Status: On hiatus.
Reunion
five
Brooke slipped out of her heels with a grateful sigh, throwing her hair into a messy bun as she started to peel the dress off her body. She was a little tipsy, but pleasantly so. Still, she looked forward to curling up in the bed and sneaking in some Austen before falling sleep.
Lee knocked on the adjoining room door. "Good night, my bestie!" her voice echoed through. "You knocked some socks off tonight!"
"Night Lee! Love you!" she called back.
Another knock rang out, this one from the actual door into her room. Brooke ran to the peep hole. Dan? She threw on a robe before opening the door.
He looked like he was choking at first, but the moment passed, his lips curling into a smile. "Brooke." She tightened the robe around her waist, blocking his entrance into her room. He looked so damn good, his shirt unbuttoned and untucked, an easy grin on his face. "Can I come in for a minute?"
"Um, sure." She opened the door to him, embarrassed by her robe. "Can you give me a sec though?"
Dan nodded. She all but ran into the bathroom with her pajamas in hand, throwing them on quickly. A quick look in the mirror sent a pang of regret through her. Why had she packed her rattiest shirt and shorts to sleep in? Maybe she should just put the robe back on. Too late now.
She walked out to find him with her book in his hands, reading the back cover. He dropped it back on the bed as he saw her, his throat moving as he swallowed. "Sorry, just curious to see what you were reading."
"Nah, you're okay," she replied. They both stood awkwardly silent for a minute. "What are you doing here?" she couldn't help but blurt out, heart pounding.
Dan chuckled as he sat in one of the chairs next to the small desk. "I came to ask for your services."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, see, I have this speech ..."
So that's why he had been so nice to her at the mixer. Not that Dan had ever been mean to her, but he had never been like that before. "For the graduation Sunday, right?"
He gave her a bright smile. For a hockey player, he still had remarkable teeth. "Exactly. I remember your speech when we graduated-"
"You remember that?" she interrupted him. "Sorry."
Dan waved her off. "It was amazing. I was hoping you could help me?"
"What's in it for me?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Brooke immediately blushed but forced herself to hold his gaze.
"I'm sure we can figure something out."
Lee knocked on the adjoining room door. "Good night, my bestie!" her voice echoed through. "You knocked some socks off tonight!"
"Night Lee! Love you!" she called back.
Another knock rang out, this one from the actual door into her room. Brooke ran to the peep hole. Dan? She threw on a robe before opening the door.
He looked like he was choking at first, but the moment passed, his lips curling into a smile. "Brooke." She tightened the robe around her waist, blocking his entrance into her room. He looked so damn good, his shirt unbuttoned and untucked, an easy grin on his face. "Can I come in for a minute?"
"Um, sure." She opened the door to him, embarrassed by her robe. "Can you give me a sec though?"
Dan nodded. She all but ran into the bathroom with her pajamas in hand, throwing them on quickly. A quick look in the mirror sent a pang of regret through her. Why had she packed her rattiest shirt and shorts to sleep in? Maybe she should just put the robe back on. Too late now.
She walked out to find him with her book in his hands, reading the back cover. He dropped it back on the bed as he saw her, his throat moving as he swallowed. "Sorry, just curious to see what you were reading."
"Nah, you're okay," she replied. They both stood awkwardly silent for a minute. "What are you doing here?" she couldn't help but blurt out, heart pounding.
Dan chuckled as he sat in one of the chairs next to the small desk. "I came to ask for your services."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, see, I have this speech ..."
So that's why he had been so nice to her at the mixer. Not that Dan had ever been mean to her, but he had never been like that before. "For the graduation Sunday, right?"
He gave her a bright smile. For a hockey player, he still had remarkable teeth. "Exactly. I remember your speech when we graduated-"
"You remember that?" she interrupted him. "Sorry."
Dan waved her off. "It was amazing. I was hoping you could help me?"
"What's in it for me?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Brooke immediately blushed but forced herself to hold his gaze.
"I'm sure we can figure something out."