by Jo Gibson
“Like what?” Amy was curious.
“Like figuring out the bills and paying them every month. I went straight from living at home to renting my own apartment. I’d never been on my own before, and I had no idea how to live on a budget. I made enough money, but I spent it as fast as I got it. And then I got into big trouble at the end of the month.”
“Tell me about it.” Amy leaned back against the seat and smiled up at him.
“Okay.” Danny slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “When I signed my contract, the money seemed like a fortune. I’d never made that much before, so I went right out and rented this really great apartment. I didn’t realize that I’d only get part of my salary.”
“Only part? I don’t understand.”
“Taxes.” Danny shrugged. “That’s the difference between gross and net. It gave me my gross salary on the contract; but when I got my first paycheck, they took out all the taxes, and the total was a lot smaller than I thought it would be.”
“But it was still enough, wasn’t it?”
“It would have been if I hadn’t gone overboard. But everything I bought had to be the best that money could buy. I got the best sound system, the best television, the best furniture, the best clothes, the best motorcycle, you name it. And the food . . . I was so stupid, you wouldn’t believe it!”
“I’d believe it.” Amy giggled, and snuggled a little closer. The car was beginning to warm, and it was cozy, sitting close to Danny in the darkened parking lot. “Why was food expensive?”
“Because I didn’t know how to cook. I went out to the best restaurants, and that adds up. It finally got to the point where I couldn’t afford it anymore.”
Amy nodded. “So what did you do?”
“I bought a cookbook, and I followed the recipes.”
“That makes sense.”
“Not really.”
Danny was grinning as he pulled away from her, put the car in gear and drove out of the parking lot, but Amy was a bit disappointed. She had liked the way he’d held her close, and she hadn’t wanted it to end quite yet. She felt her hopes rise as they pulled up in front of Porter’s Fine Furniture. The store was dark, and there were no other cars on the street. Perhaps Danny would hold her close again while they waited for the others to arrive.
“We must be the first ones here.” Danny parked directly in front of the store, and let the car idle.
Amy nodded. “I guess we’ll just have to wait until Michele shows up. Tell me more about the cookbook, Danny. Why didn’t it make sense?”
“I bought the wrong one. I picked up a copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I’d seen her on television, and everything she did looked so easy.”
“Oh-oh!” Amy started to laugh. “What happened?”
Danny grinned and pulled her over next to him again. “Well . . . I learned to make Soupe Catalane Aux Poivrons.”
“Wonderful. What’s that?”
“It’s Catalonian pepper and leek soup, very good, but it takes forever to cook. And then I tried Ris De Veau A La Financiere.”
Amy nodded and snuggled up to Danny’s side. “I’m impressed, but I don’t know what that is, either.”
“Braised sweetbreads garnished with truffles, mushrooms, and olives. That was very expensive, and once I found out what sweetbreads were, I never made it again.”
Amy frowned slightly. Should she admit that she didn’t know what sweetbreads were? Danny would probably think she was an idiot, but it was best to be honest. “Sorry, Danny . . . I don’t know anything about sweetbreads. What are they?”
“Maybe I shouldn’t tell you.” Danny looked down at her in a way that made Amy’s knees weak. “It might make you sick.”
“Of course it won’t! Julia Child is a world-famous chef. If she makes it, it’s got to be good.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m positive.” Amy gave an emphatic nod. “So tell me, Danny . . . what are sweetbreads?”
“They’re the pancreas and thymus glands from a calf.”
“Oh, gross!” Amy shuddered. “That’s not funny, Danny!”
“I know. And it really wasn’t funny when I spent the whole day cooking a gourmet meal that I couldn’t eat!”
“You mean, it’s really true?” Amy pulled back to stare at Danny. “You’re not just putting me on?”
“It’s true. When Renee asked me what we were having for dinner, I told her. And that was when she mentioned what sweetbreads were. She thought it was wonderful that I was so cosmopolitan.”
Amy’s eyes widened. Who was Renee? She wished she had the nerve to ask, but it was really none of her business. “What did the sweetbreads taste like?”
“I don’t know. I just pushed them around on my plate and filled up on the bread. And the next morning, I called Colleen and asked her to send me some of Mom’s recipes for real meat and potatoes.”
Amy couldn’t stand it any longer. She simply had to ask. “Uh . . . Danny? Who’s Renee?”
“My agent’s ex-wife. We lived together for a while. Renee was an actress, very beautiful, and very expensive. That’s one of the ways I blew all my money. She wasn’t satisfied with dinner at McDonald’s. She wanted to go to trendy places, where she could be seen.”
“Oh.” Amy nodded. And she wished that she hadn’t asked. There was no reason for her to feel jealous, but she did.
Danny had lived with a beautiful actress. “Do you . . . uh . . . still see her?”
Danny shook his head. “We only lasted for a couple of months. Renee had a thing about singers, and I was the newest guy in town. She moved on when a newer guy came on the scene.”
“That’s . . . that’s awful!” Amy stared up at Danny in shock. “You must have been terribly hurt.”
“I was, at first. But then I realized that it’s the sort of thing you should expect when you’re involved with the rock world. The hours are insane, the groupies steal everything of yours that isn’t nailed down, the performances drain every ounce of your energy, and it’s impossible to have any kind of normal life. That’s one of the reasons I got out. I could have stayed and started another band. I had plenty of backing. But I had enough sense to realize that it wasn’t the life for me. I’d rather be here, at Hamilton High, with you and Colleen. You care about me as a person.”
There was a long silence. Amy wasn’t quite sure what to say. But then Danny reached out and tipped up her chin so she had to meet his eyes.
“You do care about me, don’t you, Amy?”
Amy nodded. Danny’s eyes were so intense, it was hard for her to speak. “I . . . I . . . of course I do! You know that.”
“But how much do you care?” Danny began to grin as he closed the gap between them. “Do you care this much?”
Amy trembled as Danny came closer and closer. Now he was so close, he was almost brushing her lips with his. Amy’s mind spun in crazy circles. Was he going to kiss her? Should she pull away? Or should she wrap her arms around his neck, and let him do what she’d been wanting for what seemed like forever? But just as she felt the first feather-light brush of his lips, there was a honk behind them, and Amy pulled back, startled.
“Saved by the honk.” Danny chuckled as he turned around to see who it was. “You must have a guardian angel, Amy.”
“I . . . I . . . yes. I guess I must.” Amy scraped a place clear on the window to look out. Michele and Colleen were parked behind them and as she watched, two more cars pulled up.
“Looks like we have company.” Danny shrugged, and turned off the ignition. “We’d better go, or we’ll be the subject of a lot of gossip at school tomorrow.”
“You’re right.” Amy sighed, and began to button up her coat. She wasn’t quite sure whether she was glad or disappointed to see her friends arrive.
“Should we continue this discussion later?” Danny reached out to touch her cheek with the tip of his finger. “Or would you rather forget it ever happened?”
/> Amy drew in her breath sharply. Shakespeare had been wrong. To be, or not to be, wasn’t the question. It was to kiss, or not to kiss. And even though it was far from appropriate, Amy wanted Danny to kiss her with every fiber of her being.
“Well . . . ?” Danny was still grinning his sexy grin. “What’s the answer, Amy?”
Amy let her breath out in a shuddering sigh as she made up her mind. “I’d like to continue . . . please.”
Fourteen
It was the strangest party that Amy had ever attended. The Porter Fine Furniture store was arranged in a series of cubicles resembling rooms, each one displaying a grouping of furniture. The walls of the rooms were less than five feet high, so Michele’s father could see when shoppers had stopped to linger over a particular selection.
Michele had planned her party carefully. She’d used the dining room groupings for food, and the living room groupings for drinks and entertainment. She’d even allocated one bedroom cubicle, the one with the largest king-sized bed, as a place to put coats and boots. It was an enormous party. Michele had invited almost everyone she knew from Hamilton High. Friends and acquaintances were wandering from one cubicle to another, stopping to eat, or listen to music, or relax on over-stuffed lounge chairs and couches. Porter’s Fine Furniture store was a perfect place for a party. It gave the illusion of a mansion with countless interconnected rooms, and there was always a corner for privacy.
Amy and Danny started in the Mediterranean dining room, helping themselves to the big bowl of chips and dip on the polished mahogany wood table. Then they worked their way to the Danish Modern living room for cold drinks which were set out on the teakwood bar. They ended up in a cubicle that resembled a family room, with a conversation pit that featured a U-shaped leather couch, and two leather swivel recliners arranged around a low circular table. Neal and Jessica were seated on one side of the couch, Michele and Colleen were in the middle, and Brett and Kevin were lounging in the recliners.
“Hey . . . how’s it going, guys?” Brett looked up as they walked in. “Great party, huh?”
Amy nodded. It was a good party. There was dancing in the large living room with the fake fireplace, and Michele had put tapes of movies on all the large-screen television sets. But everyone here in the family room looked very subdued.
“What’s the matter?” Danny asked the question that was on Amy’s mind. “You all look worried about something.”
Kevin nodded. “We are. When Jessica went up to her locker, after the game, she found a Valentine card from Cat.”
“Oh, no!” Amy turned to Jessica with alarm. “What did it say?”
“The usual. Except the rhyme was different this time. Maybe he’s getting bored, writing the same thing all the time.”
Amy sat down on the other side of the couch and reached for the red envelope that Jessica pushed to her across the low table. She opened it and started to frown as she scanned the message inside.
“What does it say?” Danny sat down next to her and slipped his arm around her shoulders.
“It says, ‘Roses are red, and crowns are gold. A Valentine queen has values to uphold.’ And it’s signed, ‘Cat.’ ”
Danny leaned over her shoulder to examine the card. “It looks like Cat’s printing.”
“I think so, too, but we’d better check. I saved the vote I got today.” Amy reached in her purse and pulled out the red heart she’d saved after they’d counted the votes. “Here it is.”
Brett got up to look at the card. And then he examined Amy’s vote. “It’s the same as the last time. It’s definitely Cat’s printing.”
“But who is he?” Jessica’s voice held a desperate note. “We’ve got to find out!”
Amy nodded. And then she cleared her throat. What she was about to say would be about as popular as a pack of dogs in a sausage factory, but she knew she had to suggest it. “I think we should consider canceling the queen contest. It’s just too dangerous.”
“You want to cancel the contest?” Jessica looked as if Amy had just slapped her in the face. “But that’s not fair!”
“I know it’s not. But we all care about you, Jessica. And you’re in the lead. Cat’s already sent you one card. What if he sends you more?”
“Amy’s got a point.” Michele nodded. “Maybe Cat didn’t have anything to do with what happened to Tanya and Gail, but you’re still taking a terrible chance.”
Jessica shrugged. “Maybe I am, but it’ll be worth it if I get to be queen. Besides . . . I don’t think Cat is dangerous. He just sends those cards as a sick practical joke, that’s all. What happened to Tanya and Gail is just a coincidence.”
“A coincidence?” Amy was shocked. “How can you possibly believe that? Tanya and Gail were both in the lead for queen, they both got Valentine cards from Cat, and they’re both dead. There’s got to be a connection.”
“Not necessarily. Tanya died because she tripped on the stairs, and Gail was in a car accident. It’s awful, but these things happen.”
“How about the half-heart necklaces they were both wearing ?” Danny spoke up to defend Amy’s position. “That has to mean something.”
“Maybe. But I’ve got that worked out. If someone sends me a half-heart necklace, I’ll just throw it in the trash.”
“But how about the threats Cat makes?” Amy took up the argument again. “He says you have to pass his test to be queen, and then he warns you that an unworthy queen is better off dead. Doesn’t that worry you at all?”
Jessica laughed and hugged Neal. “It did, but I’m not worried now. Neal’s promised to be my personal bodyguard. He’s going to stick to me like glue, until the night of my coronation.”
“That should work.” Kevin nodded. “Neal’s big enough to take on anyone that bothers you. But what about when he goes to basketball practice? He can’t be with you then.”
“I’ll have him drop me off at the hardware store, and Dad’ll protect me. Or I’ll stay at home with Mom. There’s really nothing to worry about as long as I’m with someone all the time.”
“Will you promise me that you’ll never go anywhere alone?” Amy was still concerned.
“Sure. I’ll even take my mother to the bathroom with me if it makes you feel any better. I think it’s sweet that you’re so concerned about me, Amy . . . but I really think you’re going off the deep end over this whole thing. I’ll live to be the Valentine’s Day Queen. You can bet on it!”
Michele raised her eyebrows, and laughed. “I’d watch my back if I were you. Don’t forget that I’m in second place. If something happens to you, I’ll be next in line for queen.”
“Michele!” Amy was shocked.
“Relax, Amy.” Michele leaned over to give Jessica a hug. “Jessica’s been my best friend since the first grade. She knows I was only kidding, don’t you, Jessica?”
“Of course I know.”
Jessica nodded, but Amy noticed that she wasn’t smiling. And the moment that Michele stopped hugging her, Jessica moved closer to Neal. Amy wished that she’d voiced her objections to the queen contest more strenuously when Tanya had first suggested it. All this competition wasn’t good, and it was ruining friendships that had been in existence for years.
Danny’s arm tightened around her shoulders, and Amy looked up to find him watching Jessica and Michele. Danny had noticed how Jessica had moved away from Michele, and Amy was sure it had bothered him as much as it had bothered her.
“Let’s go get some food.” Danny stood up and held out his hand to Amy. “Does anybody want anything?”
Michele nodded. “You could bring us back a pizza. They’re all on the table in the Colonial dining room.”
“Anything else?” Amy got to her feet.
There were several other requests, and Amy and Danny agreed to bring back all the food they could carry. After they’d left the family room area, Danny led Amy into one of the deserted living room cubicles and pulled her down on a couch. “Amy? I have to ask you something.”
/> “Yes?” Amy frowned slightly. Danny looked very serious.
“All the rest of the girls want to win the contest. How about you? Don’t you want to be queen?”
Amy looked up at him, and shook her head. And then she gave a relieved smile. “No way, Danny. And don’t you dare vote for me! I’m really glad that I’m not even in the running.”
The party was still going strong when Amy and Danny left. It was eleven-thirty, and Amy had a midnight curfew. They parked in front of her house with fifteen minutes to spare, and Amy hesitated, her hand on the door. Would Danny remember what she’d said earlier, about continuing their conversation?
“Oh, no you don’t!” Danny reached out to grab her hand. “Don’t forget the promise you made.”
“What promise?”
Amy tried to sound as if she didn’t know what he was talking about, but it didn’t work very well. Danny just laughed and pulled her close.
“Hey . . . you know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you?”
Amy nodded. She had to be truthful. “Yes. I do. But you made a promise, too, that night at the game.”
“I did?” Danny sounded surprised. “What did I promise?”
“I asked you if you’d ever take advantage of me, and you said you wouldn’t.”
Danny sighed. “That’s because I didn’t know I’d feel this way about you. Are you going to hold me to it?”
“Yes.”
“And you think that if I kissed you, I’d be taking advantage of you?”
Amy thought for a minute, and then she shook her head. “No. Not as long as I wanted you to.”
Danny started to grin his sexy grin. “And do you want me to kiss you?”
“I . . . uh . . .” Amy stopped. Thank goodness it was dark! She knew she was blushing, because her cheeks felt as if they were on fire.
“Well?”
Danny was still smiling his sexy grin, and Amy began to shiver in excitement. “Yes . . . I do want you to kiss me. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, but I thought it over and I . . .”
