"You're overdoing it, Lor. Tone it down a bit." And her eyes
were slits as she walked back past Kim.
Dani tried to remember everything Nat had
taught her, as she hadn't practiced in two days. Even though he
didn't say anything, she could feel his gaze riveted on her the
whole time.
He came up on the stage when they were done,
conferred with Nat, and walked up to her. "I spoke with Nat and we
are in agreement that there will be a very loose structure to your
eleven o'clock show. That way, you will have some freedom
to...well, do whatever."
The scent of his aftershave came to her, and
her eyes met his. Her face flushed as she remembered the night
before. But he was calm and professional, as always, in front of
the other women. "Is that all right?" he asked politely.
She nodded, and he left.
After the morning rehearsal, she found Kim,
who still looked furious. They walked to the lunchroom. "What are
you going to do?" Dani asked her.
"He's already called twice. I let it go to
voice mail. He can kiss my ass."
"I hate to see you drop him," Dani said, "he
seems like a nice guy."
"She's right," Kim said, flicking her hair
back, "he is a womanizer. I don't know what I was thinking. He's
not a nice guy."
Entering her room, exhausted after two
rehearsals, and not looking forward to the dress rehearsal at five,
Dani plopped down on the sofa. And she wondered how she would wing
another performance at eleven. Would the same needs drive her? Or
would she be criticized and ridiculed in the newspapers, with them
saying she'd lost her touch?
Her cell phone rang, and she was too tired to
answer it. But it was persistently ringing now, so she finally
answered and sat on the sofa again. "Yes?"
"Dani, it's Tony."
"Hi Tony. How are you? Did you have a good
flight home?"
"Yeah, yeah, thanks. Hey listen, I can't get
in touch with Kim. Is anything wrong?"
She debated. Kim was her friend, and she
wouldn't want to divulge any secrets. "Well, um, you might want to
think back to the first night you were here."
"Yeah?"
"Well, you know how girls talk."
"Oh shit. The blonde. Figures she'd be like
that. Kim doesn't understand. I didn't do anything with that
blonde. She was just too nasty."
Dani smiled, but didn't say anything.
"Can you help me out?" he pleaded. "I'm way
over here." And he added, "I'd do it for you."
"I'll bet," she laughed. "Okay, let me see
what I can do."
She phoned Kim. "He's getting desperate," she
told her, "calling me. Said he didn't do anything with Lorali."
Kim sniffed. "All right. Let me think about
it. I just hate the game playing. I don't mean sex games, that's
different. But the life games, the head games, I can't get into
it."
They clicked off, and Dani gazed at the roses
and the card attached. "Call me," she said. Maybe please call me
would be better, she thought.
She wondered if Al was playing games with
her. It's true, she didn't have much experience in the world,
especially sexually, but she thought she probably wouldn't
recognize a game if it came up and hit her in the face.
Reclining on the sofa back, she thought of
him. The relief she'd felt at his hands last night, the new
sensations that made her whole body quiver and shake. Was that what
Kim felt with Tony? And she'd never seen a man before all the way
naked. But she wanted to, just so she'd know.
Tommy would always change in the bathroom, or
sometimes he never changed at all, just played cards all night. She
wondered idly why she was thinking about him. What a waste of her
time. He was gone, long gone. Besides, she never felt any
attraction to him. He was just her foster brother. Older, more
confident and worldly. And totally two-faced.
She dozed off, but the persistent cell phone
ring brought her around again. "Did she call you?" she said
sleepily, thinking it was Tony.
"Who?" Al said.
"I'm sorry, I thought you were Tony."
She heard an edge to his voice. "Why is he
calling you?"
"It's a long story."
"I'll be down in fifteen
were slits as she walked back past Kim.
Dani tried to remember everything Nat had
taught her, as she hadn't practiced in two days. Even though he
didn't say anything, she could feel his gaze riveted on her the
whole time.
He came up on the stage when they were done,
conferred with Nat, and walked up to her. "I spoke with Nat and we
are in agreement that there will be a very loose structure to your
eleven o'clock show. That way, you will have some freedom
to...well, do whatever."
The scent of his aftershave came to her, and
her eyes met his. Her face flushed as she remembered the night
before. But he was calm and professional, as always, in front of
the other women. "Is that all right?" he asked politely.
She nodded, and he left.
After the morning rehearsal, she found Kim,
who still looked furious. They walked to the lunchroom. "What are
you going to do?" Dani asked her.
"He's already called twice. I let it go to
voice mail. He can kiss my ass."
"I hate to see you drop him," Dani said, "he
seems like a nice guy."
"She's right," Kim said, flicking her hair
back, "he is a womanizer. I don't know what I was thinking. He's
not a nice guy."
Entering her room, exhausted after two
rehearsals, and not looking forward to the dress rehearsal at five,
Dani plopped down on the sofa. And she wondered how she would wing
another performance at eleven. Would the same needs drive her? Or
would she be criticized and ridiculed in the newspapers, with them
saying she'd lost her touch?
Her cell phone rang, and she was too tired to
answer it. But it was persistently ringing now, so she finally
answered and sat on the sofa again. "Yes?"
"Dani, it's Tony."
"Hi Tony. How are you? Did you have a good
flight home?"
"Yeah, yeah, thanks. Hey listen, I can't get
in touch with Kim. Is anything wrong?"
She debated. Kim was her friend, and she
wouldn't want to divulge any secrets. "Well, um, you might want to
think back to the first night you were here."
"Yeah?"
"Well, you know how girls talk."
"Oh shit. The blonde. Figures she'd be like
that. Kim doesn't understand. I didn't do anything with that
blonde. She was just too nasty."
Dani smiled, but didn't say anything.
"Can you help me out?" he pleaded. "I'm way
over here." And he added, "I'd do it for you."
"I'll bet," she laughed. "Okay, let me see
what I can do."
She phoned Kim. "He's getting desperate," she
told her, "calling me. Said he didn't do anything with Lorali."
Kim sniffed. "All right. Let me think about
it. I just hate the game playing. I don't mean sex games, that's
different. But the life games, the head games, I can't get into
it."
They clicked off, and Dani gazed at the roses
and the card attached. "Call me," she said. Maybe please call me
would be better, she thought.
She wondered if Al was playing games with
her. It's true, she didn't have much experience in the world,
especially sexually, but she thought she probably wouldn't
recognize a game if it came up and hit her in the face.
Reclining on the sofa back, she thought of
him. The relief she'd felt at his hands last night, the new
sensations that made her whole body quiver and shake. Was that what
Kim felt with Tony? And she'd never seen a man before all the way
naked. But she wanted to, just so she'd know.
Tommy would always change in the bathroom, or
sometimes he never changed at all, just played cards all night. She
wondered idly why she was thinking about him. What a waste of her
time. He was gone, long gone. Besides, she never felt any
attraction to him. He was just her foster brother. Older, more
confident and worldly. And totally two-faced.
She dozed off, but the persistent cell phone
ring brought her around again. "Did she call you?" she said
sleepily, thinking it was Tony.
"Who?" Al said.
"I'm sorry, I thought you were Tony."
She heard an edge to his voice. "Why is he
calling you?"
"It's a long story."
"I'll be down in fifteen
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