So…of course I have to explain to Logan that ‘Danny’ is really ‘Danielle’ and all. But by then, Steph has planted herself in the doorway…with no intention of leaving.”
“So what happened?”
Boston shrugged. “He said goodnight, asked me if we could do something next weekend, and left.”
Danielle shook her head, disgusted. “Why have you put up with this for so long, Boston? I would’ve clawed her eyes out!”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just stupid,” Boston sighed.
“No, you’re just nicer than any of the rest of us…and that’s a good thing. Kindness is a vanishing virtue in this world, and you’re the kindest person I know. I’m just afraid that all this junk with Steph will harden you up too much. That’s why I want you out of there. I just want her to quit making your life so miserable.”
“Well, it won’t be long now. I just wish I hadn’t waited so long. I should’ve moved in here when you first asked me to. But I admit…I was too chicken. I didn’t feel like dealing with the emotional upheaval I knew it would cause.”
The apartment door opened, and Vance entered, stripping off his T-shirt as he closed the door behind him.
“Did you have good run?” Danielle asked.
Vance nodded, wiping the perspiration from his face with the T-shirt. “Yep,” he said. Then, looking to Boston, he added, “Hi, Brooklyn.”
“Hi,” Boston said. She smiled, amused he hadn’t remembered her name—yet a little disappointed too.
“It’s Boston, Vance,” Danielle corrected. She nudged Boston’s leg with her foot. “You should’ve corrected him.”
Boston shrugged. She didn’t like correcting people—ever.
Vance grinned and winked at Boston. “I knew it was some big city with a girly name. Sorry about that, Savannah.”
“Oh, now you’re being an idiot,” Danielle scolded.
But Boston giggled. He’d known her name all along—she was certain he had.
“Well, I may be an idiot,” he said. He raised his arms, flexing massive biceps. “But you better get a Band-Aid, little sister…’cause I’m ripped!” He raised one bulking bicep to his face and kissed it with pride.
“Oh my heck,” Danielle moaned with disgust. “Just ignore my brother, Boston. He can be so stupid sometimes.”
“Stupid maybe…but ripped,” he teased. He sauntered over to the sofa, tucked the sweaty T-shirt in the waist of the back of his shorts, and asked, “So, you get driven out by that venomous she-serpent you call a roommate again?”
“Yeah,” Boston admitted. She blushed, embarrassed, for she could only imagine how spineless she must seem to Danielle’s brother.
“Well, it’s probably safer for you to be here,” he said. “They make slasher movies about chicks like her, you know.”
“Vance!” Danielle scolded. “What the heck? Don’t scare her! She’s still gotta sleep there for a while…you dork!”
But Boston was amused. He was right, after all.
“Sorry, Boston,” he said. He grinned—a totally mischievous grin, a handsome, alluring sort of grin. “But if she tries to get you to eat, like, soup or something…don’t do it. Or if you notice certain large knives are missing out of the utensil drawer…”
“Vance!” Danielle said, tossing one of the sofa throw pillows at him. “Go take a shower! You’re all sweaty.”
“All right, all right, I’m going,” he chuckled. He turned to leave the room but paused. His eyes narrowed, and he lowered his voice as he said, “Boston…count the knives before you go to bed. That way, in the morning, you’ll know if—”
“Shut up, Vance!” Danielle interrupted, tossing another pillow at him.
He smiled, chuckled, and headed for the bathroom.
Danielle sighed, shaking her head with exasperation. But Boston giggled. Vance was funny and had managed to lighten her mood a bit.
“Oh my heck, I swear, he’s such a dork!” Danielle laughed.
“But he’s a totally ripped dork,” Boston offered.
Danielle
“So what happened?”
Boston shrugged. “He said goodnight, asked me if we could do something next weekend, and left.”
Danielle shook her head, disgusted. “Why have you put up with this for so long, Boston? I would’ve clawed her eyes out!”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just stupid,” Boston sighed.
“No, you’re just nicer than any of the rest of us…and that’s a good thing. Kindness is a vanishing virtue in this world, and you’re the kindest person I know. I’m just afraid that all this junk with Steph will harden you up too much. That’s why I want you out of there. I just want her to quit making your life so miserable.”
“Well, it won’t be long now. I just wish I hadn’t waited so long. I should’ve moved in here when you first asked me to. But I admit…I was too chicken. I didn’t feel like dealing with the emotional upheaval I knew it would cause.”
The apartment door opened, and Vance entered, stripping off his T-shirt as he closed the door behind him.
“Did you have good run?” Danielle asked.
Vance nodded, wiping the perspiration from his face with the T-shirt. “Yep,” he said. Then, looking to Boston, he added, “Hi, Brooklyn.”
“Hi,” Boston said. She smiled, amused he hadn’t remembered her name—yet a little disappointed too.
“It’s Boston, Vance,” Danielle corrected. She nudged Boston’s leg with her foot. “You should’ve corrected him.”
Boston shrugged. She didn’t like correcting people—ever.
Vance grinned and winked at Boston. “I knew it was some big city with a girly name. Sorry about that, Savannah.”
“Oh, now you’re being an idiot,” Danielle scolded.
But Boston giggled. He’d known her name all along—she was certain he had.
“Well, I may be an idiot,” he said. He raised his arms, flexing massive biceps. “But you better get a Band-Aid, little sister…’cause I’m ripped!” He raised one bulking bicep to his face and kissed it with pride.
“Oh my heck,” Danielle moaned with disgust. “Just ignore my brother, Boston. He can be so stupid sometimes.”
“Stupid maybe…but ripped,” he teased. He sauntered over to the sofa, tucked the sweaty T-shirt in the waist of the back of his shorts, and asked, “So, you get driven out by that venomous she-serpent you call a roommate again?”
“Yeah,” Boston admitted. She blushed, embarrassed, for she could only imagine how spineless she must seem to Danielle’s brother.
“Well, it’s probably safer for you to be here,” he said. “They make slasher movies about chicks like her, you know.”
“Vance!” Danielle scolded. “What the heck? Don’t scare her! She’s still gotta sleep there for a while…you dork!”
But Boston was amused. He was right, after all.
“Sorry, Boston,” he said. He grinned—a totally mischievous grin, a handsome, alluring sort of grin. “But if she tries to get you to eat, like, soup or something…don’t do it. Or if you notice certain large knives are missing out of the utensil drawer…”
“Vance!” Danielle said, tossing one of the sofa throw pillows at him. “Go take a shower! You’re all sweaty.”
“All right, all right, I’m going,” he chuckled. He turned to leave the room but paused. His eyes narrowed, and he lowered his voice as he said, “Boston…count the knives before you go to bed. That way, in the morning, you’ll know if—”
“Shut up, Vance!” Danielle interrupted, tossing another pillow at him.
He smiled, chuckled, and headed for the bathroom.
Danielle sighed, shaking her head with exasperation. But Boston giggled. Vance was funny and had managed to lighten her mood a bit.
“Oh my heck, I swear, he’s such a dork!” Danielle laughed.
“But he’s a totally ripped dork,” Boston offered.
Danielle
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