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“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“Uh oh, I know that tone.”
“There was no tone David.” She shook her head.
“You’ve dropped contractions.” Dave held up one finger. “You used my whole name.” he held up another finger. “And there was definitely a tone.”
“Stop it…no there wasn’t.”
“I’d like to add, for the record, that it’s not that I don’t want to go.”
“OK, its added.” Erin took a deep inhale of her Marlboro Mild. She glanced at her boyfriend. “So what is it?”
“Its nothing.” He shook his head. “I'm really excited about this. Let’s buy a dress!”
“Actually, I have to buy two dresses.”
“What? Why two dresses?”
“I couldn’t possibly wear the same dress to the Tri Sig Alumni formal that I'm wearing for Homecoming court.”
“This means like nine stores, doesn’t it?” Dave asked.
“I told you that you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I meant it…no tone.”
“I’ll be there with bells on.” Dave moved behind Erin. He massaged her shoulders before kissing the nape of her neck. She had a ponytail tonight and didn’t often wear them. Anything that gave Dave more access to her neck was fine by him. “Just make me a promise that it’s no more than three stores.”
“It has to be the perfect dress, David.”
“Which one are you talking about?”
“OK, it has to be two perfect dresses. I don’t have much chance of winning Homecoming Queen but it’s an honor to be considered. I have to look my best.”
“You're going to win.” He replied. “It’s in the bag.”
“Please tell me that you didn’t influence anyone. I know you have a bit of Boss Tweed in you when you want to. Its not that I would ever consider you a cheater but…”
“Stop.” Dave kissed the nape of her neck again. “While I have considerable influence in some areas, no point in pretending that I don’t, I don’t need to boost you. On the completely shallow end of the spectrum, you're the most beautiful woman on this campus.
“You're also in a popular sorority, have lots of acquaintances and get excellent grades. That picture that they took of you for voting is amazing. It could’ve been a magazine cover, baby. But you're beautiful and photogenic. You made it to the Top 4 from 10; the crown is yours.”
“I’ll be alright if I don’t win.” Erin said, not quite believing the words.
While the nomination was a complete surprise, she would never bring attention to herself that way, now Erin was invested in it. There were at least 3000 women at American University. To be chosen as the Homecoming Queen by her peers’ votes was a big deal. She never thought of herself as a beauty queen but this was fun.
“I know you will be but you're going to win. All you need is to buy your beautiful dress and smile. You're Miss American.”
“What does that mean?” Erin asked.
She was still smoking her cigarette. Since there was a good chance that she’d spend the night with Dave, this might be her only opportunity. He did his best to be neutral but Erin knew that her boyfriend hated her smoking. Erin wasn’t a chain smoker by any stretch…she had a few a day.
She knew it wasn’t good for her but everyone had vices. She never let it interfere with her athletics or school activities. She managed to reach a happy medium on the subject with Dave. He wouldn’t bitch about it and Erin wouldn’t do it much around him. Not that she did it much at all.
“It means that thousands of kids look at the brochure that American University puts in their mailbox every year. Boys see you and want to come here to meet you or a girl just as beautiful. Girls look at you and they want to come and be part of all the wonderful things that you're a part of. Maybe they can even be friends with you. You’re Miss American.”
“That’s a really hetero-centric view you have of the whole thing.”
“A what?” Dave asked.
“It’s a hetero-centric view.”
“Do I even want to know just what that means?”
“It means that you automatically assume that the boys want to have sex with me and that the girls want to be friends with me. Maybe the girls want to have sex with me too. You know, if I believed the Miss American thing. I don’t necessarily.”
“I definitely don’t mind contemplating the girls having sex with you.” Dave grinned. “But just remember that you put the thought in my head.”
“David, I did no such thing. It’s probably always been there.” Erin gave an exaggerated sigh, pushing him off her. “You're such a heterosexual white male.”
“Um…I'm thinking that’s not a compliment.”
“Not often.” She shook her head. With one more inhale, Erin plucked her cigarette into the dark, rainy night. Then she turned to face Dave and sat on the banister.
“I'm not a phobe.” He said.
“I know that.” Erin caressed his face. “I could never fall in love with a phobe.”
“So…you're in love with me?” Dave raised his eyebrow.
“Mmm hmm,”
She pulled him closer for a kiss. They’d been dating for nine months and known each other for almost a year…Erin was all in. She’d never had a boyfriend before but it was easy to love Dave Rossi. She was surprised that it was one of the easiest things she’d ever done. He was an awesome guy.
He was sexy, smart, and confident; Erin loved being with him. She loved talking, laughing, and bantering back and forth. Dave always had a yin for her yang. And when he couldn’t think of a response, he used his lips for even greater feats.
When he kissed her Erin believed it impossible to be giddier. And even though it was all new to her, when they made love it was cosmic. None of her friends even knew that she lost her virginity. Erin wasn’t sure who to talk to about it…those kinds of things were so personal.
“I was just thinking about something.” Dave said. His lips were still close to hers and he gave her Eskimo kisses.
“What's that?” Erin asked.
“There is an upside to this shopping thing. I get to watch you undress and redress countless times. That never gets tired.”
“Well it’s not as if you're going to be in the dressing room with me.”
“I'm not? Where will I be?”
“I don't know.” Erin shrugged. “I guess off to the side somewhere.”
“OK, I'm not liking this again.”
“Aww, you'll be fine.” She kissed him again.
Dave wrapped his arms tighter around her, pulling Erin closer. There weren't too many things better to him than Erin’s body pressed against his. Dave wasn’t sure if anything was perfect but it was the closest. He liked women; tales of David Rossi being a ladies man were not exaggerated. From the moment he met Erin he was smitten in a way he hadn't ever been.
Losing cool points, or whatever he used to care about when he was chasing, meant nothing when it came to her. Dave wanted to be her man…no other girl mattered. It was scary, beautiful, and fascinating all in the same breath. That’s when he could breathe anyway. Being breathless was awesome. Not all change was bad.
“I'm going to need to find a good suit for the Alumni formal.” He said. “That is if I'm invited.”
“Well who am I going to take, my other boyfriend?” Erin asked unable to hold back her smile. “I definitely want you there with me. I can't imagine how good El Jefe looks when he dresses up.”
“I do dress up well. Maybe we can even get a hotel room or something for the night…keep the party going. I don’t get to be alone with you enough.”
“Well I don’t want you spending money that you don’t have, David. I especially don’t want you spending it on me.”
“You let me worry about that.”
“David…”
“Shh,” he quieted her protests with kisses. Dave moaned when she ran her fingers through his thick black hair. He wasn’t rich. Dave wasn’t from the Upper West Side of Manhattan like his girlfriend. But he also wasn’t dirt poor. His family did alright and his parents always made sure he had enough. He would make sure he had enough for a night of hotel bliss with Erin. “Mmm, damn baby.”
“What time is it?” Erin asked.
“I think it might be bedtime.”
“Ooh,” she stepped down from the banister. “I should probably get going. I don’t want to keep you up for too long.”
She’d made it halfway across the porch before Dave reached for her. As she laughed he pulled her back into his arms.
“I don’t think I'm letting you go tonight.” he whispered.
“Oh really? Is there some reason I need to stay?”
Her tone was cheeky; Erin made it her mission to always give as good as she got it. She got it really good with Dave. Inside though, she was quivering. It had nothing to do with nerves…it was full blown desire.
“Jason went home for a long weekend.” His hands gripped her hips. “They're honoring his mother this weekend for community service. Do you know what that means?”
“No.” she shook her head.
“That means that my room is empty. I want you Erin Strauss; I want you in my bed.”
“You have to say the magic word.”
“Please baby.”
Damn, did he even know what hearing him call her baby did to her? She bet he did. Because there was no way she was saying no. Erin was just glad that her first class in the morning wasn’t until ten. She was going to spend her whole night making crazy love…she wasn’t waking up early too.
“I guess I can stay, seeing as how you asked so sweetly and all.”
“I really do have the best girlfriend in the world.” Dave smiled.
“So you're going to give up all of your player ways?” she asked.
“I have two words for you Erin…game over.”
***