Mmmm?"
Dani didn't know what to say. Was this the
man who was so formal with her backstage? He had her confused.
"I...I think I'll turn in now, I'm really beat...Mr. Scaletti."
She thought she heard him laugh again as he
clicked the phone off.
Al looked at the phone and smiled. She was so
funny and sweet. He knew he'd ruffled her up a bit, but he thought
that was part of the game. He always hedged his bets.
In suite 310, Antonio strolled in with
Lorali. She turned to kiss him, and he hugged her hard then, kissed
her harder.
They collapsed onto the bed. "Take your hair
down," he said urgently, helping her. "I'd love to see you doing
that wild routine. Just for me."
"She just made it up," she told him sharply,
shaking out her shoulder length blonde hair.
He watched her. "Can't you make one up?"
"No."
He sighed. "I've got this urgent need."
"Now that, I understand," she said as she
unzipped his pants.
Dani screamed as the man grabbed her arm and
twisted it hard. His hands were on her now, roughly prodding. She
screamed again, then sat bolt upright in bed. Trembling and
sweating from the dream, she made her way into the living room and
sat on the chair. Such a long time ago, she thought, but still
alive in her dreams.
She needed to talk with someone.
When she called Charlene, the woman sounded
bright and alert. "Wow," she said, "I wasn't expecting to hear from
you so soon."
Dani was silent, as her tears began.
The woman continued. "I heard about your
peppy dance routine last night. And the shoe thing."
Blowing her nose, Dani said, "I kind of
improvised."
Charlene laughed. "I hear you turned on men
in other counties with that one."
Silent again, Dani dabbed at her eyes.
"What's going on?" Charlene asked
quietly.
"Nightmare."
"Can you tell me about it? I've got nothing
but time. I'm really hyper tonight."
Slowly, Dani began. "Two years ago, they put
me in a new foster home. I thought it would be better than the
other ones. And it was, for a while. The man was a construction
worker and his wife just stayed home."
"Go on."
"I started to notice he would drink beer a
lot in the evening. Then he'd look at me, nasty you know? Look at
my breasts all the time."
"Right."
"One night he came into my room. Sat on my
bed. I told him to get out. But he was too strong. He kept twisting
my arm telling me to be quiet. I was still yelling. When his wife
came in they got in an argument. I punched him. He punched me back
in the eye."
Dani sniffed again. "Then they took me to the
hospital because I couldn't move my arm. I got switched after that
to a different family...if you could even call it that. They all
just wanted the money they'd get for me."
Charlene sighed. "Sweetie, what can I do to
help you?" she asked, "What can I do?"
But Dani's tears began again. "It's okay,"
she sobbed, "I'm sorry to bother you." And she rang off.
Al's personal phone rang insistently, as he
struggled to wake up. "'Lo?"
"You need to go down to her suite."
"What is it?"
"A nightmare. And, trust me you don't want to
know what it's about."
Dani bent forward and held her head and
sobbed as she sat on the sofa. The tears just kept coming and it
was as if a dam had burst.
He let himself in with his passkey, and sat
next to her. "Dani?" Bringing his arm around her shoulders, he said
soothingly, "Lean on me, Dani."
She clutched at the front of his unbuttoned
shirt, and he drew her in closer against his hard chest.
Now stroking her hair, his lips came against
her neck softly then roved to her cheek. His breath was warm and
minty and the scent of his aftershave was in the air. "Don't be
sad, Miss Troubix," he breathed, as he smiled.
She pulled back and looked up at him with
tears glistening in her eyes.
His thumbs came up and brushed them away. He
smoothed her hair back from her face. "Would it help if I stayed
until you are asleep?" he asked gently.
Watching her face, with her lips just inches
from his, he saw her
Piers Anthony
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Ed Lynskey
Olivia Stephens
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Marc Morris
Moira Katson