Bruce Patman?"
"Oh, I didn't mean poor," she bubbled. "It's just that he's one of the many guys who invited
Liz to the dance tonight. My sister is soooo popular, Todd."
"So I've heard, Jess, so I've heard." His voice tightened. "We're here to dance, right? Let's dance!"
The Droids were playing a hard, driving number as Todd pulled Jessica onto the dance floor. They were both great dancers, and they looked so terrific together that the other couples moved out of their way. Jessica danced around Todd, her dress flaring out as she twirled. Her beautiful tanned legs caught every boy's eyes. Then she and Todd really started getting into the music, in a very sexy way. As the number came to an end, the crowd erupted with applause, whistles, and cries for more. Jessica threw her arms around Todd and hugged him. She never noticed Todd staring across the room at a set of identical blue-green eyes.
"Hey, Liz, remember me? Your wonderful date-type person?" Winston said.
"Oh, Win!"
"Yeah, good old forgettable Win. How about a dance, Liz? Nobody's going to desert the floor when I do my thing, but I promise not to break all your toes."
"Let's go, Win," Elizabeth said, knowing she
couldn't spend the whole evening watching Jessica and Todd.
"We seem to be here with the wrong people, Liz," he said as they moved somewhat awkwardly around the floor. Contrary to Winston's promise, Elizabeth had to be very careful about her toes.
"Huh?"
"Well," he explained, "you're watching Todd, and he's practically got his eyes glued on you."
"Really, Win? You really think he's watching me?"
"Really, really, really, Liz. The only thing wrong is that your gorgeous sister is watching him, too. I wish she were watching me."
"Oh, Win. You're still loyal to Jessica, huh?"
"You'd better believe it," he said in a serious tone Elizabeth had never heard him use before. Then suddenly he made a hideous face that cracked her up. He was back to being the clown again.
"You want to know the sort of girl people fix me up with?" he asked. "It goes like this: 'Win, have I got a girl for you! What a personality!' That always means two hundred and fifty pounds and two-foot-five! I have to put her hamburger on the floor so she can reach it."
"But, Win," Elizabeth said, laughing, "looks aren't everything."
"Yeah, I know. I'm no prize package, either,
right?" He grinned affably. "Hey, Enid and Ronnie are waving at us. Let's go over and say hello, OK?"
As they made their way around the dancers, Elizabeth commented, "I don't think Ronnie has left her side all evening. He's certainly protective."
"Yeah. I think he was a Doberman in a former life," Winston cracked.
A set of brown eyes followed Elizabeth's every move, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Jessica, who was rapidly reaching the boiling point. Her evening was going right down the tubes, and it was all Todd's fault. She had done everything--and with Jessica, that was plenty--to keep his eyes on her. Except for that one sensational dance, he had hardly looked at her.
No guy--not even Todd Wilkins--could take Jessica Wakefield to a dance and treat her like a piece of furniture. He wasn't going to get away with it, she vowed.
Later that night Elizabeth sat on her bed and sighed with relief that the long evening was finally over. A bunch of the kids had gone out for pizza after the dance, but she had persuaded Winston to bring her home. She knew she couldn't bear seeing Todd and Jessica together
one minute longer. What were they doing now? she wondered. Were they kissing? Were they . . . ? Stop torturing yourself!
At that very moment, Todd was saying good night to Jessica at the front door.
Nervously he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Jessica," he finally mumbled, "thanks. Thanks a lot. It's been a--a really great evening."
Not yet it hasn't, Jessica thought. But it could still end up great.
She placed her hands lightly on his shoulders and swayed close to him.
"Oh, Todd," she breathed,
"Oh, I didn't mean poor," she bubbled. "It's just that he's one of the many guys who invited
Liz to the dance tonight. My sister is soooo popular, Todd."
"So I've heard, Jess, so I've heard." His voice tightened. "We're here to dance, right? Let's dance!"
The Droids were playing a hard, driving number as Todd pulled Jessica onto the dance floor. They were both great dancers, and they looked so terrific together that the other couples moved out of their way. Jessica danced around Todd, her dress flaring out as she twirled. Her beautiful tanned legs caught every boy's eyes. Then she and Todd really started getting into the music, in a very sexy way. As the number came to an end, the crowd erupted with applause, whistles, and cries for more. Jessica threw her arms around Todd and hugged him. She never noticed Todd staring across the room at a set of identical blue-green eyes.
"Hey, Liz, remember me? Your wonderful date-type person?" Winston said.
"Oh, Win!"
"Yeah, good old forgettable Win. How about a dance, Liz? Nobody's going to desert the floor when I do my thing, but I promise not to break all your toes."
"Let's go, Win," Elizabeth said, knowing she
couldn't spend the whole evening watching Jessica and Todd.
"We seem to be here with the wrong people, Liz," he said as they moved somewhat awkwardly around the floor. Contrary to Winston's promise, Elizabeth had to be very careful about her toes.
"Huh?"
"Well," he explained, "you're watching Todd, and he's practically got his eyes glued on you."
"Really, Win? You really think he's watching me?"
"Really, really, really, Liz. The only thing wrong is that your gorgeous sister is watching him, too. I wish she were watching me."
"Oh, Win. You're still loyal to Jessica, huh?"
"You'd better believe it," he said in a serious tone Elizabeth had never heard him use before. Then suddenly he made a hideous face that cracked her up. He was back to being the clown again.
"You want to know the sort of girl people fix me up with?" he asked. "It goes like this: 'Win, have I got a girl for you! What a personality!' That always means two hundred and fifty pounds and two-foot-five! I have to put her hamburger on the floor so she can reach it."
"But, Win," Elizabeth said, laughing, "looks aren't everything."
"Yeah, I know. I'm no prize package, either,
right?" He grinned affably. "Hey, Enid and Ronnie are waving at us. Let's go over and say hello, OK?"
As they made their way around the dancers, Elizabeth commented, "I don't think Ronnie has left her side all evening. He's certainly protective."
"Yeah. I think he was a Doberman in a former life," Winston cracked.
A set of brown eyes followed Elizabeth's every move, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Jessica, who was rapidly reaching the boiling point. Her evening was going right down the tubes, and it was all Todd's fault. She had done everything--and with Jessica, that was plenty--to keep his eyes on her. Except for that one sensational dance, he had hardly looked at her.
No guy--not even Todd Wilkins--could take Jessica Wakefield to a dance and treat her like a piece of furniture. He wasn't going to get away with it, she vowed.
Later that night Elizabeth sat on her bed and sighed with relief that the long evening was finally over. A bunch of the kids had gone out for pizza after the dance, but she had persuaded Winston to bring her home. She knew she couldn't bear seeing Todd and Jessica together
one minute longer. What were they doing now? she wondered. Were they kissing? Were they . . . ? Stop torturing yourself!
At that very moment, Todd was saying good night to Jessica at the front door.
Nervously he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Jessica," he finally mumbled, "thanks. Thanks a lot. It's been a--a really great evening."
Not yet it hasn't, Jessica thought. But it could still end up great.
She placed her hands lightly on his shoulders and swayed close to him.
"Oh, Todd," she breathed,
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