Dinner was wonderful, just like he promised, but I can�t honestly say that I paid a lot of attention to the food. I was much too entranced with Danny and those incredible glances he gave me in between bits of our conversation.

�How do you know Phillip?� he asks.

�Oh, he and Rick are best friends. They�ve known each other forever, practically. That�s why I ended up in your office by mistake. Phillip and Rick had been doing something earlier that day, and I was supposed to meet them so we could go to lunch.�

�Lucky twist of fate,� he says with a mischievous grin.

�Whatever you want to call it,� I reply with a grin of my own.

�Well, I know it�s not the recommended procedure to ask a woman her age, but since I already know you�re older than you look, I�m going to ask anyway.�

�I�m twenty-four,� I answer. �And now I�m asking you.�

�Twenty-seven,� he answers.

The lighthearted conversation between us is a welcome change from the confrontational talks that we endured earlier this week.

The waiter clears our table, and we both order coffee. For some reason, neither one of us wanted a drink. I�m not sure what Danny�s motivation was, but I chose not to drink because I want to be absolutely clear headed while I�m with him.

�So, I�ve told you all about myself,� I say to him. �I think it�s time you return the favor.�

�I think you�ve probably read enough about my family in the newspapers,� he says with a grin.

�I�m not talking about your public life,� I respond. �I want to know about you.�

�Well, there�s not much to tell, really. My father was killed when I was ten years old, a result of the �business�. My older brother is dead, and my sister is in Europe. My mother joined her there not long ago, for which I�m really grateful. And now I work for Phillip. End of story.�

�Oh, I don�t think so, Danny. What was it like being you when you were growing up?� As lovely as this evening has been, there still seems to be a part of him that he won�t share, and I desperately want him to trust me.

�Lonely really,� he answers to my surprise. �As you might imagine, I always felt �separate� from other kids. My life was just so different from theirs. I never really had any friends. My brother and I were close once, but he changed, and that relationship went down the toilet. I adore my sister, but she�s been in Europe since she was very young, and I rarely get to see her. My cousin Ray was probably the closest person to me, but that relationship changed as well. We�re still close, but he�s a priest now, and that kind of changes the dynamics of a relationship. So, lonely about sums it up.�

�Are you still lonely?� I ask.

�I�m sitting here with you aren�t I?�

I look at him with all the genuine emotion I can garner, hoping to somehow convey to him that he doesn�t have to feel lonely anymore.

�That�s why I�m so glad to be here with you, tonight,� he says, and the butterflies in my stomach begin to swirl, wanting him to tell me what he�s feeling.

�When I left my family�s business and stepped out on my own, I knew it would be a lonely venture. I hoped that I�d find a friend, someone I could trust. I just never expected it to happen so soon.�

Friend? Did I hear him correctly? Friend? I swallow hard, willing myself to remain collected.

�Is that what I am?� I ask.

�Well, yeah,� he answers. �At least I hope so.�

Did I imagine all that flirting? Did I just conjure up all the sexual innuendoes that have passed between the two of us? When did I become his new best friend? I tell myself it doesn�t matter. The man needs a friend, and he�s chosen me. Besides, I�ve known him for all of four days, so �friend� seems like an appropriate title.

I just never thought the word �friend� would hurt so much.

�Of course I�m your friend, Danny,� I say, smiling at him, not wanting him to see what going on inside me. �I�d like that very much.�


As we drive back toward Springfield, my head begins to throb. I don�t know why I have to be one of those people blessed with migraine headaches, but I am. They started during my junior year of college, but I�ve learned to manage them pretty well, and now even the looming threat of med. school finals doesn�t trigger them. But tonight, well, that�s a different story. Tonight I had got my hopes up, despite the fact that I tried not to, and my expectations were dashed. �Dammit Michelle,� I think to myself. �Why did you do this to yourself? Why did you let yourself hope?� I know why I did. I know why I wanted this night to be more than it obviously was to Danny. It�s been so long since I felt someone�s hand in mine, so long since someone told me I was beautiful. My entire life I�ve searched for that special feeling, that connection that can only happen once in a lifetime. I thought I�d found it. Evidently not.

My head is about to explode, and I can�t hide it from Danny anymore. Involuntarily I lean my head over and put my face in my hands. I can�t control the audible sigh that escapes my lips as I try to hide my eyes from the headlights of the oncoming car.

�What�s wrong?� Danny asks quickly.

�My head,� I answer, as another groan of pain builds in my throat.

�What can I do? Do you need to go to the hospital?�

�No,� is all I can manage to say.

�Should I call your brother?� he asks, and he seems genuinely concerned.

Still not looking at him, I say, �It�s a migraine. I get them sometimes.� I�m now massaging the back of my neck in an attempt to find some relief. �I have some pills in my purse, if we can just stop and get something to drink.�

�My house is about a half mile away,� he says. �We�ll be there in a minute.�

I feel the car lurch forward as Danny�s floors the gas pedal. My head is still practically in my lap when I feel the car come to a stop, and I realize that we�ve arrived at Danny�s house. I look up to see a huge, stately house. Even through my pain I imagine Danny living here alone, and how lonely this big house must be for him.

Before I know what�s happening, Danny is opening my door and helping me out of the car. The feel of his arms around me is almost more than I can stand, as I remember that I�m his �friend�. We�re in the house in an instant, and I feel as if I�m gliding, as he leads me to the sofa.

�O.K.,� he begins. �The pills are in your purse?�

I nod.

He�s at my side in less than a minute, with my bottle of pills and a glass of water. He knew enough to not turn the lights on, and as I sit there in the dark, swallowing my migraine medication, I can�t help but notice the panicked look on his face.

�Do these pills work fast?� he asks.

�They usually work well, if I can rest for a little while after I take them.�

�Well then, you can rest here.�

�O.K.,� I say. I have no choice but to comply. This headache is completely disabling me.

�Do you want me to see if there are some clothes of my sister�s upstairs. I�m sure you�d be more comfortable in something casual.�

Why did this have to happen tonight? Why couldn�t we have just driven back to Springfield like we�d planned and gone to Spaulding so that Danny could get his car? Then I could�ve gone home and gotten myself out of his presence, and nursed my wounds alone. Instead, I�m forced to look him in the face and pretend that I�m happy to be his �friend�.

�No,� I answer. �But you can go out to the car and get my gym bag out of the back seat. I�ve got something in there I can wear.�

�I�ll be right back,� he says, leaping from the sofa. �Will you be all right by yourself for a minute?�

�Of course. I�ll be fine,� I answer, as I think to myself that this situation could not possibly be any worse.

He slips out of the house, and I�m left alone for a moment to ponder what happened this evening. I don�t know how my feelings got so out of hand before I even realized it. I suppose it must be the lack of romance in my life that caused my emotions to run away from me. There haven�t been many men in my life, certainly none that I wanted to consider a future with, none that I felt so connected to. Really, aside from Jesse, there has never been anyone significant, and even Jesse turned out to be mere infatuation. I hadn�t realized how much I longed for that kind of relationship, until I saw Danny standing in the lobby this afternoon, waiting for me. But I totally misread everything since then, and now I�m stuck in his house, alone with him, while I wait this migraine out.

When he comes back with my bag, I ask, �Where can I change?�

�Here,� he says, taking me by the hand. �I�ll show you.�

He leads me down the hallway to a very large bathroom, decorated in deep reds. I gently shut the door behind me and lean my back against it. �How did this happen?� I ask myself. This stupid headache could not have happened at a more inopportune time.

�All right in there?� he asks from outside the door.

Damn. He�s waiting outside for me, which means I can�t stall in here for very long.

�Fine, Danny,� I answer softly. �I think the medicine�s starting to kick in,� I say as I quickly take my hair out of the bun and let it fall loose.

I dig through my gym bag and find a pair of baby blue knit pants. Searching frantically, I realize that my Springfield University sweatshirt is not there. It�s probably in the laundry, and the only thing left for me to wear is a white tank top. Yes, white, and sleeveless. I was wrong earlier. This evening could get worse, and it has. Now, not only am I hiding my emotions from him and stranded at his house, but I�m also going to have to expose my skin to him as well. I say in a whisper to myself, �Again,� as remember that I�ve already done that once � the first day I met him.

I emerge from the bathroom, and he�s standing there in the hallway. I�m starting to get sleepy from the medication, so at least I�ll get to sleep through some of this agony. Again, he puts his arm around my waist and helps me back to the sofa. He sits down next to me and starts gently massaging my neck and shoulders. I�m melting into oblivion, brought on by the migraine pills and Danny�s touch, and in that brief moment where consciousness and sleep meet, I decide to enjoy it.

When I wake up, my head is laying in his lap and he�s lovingly brushing the hair out of my face. Before I realize the horror of the situation, I think to myself, �This must be heaven.�

++

�Danny,� I whisper when I see him looking down at me.

�It�s me, Michelle,� he says in a voice that turns my insides to mush.

It�s then I remember the rest of the evening, and I immediately sit up with a jolt.

�How long have I been asleep?� I ask.

�About an hour,� he answers, his hand still tucking my hair behind my ear. If he doesn�t quit touching me, I�m going to explode.

�What time is it?� I ask

�Eleven thirty. How�s your head?�

I try to focus on what was my migraine headache. �Much better. It still hurts, but nothing like before. I�ll be fine in the morning. Tomorrow�s Saturday, so I�ll just go home, crawl into bed, and sleep late.�

I�ve got to get out of here as soon as humanly possible.

�You�re not going anywhere, Michelle,� Danny states.

�What?� I ask, completely astounded.

�Your brother�s working, and I�m not going to let you go home and be by yourself.�

�Danny, I�m fine. Really. I just need a good night�s sleep.� Please let him believe me so that I can go home. Please.

�I don�t care what you say, Michelle. You scared the hell out of me tonight, and I�m not going to let you be alone.�

I can tell by the look on his face that he�s not going to let up. The only solution is for me to agree, and get back to sleep in a jiffy, so that I don�t have to sit here and look at him any longer.

�O.K. Fine,� I relent. �I�ll just sleep right here on the sofa.�

�No you won�t,� he counters. �You had a migraine, and you need sleep. You can sleep in one of the guest rooms upstairs. It�s not like I�m short on space in this joint.�

I�m glad for the small bit of humor and say, �Yeah, I noticed.�

�So, what do you think of the place?� he asks.

�Honestly?� I ask, gently rubbing my temples.

A smile breaks on Danny�s face, as he says, �Mausoleum, right?�

I laugh slightly and answer, �Yeah, and a pretentious one at that.�

�I always kind of thought that,� he says. �I�ve been thinking about getting a place of my own, but my mother�s only been gone six weeks, and, I don�t know, it�s been kind of nice having the place to myself.�

�I guess so,� I say.

�You still look pretty out of it,� Danny comments.

�Yeah, that medication is fairly strong,� I reply.

�Well, let�s go upstairs and I�ll show you where you can sleep.�

Again, he takes my hand and leads me down the hall, this time toward the stairs. I keep expecting him to let go of my hand as we climb the stairs, but he doesn�t. He keeps his fingers laced with mine, and I feel like I�m going to go through the roof.

When we get to the top of the steps, he stops at the first bedroom on the left side of the hall. �Just a sec,� he says, as he walks inside. I see him taking off his watch and laying it on the nightstand, and I realize that this is his bedroom. He goes to the closet and pulls out two pillows and pillow cases.

�I thought you might want some extra pillows,� he says.

�Thanks,� I say, as he walks across the hall and I follow.

�You can sleep in here,� he points out, as he opens the door. �If you need anything, I�ll be right across the hall.� He tosses the extra pillows on the bed.

�I�ll be fine, Danny.�

�Well then, goodnight,� he says. He gently touches the left side of my face, and then he�s gone.

I slip into the bed and under the covers. If I have to stay in this house with my new �friend�, at least I can sleep through it. Luckily, the medication is still affecting me, and sleep comes easily.


Somewhere in my sleep, I turn toward the door and see him standing there. He�s staring at me again, the same, intense stare that I�ve seen before. My voice catches in my throat and I can say nothing.

�Is it all right that I�m here?� he asks softly as he walks to the bed and sits down beside me.

�Oh Danny, yes. It�s so much more than all right,� I answer.

His face moves slowly toward me, and he presses his forehead against mine. He looks into my eyes so deeply that I think he surely must be able to see my soul. His lips meet mine in painstakingly slow motion, and I move my hands to his face to hold him there, afraid that he�ll move away any second. His tongue traces my lips and I open my mouth to his, inviting him to come in. Our tongues meld together in a dance so intimate, so real, and I can feel him moan, �Mmmmmm� as he moves himself on top of me.

As he lifts his face from mine, he looks at me and says, �Do you want me this way, Michelle?�

�God yes, Danny,� is all I manage to say before he buries his face in my neck, creating a trail of fire toward my collarbone. �Nothing has ever felt so right in my entire life.�

I struggle to get my arms between our bodies, and begin unbuttoning his shirt. With each button that I release, I feel more of his skin, and realize that he�s already sweating with anticipation.

His mouth is on mine again, and he�s talking as he�s kissing me. �You feel so good, Michelle.�

He sits up briefly, so that I can slide his shirt off his shoulders. As I run my hands across his now bare chest, I say, �So do you, Danny. So do you.�

He reaches for the bottom of my tank top. I instinctively raise my arms, and he pulls it over my head in one, quick motion.

�Is there anything about you that�s not perfect?� he asks, as he cups my breasts in his hands.

Something primitive in me takes over, and I throw my head back, thrusting my chest closer to his face. He doesn�t take advantage of it immediately, but rather teases me with his hot breath. Just when I think I can�t stand anymore, his mouth is finally on me, and I feel the fire within me begin to rage. I grab him and pull him down on top of me, pressing my chest hard into his. Our mouths are hungry for one another and he deftly takes possession of mine as he reaches down and slides my pants to my ankles. He removes them the rest of the way with his feet, and kicks them to the floor. My hand are already working on his pants. He helps me do away with them, and in a flash, they join mine in the floor next to the bed.

He�s poised over me, ready to begin what I know will make me soar, when he asks, �Are you sure?�

I nod, and he begins to lower himself to me.


My eyes fly open and I kick the covers from my body. I�m in the bedroom all right, but Danny�s not here. It takes me a moment to realize that I was dreaming, and when I do, I also realize that I�m dripping with sweat.

�It was just a dream,� I whisper to myself. I look at the bedroom door and notice that it�s slightly ajar. �Oh God, please tell me I didn�t talk in my sleep.�

I sit there, shaking in the bed, fully expecting Danny to walk through the door. If I talked in my sleep, I�m sure he heard me, and I�m going to have a hell of a time explaining myself.

Several minutes pass, and he doesn�t appear. I breathe a sigh of relief, and I look over at the clock. It�s 3:00 a.m., so surely he�s sleeping. Silently, I get up and tip toe across the hall.

The door to his bedroom is cracked slightly, and I peek inside. I start to berate myself for spying on him, but then I see him. He�s lying on his stomach, arms encircling a pillow. He�s covered from the waist down. I can see his naked back, and it takes my breath away.

�Michelle, get a hold of yourself,� I think to myself. �What if he finds you here?�

Quietly, I start back across the hall. When I reach the bedroom door, a rush of heat barrels through me, and I know that he�s looking at me. Damn.

�Michelle,� he says in a sleepy voice.

�I�m sorry. Did I wake you up?� I ask, as I turn around. He�s wearing plaid pajama bottoms and nothing else, as if I need to be turned on more.

�Not really. Are you all right? How�s your head?�

�I�m fine,� I say, knowing I need an excuse for being out of bed. �I just couldn�t sleep.�

�I�m having trouble with that myself,� he responds. �Are you sure you�re O.K.?�

�Yes, I�m sure. Sometimes that medicine makes me have crazy dreams. It just woke me up, and now I can�t get back to sleep.�

I had a crazy dream, all right, but I highly doubt it was because of the medication.

�Well, do you need anything?� he asks, stepping across the hall until he�s within inches of me.

I can�t speak. I can�t even breathe. I just shake my head �no�.

�Do you need anything from me?� he asks again.

Do I need anything from you? You bet I do. If you only knew, Danny.

Parts 8-9

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