fourth time, Cherisse said sternly, âDanielle, the next items you put on stay on! Whatâs wrong with you tonight?â She looked closely at her daughter. Danielle had fashioned her braids into an upsweep hairdo and was wearing only a black bra and bikini panties.
She met her motherâs eyes, but quickly lowered her gaze again. âI met a boy on the slopes today and he said heâd see me at dinner. Heâs here with his family. Theyâre from D.C., Ma. His dad works in government and his momâs a lawyer.â
Danielle walked over to her purse, which sheâd left hanging by its strap on the back of the wooden slat-back chair sitting beside the closet door. Getting her cell phone, she opened it and clicked on the photo function. She showed her mother a photo of her and a tall African-American boy, both in ski gear, standing in front of the lift. He was a good-looking kid with dark brown skin, dimples and the best set of sparkling white teeth Cherisse had seen in a long time.
âHis nameâs Dante Winters,â Danielle told her mother.
âHow old is he?â
âHe just turned eighteen and heâs a senior in high school, too.â
âWear the forest-green dress, Danielle,â Cherisse said. âIt looks good on you and if Dante gets up the nerve to come over to the table and say hello, stains wonât show on it when you drop something in your lap.â
âAw, Ma,â Danielle cried, laughing softly.
âSilly, huh?â asked her mother. âItâs also silly for you to be nervous about seeing Dante tonight. Youâve got a boyfriend.â
Danielle really laughed then. âYou mean Echo? If it were left up to Echo asking me I would go to the senior prom alone.â
âThe senior prom isnât until May. A lot can happen in six months. And if Echo means nothing to you, who are you text-messaging thirty times a day?â
âHeâs the worst gossip in school,â Danielle complained.
âHave you told him everything about your day?â Cherisse asked, curious.
âEverything except about meeting Dante,â Danielle confessed.
âWhy didnât you tell him about Dante?â
âBecause itâs none of his business,â said Danielle, her tone less confident than her words were meant to be.
Cherisse shook her head. âNo, you didnât tell him because you werenât sure how he would take it. How many guys have you been interested in since you and Echo have been hanging out together? How many guys have shown an interest in you?â
âNone,â was Danielleâs reply.
âDoesnât that tell you something? Youâre always with Echo so the other guys at school assume you two are an item. A situation that Echo is probably enjoying if, in fact, he has designs on you.â
Danielle, frowning, began texting a message to Echo. When she finished she said, âLetâs see how long it takes him to answer.â
âWhat did you say to him?â
âI told him I met a cute boy today, isnât that fabulous!â Danielleâs eyes sparkled with mischief. She set the phone on the bureau top while she went to finish dressing.
Cherisse sighed and walked over to the bed to pick up her dress. She wore a beige lacy bra with matching panties and a silky slip, less because she thought the dress was see-through than for added warmth. She didnât plan on going outside tonight, but who knew? She might be tempted to step onto the balcony for a few minutes of fresh air.
She put on the dress and went to stand in front of the full-length mirror next to the closet entrance. Turning around, observing the backs of her legs, she was satisfied that sheâd moisturized enough. Ashy skin was a symptom of these cold climes.
Sheâd slathered a light-scented lotion all over her body. Her golden-brown skin had a healthy glow to it. Smiling, she wondered if Harry were taking care
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