Read Online Message from Nam by Danielle Steel - Free Book Online Page A

nervous, but she was also very beautiful, and Paxton found herself wondering if the black girl had ever modeled.
    “I don’t know what I want to be,” Gabby admitted to all of them. “I just want to have a good time and stay in school till I get married.”
    “Are you engaged?” Dawn looked at her hopefully, feeling she had found a kindred spirit, but Gabby shook her head sadly.
    “Not yet. I haven’t found anyone, but I’m looking.” Paxton and Yvonne laughed, and Paxton couldn’t help thinking that lots of boys would be running after Yvonne and Gabby.
    “You should find plenty of what you’re looking for here,” Yvonne offered her encouragement. “I’ve seen a whole bunch of cute guys since I got here.”
    “Me too,” Paxton confessed with a shy smile. She had seen several on her way to the store, and Gabby’s brother was the best-looking of all, and he was even more attractive because he was a little older. But she suspected that most law school students probably wouldn’t be caught dead with freshmen. Which made it all the more surprising when he turned up at their room again several hours later. Dawn had already gone to bed, and Yvonne was reading on the couch and wearing a very seductive dressing gown when Peter suddenly appeared with a friend carrying a six-pack. He saw Paxton coming out of the other room, and held a beer out to her with a shy smile.
    “We came back to see if you needed any help.” She was surprised to see him, and Gabby was even more so.
    “What are you doing here?” she asked suspiciously. “And no, I can’t cash a check.” She turned to Paxton with a conspiratorial air. “He passes bum checks on me all the time, don’t ever cash one for him.” And then she noticed his friend, standing in the doorway. “Hi, Sandy, come on in, no one’s naked.”
    “Damn, how disappointing,” he said, blushing nonetheless, but Peter looked more relaxed, as he glanced from Yvonne to Paxton.
    “Actually, we were hoping that you were. Anyone want a beer?” Even Yvonne smiled at him, as she offered Sandy a cigarette, and the two boys made themselves at home on the floor and the chair, while Gabby and Paxton sat on Gabby’s trunk, which they had decided to use as a coffee table. Sandy was at the law school, too, and he was one of Peter’s seven roommates. They had a house on Ellsworth, and it was cozy and cute, and an utter shambles.
    “We’ll have you over to dinner sometime,” Peter said cheerfully, “after we get a bulldozer in to clear out the kitchen. I think we still have pizza in the oven from last year but I’m afraid to look.” He smiled happily as he finished his beer. “What about you?” He looked suddenly straight at Paxton, and the intensity of his blue eyes surprised her. “Can you cook?”
    “I try,” she said shyly.
    “Can you make grits?” Yvonne asked with sudden interest, and Paxton wasn’t sure if she was baiting her again. “Or ribs, or hogbacks?” But Paxton decided to tell the truth. Queenie could, but she couldn’t.
    “About the best I can do is a steak, or an omelet and hash browns.”
    “That’ll do,” Peter said quietly. “Maybe we’ll find someplace to cook dinner one night. Or maybe we’ll just have to go out and eat.” He could think of worse fates and there was a moment’s silence in the room as Yvonne watched them with interest. And Sandy was watching Yvonne too. He thought she was a knockout, much to Gabby’s chagrin. She had always liked him. Things were definitely getting interesting very early, and very quickly. They had all arrived only that day, but Paxton could already see some good times on the horizon.
    The boys hung around for a little while, and then went on their way. They were meeting friends at Kips, and when they left, Paxton admitted that she was tired. It was two o’clock in the morning for her, and all of a sudden she could really feel it.
    “You didn’t look tired to me when Gabby’s brother was here,”