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“David?”
“What?”
“David!”
“What?”
“Seriously?”
“I don't know what you mean.”
“You don’t know what I mean?”
“Erin, stop it.”
“What?”
“You're speaking in riddles…stop it.”
“I'm trying to watch the movie.” She said, taking his hand and putting it back in his lap.
“It’s a good movie.” He put his hand back on her thigh. She was wearing a black corduroy skirt tonight and he certainly approved. “It’s an excellent movie. Siskel and Ebert give it two thumbs up.”
“Siskel is dead and you better move it or lose it buddy.”
Sighing, Dave put his hand back in his lap. He straightened up on the couch and put his arm over the top. Erin looked at him.
“Now you're going to be pouty.”
“I've never been pouty a day in my life. OK, not true, there was this one time when my mom took me to Clover…”
“Stop it.”
“There's just no satisfying you tonight, is there? Believe me I'm trying and getting shut down at every turn.”
“I thought you knew me well enough to know that it takes a lot more than groping to satisfy me, David Rossi.” Erin crossed her arms.
Oh hell, he’d just entered arm crossing territory. He definitely knew her well enough to know what that meant. Erin didn’t need to tell him she was upset, sad, pissed off, or emotional…he was fluent in her body language. And crossed arms could mean many different things. Tonight it was somewhere close to ‘how dare you invite me over here to watch a movie when all you wanted to do was paw all over me’. Dave took a deep breath, turning to look at her.
“You're cute as hell when you're mad at me.”
“Shut up.” She tried and failed not to smile.
“I'm sorry for being gropey. Is gropey a word?”
“No.” Erin shook her head. “And I don’t quite think you're sorry, its more like you're sorry I don't want you to be gropey…for lack of a better term at the moment.”
“Can't I be both?” Dave asked. “And grabby, yes I think the word we’re looking for is grabby.”
“What am I going to do with you, David?” she mugged him in the face.
“See, it’s not fair to ask questions like that and then get mad when I get gropey, I mean grabby.”
“I'm going to say shut up again.” Erin turned and focused on the movie.
They were in Dave’s room in the frat house, a raucous party going on downstairs. It was the last party of the spring semester but El Jefe seemed just fine curled up with his girlfriend on a busted couch watching His Girl Friday. Erin loved Rosalind Russell, loved all of her movies, and this one was no exception. She laughed, clapped, mouthed the words, and Dave just watched her watching it.
He liked some classic films but the banter-filled romantic comedies weren't really his thing. Still, she was in a Roz Russell mood on this rainy Thursday night. Maybe she should've picked something that would drown out the pulsing beats and drunken ramblings from downstairs but Erin didn’t think anything was loud enough. They would’ve gone to her place tonight but Dave had to be there for the party…house rules.
He got away with being upstairs with his girl but if summoned he would have to go. And she would go as well. No way was she sitting in a guy’s bedroom in a frat house alone, even if she was dating him. No doubt Jason was downstairs playing interference so they could have some time together.
“Admit it, Erin Strauss, I'm adorable and you can't get enough of me.”
“You are not going to let me watch this movie, are you?”
“Well you could watch a movie that you’ve seen so many times that you know the words. Or…”
“Or…?” Erin raised her eyebrow.
“You could talk to me and find out something new and fascinating.”
She smiled, reaching over to turn on the lamp. Dave squinted against the light. Erin grabbed the remote control, stopped the DVD, and turned on the couch. With one foot under her she gave her boyfriend her undivided attention.
“OK.”
“OK what?” Dave asked.
“Give it to me; give me something new and fascinating.”
“Have I ever told you how amazing you hair is?” he twirled his finger through her golden locks. “It smells so good, it’s so pretty, and I love the way it feels on my skin. When it brushes my arm or my face it makes me shiver. You are the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“You don’t know all the girls in the world.”
“Yes, I do.” he nodded.
“If another guy said that I wouldn’t believe him. But you…”
“I don’t care about the other girls, only you Erin Strauss.” Dave kissed her nose.
“I care about you too, David.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. “I want…”
“What do you want, baby?”
She smiled, feeling the cranberry flush across her cheeks when he called her that. When she ran her fingers through his hair Dave shivered again. His arms tightened around her waist.
“I want to put a name on what we’re doing.” Erin said. “I want to be your girlfriend.”
“You are my girlfriend. What kind of fool would I be having a wonderful woman like you and not making you mine?”
“I know that there are others…”
“Not anymore Erin,” Dave shook his head. “Not since I met you.”
“Since you met me or since I finally accepted your date?”
“Not since I met you.”
It was true. Yes, Dave had slept with some girls between first asking Erin out and her actually accepting but sex was just sex. He enjoyed sex. But it was about so much more with Erin. They weren't even having sex and he was content.
Dave was happy with her. He loved talking, kissing, and being with her. He loved that she was smart and a smartass. She was beautiful but didn’t flaunt it. It wasn’t as if she had to, it was immediately recognized the moment she walked into a room.
The way she commanded a room turned him on. Dave could do the same. That was it…this woman could be his equal. She could be superior to him in some ways and Dave didn’t mind basking in her glow. No offense to other girls he had chased and replaced over the years; each had her own beauty and magnetism. But Erin Strauss was the whole package. For the first time in his life, Dave wanted to unwrap someone slowly and enjoy every little thing she had to offer.
“You're amazing.” Dave whispered as he gave her Eskimo kisses. Then he kissed her mouth. Erin moaned as he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer. Feeling her breasts in a powder blue v-neck press on his chest made Dave so hot.
He knew he’d have to pull away soon. First base was as far as the couple had gone so far. Dave managed to be OK with that, Erin was a damn good kisser, but he always walked away so there would never be any mixed signals or miscommunication. If he ever hurt, scared, or upset Erin he’d never forgive himself. “Damn baby, you might be the death of me.”
“I thought you liked living dangerously, Rossi.”
“You…”
Jason knocked and then walked into the room apologizing. There was no sock on the door, which meant the coast was clear. Not that there was ever a sock on the door when Erin was there. Dave had a little sign on it that said company but the sock was for sex. Jason Gideon had seen that sock more times than he wanted to admit since being paired with Dave as freshmen in the American University dorms.
Dave did his best to respect that it was Jason’s space too but it didn’t always work out. Jason knew Erin was a different kind of girl though. While he loved Dave like a brother, he was surprised the couple was still dating after four months. He was happy for him, but surprised.
“I can't hold them off anymore.” Jason said. “Your presence has been requested.”
“It’s Max.” Dave sighed. “The son of a bitch knows I'm up here with Erin and he’s being a douche.”
“Pretty much.” his best friend nodded. “But you don’t want the trouble.”
“I should probably go anyway,” Erin reluctantly stood up from the couch. “Its getting late and I do have class in the morning.”
“Stay a while…we’ll party.”
“I don’t think so.” she shook her head. “I'm not in the mood for a party.”
“OK,” Dave stood too. “But I want to walk you home Erin so we have to do one round and be seen.”
“I’ll let them know you're coming down.”
“Thanks Jason, I appreciate it.”
He nodded and left the room. Erin went over to the mirror, checking her face. Dave came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms.
“I'm sorry our evening was cut short.” He brushed her blonde hair to the side and kissed across the nape of her neck.
“I should've known. Max doesn’t want you having more fun than he's having.”
“For some strange reason there are girls out there who find him attractive.” Dave shook his head. “Don’t ask me.”
Erin shuddered at the thought. She hated Max Ryan. Dave wasn’t fond of him either but they were brothers. In Alpha Sig, brotherhood was everything so they had to deal with each other. Erin didn’t have to deal with the jackass.
“Do you want me to leave the room while you change?” she asked.
“Change into what?” he countered.
“Your El Jefe mask. I know you can't let me see it…like Clark Kent running into the phone booth to change into Superman.”
“I always found that ridiculous since the phone booth is glass.” Dave snickered.
She smiled, turning around to kiss him. Dave caressed her face.
“C'mon, let’s do this once around so I can go home.”
“I'm sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me.” she slipped her hand in his. “With dating comes great responsibility.”
“I never want you to feel like it’s a job.” Dave said.
“Oh no, I mostly feel like I'm babysitting and not getting paid.”
“Haha,” he kissed her as he opened the bedroom door. “You're a funny girl.”
They walked down the hall and then down the stairs. The party was jumping; music blasting and beer flowing. There were wall to wall people, many of them girls. That was always the case at an Alpha Sig affair.
They were the most popular fraternity on campus. They could be picky about who they rushed, who they dated, and who they invited to the parties. But most brothers didn’t play the role. They were a mostly good group of guys who liked to have fun but also took seriously the oaths and bonds of brotherhood.
“El Jefe!”
The shout of his name went up like a crowd screaming “Freebird!” at a concert. Erin was still in awe of how well he could command a room. He wasn’t even trying and didn’t even want to be there. But Dave smiled, waved, schmoozed, and made love to the guests. Erin held his hand the entire time.
She smiled, laughed, and chatted with many of the people Dave did. They were becoming a power couple. It was weird but interesting. Some talked about them behind their backs. They were opposites if you chose to only look at the surface.
There were rumors circulating about them almost everyday. But she loved being with him. Erin wasn’t holding the hand of the great and powerful El Jefe, she was with David. When the once around was over and they were alone again she would have David all to herself. In fact, she almost always did.
***