I lifted a perfect, manicured hand. It felt like satin. When I kissed it, it even smelled nice, fresh but light. The perfume Elizabeth wore was also fresh and light, with citrus undertones. Eli was intoxicating.
Our eyes met, and we exchanged smiles. It was so good to be alone. I kissed Elizabeth’s hand again. With no parents watching, I could hold it all night.
The first course of sashimi was placed before us. I expertly picked up a piece of salmon with my chopsticks and raised it up toward Elizabeth.
“Here,” I said, and I brought the fish to her lips. Eli blushed, giggling at my gesture. Then she bit into the salmon. I smiled in delight.
“Danny, you’re not going to do that all night, are you?” Eli giggled.
“No.” I grinned and popped the remains into my own mouth. Then I leaned over and kissed Eli’s salty lips before we continued dining.
As the meal progressed, Elizabeth was unusually quiet. I could see through her sparkling emeralds that she wanted to say something, but so far couldn’t. That was all right. I was having the same problem, only as far as I knew, Elizabeth hadn’t yet guessed.
After sharing broiled black cod with miso, I lifted a strand of hair off Eli’s face. As our eyes met, I quietly asked, “What’s up, hon?”
Eli blushed. I was right. There was something. I reached over and reassuringly squeezed her hand.
“One more week until we return to Donnelly. I can’t bear the lack of privacy,” she complained. I smiled and pulled Eli close for a kiss.
“We’ll figure it out,” I promised.
It pleased me knowing how important our physical relationship was to Eli. It had only been a month, yet she was always eager to be with me. Then the perfect idea hit me.
“When we get home, let’s go to Malibu for a few days.”
“I love you, Daniel,” Eli answered with a wicked grin followed by a very warm kiss on my lips. I took that to be an emphatic yes.
Dad would not be happy. It was easy to give advice. It was not easy to follow that advice when seated beside Elizabeth. I would wait until we returned to Donnelly before having any state-of-the-relationship discussions.
Three days later we deplaned into sun-drenched Santa Monica Airport.
“I’ll pick you up in an hour,” I told Eli as we kissed good-bye.
Back in Brentwood, Dad followed me to my bedroom. I hefted my suitcase onto the bed and opened it to unpack. Graciela had to get my laundry done.
“Why are you taking Elizabeth to the beach?” Dad barked.
I stopped emptying the suitcase. “Dad, I listened to everything you said. I spent a lot of time thinking. I appreciate your concern, but when I went to dinner with Eli, I took one look at her eyes. They were sparkling like diamonds. Eli loves me. Unconditionally. She knows my flaws and she knows what I’m about. Yet Eli loves me, all of me. And I love her too.”
CHAPTER 47 - ELIZABETH
Snow blanketed the majestic Donnelly campus when we returned. A deep freeze greeted us, providing as sharp a contrast to Malibu as you could find. Melancholy was unavoidable.
It wasn’t entirely surprising that I didn’t see Danny much the first week back. Danny was anxious to see his friends and party. Part of me, a large part if I was completely honest, wished he would grow up.
For now I was the understanding girlfriend, giving Danny free rein. If it meant remaining silent while he got wasted, the rewards of our relationship far outweighed this blip and Danny appreciated the lack of pressure. We registered for another political science class together and Friday Danny was a body in motion with non-stop fidgeting. I kept glancing at him with question marks in my eyes, but received no answer. Finally, I typed him a note, “What’s wrong with you?” but all Danny did was smile.
When class ended, Danny was anxious to leave, excited about something, but he wouldn’t tell me what. He was full of manic energy. “C’mon, Eli. Let’s go.”
“Go where?” I asked.
“You’ll see.”
Danny pulled me along, crossing the campus. Despite his grip, I slipped on an ice patch, but Danny caught me before I fell. He frowned at my stiletto leather boots.
At the far end of the Student Center was a large multi-purpose room known as The Stage. With capacity of a couple hundred, this space was used as an independent performance venue. It was here that Danny stopped.
“Look!” Danny pointed at the outside bulletin board where they posted flyers promoting upcoming events.
Halfway down a blue flyer with black ink, printed in a large font, but not the largest, was his name along with Duncan, Ron and Kirk.
“That’s you!” I squealed, my excitement matching Danny’s. It wasn’t clear what it meant though.
“That’s me!” he responded.
“That’s you!” I squealed even more loudly. Danny’s smile was huge. He grabbed me around my waist, lifting me off the ground, and hugged me. “What does this mean?” I hated sounding ignorant.
Danny kissed my cheek and released me. “Battle of the Bands. Round One is next Friday. And we’re in!”
I knew Danny played bass with his friends, but he hadn’t told me that they had formed an official band, nor that they were any good.
“Awesome! When did this happen?”
“Auditions were yesterday. I wanted to surprise you if we made it.”
“So you’ve been rehearsing. I thought you were just getting wasted with Duncan.”
Danny laughed. “We were doing that too, Eli.”
“When’s your next rehearsal?”
“Tonight.”
“Can I come?”
“You want to come?” I didn’t understand Danny’s surprise. I loved him and this was important. Of course I wanted to come.
“But it’s Duncan. And you hate the Village crowd.”
“I can deal with it,” I said confidently. “I’m a big girl. It’s you I want to be there for. This is important to you, so it’s important to me.”
Ron and Kirk lived in The Village, a collection of fifty semi-attached dwellings at the far end of Donnelly. The Village was the perfect place for heavy partiers to live. The increased privacy afforded by its distant location, lack of resident faculty and RAs, meant you could pretty much do whatever you wanted with impunity. However, even by Village standards Ron and Kirk’s place was notorious.
When Danny and I arrived, the house was already rocking. A section of the living room was cleared of furniture and turned into a makeshift stage. Ron’s keyboard, Duncan’s drums, Kirk’s guitar and Danny’s bass guitar waited. There was even a microphone. Along the wall facing the ‘stage’ were two well-worn sofas, and pillows were scattered across the floor as additional seating.
Duncan was downing a beer, not his first, when we entered the dimly lit room. Danny joined him, picking up a long-neck. The recessed lights had their bulbs removed, and instead there were a couple of low-wattage lamps plus the glow from the nearby kitchen.
The pungent aroma of pot assaulted my nostrils. I was definitely outside my comfort zone. Then I scanned the room and realized Duncan was the only person other than Danny whom I had ever met. Not a comforting thought.
Two skinny guys in t-shirts and jeans, one with three-day stubble on his chin, approached us. They smiled, friendly enough.
“Ron, Kirk, this is my lady, Elizabeth.” Danny kept one hand around my back and held the beer with his other as he introduced me. I wasn’t keen on being referred to as ‘my lady.’ Danny did not speak like that. In this environment, identification as Danny’s possession made me feel safe. Tonight I wouldn’t protest.
“I can’t wait to hear you play,” I told them. I had never met Ron, Kirk or their roommates. Despite my discomfort, I smiled at them.
Because we hadn’t been together all week, and I wanted Danny to regret it. I had dressed in black leggings tucked into high-heeled leather boots and a long Stella McCartney sweater with a plunging neckline, my version of upscale rocker chic.
Toni
ght Danny didn’t mind me wearing those boots. He was enjoying the overall effect way too much. His friends were gawking. Let them see who Danny’s lady was.
“Who’s the model with Newman?” I heard someone remark.
Danny heard it, too. He beamed with pride as he squeezed my shoulder and kissed me.
After making the rounds, Danny handed me a beer and led me to one of the sofas.
“We’re going to start now, baby,” he said.
I smiled at Danny and he kissed me hard, bruising my lips. At this party, the guys were not shy about aggressive public displays of affection. It was as though the girls were marked so the men would know who was taken. Demonstrating possession, not love, counted as cool. It was a place you brought your mistress, not your wife.
Except that she was leaning over a thrift-shop issue coffee table rolling joints, I never would have noticed the ordinary girl seated on the sofa. Wearing torn jeans and a tour t-shirt from an unfamiliar indie band, unkempt dirty-blonde hair fell across her face. A black rose was tattooed on her upper arm below the hem of her short-sleeved shirt. The flower looked dead. Why would she want a wilted flower permanently inked on her arm? Did she feel wilted?
The girl looked up from her task as our embracing bodies cast a shadow over her workspace.
“Dan, who’s your date?” she asked in distracted curiosity.
Dan? Nobody called Danny ‘Dan.’
“Phoebs, this is my lady, Elizabeth,” Danny boasted, his hand around my waist. She handed him one of the joints. Danny lit it and inhaled deeply.
“E, this is Phoebe.”
“Nice to meet you,” I told her.
I didn’t know what else to say, although I had a feeling it was not at all nice to meet her. She was definitely not my type.
“Phoebs, this is good stuff,” Danny said as he took another hit.
“It should be,” she answered, “You bought it.”
Of course he did. Who better to invite to the party than Danny and his bankroll?
“Danny, c’mon. Let’s do it,” Ron said as he passed on his way to the stage.
“I’ve got to go, hon,” Danny said. Then he squeezed my waist and kissed me.
After one more long pull on the joint, Danny handed it to me.
“Hold this for me, Eli.” I nodded, surprised by the request.
“Phoebs, take good care of my girl,” Danny said, and he left to join his band.
I took the seat beside Phoebe. Glancing at my hand holding the joint I wondered what Danny wanted me to do with it? Would he be coming back after each song? Or would Danny wait until the band was taking a break? Was there an ashtray to rest it in? A quick glance at the table provided an answer; no.
Phoebe had finished her handiwork and lit her own joint.
“I didn’t know Dan had a girlfriend,” she scowled. “Are you new?”
Phoebe starred straight ahead as she spoke. How did she not know?
I took a small hit from Danny’s joint. I needed it.
“I’m not new,” I answered indignantly. “Everyone knows I’m with Danny.”
“Not here we don’t,” she responded coldly.
I looked at her incredulously as I took another hit of the joint. Was this an alternate reality? How did they not know about me? I frowned.
“When did Dan take up with you?” Phoebe’s sneer made it sound like some casual hook-up or at best, a tawdry affair.
I wasn’t about to reveal my life story so I opted for the abridged version.
“We’ve been together since October,” I answered confidently.
For the first time since Danny left us, Phoebe turned and stared at me. Her wide-eyed expression spoke volumes. But why the surprise?
“You’ve been with Dan since October? Unbelievable.”
“Why is that unbelievable?” I took a much needed large hit.
“He doesn’t seem the type.”
What did that mean? Just what ‘type’ did she think Danny was? Or me? I wasn’t going to get into it with her. Phoebe was insignificant. She meant nothing, so why bother. The only one in this room who meant anything required my undivided attention at this moment, and attention was getting difficult for me to do.
Warm-ups over, the band began playing. Rock music thumped loudly, vibrating. I sat back against the cushions, focusing on Danny. “He’s mine,” I thought smugly. Then I grinned. Danny only had eyes for me.
With my feet propped on the table, I was feeling mellow. Was this being wasted? I wasn’t sure. I just knew Phoebe wasn’t my concern anymore.
Danny smiled at me from the stage while he sang. The lyrics became our private conversation. I smiled back and took a longer hit of the joint. Eyes lingering on Danny, I couldn’t help myself. I winked.
Danny burst into laughter. What was so funny? I didn’t know, but I started laughing too. Danny’s laughter was infectious.
“From the top,” he choked out, tears filling his eyes, his laughter uncontrollable.
Nearly doubled over, laughing, Danny couldn’t play.
Frustrated, Kirk stepped in, “Take five, everybody,” he snapped.
Near hysterical, Danny laid down his bass and sprinted over. He knelt beside me, cupped my face in his hands, and kissed me hard. Mmm. That felt good. And I looked at him with dreamy eyes.
Danny reached for the joint and inhaled deeply. Then he climbed over my legs and onto the sofa beside me in one quick motion. Danny cradled me in his arms and smoothed some hairs off my face.
“You’re so wasted Elizabeth,” he laughed.
“Am I?” I asked dreamily.
“Yes. And you’re adorable,” Danny answered, his breath on my face. With Phoebe sitting on the other end of the sofa, Danny was practically on top of me. Excitement percolated throughout my body. I tingled.
In this closeness I reached for Danny and smashed my lips to his. Danny’s hands were in my hair, pulling me so close. My body pressed against his, nearly joined. I was frantic. I wanted Danny so badly. I wanted him now and he knew it.
“Later hon,” he whispered, “We’re in public.”
“I don’t care,” I giggled.
Danny grinned, his face lit up. “You are so wasted,” he said again.
“Yeah,” was all I could answer.
Danny ran his index finger over my lips and I kissed it. We looked at each other with lustful eyes. Then Danny’s lips were on mine again, so possessively, so passionately. I could only contain myself because he was still in control.
“I am so hot,” I whispered.
“You sure are,” he chuckled, “But we’ll have to wait. We don’t have a room.”
“Find one. I want you now,” I whispered.
“You would hate yourself tomorrow.”
“No I wouldn’t,” I protested.
“You would hate me too. I want you to still love me tomorrow.”
“Do they have any food here?” I asked, still whispering. “I’m starving.”
Danny grinned as he pondered my request. “Oh, Eli,” he laughed.
All I could do was smile, a dreamy, lustful smile. Damn his good breeding!
“Phoebs,” Danny called. “Time to order pizza. My lady’s got the munchies.”
“Order it yourself,” she snarled.
“C’mon, Phoebs. I don’t even know who we call. You always order the pizza. The number’s on your speed dial.
Grumbling, Phoebe reached for her phone.
“Thanks. They have my card on file.” Of course they did.
Danny turned his attention back to me. I wanted him so badly.
“Time to rehearse. I’ll keep this,” Danny plucked the stub of the joint from my fingers.
A quick kiss, and he returned to his band. I sighed, thrilled with the rear view of his snug jeans as he walked away. That would have to suffice for now.
Phoebe completed the pizza order. She was impressive. She knew exactly what to do. I marveled at how prepared she was. Keeping the pizzeria phone number on
speed dial, knowing they would have Danny’s credit card information, now that was efficient.
I knew only one person who could pull off a feat like this so effortlessly, and that was Dad’s secretary. Danny was only a college student, but he enjoyed many accoutrements that no other student had. Did that mean? Did Danny have…”
“Are you Danny’s secretary?” I blurted to Phoebe in my state of giggles.
Phoebe’s response was the nastiest glare I’d ever received. If looks killed, Danny would soon be a widow. Mom and Dad would be heartbroken. Teddy would be crushed. Didn’t Danny pay Phoebe well enough?
“Are you kidding me?” Phoebe snarled.
“You don’t have to be rude,” I exclaimed. “I just thought because…” My voice tailed off.
“Sorry, princess,” she responded sarcastically, “I’m not Dan’s secretary or anyone else’s. Why? Are you his wife?”
I thought about this and grinned. Danny and I spent virtually every night together. He loved me, so yeah, maybe I was.
“Sort of, yes, I guess,” I answered, still giggling.
Phoebe glared again. “How did I get saddled with Newman’s wasted date?” she muttered.
I may be wasted, but I knew I didn’t want to engage Phoebe in any more conversation. I turned my attention back to Danny where it counted.
Danny was excellent on the bass. He had an intoxicating singing voice, too. His melodic tenor danced on my ear. Danny could perform all night, and it would not be long enough.
The sway of his hips, and the strength of his grip on the bass were raw masculinity. Danny’s eyes sparkling for only me, were overpowering. Other girls were starring at his every move. I smiled smugly; I was the girl Danny was taking home.
Soon the pizza arrived, and I struggled to stop at two slices. I desperately wanted a third. Just because we paid for it didn’t mean I should be a hog. I really did crave that third slice. Stella McCartney said no.
Gradually the buzz wore off. I was sleepy. Despite the loud music and the lumpy sofa cushions, I dozed. When I woke, the music had stopped and through my eyelashes I could see Danny and Ron in tense discussion.
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