Danny’s breath, light on my ear, sent more shivers radiating throughout me.
Moments later Danny whispered again, “Do you have any idea how good you feel?”
“No,” I answered, somewhat terrified by his remark.
Danny gave me the most electric smile I’d ever seen, and I mirrored it.
“I don’t want you to feel this good,” he said, and frowned.
“Is something wrong with me?” I whispered. “Should we stop dancing?” I didn’t want to stop. I was enjoying Danny’s hands and the warmth of his body too much.
“No. This is too good. Elizabeth, you’re perfect.”
Soon the song ended.
“I want you to leave,” Danny whispered.
I looked at him like he was crazy. Danny and I were having such a good time together.
“Why should I leave? It’s early.”
Danny’s beautiful smile had been replaced by sad confusion.
“I’m afraid if you don’t leave I’m going to do something I’ll regret. Damn! This is too perfect tonight, Elizabeth.”
I was depressed seeing Danny’s conflicted emotions. Staying would in effect be an ultimatum. I couldn’t do that to him. I cared too much.
The next morning Shane and Cam were alone at breakfast when I arrived. After last night, I wondered if Danny was avoiding me.
“Where’s Danny?” I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
“Sleeping it off,” Shane offered. “After you left The Cellar, Danny got blitzed.”
“Why would he do that?” Danny was sober when I had said ‘good-night’.
“So he could numb his brain enough to go home with the flirty blonde, instead of going with the brunette he really wanted. But she had already left,” Cam said with brutal glee.
“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say. So that’s why Danny told me to leave.
I took a couple of nibbles of toast, washed them down with a gulp of juice, then grabbed a banana and left without saying another word.
Too early for class, I walked back to Berkeley Hall, and nearly collided with Danny who was dashing out the door.
“Hey, Eli,” he greeted me as though he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Don’t ‘hey Eli’ me, Daniel,” I scowled.
Danny stopped in his tracks, keeping me from proceeding.
“E, what’s got you this early in the morning?”
“I know why you made me leave The Cellar.” I frowned.
“Shit! This is just what I wanted to avoid. You’re hurt.”
I couldn’t answer. It was the obvious truth. Danny gripped my shoulders. “Eli,” he said, “You’ve got to find a boyfriend so you won’t care what I’m doing.”
Furious, I pulled myself out of his hold.
“So I won’t care what you’re doing!” I exploded. “How about if you don’t care what I’m doing. I had a date Saturday night, and you did everything to sabotage it.”
Danny smirked. “I didn’t sabotage your date. I said ‘have a good time, Sweetheart.’”
I rolled my eyes in defiance, outraged. “Sweetheart? You’re asking me about my date with another man and you’re calling me Sweetheart! Unbelievable Daniel! I am not your Sweetheart and I never will be, so you’ve made it more than clear! And yes, I had a lovely time.”
“Will you be seeing him again?”
“Trying to assuage your guilt, Daniel? Yes, I’m seeing Greg again, but don’t come to my room first.”
“Guilt?
“Do you even remember last night? The part you spent with me?”
“Of course I do. It was the best part.” Danny smiled. “We were dancing. I was holding you in my arms.”
“You told me I was perfect,” I stammered. “What should I think when you say something like that?”
“I was stupid, Eli. I’ve got to keep my hands off of you.”
Danny took my hands and kissed my cheek. “Can you forgive me, Eli?” he asked in a hurt little boy voice. “I’ll be crushed if you don’t.”
“Daniel, you’re impossible.”
Why did I always give in to him?
Saturday evening I went out with Greg to an on-campus jazz concert, this time without Danny’s interference. That
Moments later Danny whispered again, “Do you have any idea how good you feel?”
“No,” I answered, somewhat terrified by his remark.
Danny gave me the most electric smile I’d ever seen, and I mirrored it.
“I don’t want you to feel this good,” he said, and frowned.
“Is something wrong with me?” I whispered. “Should we stop dancing?” I didn’t want to stop. I was enjoying Danny’s hands and the warmth of his body too much.
“No. This is too good. Elizabeth, you’re perfect.”
Soon the song ended.
“I want you to leave,” Danny whispered.
I looked at him like he was crazy. Danny and I were having such a good time together.
“Why should I leave? It’s early.”
Danny’s beautiful smile had been replaced by sad confusion.
“I’m afraid if you don’t leave I’m going to do something I’ll regret. Damn! This is too perfect tonight, Elizabeth.”
I was depressed seeing Danny’s conflicted emotions. Staying would in effect be an ultimatum. I couldn’t do that to him. I cared too much.
The next morning Shane and Cam were alone at breakfast when I arrived. After last night, I wondered if Danny was avoiding me.
“Where’s Danny?” I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
“Sleeping it off,” Shane offered. “After you left The Cellar, Danny got blitzed.”
“Why would he do that?” Danny was sober when I had said ‘good-night’.
“So he could numb his brain enough to go home with the flirty blonde, instead of going with the brunette he really wanted. But she had already left,” Cam said with brutal glee.
“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say. So that’s why Danny told me to leave.
I took a couple of nibbles of toast, washed them down with a gulp of juice, then grabbed a banana and left without saying another word.
Too early for class, I walked back to Berkeley Hall, and nearly collided with Danny who was dashing out the door.
“Hey, Eli,” he greeted me as though he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Don’t ‘hey Eli’ me, Daniel,” I scowled.
Danny stopped in his tracks, keeping me from proceeding.
“E, what’s got you this early in the morning?”
“I know why you made me leave The Cellar.” I frowned.
“Shit! This is just what I wanted to avoid. You’re hurt.”
I couldn’t answer. It was the obvious truth. Danny gripped my shoulders. “Eli,” he said, “You’ve got to find a boyfriend so you won’t care what I’m doing.”
Furious, I pulled myself out of his hold.
“So I won’t care what you’re doing!” I exploded. “How about if you don’t care what I’m doing. I had a date Saturday night, and you did everything to sabotage it.”
Danny smirked. “I didn’t sabotage your date. I said ‘have a good time, Sweetheart.’”
I rolled my eyes in defiance, outraged. “Sweetheart? You’re asking me about my date with another man and you’re calling me Sweetheart! Unbelievable Daniel! I am not your Sweetheart and I never will be, so you’ve made it more than clear! And yes, I had a lovely time.”
“Will you be seeing him again?”
“Trying to assuage your guilt, Daniel? Yes, I’m seeing Greg again, but don’t come to my room first.”
“Guilt?
“Do you even remember last night? The part you spent with me?”
“Of course I do. It was the best part.” Danny smiled. “We were dancing. I was holding you in my arms.”
“You told me I was perfect,” I stammered. “What should I think when you say something like that?”
“I was stupid, Eli. I’ve got to keep my hands off of you.”
Danny took my hands and kissed my cheek. “Can you forgive me, Eli?” he asked in a hurt little boy voice. “I’ll be crushed if you don’t.”
“Daniel, you’re impossible.”
Why did I always give in to him?
Saturday evening I went out with Greg to an on-campus jazz concert, this time without Danny’s interference. That
Similar Books
