Hollywood Princess (24 page)

“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.

I kept my eyes closed. Two
girls were talking to Phoebe, about me.

“Who is she?” the African-
American girl asked. Before Phoebe could answer, the washed-out preppy blonde asked, “Why was Dan making out with her?”

“She’s a stuck-up twit. Says she’s
his girlfriend,” Phoebe tersely explained. “Since October.”

“Dan has a girlfriend.
That makes no sense,” said the African-American.

“He
always said he was a free-agent,” the blonde added.

“Pru, maybe
that’s so you’d be content as a friend with benefits,” the African-American said caustically.

“Jazz, it’s been a while since I enjoyed
benefits,” Pru snapped. “I’ll ask Amelia.”

“She
might be an import,” Jazz suggested.

“From where?
Teen Vogue?” Pru laughed at her own joke and Jazz joined her.

I’
d grant them another minute of speculation before ‘waking’.

“Why has Dan kept her hidden?
” Jazz asked.

“Maybe he hasn’t,”
said Phoebe. “Look, we’re the ones who are hidden. We’re always up here. We rarely go to The Cellar and we never do dorm parties. Look at how Dan dotes on her. They were all over each other.

“But Amelia told me
….” Pru stopped mid-sentence as Danny approached.

“Phoebs, how’s
my lady doing?”

“Looks like she’s sleeping,” Phoebe answered curtly.

“I’ll wake her,” Danny replied with a grin in his voice.

I readied myself for his touch as Danny settled onto the sofa beside me.

“Time to go home, sleepyhead,” he said softly as he lifted my chin and grazed my lips with his. I opened my eyes with a big smile as I met Danny’s sapphire gaze.

“Hi,” I whispered back.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned his kiss with ardor. 

Those awful
girls were watching. I happily put on a show. Then Danny took my hand, and I turned on my megawatt smile. 

“I love you Daniel,” I
whispered as I gently moved a lock of hair off his face with the intimacy reserved only for a serious love.

“I love you too, Elizabeth.
Ready to go?”

“More than ready.
” I squeezed his hand.

Danny
playfully pulled me up. He retrieved my jacket from the back of a chair and helped me into it. Danny’s arm around my shoulder, our eyes locked on each other, we strode out passed the three gawking girls.

CHAPTER 48 - ELIZABETH

Tuesday was damp and dreary. Despite Rachel’s insistence that a day when the temperature reached fifty degrees constituted a thaw, the rawness of the thick clouds left me chilled to the bone. By nightfall I even put on socks with my Uggs. 

I was flying solo
tonight. Rachel and Chloe didn’t want to go to the library, and Danny was at rehearsal. The guys wanted no distractions. They insisted rehearsals be closed, even to girlfriends.

A similar desire led me to occupy a carrel in t
he basement of the library’s original nineteenth century building. The musty stacks created a cozy, comforting environment. 

Solitude virtually guaranteed, I prep
ared for Political Science. With his grueling rehearsal schedule, Danny was relying on me for tomorrow’s class.

Sometime later, footsteps caused me to look up from my
note taking. I recognized Pru and Jazz. They hadn’t struck me as library types. They must be at a loss for what to do this evening.

The pace of their steps indicated that they were looking for
someone. I was relieved that they did not recognize me when they passed by. I was not dressed for a date with Danny tonight.  I was not even dressed for public consumption. All I had wanted was warmth and comfort.

My face was
make-up free. My hair was pulled back into a thick braid, and Danny’s navy knit cap covered my head. Donnelly logo sweat pants were tucked into Uggs. A zippered hoodie over a long-sleeved t-shirt was cozy. Danny’s Burberry scarf around my neck was the only luxury. 

When we weren’t together, I liked wear
ing an article of clothing that belonged to Danny. The faded scent of his cologne on the swath of cashmere brought me instant pleasure. Lifting it to my nose and inhaling, I fantasized Danny’s presence. And I could enjoy a dose any time I wanted!

“Amelia.
There you are,” I heard Pru’s voice nearby.

My ea
rs perked up. Friday, Amelia’s name was mentioned several times as though she held the key. But to what?

“When d
id you get back?” Jazz asked.

“Late last night.
What’s so urgent, Jasmine?”

“You miss
ed an interesting party Friday. Didn’t she, Pru?”

“Yeah.
Where were you?”

“
At my own interesting party. I was visiting James, remember?”

“Now it makes sense,” Jazz said.

“What’s your status with Dan?” Pru asked Amelia. My stomach fluttered uncomfortably. Fear gripped me.

“We’ve hooked-up a fe
w times. So?” Amelia answered.

My
pen slipped from my grasp, my muscles unable to control its weight. It made a gentle thud on my open book.

“Recently?” Pru pressed.

“Mostly very recently,” Amelia answered matter-of-factly. “Dan’s sweet. I’m thinking of dropping James. I’m tired of driving to Hanover.”

Recently! What the hell?
My stomach lurched as horror consumed me.

“
Don’t shred your gas card yet,” said Jazz.

“What don
’t I know guys?” Amelia asked.

“You should have seen Dan
at Ron and Kirk’s Friday night,” Jazz began.

“He showed up with a model,” Pru
added.

“Phoebe said she’s his girlfriend. T
hey’ve been together almost all year.”

“Impossible,” Amelia said, her voice tinged with hurt. “H
ow did Dan keep that a secret?”

“The girl’s
a freshman,” Pru stated. “She lives in a dorm.”

“What was she like?” Amelia asked scornfully.

“Her name’s Elizabeth. She’s gorgeous, like an actress. Everything about her was couture, like she stepped out of the pages of Vogue,” said Jazz.

“Or
Beverly Hills. Doesn’t Dan come from there?”  Pru added.

“I think
so,” said Amelia. “Was she up from Vassar for the weekend?”

“No,” Pru answered. “Phoebe
says Duncan knows her and he doesn’t like her.”

“Amelia,” Jazz advised
, “Stay with James. They were all over each other and Dan said, ‘I love you.’”

Enough! Nauseas, I crammed
my laptop and books into my tote bag and jammed my arms into my jacket before I threw up. I shook so badly I risked dropping everything. “Keep it together,” I urged myself.

Once outsid
e, I inhaled large gulps of frigid winter air. I didn’t know what to do. I stood in front of the library clutching my bag, immobile, unable to move. 

I needed to think.
What was there to even consider? It was obvious like a slap in the face. Danny had cheated, and recently. Recently. There was that word again.

I didn’t need the
calendar to verify that it had to mean last week, when I naively granted Danny free-reign to party with the boys. 

Recently.
The word echoed in my brain. Sobs wanted their release, but I stifled them. I was in public. I needed my room if I could get there quickly enough. 

I ran most of the way, breathless from gulping the painful January air.

Dashing into the suite, I startled Chloe, sitting in the living room reading. Not stopping, I continued to my bedroom. The door slammed closed, and I buried my head in the pillows and wept. Great, body-wracking sobs overwhelmed me. I was shaking. Uncontrollable.

Was something wrong with me? I thought Danny and I had a great relationship. He told me he loved me. Had he lied? Did he say those words because I wanted to hear them, no, needed to hear them? I had given him everything, and more. What was I lacking? How blind was I?

Danny made me be
lieve I was everything to him. He made me believe I satisfied his every need and then some. I recalled this weekend. Danny and I had been together continuously since Friday afternoon. It had been great, as always. At least I thought so. 

We had spent passionate time
alone. We had made love numerous times. Danny couldn’t take his hands off me and I couldn’t take mine off him. And now I learned that for Danny it had all been a lie. He wanted Amelia? That wasn’t possible.

Was Danny playing a part?
Why be so cruel? I hadn’t pursued him. I hadn’t asked him to become my boyfriend. I had been content with being friends until it became apparent that we both wanted more. If Danny couldn’t properly love me, then let me go. Let me be free to fall in love with someone who would love me.

Exhaustion finally claimed me and I fell into a fitful sleep.

Waking in the middle of the night, curled protectively in fetal position, I cried again. Still dressed from the library, I clutched myself tightly, trying to literally hold myself together. 

A fresh
wave of nausea swept through me, this one too strong. I ran to the bathroom and threw up. I did not feel any better. I threw up again, but my empty stomach produced dry heaves. Collapsing onto the hard tile floor, I wept.

I willed myself off the floor and back to bed.
It wasn’t even five o’clock. I glanced at my desk. The glow from my phone distracted me. Perhaps I should call home. No. Bad idea. Mom would assume someone had died or been hospitalized if the phone rang at this hour. It was one something at home.

Somebody had di
ed. Me. My heart had shattered. I wasn’t certain it would remain beating by daybreak.

There was a text message in my in-box. When I pressed the touch screen my swollen eyes read: “E – I love u – D.” I broke out in sobs all over again. How could he!

How could Danny text that?
It was so obviously false. How much could one person lie?

Fitful sleep reclaimed me
once more. 

A
knock on the door woke me. Rachel.

“We’re going to breakfast.
Are you coming?” she asked, oblivious to my pain.

“No.
I don’t feel well,” I answered. “I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll bring you some Cheerios
.”

Rachel was the best, but I couldn’t confide
in her. Rachel had always suspected Danny would hurt me this way. I couldn’t tolerate her “I told you so,” even if unvoiced.

As soon as Rachel and
Chloe left, I pulled myself out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. A hot, steamy shower would do me good. 

The reflection i
n the mirror looked like death, with red, swollen eyes. I would need an entire hair and make-up crew to look presentable today. Unfortunately, I was not on a movie set. 

I skipped morning classes and ate the Cheerios for lunch.
Avoiding Danny was not an option. We had Political Science today. After class we had to talk. Then I would break up with Danny. It was better that way. Let Danny know he couldn’t break my heart with impunity.

Sunglasses
on, I took my seat in the classroom. I barely controlled my trembling. Which had me more nervous; Danny sitting next to me, or what the professor would say about my eyewear?

Soon, Danny entered, taking
his seat beside me. He had no idea, not a hint, of the hell he was responsible for causing. 

“Hey,
babe,” Danny said. 

He
quickly kissed my cheek. I knew where those lips had been. It took every ounce of strength not to show my revulsion.

“Hey,” I answered quietly.

“Your roomies said you weren’t feeling well.” Danny’s genuine concern surprised me. How could he act the same as usual? 

“Yeah,” I answered
lethargically.

P
rofessor Dennison approached the lectern.

“We’ll talk later,” Dann
y said, and he squeezed my hand. We certainly will. “You’re sunglasses, Eli.”

I shrugged him off, ignoring him.

“Miss Jacobs,” Professor Dennison looked directly at me, “It isn’t particularly sunny in here today.” The color rose hot in my cheeks.

“I need these today,” I stammered.
Danny cocked his head toward me. 

“Did Mr. Newman give you a black eye last night?”
he asked drolly.

“Of course not! Danny would never do that!” I was appalled.
How dare the professor accuse Danny of spousal abuse. Danny was gentle, kind and sweet. 

What was I thinking? The man had broken my heart.
I had spent the entire night crying. I should be twisting the skewer. But I couldn’t. Danny would never hit me.

“Miss Jacobs, I wasn’t serious. If I thought Mr. Newman had given you a black eye, I would meet with you privately and refer you to a social worker.”

I turned a deep shade of scarlet, humiliated.

“
I’m sorry, professor,“ I finally answered, “Please, I have conjunctivitis and the fluorescents are bothering me. My eyes are very sensitive.”

“Just for today, Miss Jacobs.
Next time bring a doctor’s note.”

“Thank you professor.” I was so relieved. My puffy red eyes w
ould stay hidden.

The professor might have bought my story but
not Danny. He spent much of the class watching me.

At dismissal
, Danny helped me with my jacket. His manners left me chillier than the weather. The thaw had ended. Winter was back, mirroring my emotions.

“We have to talk,
” I said somberly when we reached the path to the quad.

“Something’s wrong.
” Danny said just as solemnly.

“Not here.
”

As usual
, Danny unfolded his arm around my shoulders. Normally it felt warm and comforting. Today I shrugged him off. What if we passed those girls? It would be even more humiliating than it already was. 

I let him hold my hand. That
wasn’t quite as intimate or possessive a gesture. 

I was quiet until we
entered Danny’s room. Then I sat down on the edge of the bed. Danny joined me. He lifted my Ray-Bans, unveiling my eyes. Shock followed by concern filled his face.

“You’ve been crying. Baby. What’s wrong
?” 

Danny
sounded so kind it was hard to reconcile this gentle, loving man as the cause of my pain.

Danny took my ha
nds and massaged them. The speech I rehearsed in my head all morning escaped me. I was silent. With his hands clasping mine, and being face-to-face with those beautiful sapphires eyes, I couldn’t remember the words.

“
Elizabeth,” Danny nudged me, “What is it, baby?”

Be brave. Don’
t cry. 

Without emotion, I replayed
what I overheard at the library. When I finished, I broke down sobbing. Danny was crestfallen. He enveloped me in his strong arms, a place I used to find comfort.