�Hey Darren, it�s about time you got back.� Suddenly, he noticed that there was someone else with Darren. �Oh, I�m sorry. You must think I�m incredibly rude. Hi, I�m Daniel Jones and this is Elisa Fiorillo.�
�Hi, it�s nice to meet you both. I�m Claire Estes.�
�Ah, so you�re the one who�s dorm room Leo said Darren invaded last night. How did you guys meet up?� Elisa asked as she and Dan sat in the chairs across from the couch where Darren was sitting with his arm around Claire.
�Um� I ran him over, actually. I was late to a meeting with my thesis advisor, you see and so I was running across campus, and ran smack into Darren. He asked where he could find a phone, so I showed him, and he was waiting for me in the lobby when I came back downstairs.�
�I asked her if I could join her for dinner, and since what the cafeteria was serving wasn�t very good, we went out. We had a really good time last night.�
�That�s great,� Daniel said. �Darren, how did the interview go? Leo recorded it for us, but we were out while you were doing it. We haven�t had a chance to listen to it yet.�
�It went great. We just came from the station, actually. So what have you guys been up to all day?�
�Oh, just wandering around downtown.�
Claire laughed. �You must have been bored out of your minds.�
�Well, we were at first, but then we found a really cool used bookstore, explored that for a while, then had lunch at�what was that place called Dan?�
�Gringo�s, I think.�
�Ah, my other favorite restaurant in C.R. I took Darren to the Greek Place last night. My two favorites here.�
�I wouldn�t have expected Greek food in Cedar Rapids,� Daniel commented.
�That�s exactly what I said last night, but it was really good,� Darren replied. �As Claire said, this town is pretty diversified. So where�s Leonie, Jennifer, Ben, Lee, Karl, and Angie?
�Ben and Karl went off somewhere, and I have no idea where Leonie, Jen, Lee, and Angie went. Dan, do you?�
�No, they were here when we left, and now they�re gone.�
�Anyone have any plans for tonight?� Darren asked.
Everyone said they didn�t. �Anyone up for going dancing? Well, I suppose first I should ask this--Claire, are there any dance clubs around here?�
�There aren�t any here in Cedar Rapids, but there�s a couple in Iowa City. It�s about a � hour away.�
�Sounds okay to me,� Darren replied. �What about you two?�
�I�m always up for clubbing,� Elisa answered.
�Sounds great,� said Dan. �Now we just have to wait for the others, and see if they want to go.�
�Actually, I have a better idea,� Claire said. �I wanna show you guys one of my favorite places in Cedar Rapids.�
�Where�s that?� Darren asked.
�It�s a nature trail called Indian Creek. Yes, I realize it�s winter, and it snowed yesterday, but that�s part of what makes this place so great. Most of my friends only like going there in the spring or in the early fall, but I like going in the winter too because it�s so peaceful. So are you guys up to it?�
�Sure, it sounds great,� Elisa said.
�Same here,� said Dan. �Darren, you up for braving the cold?�
�Sure.�
�Okay. Just make sure you don�t wear any shoes you care about because they�re going to get muddy.� Darren and Dan went into the back to change their shoes, while Elisa and Claire bundled up into their coats, gloves, and scarves.
The group left and piled into Claire�s car since the rental one had not yet been delivered to the guys. On the drive there, Claire, Daniel, and Elisa were entertained by Darren�s impersonations of various celebrities. �Leo hates the Jerry Seinfeld one. She says I look incredibly ugly when I do that one.�
As Claire pulled into the small parking lot at the start of the trail, Daniel let out an appreciative sigh. �Wow, this is really beautiful.�
�You haven�t even seen the best parts yet. Just let me change into the hiking boots I keep in my trunk and we�ll go.� Claire quickly changed her shoes, and the group set off on the trail, being careful not to slip on any icy patches. It ended up with the guys about 10 feet in front of Claire and Elisa discussing the details of the concert that was to take place the next evening.
�So where are you from, Claire?� Elisa asked.
�I grew up in California, but moved when I was 11. We lived in North Carolina for a year, and then moved to Colorado. Then I decided to come to school here. What about you?�
�I grew up on the East Coast, then moved out to California. Currently home is Burbank. So what do you want to do after you graduate?�
�Eventually, I want to be a rabbi, but I have to work and save money for grad school first. I�d like to move back out to California after graduation and get a job and apartment in the Bay Area, but I don�t know if that�s going to work out.�
�How come?�
�Finances. I feel like I should live someplace less expensive, not be so extravagant. But on the other hand, I feel like I�m only 21 and I should do whatever I want to do while I still can. So it�s sort of like the practical side warring with the fun-loving side. And I just have to figure out who�s going to win.�
�Yeah, I understand how you feel. I went through that too, when I was struggling as a singer. It was like maybe I should do something else, cuz this isn�t paying the rent. But then I got lucky, and I started working with Prince, and then I had my own group for a while, and now I�m touring with Savage Garden, and it�s incredible. Everyone�s so nice and funny. So I guess my advice would just be to follow your heart and trust that it won�t lead you astray.�
�Thanks Elisa, I really appreciate that.� They walked in silence for a few minutes. �Oh, this is one of my favorite parts of the trail. It always reminds me of the cabin in the Sierras that my grandparents used to have. Well, minus the mountains, of course.� Claire paused to look around.
�Hey guys,� Elisa called out. �Hang on a bit.� Darren and Daniel suddenly realized that they were quite a bit ahead of Claire and Elisa and turned back.
�Sorry about that you guys. We didn�t realize that you weren�t right behind us. I guess that�s what we get for talking shop,� Daniel said.
Darren put his arms around Claire�s waist and kissed her cheek. �I�m sorry love. Forgive me?�
�Of course. It gave Elisa and me a chance to talk a bit.�
Darren turned back to face Elisa and Dan, keeping one arm around Claire. �So what were you guys discussing?�
Elisa answered, �general life philosophies and such. Claire said this was one of her favorite parts of the trail, so that�s why I called you guys back�so that we could stop and admire.� The group stood in silence for a few moments gazing at the snow covered tree branches and the valley below the hill they had just climbed.
�It�s so peaceful here,� Darren remarked.
�That�s exactly why I love coming here. I can get away from the craziness that is Coe, and just be by myself. Coming here really helps me put things in perspective. I think clearer here.�
�That�s one of the things that I love about hiking. Can�t really do it while we�re on tour, but when I get the chance, I go. It�s great for clearing my head,� Daniel said. The group continued on, admiring the beauty of the trail, and talking about various things.
Once back at the tour bus, the found everyone else sitting at the table and playing cards. �It�s about time you guys got back,� Ben said. �Where have you been?�
�Everyone, this is Claire Estes. Claire this is Ben, Angie, Lee, Karl, Jennifer, and Leonie.�
�It�s nice to meet you all. It�s my fault that these guys have been missing. I wanted to show them Indian Creek Nature Trail. It�s one of my favorite places to go here.�
�That sounds like it was fun,� Jennifer said.
�Yeah, it was great,� Daniel said. �Cold, but great. It�s really beautiful out there.�
�So who�s up for going clubbing tonight?� Elisa asked.
Everyone said yes. �Okay, only one problem,� Claire said. �My car isn�t going to hold all of us.�
�Oh, it shouldn�t be a problem,� Angie said. �The rental car company dropped off another car while you guys were gone. It�ll be a bit of a squeeze, but I�m sure the 10 of us can manage. What time should we leave?�
�Well, the only clubs I know of are in Iowa City, which is about � an hour away. They usually get going pretty early. How about around 8:30?� Claire said.
Everyone agreed to that. It was only 5, so that left everyone plenty of time to decide what to do for dinner. All sorts of suggestions were thrown out. Mexican, Chinese, pizza� �How do you all feel about Thai food?� Claire asked. Everyone perked up at that. Claire laughed. �I�m taking that to mean a yes. Okay, well, there�s a really good Thai restaurant on the other side of town, if that�s agreeable to everyone.� It was.
Everyone managed to cram themselves into the two cars, and Daniel followed Claire to the restaurant. Claire couldn�t remember when she�d had such a fun meal with a large group like that. Everyone was so friendly, that she felt like she�d known them for years.
Later at the dance club, she learned just how well they could dance, and how much they enjoyed it. Sometimes they danced together as a group, and others they paired off. Claire danced with everyone, and was profoundly grateful to find that Darren wasn�t the jealous type. He didn�t mind when Ben asked her to dance during one of the slow songs, nor did she mind that he danced with Angie. They were all there together as friends and having a wonderful time.
Darren did claim her for the next slow song, however. He pulled her close, and Claire moved to the rhythm of his body. It felt so amazing to be in his arms, and she forgot about all the people surrounding them. Darren was still amazed by the woman in his arms. She seemed to be able to adjust to any type of situation. True, she was nervous about first meeting everyone, but she had gotten over it very quickly and become friends with everyone. He pulled back just a bit from her, and leaned down to kiss her. He was immediately consumed by her response.
The group of friends was having such a good time that they didn�t leave the club until after 1 am, and the only reason they left then was because they knew that tomorrow was going to be a busy day. Darren came back to Coe with Claire after they dropped everyone else off at the bus.
In her room, Darren stripped down to his boxers, while Claire went to the bathroom to change. When she came back Darren was already in his bed. Claire turned out the light and walked over, thinking to kiss him goodnight before she climbed into her own bed. �Sleep with me tonight,� he said, taking her hand in his. He could see in her eyes that she was trying to figure out how to tell him she wasn�t ready for sex without upsetting him. �Nothing but sleep, I promise. I just want to fall asleep holding you. Please?�
Claire could see in his eyes that he was sincere. She climbed up into the bed and settled herself in Darren�s arms. She was practically sleeping on top of him because it was a small twin bed, but neither minded in the least. Claire kissed him softly. �Goodnight,� she whispered, and laid her head on his chest.
�Goodnight angel.�
The two awoke to the shrill ringing of Claire�s alarm clock. Darren let out a groan. �Noooo, I don�t want to get up yet.�
�Mmm�I don�t want to either.� Claire reached up and turned off the alarm. She lay back down in Darren�s arms. �Let�s just stay here all day, cuddled up under the covers.� She kissed his bare shoulder and closed her eyes.
Darren tipped her chin up. �I like that idea,� he said and kissed her mouth softly. The two lay in bed for several minutes feeling perfectly content, but Claire knew that they couldn�t stay like that all day, no matter how much they wanted to.
�Okay, I�m getting up. We have to. Dan would kill you if you weren�t back in time for sound check.�
Darren sighed. �I know. But it�s nice to dream.� The two climbed down, and Claire grabbed her stuff to go take a shower.
�I�ll be back in a bit,� she said, kissing him once more before leaving.
After Claire had left, Darren threw on the clothes he had been wearing the previous night, and quickly made his way down the hall to Serena�s room. He knew that he didn�t have much time before Claire came back, and he just hoped that Serena would be able to help him with his plan. He knocked on the door.
�Come in,� he heard someone call.
Darren opened the door to find Serena running a brush through her long red hair. �Hi Serena.�
�Oh, hi Darren. What�s up?�
�Well, I need your help with something. Are you busy with anything tonight?�
�No, I don�t have any plans. I�d be happy to help you, what do you need?�
�Well, first I should ask this. Do you know if Claire has tickets to the concert tonight?�
�No, she doesn�t. She wanted to go, but they were having payroll problems where she works, so she didn�t get paid in time to get any before the concert sold out.�
�Okay, I didn�t think she did, but I wanted to be positive. Would you like to come with her tonight?�
�Yeah, I�d love to, but how?�
�I�ve got two front row tickets with me, and backstage passes. But here�s the thing, I want this to be a surprise for her. She�s obviously going to know what�s going on when you guys pull up to the venue, but I don�t want her to know until then. The show starts at 8. Would that work for you?�
�I love surprises, and yes, that works fine. Claire�s going to love this. Darren, you�re such a sweetheart for doing this.�
�Not really. I�m just selfish. I want to be near her as much as I can,� Darren said with a smile.
�I don�t think that�s selfish. Just normal at the beginning of a relationship. And don�t worry, I�ll have her there on time.�
Darren handed her the tickets and passes. �Thanks Serena, I really appreciate your help.� He hugged her, and then said, �I�ve gotta get back to her room before she gets out of the shower. I don�t want her to think that anything�s up.�
�Okay, I�ll see you tonight.�
�Bye.� Darren opened the door and walked back down the hall to Claire�s room. He noticed that she�d forgotten to turn on her coffee maker before her shower, so he flipped it on, and sat down in front of her computer. He opened up IE and logged into his e-mail account. The first one he saw was from his sister with the subject line, �YOU BETTER ANSWER THIS ONE IF YOU KNOW WHAT�S GOOD FOR YOU!� Darren sighed and opened the e-mail.
Leo e-mailed us a recording of that interview you did yesterday. Why didn�t you tell us that you were seeing anyone? Darren, I can�t believe that you forced us all, mom especially, to learn about this from a radio interview! When were you planning on sharing this information with us? Are you serious about this girl, or is it just casual? Please let us know what�s going on with you, sweetie. We miss and love you so much.
Darren sat back and sighed. He hadn�t meant for his family to find out about Claire via some interview. He should have told Leonie not to send them that interview until after he had spoken to them. �Well, I suppose there�s nothing I can do about it now,� he said to himself, �except reply and say that I�m sorry.� Darren opened up a new e-mail and typed in his sister�s address.
Hey sis! I�m really sorry that you guys found out about Claire via that interview Leonie sent you. I meant to talk to her and ask her not to send it to you guys right away, but I just didn�t get the chance. I really did want to tell you about her myself. It�s all still so new and amazing to me. Claire is an incredibly sweet woman. Right now, we�re in Cedar Rapids, IA. I was at the local college just walking around, and remembering my own years in university. I went back to the rental car so that I could head back to the bus, but the car wouldn�t start. I was back on campus trying to decide where to go to try to find a phone, when she ran smack into me. She apologized profusely, and showed me where I could find a phone. I could tell she was a bit distracted by something, and I wanted a chance to thank her properly, so I waited for her to come back downstairs from her meeting. We wound up going out to dinner, and since the tow truck wasn�t going to be able to get to the car until the next day (snow), she invited me to stay with her. I didn�t really want to be alone in a hotel room that night, and I was curious about what American dormitory life was like, so I accepted.
But here�s where the problems come in. I�m falling so hard for her. She�s so incredibly sweet, and fun to be with, and she gets along great with everybody. But I�m only in CR for another day. Then we have two weeks off. I think I may stay here, at least for a few days. But I do need to go back to San Francisco for at least a few days. And she�s got classes. And then she�s graduating and moving on to graduate school. I very much want to make this work, but you can see the quandary I�m in. What do you think? Any older sister advice you can give me? What do mom and dad think?
On another topic, the tour is going great. The crowds are so amazing, and I love being onstage. The concert here is tonight. Wish me luck! Gotta go.
Love and hugs,
Darren
Claire walked back into the room just as Darren was logging out of his e-mail account. �Hey handsome.�
Darren blushed. �Hi.� He got up and walked over to where she was hanging up her towel and wrapped his arms around her waist. He bent his head to kiss her neck; she sighed contentedly and tilted her head back to give him better access. Darren turned her around to face him, and kissed her mouth. She put her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him. Darren knew he had to stop soon, or this was going to go farther than he knew Claire wanted. He ended the kiss and held her even tighter.
�G-d, I love kissing you.�
�I love kissing you too, Darren. I feel things that I�ve never felt before when I�m in your arms.�
Darren drew a shaky breath. He loved her candor and honesty. It seemed like she wasn�t afraid to tell him anything.
After she got out of class, Claire drove Darren over to the concert hall so that he could get ready for the show tonight. �Call me afterwards?�
It was all Darren could do to not tell her about the plan he had concocted with the help of Serena. �Of course, I will.� He kissed her cheek and opened the car door.
�Okay. Good luck with the show tonight.�
�Thanks, love. I�ll see you later tonight.� Darren climbed out of the car and made his way to the tour bus. At the door, he turned and waved at her. She waved back and pulled out of the parking lot.
Claire sighed as she opened the door to her room and walked in. The room seemed so empty to her. She knew she should be used to coming back to an empty room, since Ashlea was gone, but since Darren had been there the past couple of days, she knew she was going to have to get used to it all over again.
She let out another sigh and sat down in front of her computer. She logged onto her e-mail account, and slowly answered all the messages she had from her friends. She just couldn�t shake the restlessness she was feeling. �Maybe a drive would help,� she thought. So she walked out to her car and climbed in. She really had no idea where she was going, and so she drove with no particular destination in mind. Eventually, she found herself in front of the mall, and decided that maybe a bit of window shopping would help her to take Darren off her mind.
An hour later, she realized that it was absolutely no use. There was no getting Darren out of her head. Everything she saw made her think of him. If she saw a shirt she liked, it was either �I wonder if Darren would like this on me, or this would look so great on Darren.� She had the same thoughts about different scents of soap or lotion. Even passing by Baskin Robbins made her wonder what his favorite ice cream was. Finally, she gave up, bought a scoop of her favorite, raspberry sherbet and sat down on a bench. After finishing it, she threw away the cup and decided to head back to Coe.
As she walked down the hall to her room, Claire noticed a message on her white board. �Claire, come see me when you get home. Serena� Claire unlocked her room, put her stuff down, and then went down the hall to Serena�s room.
She opened the door. �Hello?� she called out. The two were such good friends that neither of them ever knocked.
Serena looked up from her computer. �Hey Claire. Where were you?�
�Oh, I just felt really restless after I got back from dropping Darren off, so I went for a drive and wound up at the mall. So I just walked around looking at stuff for a while. And now I�m back.�
�I see. Well, do you have any plans for tonight?�
�Sadly, no. Darren�s got the concert, and he said he�d call me afterwards. I think I�m just gonna lay low and maybe read or work on my thesis until then.�
�Would you like to go out with me instead? I need to run some errands and I was thinking we could also go out to dinner.�
�Sure. Sounds like more fun that what I was planning. What time?�
�How about 5:30? I wanna run to Wal-Mart for some stuff, and then maybe we can go to Tomaso�s for pizza.�
�My favorite pizza place. Okay, I�ll see you in about an hour then.� Claire left, and Serena let out a sigh of relief that she hadn�t suspected anything.
Back in her room, Claire flipped on her TV and popped Dogma into the VCR. She climbed up into her bed, propped her pillow up against the wall, and leaned back to watch the first part of the movie before she and Serena had to leave.
Before she knew it, it was 5:30 and Serena had opened the door to her room. �Ready to go?� she asked.
�Yep, just lemme climb down and put my shoes on.� Soon they were on their way to Wal-Mart. Serena found what she wanted, and Claire found a couple bottles of nail polish that she had to have.
�Your nail polish collection cracks me up,� Serena said laughing.
�Some people collect CDs. I collect nail polish.�
Serena just rolled her eyes. They went through the checkstand and paid for their stuff. Later at the pizzeria, they split a Chicago style pepperoni and mushroom pizza. They left around 7. �I�ve got one more place I need to go, and then we can head back to Coe.�
�Sounds good to me. Where do you need to go.�
�No place special. It�s a little store downtown.� Serena was proud of herself for thinking up an excuse for going downtown, so quickly.
Claire still didn�t have any idea what was going on until Serena pulled her car into a parking space next to the concert hall. She looked at Serena suspiciously. �Serena, what�s going on.�
�It�s a surprise for you. Come on.� The two got out of the car, and Serena grabbed Claire�s hand and pulled her into the building. Serena handed their tickets to the usher, and pulled her still dazed friend down the aisle to their front row seats.
Claire whispered to her friend, �Okay, when did you and Darren arrange this?�
Serena, automatically understanding that Claire didn�t want anyone to overhear this conversation, whispered back, �This morning while you were in the shower. He came down to my room, and asked if I would help with this plan. I said yes, and he gave me the tickets. The trick was to get you here without you figuring out what was going on until we got here. And I think I did a pretty good job of that, if I do say so myself.�
�Yes, you did. I had no idea what was going on. Oh, I can�t believe Darren did this. He�s so sweet.�
�I told him the same thing, and he said it�s cuz he�s selfish. He wants to be near you as much as possible. I told him it�s not selfish, just natural at the beginning of a relationship.�
�He really said that?� Claire asked with a slightly vulnerable expression.
�Of course he did. I wouldn�t lie to you.�
�I know you wouldn�t. It just still seems so unbelievable that he wants to be with me. I mean he could have practically any woman in the world.�
�You�ll start believing in yourself one of these days, I hope. Claire, you�re an incredible person. You�re sweet, kind, always ready to help if someone needs it, you�re a great friend, you actually listen when people talk to you instead of pretending to like so many others. Yes, you have your faults, you can be a bit too sarcastic at times, and you have one hell of a temper, but sweetie, the question to ask isn�t why does he want you, but why wouldn�t he want you.�
Claire hugged her friend. �Thanks Serena. You�re such a great friend.�
At that point the lights went dim and the girls heard the opening notes of The Best Thing being played. Darren and Daniel walked down to the front of the stage. Claire was in awe of Darren. His voice was in peak shape that evening, and he looked incredible. She wanted nothing more than to just stand there listening to him.
Darren knew that Claire and Serena would be there, center stage. He spotted them immediately as he gazed into the audience. Toward the end of the song, he changed the lyrics around a bit to say �won�t you be the best thing� instead of �you could be the best thing.� He looked directly into Claire�s eyes as he sang the words.
Claire reached over and grabbed Serena�s hand for support. She thought she might faint when Darren looked at her like that. Especially with the words he was singing.
Throughout the next few songs Darren would catch her eye and the two would share a special moment that only they knew was for them even though they were surrounded by about 2,000 screaming fans. Serena found herself enjoying the concert even more than she had originally thought she would, because she knew Claire and Darren were so happy.
�I�m looking for someone to hold�� they both heard Darren say. He pretended to scan the audience, but he already knew who he was going to pull up on stage that night. So partway through the song, he caught Claire�s eye again, but this time everyone knew it. The security people helped her up onstage and Darren wrapped his arms around her as he continued to sing. Serena pulled her camera out of her backpack and took several pictures of the two of them together. After a bit, Darren led Claire over to Dan. She hugged him, and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek, much to the fan�s delight. Darren hugged her again, and kissed her cheek. Then she was led back to her seat by security.
As soon as she got back to her seat, Serena let out a bit of a shriek and wrapped her arms around her friend in a hug. �You two looked so incredible together up there!�
There were tears streaming from Claire�s face. �I can�t believe that actually happened to me. I don�t think this night could get any better!� She pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped the tears from her face. For the rest of the concert, both girls enjoyed pretending to be teeny-boppers again. They went wild during The Animal Song, and sang along with I Knew I Loved You and Affirmation. Tears came to Claire�s eyes again as Darren began to sing You Can Still Be Free, her favorite song. The music was just so haunting, and Darren�s lyrics and voice really added to the feeling.
When the show ended, Claire and Serena stayed in their seats, waiting for the crowd to thin out a bit. After most people had left, Claire turned to her friend. �Serena, thank you so much for doing this. It�s been an amazing night.�
�You�re welcome. I was glad to help. Wow, I never expected anything like this, though. The show was incredible. But the night�s not over yet. I have one more surprise for you.� She pulled the backstage passes out of her backpack and handed one to Claire. �Come on, let�s go.� Serena pulled her friend toward the backstage entrance.
The security guard at the door verified their passes and led them back to Darren�s dressing room. He knocked on the door. �Come in,� they heard Darren call out.
�Have a good evening ladies,� the guard said to them as he walked away.
Claire opened to dressing room door, and the two of them stepped inside. Darren looked up from where he was sitting. He�d known they�d be coming back, so he�d taken a very fast shower and changed into blue jeans and a tight black t-shirt. Claire�s breath caught in her throat, as they walked into the room.
Darren stood up and walked over to them. He hugged Claire and kissed her forehead. �Hello beautiful.� He turned to Serena and hugged her too. �Thank you so much for your help. I hope you had fun in the process.�
�I did. Darren, the show was incredible, thank you.�
�Thank you.� The three walked over to the couch and sat down. Darren put his arm around Claire. �You�re awfully quiet tonight.�
�I�m still trying to come up with the words to thank you for tonight. I think Serena already said it though. Tonight has been incredible. Thank you so much.� She kissed him softly, but didn�t linger because she didn�t want to make Serena feel uncomfortable. �I must say, you two planned this well. I had no idea what was going on until we pulled up outside here. I was still in a daze when we went inside and Serena had to pull me down the aisle to our seats. I think it�s all really finally beginning to sink in.�
Just then there was a knock on the door. �Come in!� Darren called out. Daniel and Ben walked in.
�Hey,� said Ben. �No fair keeping the women to yourself, Darren.�
�Hey guys. This is Claire�s friend Serena. Serena, this is Ben and Daniel.�
�Hi, it�s nice to meet you,� Serena said as she shook their hands.
�Likewise.�
�Same here.�
The group sat around and talked for a while, and soon they were joined by Angie, Karl, Lee, Elisa, and Leonie. However, it soon became apparent that all were extremely tired, and the decided that it was time to go to bed. Not wanting to be apart from Claire, however, Darren came back with her and Serena to Coe.
�Goodnight Serena, and thank you again,� Claire said as they parted at her room.
�Have a good night you two,� she said.
Claire and Darren continued down the hall to her room. Once inside, Claire finally felt comfortable enough to show Darren how she really felt about tonight. She had never been very comfortable with excessive amounts of affection in public. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. �Thank you so much for tonight. I�ll never forget this experience.� She looked into his eyes and put her lips to his. She could feel Darren�s pleased reaction, and decided to be a bit bold. She wouldn�t let him take control of the kiss, and every time he tried, she�d pull back just a bit. Finally, he just let her have control, and found that he quite enjoyed the result.
Claire could feel his hands moving up and down her back. Finally, they pulled her shirt from the waistband of her jeans and she could feel his hands on he bare skin. His hands made their way to her bra strap, and she realized that things were about to go a lot further than she felt herself ready for. She pulled back from him. �Darren?� she said, breathlessly.
He was kissing her neck. �What is it?�
�Slow down. Please.�
Darren groaned a bit. �Okay. I�m sorry. I don�t want to rush you into anything.�
�It�s okay. I understand how you feel, believe me. My body wants this as much as yours, but mentally and emotionally, I�m just not ready yet.�
�I understand. C�mon, let�s get ready for bed.�
�Okay.� Claire grabbed her toothbrush and the one that Darren had been using and a towel, and the two headed down the hall to the bathroom.
Back in the room, Darren stripped down to his boxers, and they climbed into bed together. Darren laid down on his back and Claire laid down half on her side and half on her stomach with her head resting on Darren�s chest. She fell asleep quickly, but Darren was having problems falling asleep. He looked at the woman laying in his arms fast asleep and sighed. �She�s so trusting of me. Even after what happened between us tonight, she trusts me enough to know that I won�t try to do anything more with her physically than she�s comfortable with. Tonight I got a bit carried away, yes, but she was comfortable enough with me to say stop. And I like that,� he thought. Darren closed his eyes, and eventually he was able to fall asleep.
Claire awoke at 11 the next morning. She glanced at the clock on the microwave and groaned. �Oh no.� Darren stirred a bit, but didn�t wake up. She carefully climbed out of the bed so as not to wake him up. �I guess I�m not going to class this morning,� she whispered to herself. �Oh well.� Claire grabbed her shower stuff and went down the hall to the bathroom.
Darren stirred. He could feel that something wasn�t quite right, but he wasn�t sure what it was or whether or not he wanted to open his eyes to find out. Finally he did, and realized that what was wrong was that Claire was gone. He glanced at the clock and realized what time it was. �Did I sleep through her alarm?� he thought. �But how could I? That thing is loud enough to wake the dead.� Then he heard the door open and saw her walk back in the room, her hair wet from her shower.
Claire walked over to him. �Good morning,� she said and kissed him softly. �I forgot to turn on my alarm last night, so I guess class isn�t happening for me today. But it�s okay. Did you sleep okay?�
�I slept great until I woke up to find you weren�t in my arms any longer.� Darren climbed out of the bed and wrapped his arms around her. �I missed you.�
Claire smiled. He was so sweet. �I missed you too.� She leaned in to kiss him, and felt herself quickly lost in the feelings he aroused in her. Then she rested her head on his chest for a moment. �So what shall we do today?�
�Well, I need to pack my stuff up. The buses are going to pull out tomorrow and head to Chicago. That�s our next stop after the two week break. I�d like to stay here with you if that�s okay?�
�Are you kidding?!? Darren, of course it�s okay. I�d love to have you here with me, but are you sure you don�t need to go home or to Oz?�
�Well, I do have to go back to San Francisco for a few days at least, but I�d like to stay here with you as long as possible. I don�t have any other commitments or anything like that.�
�Oh Darren, you can�t possibly know how happy I am that you�re going to stay here longer,� Claire said. She tightened her arms around his waist.
�Mmm�I have a feeling that I can. Because I�m just has happy as you are that I can stay for a bit longer.� He tipped her chin up and kissed her. All the emotions she was capable of making him feel seemed to surface during that kiss�happiness, sadness, longing, frustration�he could feel them all. �We should probably get going, though. It always takes me forever to pack, and I think the buses are heading out around 3.�
�Okay. Just let me dry my hair.� Claire grabbed her hair dryer and plugged it in. �One thing I love about short hair,� she thought, �it takes about 5 minutes to dry it.� She put the dryer back. �Ready?�
�Yep, let�s go.� The two made it back to the buses around noon. It was totally chaos. Everyone was trying to pack up the stuff they wanted to take with them for the break. Darren went into the back part of the bus to pack, and Claire sat down on the couch in front to wait for him. Ben came in and sat down next to her.
�Hi Claire, how�s it going?�
�Good. Just waiting for Darren to finish packing up some stuff.�
�You could be here for a while,� Ben said laughing. �So he�s staying here with you then?�
�Yeah, for a bit. He said he has to go to San Francisco for a few days, but other than that, he wants to stay here. I can�t imagine why, though. I can�t wait to graduate and get out of this frozen hellhole.�
�Love makes us do funny things sometimes.�
�Ahh, I�d like to imagine that Darren�s in love with me. But I can�t. It�s just too soon. Yeah, we love spending time with each other and being together, but love? I just can�t see him falling that fast. Me on the other hand, well, that�s a whole other story.�
�You mean you�re in love with Darren?�
�Yeah, I am. I haven�t told him yet, though. I think he�d freak if he knew that I�ve fallen in love with him so quickly. But he�s everything that I�ve ever wanted in a man. He�s funny, he treats me well, he thinks that my goals in life are cool and not something to laugh or sneer at, and he�s not afraid to be himself and voice his opinions even in the face of complete opposition. And that�s all I�ve ever wanted.�
Ben leaned over and hugged her. �I�m glad you�ve found what you�re looking for. As for Darren, well, I think you�ll find that he can fall faster than you think. I did want to ask you something, though.�
�Okay, sure.�
Ben seemed to become suddenly uncomfortable and nervous. �Well, your friend, Serena, I was just wondering if�well, if she�s seeing anyone right now.�
Claire smiled. She had seen the two of them talking quietly quite a bit the night before. �No, she�s not. I take it you guys had a really good conversation last night?�
�Yeah, we did. She seems really nice.�
�Yeah, she is.�
�Okay, well, I was just gonna go back to LA during this break, but I think that, like Darren, I�d like to stay here. Do you know anywhere nearby that I could stay?�
�Yeah. The 5 Seasons is pretty nice, and it�s only about a mile from Coe. You could probably stay there, or I might be able to get you a room at the Alumni House on campus. Since it�s almost the end of J-Term, I don�t think there would be anyone else staying there.�
�But I�m not an Alumni.�
�That�s just what the place is called. Parents and friends of students can stay there as well, so long as the place isn�t already booked up.�
�Okay. I think that would be great. Thank you so much. Oh, and don�t tell Serena. I want to surprise her.�
�Deal. I�ll make the phone calls and everything when we get back to campus. Why don�t you just come with Darren and me? That would probably be easiest.�
�Sounds good. And again, thank you.�
�You�re welcome Ben. I�m really glad you and Serena hit it off.� Claire leaned over and hugged him.
Darren came out from the back with a small suitcase. �Anything going on here that I should know about?� he asked jokingly.
Claire got up and walked over to him. Darren put his arm around her waist and she stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. �Ben�s coming back with us. Apparently, he and Serena really hit it off last night. So I�m going to see if I can get him a room over in the Alumni House.�
Darren grinned. �I had a feeling that was what was happening. Those two seemed to be off in their own little world last night. Congrats Benny.�
�Thanks man.� Ben went into the back to grab his suitcase, and the three left to go back to campus.
Claire turned to the guys as the got out of the car. �I don�t know about you guys, but I�m really hungry. Darren and I haven�t eaten yet today.�
�Yeah, I�m hungry too,� Darren said. �How about you Ben?�
�Yeah, I am too.�
�Okay, then. Why don�t we go drop off your suitcases in my room and then go out to lunch. The caf closed about � an hour ago.� The group did just that, and soon they were seated at a corner booth at Olive Garden.
�Mmm�Italian, my favorite,� Darren said as he dug into his pasta. Claire and Ben both laughed at him as they picked up their forks and began eating their food.
�Claire, you mentioned that it was J-Term at Coe. What is that?�
�It�s a term of about 3 and � weeks, during January when Coe offers some classes that wouldn�t normally be offered. Fun classes, lots of off-campus stuff, and some of them can be really hard. Afterwards we get about a week off, and then spring term starts. The break for me starts on Wednesday after class, because I don�t have to be there for the final since I�m just auditing the class. And then spring term starts the following Wednesday.�
�You mean you have a week with no classes coming up?� Darren asked.
�Yeah. Starts in less than a week. J-term ends next week.�
�That�s cool. We can just lay low and do nothing then,� Darren said.
Claire sighed. �Ahh, I love being able to do that. It doesn�t happen often enough, unfortunately. Like today, I�ve gotta do more work on my thesis. There�s no way that Dr. Stewart is going to let me get away with not having done anything to it.�
�So when do you think it�ll be finished?�
�I�m not sure yet. I hope soon. Mostly what�s left is editing and fixing the weak parts. But that�s the part that I hate doing the most, so I�ll probably put off doing for longer than I put off the rest of it.�
�Sounds logical to me,� Ben said. �I always hated writing papers and stuff when I was in school. How long is yours?�
�Right now it�s about 95 pages. The goal was anywhere between 80-100, so I think I did pretty well.�
Unfortunately, both Darren and Ben had chosen that moment to take sips of their sodas, and they both choked when they heard her reply. �You�re kidding right?� Darren asked.
�No, I�m not.�
�Geez, that�s a lot of work,� Ben said.
�Yeah, it was, but it was all spread out over fall semester and J-Term. So it wasn�t like I only had this month to do it. And my focus in my major is feminist theology, so I really didn�t mind the research.�
�Well, at least you got to choose the topic,� Ben said. �Still though, I don�t think I would ever want to write something that long.� The three finished their lunch and left the restaurant.
Back in Claire�s room they were sitting on the floor talking, when Claire looked at her watch. �Oh, I better call the alumni office before they close. Otherwise, you�re stuck here for the night, Ben.�
Claire reached over and picked up her phone. She dialed �0� and the campus info operator answered. �Hi, could I have the alumni office please?� She waited while they connected her. �Hi, I�d like to know if there�s space in the Alumni House for the next couple of weeks, beginning tonight? There is? Great. Yeah, I have a friend here visiting. His name is Ben Carey. Okay, sure.� Claire held the receiver out toward Ben. �They need to talk to you.�
Ben took the phone and gave the director his credit card number and contact info. Claire and Darren both walked over to the Alumni House with him, and they were met shortly by Security who gave Ben the key to his room. They decided that after dinner would be the perfect time to surprise Serena that Ben had stayed, and sat around in Ben�s room talking until then.
