Part 4 (1/2)
The truth was that although she didn't have many possessions, she might want to reclaim them someday, and didn't want to have to face her roommates if she skated on their lease.
Danny was acting a little strange, but he hadn't asked her too many questions, at least until he'd found out she was more or less breaking their date for that night.
”Look, I'm sorry I barked at you, Danny.
You're the best friend I have in this town, but I just need to get out for a while. Try to under- stand.”
”I just worry about you, that's all.” Danny sighed. ”By the way, how did it go with Big Al?”
”Amazingly well!” Sam said brightly. ”He said he'd have liked a little more notice, but was going to have to let someone go anyway-it's late in the season and he probably shouldn't have hired me to begin with. He told me to check with him when I come back because”-here Sam imitated the New-Yorker-moved-south-”he liked my style and in this crazy business, you never know.”
She didn't mention that she'd told Big Al she was going north to audition for a Broadway musical. She wasn't sure he'd have been so un- derstanding about a vacation with her friends.
Sam's mental review of what she hoped was her last lie in Orlando was interrupted by the blare of a car horn. Both she and Danny were on their feet in time to see the red convertible round the corner into the parking lot of Danny's build- ing, where Sam had instructed Emma to meet her. Emma was waving from behind the wheel.
”Too cool!” cheered Sam as Emma pulled up to the curb below. She jumped up, raced through Danny's apartment, and went down the stairs two at a time.
Emma leapt out of the car and threw her arms around Sam. Emma surprised even herself with that gesture. Normally very reserved, she just couldn't believe how happy she was to see Sam again.
”You look fabulous!” Emma cried, holding Sam at arm's length. Sam had on white cotton shorts and a rayon s.h.i.+rt featuring a puffy pink poodle being la.s.soed by some cowboys. The back of the s.h.i.+rt read, CITIZENS FOR A POODLE-FREE MONTANA.
”It's the tan,” Sam said with a grin. ”As for you, you look the same, meaning perfect.” Emma had on fitted pink cotton pants with a matching pink-and-white cotton s.h.i.+rt. It looked decep- tively simple, but Sam knew it probably came from_some designer resort collection and cost a mint.
”Goofy!” Emma said cheerfully, smiling at Danny.
”Oh, wait, I remember,” she added playfully. ”I'm only supposed to call you Goofy when you're wearing your Goofy costume.”
Danny smiled shyly. ”Hey, I'm over that,” he told her. ”It's great to see you, Emma.”
”So enough of the greetings,” Sam said. ”I want a ride in this puppy!” She jumped over the door and landed smoothly in the back seat.
”Coming?” she called.
”As long as I'm driving toward a restaurant,”
Emma said. ”I haven't eaten since breakfast.”
Emma and Danny got into the car.
”Hey, this could be a first,” Sam called into the wind as they drove out of the parking lot. ”Emma Cresswell admits that she's hungry. We'll go to Tattoo,” Sam decreed. ”Tres hip. Turn right at the corner.”
”I can't wait to see all your friends at Stingray's tonight,” Emma exclaimed as they cruised along.
”I had so much fun there the last time.”
No one said anything. Emma thought she saw Danny's cheeks flush. Isn't he coming with us to Stingray's? she wondered. Maybe I just stuck my foot in my mouth.
”Yum, I'm starved,” Sam said a few minutes later as they scanned the menus at Tattoo. ”The Tattoo burger is to die for,” she suggested.
”Oh, I'll just have a salad,” Emma said absent- mindedly. ”Hey, how about if we order some wine? It's on me!”
”None for me,” Danny said. ”It gives me a headache when I've been in the sun.”
”I'll pa.s.s, too,” Sam said.
”Oh, come on,” Emma chided. ”We're celebrat- ing!”
The three of them ordered their food and Emma insisted upon a bottle of Sauvignon blanc.
The waitress poured some in all three of their gla.s.ses, and Emma lifted hers for a toast.
”To great friends and great adventures,” she p.r.o.nounced.
They all clinked gla.s.ses and sipped the wine.
Sam pushed her gla.s.s away and reached for her burger. ”Not that I don't appreciate the symbol- ism,” she said, ”but I don't travel well on alcohol.”
”Who's traveling?” said Emma, sipping her wine. ”We don't have to go any farther than Stingray's and your apartment.”
A look pa.s.sed between Sam and Danny.
”Well, see, the thing is, I was thinking how cool it would be to just, like, you know, leave for Daytona,” Sam began.
”But I thought we were going out with your friends tonight,” Emma said, puzzled.
”Yeah, but it's . . . my apartment!” Sam said, thinking fast. ”My roommates are in town tonight and they're being really b.i.t.c.hy about my having anyone stay over.”
”So we'll stay at a hotel,” Emma suggested.
”I'm on a budget Emma, even if you're not,”
Sam said stiffly.
Emma bit her lip. Sam was right. She probably felt bad about her apartment situation, and Emma was just embarra.s.sing her.
”Hey, listen, Sam, it's fine if we leave tonight,”
Emma said softly. ”Honest.”
Sam got very busy with her french fries. At that particular moment she wasn't very proud of herself. She'd told yet another lie and had made Emma feel terrible, just to manipulate things so they were the way she wanted them to be.
”So listen,” Emma began brightly, eager to change the mood, ”my father gave me a brand- new credit card for this trip. We should make good use of it!”
”Speaking of your father,” Sam said, ”how was the trip?”
Emma refilled her winegla.s.s and rolled her eyes. ”Let's just say that the story would ruin all our appet.i.tes. So I'll save it.” The wine was making her feel warm and fuzzy, and she didn't want to lose the effect. Quickly she changed topics and filled Sam in on the itinerary she'd planned.
”I didn't realize you were stopping in Boston,”
said Danny. ”I'm flying up there to meet my Mend Kevin. We're going from there up to Vermont for some skiing,”