Page 66 of A Duet of Darkness and Dreams

He turns to Dave. “You didn’t tell her?”

Dave takes another sip from his water, and there’s an unusual look that passes between them. Finally he shrugs. “I guess I figured Becks would’ve mentioned it.”

They’re going ontour?

“No, she didn’t mention it,” I say.

“We’re heading out after Christmas,” Joel says, leaning toward me like it’s a big secret. “Becks can’t come because of her classes.”

“Will you look after her for us while we’re away?” Key asks me. “Keep her company?”

The way they love her like a sister makes my heart ache with longing. “Of course I will.” I plaster an easy grin onto my face, refusing to let my emotions get the best of me. “How long will you be gone for?”

“Three months,” Dave says. “Twenty-six cities.”

I lift my mug up to my mouth and take a sip. They’ll be gone for three months.Davewill be gone for three months. It sounds like such a long time, but maybe this will be good. Having Dave gone from my life for a quarter of a year will help me get a grip on my feelings. I can focus on figuring out what the hell I’m going to do without an internship, I can look after Becks, and I can get over this silly crush.

Dave watches me from across the table. Maybe he’s thinking the same thing as me. That time away from each other is exactly what we need to move on from this attraction to each other. He’ll hook up with and ditch a new girl in every city to forget about me, and I’ll—well, I don’t know yet, but I’ll think of something.

Becks, James, and his aunt Noreen, who I recognize from the chapel, join us not long after and I’m awed by how much this little group makes me smile. Becks tells me about their elaborate honeymoon suite and flushes bright pink when I point out the love bite on her collarbone.

“What about you?” Becks asks. “Did you have a good night?”

“I’m pretty hungover, but”—I catch a quick glimpse of Dave laughing at something James said, then quickly look away—“yeah, I had a lot of fun. It was a much-needed distraction.”

Dave’s gaze whips to me and I’m thrown off-kilter by the intensity of that look. It’s like he’s stripping me down to my soul, and I’m vulnerable and exposed. I definitely think three months away from each other will help this problem we’re having, because the way he’s watching me now . . . that is not the way friends look at each other.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. We’ve still got a few hours to sightsee before we have to head home,” James says.

Everyone stands and throws down a few bucks for their food. I open my mouth to tell Dave I’ll pay for his meal today, but he shakes his head, picks up my money, and pushes it into my hand as he pulls out his wallet. Yes, three months apart will be good.

“Isabella, you’ll ride with us?” Becks asks.

“Yeah, I’m just going to use the bathroom first.”

Running to the back of the restaurant, I relieve myself, realizing with horror that I just started my period.

“Fuck,” I mutter. But my purse isn’t here. “Fuck,” I shout when I remember I left it in the booth. The door opens, and I spy through a crease in the door a young woman with more glitter around her eyes than I thought possible. “Umm . . . excuse me?” I say, embarrassed. “I’m sorry to bother you, but do you happen to have an extra tampon?”

“Oh! Sure honey,” the young woman responds in an accent that sounds Texan. “Here you are.” A glittered hand appears under the stall door proffering a tampon, and I sigh with relief.

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.”

“Don’t think anything of it. Us girls got to stick together, don’t we?”

I smile and once I’m situated, I exit the stall to find a beautiful bedazzled redhead. She’s wearing a silver mini skirt, a yellow crochet halter top, and denim platform heels that put her easily at six feet tall. Washing my hands, I get carried away watching the hypnotizing way she reapplies her lipstick in the mirror.

I try to think of something to say, and settle on, “I love your shoes,” hoping it didn’t come out as lame as it sounded in my head.

She grins at me from the mirror. “Like ’em? I just got ’em this mornin’.”

My eyebrows disappear under my frizzy hair. “You’ve already been shopping this morning?”

She giggles. “Of course. This good-lookin’ fella came into the club last night and treated me real well.” She proceeds to hold up a stack of cash with a Cheshire cat–like grin. “Took me out to get these shoes. Wish all our patrons were so sweet.”

It suddenly clicks into place that this girl is a stripper. I mean,who else would have a stack of ones the size of my fist. It also explains the glitter. “Well, you have excellent taste. Thanks again for the tampon, I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, darlin’,” she calls as I head back to the table.

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