawyer always followed suit with the appropriate dance. As it always was when they went dancing, they wowed the others with their superb moves. The two cats danced the night away, hand in hand, and cheek to cheek.

Finally, the band played a slow, romantic song. Danny and Sawyer each put an arm around each other, and held the other’s free hand with theirs. They spent most of the dance gazing into each other’s sparkling eyes. Danny was especially taken by how beautiful Sawyer was tonight; it was only fitting that on a night as special as this one, she would look especially lovely.

Then, Danny’s thoughts turned to what was left to do tonight. Very soon, he would surprise Sawyer with something that she would never forget. As he had done all evening, he hoped that it would all come out the way he wanted it to.

Suddenly, Sawyer’s piercing gaze brought Danny’s thoughts back to her. She was so wonderful: her beauty, her personality, and her devotion to acting, singing, dancing, and him. He was extremely grateful that he had her as his love; he could not think of any female that he could possibly love as much as her.

Sawyer was thinking along similar lines. She could not think of any male that she could possibly love more than Danny, nor one that could love her as much as he did. It seemed an awkward match: a hard-nosed woman of upper-middle-class upbringing, such as herself, and a naïve, happy-go-lucky farm cat from Kokomo; but somehow, it worked.

As they usually did at the end of a slow song, the two shared a kiss and an embrace. Then, as the band was taking a break, Danny and Sawyer left the dance hall. “Once again, Danny,” Sawyer said, “you’ve outdone yourself.” Danny blushed. “Aw, gee, Sawyer, I’m glad you’re happy.” Danny paused for a moment, and then spoke again. “Sawyer, would you like to take a walk through the park?” Danny asked. “Why, I’d love to, Danny.”

As Danny and Sawyer walked to the park, Danny became slightly nervous. The time was approaching for him to make his move. He put his hand in his pocket, and started fingering the small box inside it. Would she like his surprise, or his gift? What would she say? Suddenly, he heard Sawyer’s voice. “Danny?” she asked. “Is something wrong?” Danny took his hand out of his pocket. “Oh, no,” he replied. “Everything’s fine.” His heart raced. He didn’t want Sawyer to suspect anything beforehand; he was waiting for just the right moment…

As the two cats strolled through the park, Danny looked at Sawyer. She looked absolutely wonderful in the moonlight. It made her fur seem to glow, giving her an angelic quality. And that’s what she was in his eyes: an angel. Suddenly, he knew that it was time for him to do what he’d been waiting to do all night.

Danny began to speak. “Sawyer, have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” he asked. “Why, yes, Danny,” Sawyer said. “Well, I’m going to tell you again,” said Danny in response. “Your fur reminds me of a blanket of freshly fallen snow. Your eyes are like precious gems, sparkling and shimmering. Your lips…oh, your lips…” Danny took Sawyer into his arms, kissing her passionately.

“Sawyer,” said Danny, as he broke off from the kiss, “I love you. I’ve loved you since the day I first met you. Love is why I wanted to help you fulfill your dream of finally being in the movies. Love is why I never backed down, no matter how many times you turned me away. And without your love for me, I wouldn’t have been able to convince anybody that animals had talent. Sawyer…you’re almost like my other half. Sure, I can dance well by myself, sing well by myself, and act well by myself. But it all pales in comparison to when I dance with you, sing with you, act alongside you. Sawyer, you complete me.”

Then, Danny knelt down on one knee, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the small box that he had been carrying all evening. He opened it, revealing to Sawyer a sparkling diamond ring. Then, he spoke. “Sawyer…will you marry me?”

Sawyer gasped. Suddenly, it all made sense. The wonderful evening, the candlelit dinner, and the magnificent dance hall…it was all leading up to this. He had shown her to the time of her life because he wanted to show her how much she loved him. To show her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And she had only one response to his question. She gazed into Danny’s eyes, and said one word: “Yes.”

Danny took the ring out of its box, and slipped it onto Sawyer’s finger. Then, he clasped both his hands around her hand, and rose to his feet. “Sawyer,” he said, noticeably moved by her decision, “you don’t know how happy this makes me.” Sawyer noticed tears starting to form in his eyes. “Danny,” she said, unable to prevent tears from coming out of her own eyes, “you don’t know how happy this makes me.” Then, the two cats threw their arms around each other, and, with tears streaming down their cheeks, went into the most tender, most passionate kiss they had ever shared.

After they had come out of the kiss, Danny and Sawyer remained in their passionate embrace: arms around one another, teary eyes gazing into teary eyes. Words could not describe how happy the two cats were at this moment. They had been together for three years, and soon, they would be together forever. Deep down in their hearts, they knew that this was the way they wanted it to be.

Finally, Danny loosened his grip around Sawyer, and spoke. “Sawyer,” he said, holding his hand out to her, “may I have this dance?” Sawyer took Danny’s hand. “Yes,” she replied.

The couple then went into a slow, romantic dance. There was no music, but in their heads, they both knew how it should go. They moved in perfect synchronization, with no mistakes; it seemed as if they both knew what the other was going to do. The moonlight illuminated their forms; to those who walked by, it would seem as if they were two heavenly bodies.

Danny and Sawyer continued dancing for what seemed like an eternity, paying no attention to the world around them. For the moment, they only cared about one thing: each other. When they finished their dance, they finished it in a dip. It brought back memories of many dances they had shared, but especially their dance in the alley, back when Danny had first arrived in Hollywood. At that one moment, the sparks of love had started to form. Sawyer may have broken from Danny’s grip and walked away while they were on the verge of kissing, but the effects of that moment were not undone. Thoughts of that moment were what caused Sawyer to realize that she was indeed in love with Danny, to realize that she believed in his dream.

Their thoughts then turned back to the present. Danny put his free hand on the back of Sawyer’s head, as Sawyer wrapped her arms around his neck. Then the two slowly came closer and closer, until their lips finally met. Neither Danny nor Sawyer ever got tired of kissing each other. Every time he kissed her, the tender, sweet feeling of Sawyer’s lips enthralled Danny. And to Sawyer, Danny’s kisses always made her feel like she was melting. And now that they were engaged, they knew that they would be sharing countless kisses in the years to come.

Danny led Sawyer to a bench, which they promptly sat down on. Sawyer snuggled up to Danny, and rested her head on his chest, as he put his arms around her. Danny gently caressed the side of Sawyer’s face, then moved his hand to the back of her head, softly rubbing her silky fur. Danny suddenly felt fur moving across his body; Sawyer was stroking him with her tail. Then, she brought it up higher, and began brushing it up against the side of his face, causing Danny to blush noticeably.

Danny then pulled Sawyer close, and began nuzzling the side of her face and kissing her cheek. With his free hand, he gently ran his hand down Sawyer’s back. Sawyer loved this, and wrapped her tail around Danny’s waist, to pull him in even closer. Then, Danny turned Sawyer’s head to face his, and began kissing her on the lips. Sawyer giggled and blushed; Danny was certainly being romantic tonight.

Danny then hugged Sawyer close, and began rubbing his cheek up against hers, between tender kisses. “Oh, Sawyer,” he said softly, “I love you so much.” Sawyer giggled. “I can tell,” she said in reply.

Eventually, Danny and Sawyer realized it was getting late, and so got up from the bench, and began heading for Sawyer’s house. Even so, as they walked, Sawyer cuddled up close to her fiancée, resting her head on his shoulder. After they had boarded the trolley, Danny and Sawyer began snuggling again, gently caressing and kissing each other. After what had happened tonight, they suddenly enjoyed displaying their affections for each other even more than they had before. And once they were married, they would have plenty of time for affectionate behavior…

Danny and Sawyer walked down the hall to Sawyer’s apartment, still holding each other close. “So, I guess we’re going to start planning our wedding soon, huh, Danny?” Sawyer said, gazing into his eyes. “Yes, I guess so,” Danny said, smiling. The two shared another passionate kiss, before saying their goodbyes.

As Danny and Sawyer each snuggled into their separate beds, in their separate homes, each was thinking of the other. Danny thought about Sawyer, his future wife, and how happy he was that he had mustered up the courage to propose, and that she had accepted. Sawyer thought about her future husband, Danny, glad that he had finally done what she had waited so long for him to do, and eagerly awaiting their wedding day.

As the two cats fell asleep, the last thing on each their minds before they dozed off was the wonderful night they had spent together, and the giant step they had taken in their relationship. Both of them knew that, as the years went by, neither of them would ever forget this wonderful, magical night.

The End

Special thanks to:

Shelley Pleger (DannyCat)

Jason Thyrion (Zycho32)

Patrick J. McCart

Everyone who worked on CDD