Calmly, they walked him downstairs and out of Diane�s building. Harry stepped reluctantly.

�I need to apologize to her.�

�You�re in no position to expect her to stand there and listen to you after the way you talked to her tonight,� Medavoy growled.

�Your fraternal protectiveness is honorable, boys. Now, you should allow me to express my��

�You�re not welcome here. Get moving, Denby,� Jones said, shoving Denby into the street. Denby walked down the street, and disappeared around the corner. Jones and Medavoy waited until they were sure he was gone, and then they left for their respective homes.

Diane�s eyes flew open. She couldn�t sleep. The smell of the booze from Danny�s party filled her nostrils. All she could think about was how good it would taste, how relaxed she would feel, how free from embarrassment she would be if she were drunk right now.

Diane stood and padded into the kitchen, her footfalls silent in stocking feet. She squinted at the clock in the oven and saw it was 2:00 a.m. An unfinished glass of champagne sat on the counter. It had been freshly poured at midnight when Harry crashed the party. In all the commotion, its owner had forgotten it. She picked up the glass and held it to her nose. There were still bubbles rising, popping, and lifting the vinegar sweet smell of fermented grapes. Diane inhaled deeply and nearly swooned. She lowered the glass to her lip.

�He�s not worth it, Diane.�

Diane paused, then slowly poured the drink down the sink. She took a deep breath and turned to face Danny. She was afraid to look into his eyes, afraid to see the disappointment on his face. She noticed he wore socks to bed, too, and said, �Thanks, Danny.�

�No,� he said, and put his arms around her to hug her. Diane�s arms were crossed in front of her chest, and Danny completely surrounded her in his embrace.

As Diane relaxed, she put her arms around Danny�s neck. They stood like that in Danny�s kitchen for what seemed like hours. Then Danny guided her into his bedroom and put her into his bed. He crawled in beside her. Diane turned over and rested her head on his chest, put her arm over his stomach. Danny rubbed her back with his free hand, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. Diane looked up at him with a strange, lost, empty yearning in her eyes.