Hollywood Princess

by Dana Aynn Levin

  “Eli, your knots have knots,” Danny said softly. “Have the rest of my beer.”

  “I’m a wreck,” I pouted and swatted the proffered beer away.

  “So what if your parents find out about us? We’re telling them tonight. At dinner.”

  Before I could object, the door to the suite opened.

  “They’re here!” I quivered, and we ran into the living room.

  “We thought we’d find Elizabeth here,” Dad chuckled. “Our suite was empty.”

  “Daddy!” I exclaimed. He looked so handsome in his navy blazer, light blue button-down shirt and pressed chinos. How I missed him.

  Everyone embraced, happy to see each other! Until Ellen noticed Danny’s face.

  “Daniel, your face!” Ellen exclaimed and touched his bruise.

  Danny winced and jerked his head from her touch. “Rugby, Mom. I’m okay.”

  “Have you seen a doctor?” Ellen demanded.

  “Yes, Mom. Nothing’s damaged. It’s a bruise. It’s going to take time.”

  “You should have seen him. Danny’s face was swollen and purple,” I added.

  “Thanks, Elizabeth,” Danny snarled.

  “You’re welcome,” I answered sweetly, and I flashed him my most charming smile.

  “It looks rakish, doesn’t it?” Danny said and grinned at me.

  CHAPTER 29 - ELIZABETH

  The girl my parents had tearfully said good-bye to in August was not the same one sitting between them in the Town Car. And they didn’t know it.

  I was a fidgety mess. As a diversion I scanned my camera looking for the photos I had taken of Danny’s bruised face directly after the game.

  “Dad,” I said handing him the camera, “Do you think I should show this to Ellen?” I smiled mischievously.

  Dad grimaced. “Hmm. But it might calm her to see the improvement.”

  Mom reached across to take a look. “Ouch! I wouldn’t show that to Ellen.”

  Dad retrieved the camera and leafed through the other photos.

  “Are you Danny’s personal photographer?”

  “No, Dad,” I flushed. “These are of my friends. I’m compiling flash drives as gifts.”

  “Elizabeth,” Mom demanded eye contact, “I hope you’re not copying Daniel’s bad habits. We know you’ve had a crush on him since you were little…”

  “Mom, I’m not twelve anymore. I don’t have a crush on Danny,” I interrupted. For the first time this was the truth.

  “Sometimes girls want to fit in with a boy who’s special to them,” she lectured.

  “Mom! I thought you trusted me,” I protested.

  “When you were younger Daniel often influenced you.”

  “Danny won’t let me do anything,” I snapped angrily. “He’s very protective.”

  “Elizabeth, I love Daniel,” Mom said gently. “Dad and I don’t want you getting dragged into his world.”

  Dragged into his world? If only she knew how eagerly I had entered that world!

  And Danny wanted us to tell them we were a couple? I had to stop him.

  Simultaneously both cars arrived at the restaurant and our families entered together. Inside, Danny helped me remove my jacket. I noticed he was wearing the baby blue cashmere Burberry scarf we’d purchased at Bergdorf’s. It matched his eyes perfectly.

  “It’s off,” I whispered.

  “Eli, we agreed,” Danny whispered curtly.

  “I’ll explain later. We can’t tell them,” I insisted through gritted teeth.

  Mom smiled at us, a complete turnaround from only minutes earlier. She didn’t blink an eye at Danny’s good manners. Mom expected it.

  The owner gave my parents a warm welcome and showed us to a quiet table in the back. Whenever my parents visited New York they dined at this small Upper Eastside Italian restaurant. Understated and elegant; the perfect neighborhood restaurant if your neighborhood consisted of multi-million dollar apartments housing New York’s foremost citizens.

  Dinner passed comfortably and in the end, I shared the photo of Danny’s injured face with Steve and Ellen.

  “Danny, why didn’t you call me?” Ellen exclaimed. “Elizabeth, why didn’t you?”

  “Mom, I wouldn’t let Eli call you. I knew how upset you’d be, and I knew it would fade before you saw me.”

  As the busboy cleared the table, and the waiter brought dessert menus, Danny asked, “Do you mind if I take Eli to see the balloons being filled?” Danny was referring to the giant balloons for tomorrow morning’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

  Danny hadn’t shared this plan with me. I’d never seen the balloons being filled!

  We kissed our parents good-night, and stopped to get our coats. Danny held mine open as I slipped my arms into the sleeves. We smiled at each other and buttoned up. Then I pulled on my gloves while Danny unfolded his scarf beneath his coat lapels.

  “Am I dressed warmly enough?” I asked.

  Danny removed his scarf and tied it loosely around my neck. “You are now,” he said, and he kissed my forehead. Then Danny wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me through the glass door to the street. I was certain my mother had not missed this intimate moment.

  “What happened?” Danny asked as we hailed a cab to take us to the Upper West Side. He frowned as I explained. “Elizabeth, we’re telling them tonight. No more secrets!”

  Soon we reached Central Park West in front of the magnificent Museum of Natural History where the giant balloons were being inflated. What a sight! It was like being invited to an exclusive gala, where people of all ages gathered in the cold. Everyone was giddy, having a good time. It was like arriving at a winter carnival. The festive atmosphere filled us with joy and spontaneity. Danny and I felt like kids again.

  Thankfully street vendors were also out. Danny bought me a navy knit cap that I immediately donned. I didn’t care how funny it looked. Brrrr! It was cold!

  Though gloves made photography difficult, I managed to take a lot of shots. I was photographing Danny hamming it up, when a tourist family approached us.

  “If you’d like, I’ll take photos of you,” the husband offered.

  Danny and I struck several poses. Then Danny approached the man and spoke to him so I wouldn’t hear. Danny returned to my side and lifted my chin. Gazing into each other’s eyes our lips met and “click,” the camera captured the exact moment of our kiss.

  Danny and I continued south, holding each other close for warmth.

  “Let’s see those pictures,” he said.

  A tingle went up my spine as we looked at the viewfinder. The photo of the kiss was incredibly romantic. These were the photos capturing the night we fell in love, even if we couldn’t admit it quite yet.

  Stopped under the street light, with Central Park as our backdrop, we turned to each other. With his gloved hand, Danny lifted my chin upwards.

  “It will be good,” he reassured me. “Mike and Randi will be happy for us.”

  For punctuation, Danny kissed me. His warmth spread throughout me. Danny’s confidence made me believe anything was possible.

  Danny’s strong arms holding me close radiated love. Through his jacket I felt the rapid beating of Danny’s heart and I knew we both felt the same.

  “You’re shivering, baby. Let’s go back and order hot chocolate?”

  Mmm. Hot chocolate! I didn’t even need to drink it. My hands wrapped around the steaming mug would be sufficient.

  I gazed at Danny with dreamy emerald eyes. The warmth of his smile stopped my shivers. Another powerful kiss melted me.

  Danny and I returned to the hotel shortly after eleven, still somewhat frozen, because it had taken several blocks, before we found a cab. At the bar we ordered a pot of hot chocolate to have delivered to my suite. Freshly whipped cream and a plate of cookies completed the order.

  That left enough time for the unavoidable - speaking with my parents.

  My parents sat in the living room, relaxed and drinking coffee from
fine china cups when we entered the suite. Were they waiting up for us? Did they suspect our agenda? I was getting paranoid.

  “Let’s see your photos,” Dad requested. “I always went home for Thanksgiving.”

  Automatically I handed Dad the camera. Danny smirked. Huh?

  Very politely he asked Mom, “Is it alright if I hang out with Eli for a while? We ordered hot chocolate from room service.”

  “Elizabeth needs warming up, Daniel?” Point made, Mom. The scarf and kiss at the restaurant had not been missed.

  Dad returned my camera and locked eyes with me. “Excellent photos, Elizabeth. Interesting subject matter,” he added. Dad’s green eyes twinkled mischievously.

  Damned digital camera and damn my own stupidity. Now I understood why Danny smirked when I handed Dad the camera. I’d forgotten the pictures of us.

  “Thanks, Daddy. I’m going to change,” I quickly announced, and I kissed his cheek before disappearing into my bedroom, grateful for the respite.

  While I slipped into pajamas, I heard the hot chocolate being delivered.

  “I’ll bring it to Elizabeth,” I heard Danny say.

  “I don’t think so,” Dad answered.

  “I’ll get her then,” Danny grumbled.

  Danny knocked and entered my room. “We are so busted,” he whispered.

  “And it’s all my fault,” I moaned.

  The hot chocolate waited in the living room. With my parents sipping their coffee, there was something so nineteenth century about the scene. They knew we didn’t have chaperones at Donnelly.

  With the tray placed on the low coffee table, Danny and I sat cross-legged on the carpet beside it rather than on the couch.

  “Have a cookie, Sweetheart.” Danny placed the small chocolate rugelah in my mouth and handed me a steaming whipped cream topped mug. With that small gesture, he told my parents what I feared sharing.

  The buttery rugelah was delectable, but didn’t relieve my stress. I took a tentative sip of the cocoa and placed the mug back on the tray.

  “Dad showed me your photos, Elizabeth,” Mom said. “He’s right. These are excellent photos. Of a young couple on a date.”

  Why was I so uncomfortable? Of course, Mom had made her disapproval of Danny clear to me earlier. That might be a factor.

  “I don’t like deceptions, Elizabeth,” Dad added.

  I stared at the tray, wanting to drown in the hot chocolate pot. Then Danny protectively wrapped his arm around my shoulders. His love buoyed me.

  “Eli’s my girlfriend now,” he confidently announced.

  There, it was said. I furtively glanced at my parents for their reaction.

  “We can see that,” Mom answered. She hadn’t formulated an opinion.

  “When did this happen?” Dad asked. His smile stoked my confidence.

  “It just sort of happened,” I stammered. Explaining my love life was awkward. “From the moment we found each other at Donnelly we’ve been spending a lot of time together. Then when I busted my ankle, Danny took care of me.”

  I couldn’t help smiling. Danny squeezed my shoulder.

  “It’s been about a month since our first real date.” I added.

  “I’m not really surprised,” Mom said. “You’ve always been so close, but you were kids. Now Elizabeth has become a beautiful young woman and Danny, you’re an attractive young man. It makes perfect sense.”

  “You didn’t think we’d approve. Are you happy?” Dad asked.

  I looked at Danny. “More than I’ve ever been. We know each other so well. It’s so easy for us,” I conceded.

  “I’ve never felt this way before,” Danny confessed.

  “We’ve always loved you, Danny.” I nodded my agreement with Mom. “You were inseparable as kids. We’d watch you at the beach. Danny would snap a towel; you’d splash him. There was always a lot of playful teasing. Ellen and I would sometimes speculate, ‘wouldn’t it be funny if?’ Now ‘if’ seems to have happened.”

  CHAPTER 30 - ELIZABETH

  After a late Saturday evening of downtown clubbing, Danny and I enjoyed brunch with our parents before driving back to Donnelly on Sunday. I was drained. What a weekend! Breakfast at editor Jasper Willis’ Central Park West apartment provided the most amazing view of the parade. Thanksgiving dinner with the mayor at Gracie Manson followed. With theater on Friday evening, we had packed the entire New York experience into four short days.

  At noon the valet brought my car around and Danny and I kissed and hugged both sets of parents before setting off.

  Danny was driving. I could turn my brain off for the duration. If I closed my eyes, Danny would assume I was sleeping. He could listen to the Giants-Redskins game on the radio. That was fine by me.

  Once we entered the New York State Thruway in Spring Valley, Danny took my hand.

  “What’s up, Eli?” he asked, seeing through my rouse.

  “Nothing,” I answered too quickly, my eyes opening.

  “E?” he gently pressed. Then Danny lifted my hand and kissed it. “Elizabeth, you are a terrible liar. I know what’s up. We’ve just spent an incredible weekend together,” he smiled.

  I smiled in return and nodded, “Yeah, we did, didn’t we.”

  “Our parents are happy for us. Now you’re wondering what’s next.”

  I turned toward the windshield. I would not like whatever Danny said next. Good news does not require such long build-ups.

  “I’ve been doing the same. I don’t have an answer.” Danny’s explanation came slowly and deliberately. “And I won’t during this car ride. I may not have one soon.”

  “Oh,” was all I could say. I was unable to face him.

  “You’re angry?”

  “No. I’m disappointed.” I wanted to move forward, not stagnate.

  Danny gave my hand a quick squeeze. “Elizabeth, bear with me. Finals start in two weeks. We both want to do well.” He smiled. “Lovely as a distraction as you are, it’s not the time to obsess over each other. We need to keep our heads clear.”

  All too soon, Danny was parking in the Berkeley Hall lot. Then he effortlessly removed our luggage from the car.

  Despite my protestations, Danny insisted on accompanying me to my room. By the elevator was a poster advertising Saturday’s winter formal. My roommates were going. So far I didn’t have a date.

  I stood with my hands on my hips and glared.

  “The formal is Saturday,” I blurted. “Are you taking someone else?”

  Danny looked at me as though I were nuts.

  “Someone else? Of course not, Eli. Are you waiting for me to ask you?”

  “I thought I was your obvious choice. I am your girlfriend.” His lack of response spoke volumes. “Everyone is going, even Rachel,” I said bitterly.

  Danny sighed. “So you want me to take you?”

  I was furious. My friends who weren’t dating anyone were going, but me, I didn’t have a date. It made no sense.

  “I don’t know. It might be nice.”

  “Elizabeth, will you go with me to the formal?”

  “No, Daniel. I won’t go with anyone I have to demand an invitation from. It should have been your idea. You should have asked me weeks ago if you really wanted to go. I could have bought a new gown while I was in New York!”

  I was disappointed, and I wanted Danny to know. It was the formal, damn it!

  The elevator ride was silent. Entering the suite, Danny dumped the luggage on the floor of my room. He practically threw the Bergdorf bags at me. Why was he so angry?

  Danny grabbed my shoulders, looked fiercely into my eyes and seethed; “There’s another formal in the spring. Consider this your official invitation. That’s more than enough time to get your hair and nails done.”

  Then Danny pulled me close and crushed his lips to mine. My pulse raced. My lips parted, welcoming him. I was angry at my response.

  The door to the suite opened. Rachel entering abruptly ended our kiss.

  “Hey, R
ach. Welcome back,” Danny, still holding me, smirked.

  Rachel rolled her eyes and replied, “Why am I not surprised to find you here?”

  “Don’t you know? I’ve asked the Dean if I can be your fourth roommate.”

  “What!” We laughed. Danny was so obviously teasing her.

  “C’mon Rach. They’re not that liberal. Yet.” She flushed red with embarrassment.

  Danny picked up his case and backpack. “I’ll see you later,” he said, and he kissed my forehead. “Rach, I reserved the editing bay tomorrow afternoon.” And Danny left.

  CHAPTER 31 - ELIZABETH

  When we returned from dinner, I stopped inside the lobby of Berkeley Hall to confirm with Danny that we were studying tonight. Before answering, he pulled me into the stairwell.

  “Not tonight. I need to decompress.”

  “Decompress?” What did that mean?

  “It’s been a stressful weekend,” Danny explained.

  “It has?” I scrunched my face, puzzled.

  Danny smiled and kissed my head. “Not you. Being around our parents.”

  I had already put it behind me. Surprising, Danny had not.

  “I’m staying in tonight to read and play guitar.” Danny kissed my head again.

  “I’ve never heard you play.”

  “You haven’t?” I shook my head no. “Then come by later. After nine. I need to do class work first. I’m not ready to headline, but I think I’m fair.”

  At about twenty after nine I knocked softly on Danny’s door. He greeted me with his guitar in one hand and a joint in the other. Danny had changed into faded jeans and a well-worn chambray shirt that matched his eyes and showed off his physique. The effect was hypnotic.

  “Where are your roommates?” I asked as I tentatively sat down on the bed.

  Danny took a long drag on the joint and replied, “They went to The Cellar.”

  ”Why didn’t you go with them?”

  Danny took another drag. “I don’t feel like being social tonight.”