CHAPTER 5
Danica
I was still in shock from what had just happened. The mysterious, handsome stranger I had been checking out the day before had not only come back, he had asked me out! It had come as such a surprise that I hadn't known what to say, and, under pressure, I panicked. It had simply seemed like too daunting a prospect, and I didn't know what company policy was on dating a client, and that had been a risk that I had not been willing to take. This job was a dream come true for me, a step toward finally getting back into dancing, and I couldn't afford to throw it away – not even for some wealthy, well-dressed and handsome man who seemed to want me.
“Danica, are you listening?” asked my manager.
Her voice snapped me back to reality.
“Oh, yes, yes, of course. Sorry, Gwen, I was just... thinking about something.”
“I see. Well, I just wanted to say that you've done a great job on your first day.”
“You really think so?”
She smiled. “Yes, I do. You've been polite and patient with the clients, and you've dealt with everything professionally. Well done!”
I was so happy I felt as if my heart would explode.
“Thank you, Gwen, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. I really, really appreciate it – and I promise you, I won't let you down.”
“I think you'll do well here, Danica. By the way, have you come up with anything to contribute to the auction?”
At once, my joy began to fade.
“I, umm, no, not yet, I'm still trying to think of something,” I mumbled.
“Well, don’t stress yourself. You still have a bit of time left. Just don't leave it too long or you'll miss the deadline.”
“I'll get on it, don't worry.”
“All right, well, that's all I have to say for the moment. You can go back out there and finish your shift.”
“Thank you again, Gwen. It really means a lot to me, working here. It really does.”
I went back out and finished my shift.
When I was done, I called my friend, Tessa, who also worked at the diner where I was a waitress. She and I both had a free evening tonight, so I asked if she wanted to go out to have a drink. I really wanted to celebrate my first day at the dance studio being a success. She was happy to hear I had done so well and was eager to go out for a drink, so I ate a quick dinner at a cheap takeout place, and then met her at her apartment, which was nearby.
I knocked on her door, and when she opened it, she gave me a big hug right away.
“Congratulations, Danica!” she said with a sincere smile on her face. “I'm so happy to hear that your first day was a success! Come on in, I've got a tall glass of red wine with your name on it.”
I didn't drink very often – not after a lifetime of seeing what alcohol abuse had done to my father – but once in a while, I allowed myself to indulge. I walked into Tessa's apartment, which was small but warm and cozy, and took a seat on her nice, comfy sofa across from her. She handed me a glass of wine, and then we clinked our glasses together.
“To a bright future at The Hanover School of Dance!” she said.
“To a bright future there,” I echoed.
We each took a big sip of wine after that, and I immediately started to feel more relaxed as it spread a comforting warmth through my body.
“So, besides this job, what else is new in your life?” asked Tessa.
“Oh, not much really,” I said. I considered telling her about the handsome guy who had asked me out, but decided against that for now.
“Still staying at the shelter?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately. I've been back there for almost eight months now.”
“Wow, that long, huh?”
“Yeah...”
“You wouldn't consider going back to that apartment you were sharing with those immigrants?”
I shook my head. “They were really nice people, but honestly, it was so crowded that keeping the place clean was a nightmare, and someone was always sick and passing germs on to everyone else. And, of course, the rent, even for a place like that, was just too much. As much as I dislike staying at the shelter, it's the only way I could avoid losing all my money. But now with this job at the dance studio, I'll hopefully be able to move out of the shelter in a couple months.”
“That would be great for you. I don't know how you managed to survive so long in that shelter.”
“It's not that bad a place, and I made some great friends there. It's just that, you know, it could never be a permanent home, and I have no privacy there. I'm definitely looking forward to moving out when I can.”
We talked for another hour or so, and in that time, we each had two more glasses of wine. I found that I was feeling pretty tipsy... Hell, I was past tipsy and into drunk territory.
“Let's play truth or dare,” suggested Tessa, who also seemed to be well on her way to drunkenness.
“Ha-ha, all right,” I said. “Who's gonna go first?”
She picked up a quarter off her coffee table.
“I'll flip a coin. You call. Loser goes first.”
She flipped the coin.
“Heads,” I said.
She revealed the quarter on the back of her hand and grinned.
“Sorry, Dani, it's tails, so you're going first. Truth or dare?”
I thought about it for a while.
“Hmm... all right, truth.”
“Okay. Tell me, Dani... when did you last have an orgasm?” she asked with a mischievous grin.
I blushed – normally I would have lied about this subject, but the alcohol flowing through my veins emboldened me, and I felt that I should tell the truth.
“I've... I've um, I've never had one.”
Tessa's jaw dropped with surprise. “Wait, what? You've never had one? Ever?”
I shook my head. “No. I haven't.”
“But you've had boyfriends before, I know this. You mean to say you never...”
“Not with any of them, no. I know it must seem... like totally unbelievable, but it's the truth, Tessa. I've never had an orgasm.”
“You poor thing! You don't know what you're missing.”
“Don't rub it in,” I grumbled. I was starting to feel uncomfortable talking about this and was beginning to regret answering it truthfully.
“Have you, uh... have you ever had sex?” she asked. “I mean, you know, gone all the way with a guy?”
I was feeling seriously uncomfortable talking about this now, but I answered nonetheless. “I... I haven't ever gone all the way. I've done a lot of fooling around but I've never done it.”
She seemed quite shocked but then her expression morphed into one of sympathy and gentle compassion. “Well, you know what, Dani, there's nothing wrong with that. Seriously. Don't feel bad about it or anything. Hell, when I think of the jerk who I gave my V-card to, I kinda wish that I hadn't done it. It would have been way better if I'd waited for the right guy.”
I appreciated her saying that, but really didn't want to talk about this anymore.
“Look, can we please get onto something else?” I asked, my tone sharp and frustrated. “It's your turn.”
“All right,” she said, realizing I was serious. “I'll, uh, I'll take a dare.”
“I dare you to go onto the balcony and flash your boobs at the apartments across the street.”
She giggled, and immediately the whole tone of our conversation lightened, thankfully.
“Okay! I'm down for that!”
The evening went on and we drank more and had some fun. Thankfully, Tessa didn't bring up the orgasm thing again. Eventually it was time to go – but when I tried to get up, I found that the world seemed to be spinning around my head. I’d had way too much to drink.
“You can, uh, you can shleep on my shofa,” slurred Tessa as she stumbled off to bed.
I didn't need to be told twice. I lay down on the sofa and passed out almost immediately.