Chapter 21

It wasn’t long before the cab arrived. When the knock at the door came, I jumped up and went straight to the door without bothering to look out the window. The cab driver was easily old enough to be my father. His eyes drooped and he needed a shave, but his clothes were clean and there wasn’t the smell of sweat on him. Maybe this cabbie took better care of his car. “You call for a cab?” he asked.

I nodded, saying, “Yes.” I glanced back at the closed bathroom door and said, “Give me just a sec.”

He nodded and stepped away from the door. I closed it, went to the bathroom door and knocked. “Danielle, the Cab’s here.”

“Okay,” she said through the door. “I’ll be out in a sec. Could you get my bags?”

I pulled up short, not expecting the request. “Um, sure, but I thought we were coming back here after dinner.”

“If I’m going to go somewhere with better water absorbing towels, that means we’re checking out,” she said.

“Okay,” I said and turned to address her suitcases. For the most part they were both relatively ready to go. I looked around the room to make sure we didn’t forget anything and I spotted the dress and shoes she had stripped out of when we arrived. I wasn’t sure how to fold the dress. I was certain it was supposed to be dry-cleaned and just as certain that she wouldn’t want it packed with her clean clothes.

After another sweep of the room, I didn’t see anything I could use, so I pulled open the cabinets under the sinks in the recess. I found a plastic bag someone had left and rolled the dress up in that.

I put the dress in one suitcase, her shoes in the other, and closed both of them. Carrying the cases, I stepped out in the muggy evening air.

The cabbie saw what I had and reached into the driver’s side window to pop the trunk open. He came around and helped me load the cases into the trunk and asked, “Where ya goin?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know yet,” and I looked back for Danielle. She was still in the bathroom. I went back inside, pocketed the room key, and turned off all the lights. The room was as empty as it had been when we arrived. All that remained was Danielle. I went back out to wait with the driver.

When she emerged, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had seen the color of the clothes she had taken with her - mostly white - but hadn’t known what any of the articles were. The dress she wore made me think she had wrapped a sheet around herself, like Jordan had been forced to do the day before, but watching her move in it, and not attempt to hold it up told me that it was indeed a dress. It was strapless and short, stopping several inches above her knees, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

She came out of the room, closing the door behind her, and stopped on front of me. A smile formed on her face. “I take it you like my dress?”

The way she stood back felt like an invitation to look, and so I did. When I looked back up, I noticed a change about her face, or, more importantly, what wasn’t on her face. I stepped closer, getting a better look. When I reached up to touch her jaw line where the bruise had been this morning, she grabbed my hand and smiled. “Please don’t. That’s why I was in the bathroom so long.”

I nodded my understanding. “Well, your bags are in the trunk and the cab’s ready to go.” I turned and found the cabbie watching us. I looked back at Danielle. “Where are we going anyway?”

She smiled, looked at the driver, and said, “The Selador.” I didn’t know hotels, but with a name like that, I was sure it would have the kinds of towels she wanted, and a big price tag for the room too.

The driver went around and got into his seat. Danielle walked over to the back door, opened it, and then looked at me. I hadn’t moved. “Are you coming?”

I stood there thinking. I wanted to go but I also wanted some fresh clothes. I didn’t mind the idea of going to dinner with her and staying overnight, but the thought of doing so in clothes I had been wearing for two days just didn’t appeal to me. I didn’t want to ruin her night, but I didn’t want to stifle her plans either.

Danielle said something to the cabbie and closed the door. “What’s wrong Seth?” Her voice wasn’t soft and kindly, but it wasn’t harsh or impatient either.

I stepped closer to her, and after hesitating for a second, I blushed and said, “I’d like to get some fresh clothes. I’ve been wearing these for two days.”

She stifled a giggle. “Is that all?”

I shrugged. “If that hotel is as expensive as the name suggests, I don’t want you embarrassed because of me.”

Her mouth dropped open in a small oh and she looked me over like she couldn’t believe something. “I would never be embarrassed by you.” As good as I felt hearing that, it still didn’t resolve the problem. “We can stop by your dorm so you can pick up some clothes.”

I felt my pockets and realized I didn’t have my keys. “I left my keys in my backpack, in Jordan’s car.”

She stepped back and looked me over. “Well, you’re clothes aren’t soiled, but if you feel strongly enough about it, I don’t see why we couldn’t get you something for tonight.”

I turned my head slightly, a touch wary of what she had in mind. “Something for tonight?”

She smiled. “I’m not talking about buying you a wardrobe, but you’ll need a jacket. I’m sure we can pick you up a shirt and slacks to go with it.”

I shook my head. “I don’t have that much money to spare.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t mind paying.” She stepped up closer to me. “Besides, I want you to look good.”

I really wasn’t sure how to feel about her offer. I was so accustomed to taking care of anything I needed that the thought of anyone doing anything for me was almost foreign. It was one thing to catch a ride with someone somewhere, but letting anyone buy my clothes for me? That was a lot more than just a simple favor.

Danielle looked up at me. “What are you thinking?”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m not used to this.”

“Not used to a woman wanting you to look good?”

I hesitated a second and then nodded. “Well, that too, but I’m not used to someone doing anything like this for me.”

She turned and hooked her arm in mine. “Well then, I’ll have to help you with that.” I had that funny fluttery feeling in my gut again and I had no idea why.

I opened the cab door and let her climb in. I got in too and wondered how long it would take for my nerves to calm. Danielle had the driver stop by the motel office so I could run the key up to the window. It helped to be moving, to think of something else. The lady behind the desk took the key and smiled at me causing an entirely different set of nerves to fire off before I turned to leave. Once I was back in the cab, feeling a little better, we were off.

Once we were on the road, Danielle scooted closer to me. I didn’t know what to do with my arm. Should I leave it between us and let her just lean on it, or should I lift it up and rest it on the back of the seat so I wouldn’t accidentally mess up her makeup? While she seemed comfortable with the former, I was more inclined to do the latter. After a minute of fidgeting, she made the decision for me and moved my arm, not to the back of the seat like I had been thinking, but around her shoulder. Then she scooted closer to me, pressing her hip and the entire line of her leg against mine.

It took a lot of effort for me to calm down. Even though Danielle and I had been intimate for several hours, I was still scared of doing something that would upset her. She seemed to notice and looked up at me. “Relax Seth, I’m not going to bite you.” And then she smiled and leaned in closer, dropping her voice. “Unless you want me to.”

I shuddered, completely involuntarily. She smiled, apparently enjoying the effect she was having on me. She ran her hand over my chest and I couldn’t stop the small moan that escaped me or the lump that formed under my pants. She sat up and put her lips next to my ear. I could feel her hot breath as she said, “I forgot you were so sensitive.” She lightly caressed my erection and added, “I’ll take care of that once we get your clothes.”

I didn’t remember her telling the cabbie about stopping anywhere other than the hotel. Maybe we were going to go there first and then somewhere else? I turned my head her way and asked.

She shook her head. “No, I asked the driver to take us somewhere we could get your clothes first while you were turning in the key.”

I nodded and settled back, trying my best to relax. Danielle seemed to have a different idea because she continued to rub her hand across my chest, grazing one nipple and then the other, and at the same time, she was rubbing her chest into my side. Jordan had told me she was really sensitive in the chest, and the alleged bond between us is what made me that way. I wondered if Danielle was the same. Getting more and more aroused by Danielle’s actions, I knew I had to stifle some of the feelings and questions about my curiosities might help. I turned my head her way again and asked, “You’re rubbing yourself against me, does that feel good to you?”

She raised her lips to my ear again. “It would feel so much better if I could rub my nipples against your bare skin.”

Another small moan escaped me. No, questions like that were not helping, especially when she answered in that way.

Thankfully, it was only another minute before the driver pulled into a parking space at a men’s store. Danielle pulled my face around and kissed me again, sending sparks through me. Before I got too heated though, she pulled away and slipped out of the car. I sat there for a second, not wanting to show off the tent in my pants to the whole world.

Danielle looked in at me and noticed where my hands were. She smiled. “Oh no you don’t. You have nothing to be embarrassed about in that department. Come on.”

After only a slight hesitation, I followed her out on the same side.

The store wasn’t a Men’s Warehouse, but I could see suits on display in the windows and several other articles too. The place looked expensive, which made me even more apprehensive about the idea of anyone buying clothes for me. Danielle didn’t seem to notice and continued on as if nothing were wrong. Her hand held onto mine and I didn’t want to upset her, so I didn’t resist.

We stepped into the air conditioned space and I looked around. There were suits on racks as well as shirts, slacks, and ties. The selection was huge and there were signs for the different types of apparel that simply didn’t make any sense to me. What really was the difference between a dinner jacket and a suit jacket? Why were they called sports jackets if you didn’t actually wear them while playing sports? And what was the point of a necktie?

Danielle pulled me along and I finally noticed a few sales people lingering around. None of them seemed to be paying us any attention, but that didn’t stop Danielle from walking right up to one of the salesmen and saying, “We need help finding him a suitable jacket, slacks and shirt.”

The man, older than either of us and looking distinctly annoyed, sighed and then looked me over. In a voice much deeper than I would have expected, he asked, “Do you know your size?”

I blinked a few times, thinking about the two dress shirts I had. “Seventeen long...?”

He rolled his eyes and said, “Follow me.”