Counting the Days

by Hope Riverbank

  I gulped down the rest of my first drink and then I glanced around the restaurant at the different patrons. The waitress bought over the drinks Danny ordered and also placed some bread down on the table. We engaged in light conversation and pleasantries for a while and then we had an odd moment of silence. “So, what did you do today?” he asked breaking the silence.

  I gulped down half of my second drink and answered, “I went to the mall with Jenny this morning. We walked around and window-shopped. I asked Tina if she wanted to come, but she didn’t want to.” I paused, took a sip of my drink and then continued, “She’s been acting so weird the last few weeks.” Hoping that he would have an answer, I included, “I think she’s seeing somebody and is either embarrassed or…I don’t know.” The waitress bought over a couple of salads and set them down.

  “Well, Tina and David have been hanging out a lot since the night they met, if you recall,” he paused and ordered another round of drinks. Turning to me he went on, “They’ve been getting along very well. If you know what I mean?”

  “So, Tina is seeing David?” I asked curiously. “She hasn’t mentioned anything to me about him. As a matter of fact, when I asked her if she was seeing someone she started to cry.”

  “You girls are too funny. You cry at the drop of a dime,” he said snickering. “Maybe the day that you and Tina talked, she was having a bad day.” He finished his salad and continued “David told me that Tina wanted their relationship to be official, but he only wants a playmate. He’s not looking to be with just one girl right now. Maybe that’s why she’s so upset.”

  The waitress placed our entrees in front of us. “You don’t understand, Tina and I have been best friends since we were little girls. She tells me everything. And she has not mentioned anything about David. We haven’t even talked about the night that I walked in on her and him. It’s just not like her. We’ve never had a problem talking about anything and she’s just not talking lately.” I was curious to know what he knew. He was hiding something from me and I’m going to find out what it is. “Is David a nice guy?” I asked as I finished my second drink and began on the third.

  “He’s okay. David is into playing the field right now. I personally don’t think he’s Tina’s type.” Danny paused and went on, “Dave’s a doormat when it comes to women and Tina needs a man that will guide and direct her every step…someone that will keep her in her place. She’s kind of flighty you know. David is just not ready to commit to a serious relationship right now, and honey, she’s not as good a friend to you as you think she is.”

  What did he mean by that? I know that she’s been acting weird and stuff, but she’s my best friend and I trust her implicitly. He knows nothing about our friendship. Enough talk about Tina. I can’t deal with this nonsense in my head right now. I looked away so that I could think. The silence was good. It gave me an opportunity to change the subject. Carefully and a little bit playfully, I asked, “So, are you looking for a serious relationship or are you also looking for just a playmate?”

  “Well, what do you think? I’m 25 years old. I’ve already played the field and sowed my wild oats. Being single just isn’t fun anymore.” He instructed the waitress to bring us another round of drinks.

  “Are you trying to get me drunk, young man?” I asked coyly. I was feeling very playful all of a sudden. Those beautiful green eyes staring back at me made me salivate. My heart began to race. Be still, my heart…this man is sweeping me off his feet.

  “Is it working?” The grin on his face was mischievous. It was the look of a cat that has caught his mouse.

  “Maybe,” I said with a giggle.

  “Not to change the subject or anything, but when I came in you looked so tense. Is everything all right? Did you have a bad day or something?” he asked as he took that last bite of his entree.

  At this moment, everything is a-okay. I was far from tense now. “My mother and I had a little fight before I left the house. I’m eighteen and she treats me like a little girl. She’s just not willing to let me grow up. She forgets that I’m an adult now and that I’m not her little girl anymore.” I paused a moment, “I think I got my point across tonight…but I know that I hurt her with my poor choice of words. I feel bad and all…but I don’t want to think about it right now. I’m over it.”

  “Okay, so we won’t talk about it.” He looked so understanding. “Do you want some desert?” he asked politely. Funny his asking since he didn’t ask what I wanted for dinner.

  “No thank you.” I was stuffed and couldn’t eat another bite. I sat quietly as he motioned to the waitress for the check. When she came over he engaged in chitchat with her while she added up the check. What nerve! She was flirting with him right in front of me. I wasn’t going to let it bother me, so I slowly sipped my last drink while they conversed. The alcohol was taking effect quite nicely. I heard nothing of their conversation. All I did was stare at him dreamily. He was being so polite hanging on to every word she said. Could this be the man that I would spend the rest of my life with? He was so handsome and even though I knew he was over jealous, I found him totally charming and debonair.

  He excused himself and went to pay the check. The waitress followed him to the register. They spoke a while with the host and then they disappeared into the back. About twenty, twenty-five minutes passed by. I just sat there like an idiot. What should I do? Maybe I should leave? I looked around to see if I could get the attention of one of the other waitresses. None of them looked my way. Where could he have gone with our waitress? I was beginning to think that he left me, when he came back with a single red rose in his hands. I melted as he handed it to me. How romantic. What was I thinking? He offered me his hand, which I gladly took, and we left the restaurant for the village.

  We walked around Huntington Village for a few hours and had a marvelous time talking and getting to know each other better. After a while we headed for the harbor. At the pier we walked hand in hand, talking and laughing as the hours slipped away from us. I didn’t want anything to spoil the evening. It was perfect.

  We stopped every so often to hug and kiss a little. At one point I thought that I smelled perfume on him, but I dismissed it from my mind. I was enjoying our romantic moonlit walk and he was being such a perfect gentleman.

  It was around 3am when we finally left the village. When we got back to the diner we parked for a few more hours and chatted some more. At one point he put his arm around my shoulders and began hugging me. I could feel the warmth of his body against mine. It felt like nothing I had ever experienced before. We began kissing and the heat between us was unbearable. I slowly eased away from him and exited his car. He also exited and followed me to my car. He grabbed and hugged me tightly. We leaned against the car and kissed a little more. Feeling his body against mine made me tremble. Again I eased away from him and got into my car.

  “I’ll call you sometime during the week so we can get together this coming weekend” he said as I started my car. He leaned in and kissed me again. It was a pure sexual tease. We exchanged our goodnights and parted.

  1521 Days Left

  My mother went ballistic when I walked in at five-thirty in the morning. I have never stayed out all night with a guy before. She all but called 911 frantically looking for me.

  Man, did we battle that morning. Didn’t she realize that I was grown up? She ranted and raved about me throwing my life away. What’s she thinking? It was one date. The tension at home is going to be quite thick the whole rest of the week.

  On Sunday evening Jenny came over and we talked about everything. The two of us giggled at some of the more intimate details. Jenny expressed her concern about Danny’s ordering dinner for me and she definitely didn’t like that he fed me so much alcohol. I assured her that even though I felt a little uncomfortable at first, I really was okay with his ordering my food. The drinks…well…made me relax.

  I didn’t tell Jenny about Danny’s disappearance with the waitress and the scent of perfume on
him. I just thought that it was coincidental, but Jenny would have bugged out. I mean Jenny and Paul have been going out for so long that she forgets that the rest of us have to go through that awkward dating scene before a relationship blossoms.

  “He’s 25, a little too old for you, don’t you think?” Jenny asked with one eyebrow cocked. I assured her that he wasn’t and that age doesn’t matter. Not in the least. Especially since he looks so good and doesn’t look that much older than I am. We talked for a little while longer about girl stuff and we talked about Tina too. Jenny left around 12 midnight. She had a late night rendezvous with Paul. They’re so cute.

  I hadn’t heard from Tina, so I called her on Monday night. Even though she didn’t say, it was apparent that she was mad at me for something. She barely talked and was quite snippy with me. She was eerily quiet when I was telling her the details of my date. She acted like she didn’t care to hear, like a jealous little twit, not in the least bit like someone who I considered a close friend. What was going on with her? Why wasn’t she telling me what was wrong? Maybe, she’s got her period or something. I don’t know. All I know is that something is seriously wrong with her and her attitude.

  Danny called on Wednesday night and we talked for a good two hours about a little of everything. He told me that he was the bass guitarist in a band and that they were playing at one of the local dives in East Islip. He said that he could use another groupie, so I was more than welcome to come see them play on Friday night. I told him that I’d think about it.

  I also found out that Danny, like myself, was a horse lover. I was surprised to learn that we both ride at the same stable. So we also made arrangements to go horseback riding on Saturday afternoon.

  My mother had a serious meltdown when she heard that I had plans for the entire weekend with Danny. She didn’t want me getting involved in a serious relationship at this stage of the game, because I would be starting classes in a little over a month. She reminded me that medical school was not going to be a walk in the park and I didn’t need any distractions. I assured her that I knew what I was doing and that I was just blowing off a little steam. I told her that I had no intention on getting involved in a serious relationship and every intention of devoting all my attention to my studies. She took a little comfort in my promising that I would introduce him to her on Saturday when he came to pick me up. Besides, it was about time that Danny and my mother met. We’ve known each other for over a month now.

  On Friday night Paul, Jenny and I went together to see Danny’s band play. I tried getting in touch with Tina, but every time I called, her mother told me that she wasn’t home. When we got to the bar I felt a little nervous excitement when I saw Danny’s car in the parking lot. Inside the bar it was pretty well lit. I was surprised because it was after 10pm and the guys were already playing their first set. As we made our way to the stage I could see all the groupies hanging out up front. Of course, they were all girls.

  We moved closer and finally Danny noticed me. Instantly we made eye contact and he threw me a killer smile. He was wearing a very tight tank and blue jeans. He definitely looked the part. The band began playing Brown Eyed Girl. Danny was doing the vocals for this song and his eyes never left my gaze. I couldn’t have flown higher than I felt while he sang to me. The crowd of girls in the front screamed and swooned. I was impressed…the guys sounded pretty good.

  After they finished their set, Danny immediately came over. Several girls tried to stop him on his way and he just ignored them. He even shoved one persistent girl to the side. He pushed that girl so hard that she fell down to the ground. I thought it was a little extreme, but I forgot all about it when he kissed me. I introduced him to Jenny and Paul. They already knew of each other, so the introduction was a formality.

  Danny had been drinking a while and it showed. He was very frisky, but sweet all the same. All eyes were on me, especially from the groupies. Danny was definitely showing everyone in the bar that I was his girl.

  “Come with me…I want to introduce you to the gang,” he said excitedly. He grabbed me by the hand and we walked through the crowd to the front where the rest of the band members were. “Hey guys, this is Marilyn, my beautiful brown eyed girl.” He had a smile from ear to ear. He slowly introduced me to each of his friends. It made me feel good to know that he thought I had beautiful eyes. I didn’t even think he knew what color my eyes were. He’d never said anything about them to me before. He was so observant.

  The guys motioned to him that it was time for the second set. He kissed me and went on to join them. I looked around over to where Jenny and Paul were. They were talking and for the first time I realized that they really adore each other. He treats her with a sort of gentle kindness and she seems to blossom when with him. I secretly hoped that one day Danny and I would be like Jenny and Paul. So much in love.

  The band started to play again and I turned my attention back to the stage. A waitress came over and I asked for a Long Island Iced Tea. Danny and I made eye contact and once again his smiles melted my heart. The waitress broke our gaze when she handed me the drink. “Miss, your drink is on the guy with the black jacket sitting at the end of the bar.” She pointed and I motioned a thank you. When I returned my gaze to Danny, he was glaring at the guy who bought me the drink. Fire was shooting like hatred from his gaze. I kept my eyes on Danny hoping that he would return his gaze back over to me, but he didn’t. He eventually stopped glaring at the guy, but he didn’t look back over at me. He began looking at another girl in the crowd.

  I was standing about ten feet behind her and couldn’t make out who the girl was or what she looked like. From behind she looked familiar, but I couldn’t see her face. She began dancing for him. Who did she think she was? I had to get his attention back on me, but I needed to keep my cool. Don’t let him see that you’re nervous.

  Unfortunately, he wasn’t seeing me at all; he was only seeing her, the girl dancing in the crowd. She slowed down and began dancing very provocatively for him. What trash. All she needed was a pole on that stage. I needed to stop this nonsense. It was time to make my move and reclaim my man.

  I started making my way through the crowd to where the dancing girl was. His eyes were glued on her. I needed to distract him. As I got closer to her, he finally turned his attention back on me. He slowly began to smile, a bad boy sort of wicked smile. The girl that was dancing for him also turned and looked over. My heart sank. It was Tina.

  When she saw me, she began to sport a devilish grin on her face. Can you believe it? Tina was dancing provocatively for my boyfriend. Was she out of her mind? Hatred and anger began to emerge from deep within my soul. If looks could kill…she would definitely be dead. I knew that there were other people around us, but it felt like Tina and I were all alone in the bar. Each breath I took was shallow and deep. My ears began to ring and I could feel beginning to burn. I was desperately trying to keep my anger under control. The music stopped.

  Before I knew it, I was quickly whisked away by the members of the band. Danny was whispering something to me, but I heard nothing. Tina followed us. I could not turn my gaze away from her. She knew all too well how I felt about Danny, and this was definitely overstepping friendship boundaries. Danny grabbed me by the face and made me look at him. His mouth was moving and he was talking, but I heard nothing. Hatred was spitting from my eyes at him and sudden alarm ran across his face. I felt myself quickly having a melt down. All I wanted to do was get my hands around Tina’s neck and break it. I was blind with anger and could no longer contain it.

  The last thing I remember was grabbing Tina by the hair. The rest was a black haze of commotion with lots of screaming. Then I felt Danny slapping me…Hard. It shocked me into calming down and getting myself under control. My breathing was labored and the tears were flowing heavily. I was frantic and furious. Tina was on the floor, quite disheveled and bleeding. I had a handful of her hair in my clenched fists. I also had blood on my face. Was it hers or mine? I couldn’t te
ll. Danny had me in his arms and was restraining me. His friends began attending to Tina. It was apparent that they already knew her. From where, I don’t know. Jenny and Paul were trying to get my attention and were talking to me, but I still heard nothing.

  I was positive that Danny’s hand left an imprint on my face. It stung like all heck. Jenny handed a moist towel to Danny and he began wiping the blood off my face. I had a busted lip and a few scratches. Paul came over with a baggie full of ice. I was so angry that I couldn’t help but cry. How could she betray me like this? We’ve been friends since we were little girls.

  Danny began kissing my face. “It’s okay, Marilyn. It’s gonna be all right.” He was hugging me and stroking my hair. He turned to Jenny and Paul and asked, “Could you guys go to the bar and ask Phil for a couple of rum and cokes for us? Get yourselves whatever you want also. Tell Phil, it’s all on me.” Jenny and Paul glanced over at me, I nodded that I was okay and they went over to the bar.

  Danny called Karen, the lead singers girlfriend, and asked her to sit with me a while so he could take care of some business. He walked over to Tina and they began talking. Whatever they were discussing, it was apparently getting pretty heated. He began hollering and pushing Tina around. He pushed her up against the wall and threatened her. “I’m going to tell you once and only once…if you ever touch her again…I will kill you with my bare hands,” he shouted, smacked her and then pushed her to the ground.