Chapter 21
"You don't really have to come walk me home every night," Paulina said as she walked down the hall with the ebony haired woman at her side. A week already passed since their first encounter, and each day, Paulina was surprised to find Desiree suddenly appear at her work. She hardly considered herself some damsel in need of rescuing, but she liked having someone to talk with when she was on her way home from the fashion design studio where she worked after her photo shoots as a model. Since she often spent time out of town, traveling to various locations for shoots, she never really saw a reason to own a car. Her apartment wasn't a very long walk from the fashion design studio, and normally she never had any trouble from studio to apartment building. Until Tyler decided to rear his stupid face again. Her hand clenched tightly around her key as she unlocked the door to her apartment.
"And let that jerk have another chance to attack you?" Desiree questioned with a frown marring her pretty face. She followed Paulina into the apartment, which became the usual since that day, though Paulina didn't mind it since she enjoyed talking with the other woman. "If he even thinks about showing his face again," she held up a fist, knuckles turning white, "he'll regret it."
Paulina frowned thoughtfully as she closed the door. After hanging up her jacket, she walked over to curl up on the couch in the main area of her small apartment. "Did you have boyfriends like that in your past?" It wasn't a topic they strayed into much over the week. It almost seemed like one of those taboo subjects that they had to carefully step around to avoid a social faux pas. She pulled out her sketch book which she kept all her designs in and flipped to a clean page.
"I suppose you could say that," Desiree mumbled as she examined some of the pictures on the wall. "The men in my life haven't exactly been," she turned her head to glance over her shoulder at Paulina as she frowned, "very kind to me."
The pencil stopped in the middle of her sketch of a human figure as Paulina stared at the woman. It made sense, the anger Desiree showed when she saw a man hurting another woman, after hearing that statement. If she walked by and caught sight of a man abusing a woman, Paulina didn't think she could stand for it after being hurt by a man. She had a mean right hook, according to Dash, but she no longer liked having to resort to violence if she could avoid it.
"I'm sorry." Paulina lowered her gaze, hoping she hadn't ruined their friendship by stepping into the taboo subject. "I guess good men are hard to find."
"Or maybe we're just looking in all the wrong places." Desiree returned to the couch and sat down next to Paulina. Leaning over, she glanced at what the Hispanic woman was working on, though it was still a very sketchy outline of a woman's body before she got into the details of the dress idea that was forming in her mind. "Though sometimes a guy can really surprise you."
Paulina blinked emerald eyes as a delicate brow lifted in curiosity. "Any guy in particular there?" Her gaze dropped back to her sketch book, and she began drawing the lines of the dress, imaging flowing white material for it.
"Hm," Desiree leaned back, drawing her legs up to fold under her as she watched Paulina work, "there was one." She grinned, and one look into those brown eyes told Paulina that the woman was remembering her time with the mystery man. "It's probably hard to imagine, but Dan and I were once an item."
"What?" Paulina gasped, slapping the sketch book down against her legs as she openly gawked at the woman, who had amusement playing across her face. She couldn't even process the idea of the two of them being a couple. Desiree and Dan got along quite well when they hung out with Paulina after that encounter with Tyler, but Paulina thought they were only good friends, like the way she was with Dash and Kwan.
Desiree laughed at the reaction. "I know it seems a bit strange." She reached up and pushed a lock of her long ebony hair behind an ear as a fond smile spread over her face. "But that was probably the best relationship I've had so far. Dan was," she frowned, searching for words, "not always a very good man. I was very hesitant to even be around him at first with his reputation. But we were both hanging out at Danny's house at the same time, and we sort of hit things off and started hanging out together. After all the," she huffed out a breath, "bad experiences I've had with men, I didn't even want to think about being intimate with someone. And you've met Dan. He kind of has that-" her mouth pursed in thought.
"Attitude that makes him seem like that type of guy that would force a woman into sex even if she doesn't really want to do it?" Paulina supplied when the woman seemed be having a hard time putting her thoughts into words.
"So you got that feel too?" Desiree grinned. "But yes, I feared that was exactly the sort of thing he would do. He was actually, surprisingly, patient with me. Kissing, he could sometimes overstep boundaries with, and groping too. But sex? He wouldn't cross that line without my consent, and I think that's why I eventually felt comfortable enough around him to actually be that intimate again. So not all men are horrible, and some that look like the bad boy can be surprisingly gentle."
Paulina stared at the other woman, almost not able to believe anything she just said. But that was simply another example of not being able to judge a book by its cover. Tyler seemed all nice and gentlemanly on their first date, but it quickly snowballed from there to the point that his need for attention and rough nature ended with her having a broken arm. Dan had that vibe about him that gave him that bad boy look. The leather jacket he wore probably helped with that image. But it was hard to envision him having a gentle side to him, especially when he clearly threatened Tyler to leave her alone.
"So why did you break up?" Paulina wondered curiously. "It sounds like you two had a pretty good relationship. And you still get along pretty well."
"It was fun with him. I really enjoyed our time together. But," Desiree frowned like she couldn't think of how to explained the reason behind the break up, "I guess we just wanted different things." Her brow pinched as her frown deepened. "It's not like we had some horrible blow out of an argument that took forever to patch up. We just realized that being together, we were pretty much just trying to fill a void in our lives, but while we liked each other, we didn't love each other. Neither of us wanted to simply settle on someone just because they were there and we got along, so we decided it was best to end that part of our relationship to allow us the chance to find someone that we do love."
"I guess that does make sense." Paulina nodded, thinking about how she wouldn't want to settle simply for the first good person in her life if there wasn't love between them. Then she turned a smile onto the woman. "But it's great that you were able to stay such good friends with him." She tilted her hand, silky smooth hair falling past one shoulder as she pondered things. "So what's Dan's deal with Kwan? He seemed eager to find out information about him." Her mouth thinned as she recalled Dan asking about Kwan, obviously trying to weasel out some information from her. Desiree might trust the man, but Paulina still didn't know all that much about Danny's cousin. But even if she knew him better, Paulina wouldn't betray her friend and reveal private information to Dan.
"Kwan, hm?" Desiree's grin turned rather wicked as she repeated the name. "So that's who got Dan all distracted recently."
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Paulina admitted, frowning as she tapped her pencil against the sketch book. "If he's interested in Kwan," she shook her head, "that might end badly." Sadness filled her emerald gaze as the memories flooded back into her head. Maybe she shouldn't have insisted that Dan should talk to Kwan himself if he was so curious about him, but if Dan decided to cross the line, Kwan would probably never forgive him for it.
"Dan's a dick," Desiree stated blunted. "He enjoys doing things and saying things that provoke a reaction out of someone. He gets people pissed at him a lot of the time. You can ask Danny, and he'll tell you a thousand stories of how Dan pissed him off. But I think he has a lot of the same traits that Danny has. When he cares about someone, he can be fiercely protective of them. And I imagine if he were to ever feel love for someone, he'll fight for it and do everything in his power to make that person happy."
Paulina turned the woman's story over in her head, twirling the pencil in her hand. If Dan truly was a patient and gentle lover, maybe things would turn out all right for them. But Paulina couldn't ignore that cold sense of dread coiling inside her at just how badly the whole thing could go if Dan approached Kwan in the wrong way. Coming on too strongly could backfire horribly for Dan and leave Kwan hurt even more.
"Well, you let him know that if he hurts Kwan," Paulina raised a fist, "he'll have me to deal with."
Desiree laughed, but Paulina didn't get that feeling that she was being laughed at. "Trust me. If Dan messes things up with Kwan, I'll beat some sense into that thick skull of his."
Paulina smiled, somehow a small portion of her fears unraveling the tension inside her. She was very happy that Desiree wasn't simply going to side with Dan because of their relationship. With a sigh, she dropped her gaze to the sketch book and the partially drawn dress. "You know," she said with a frown as she touched pencil to paper again, "I never really gave it any thought before. Not until bumping into him again. But sometimes I think - I wish I could meet a nice guy like Danny." Hearing a snap of fingers, she turned her gaze to the other woman, confusion dancing in her eyes as she stared at the surprise on Desiree's face. "What was that?"
"I, uh-" Desiree leaned away from Paulina. She frowned as she lowered her gaze to her hand. "You were saying something about Danny?"
"Oh, right! Danny seems like such a sweet and caring guy," Paulina explained, though that odd moment nagged at her mind. "And I just think," she sighed, shaking her head, "that's the kind of guy I should be looking for. A guy that's going to treat me like an actual person and listen to my opinions. I don't expect things to always be a bed of roses. People have different opinions and that can lead to arguments. But I doubt Danny ever lifted a hand to Sam because she had a different opinion than he did."
"Danny is a surprisingly nice guy," Desiree said as she smoothed out the fabric of her skirt. "We didn't always get along, but he believes a lot in second chances. I think that's why he's able to draw people to him. Because no matter what you've done in the past, if you show you're capable of becoming a better person, he'll be there to support you in that."
"How did you meet Danny?" Paulina glanced at the woman, her attention to her work straying far too frequently. Desiree was quite attractive, and she could probably have any pick of men she wanted. Paulina wondered if Sam ever got jealous with Danny knowing a woman like Desiree.
"Oh, we've known each other for years now," Desiree answered with a smile tugging at her mouth. "I was a much different person back then." A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.
"Who could that be?" Paulina wondered in a mumble as she set the sketch book aside and got up to answer the door. When she opened it, she blinked at the man before her. "Can I help you?"
His mouth stretched into a shy smile as he rubbed at the back of his neck. He stood several inches taller than she. "Um, this is going to sound really stupid," he said with an embarrassed chuckle, dropping his hands to shove them into the pockets of his jeans, "but I got locked out of my place." He rolled eyes as blue as the sky. "I know how lame that sounds, but I stepped out for, like, a second, and when I turned to go back in, the door closed and locked behind me." He hunched his shoulders as he laughed. "Pretty dumb, huh? But no one else seems to be in. I tried a few of the other doors on our floor, but you're the first to answer. Do you mind if I use your phone so I can call a locksmith? The apartment manager doesn't appear to be in."
"Oh, sure. Come on in." Paulina stepped aside, opening the door wider to allow the man to enter.
"How rude of me! I'm Steven Beland." He held out a hand.
"Paulina Reyes." She grinned as she shook his hand. "The phone is just over there." She pointed to where the phone sat on the side table next to the couch.
"Oh, you have a guest." Steven winced while Paulina closed the door after he entered the apartment. "I'm sorry. I'm interrupting."
"It's fine. I was just leaving anyway," Desiree announced as she got up and walked toward the door.
"You don't have to go," Paulina said, frowning when Desiree opened the door. Steven already crossed the room to make the phone call.
"It's getting pretty late anyway." With a grin, Desiree leaned in close to Paulina and whispered so the man couldn't overhear her. "Who knows? Maybe that's your dream guy right there?"
"What? No," Paulina responded, laughing in disbelief at the idea as a blush crept onto her cheeks. "Dream guys don't just appear because you wish they would."
Desiree shrugged with a mysterious look about her. "You never know. I'll see you later." She pulled the door closed as she left the apartment. Paulina stared at the door, her brow pinching in confusion. Desiree almost seemed like she knew something that Paulina didn't.
"The locksmith is sending someone right over," Steven announced, yanking Paulina from her thoughts. When she turned around and stared at him, she had to admit he was rather handsome with his darkish brown hair slicked back. "Uh, I hope you don't mind, but I gave them your apartment number." He turned his gaze away, awkwardness and embarrassment warring in his expression. "I can go wait in the hallway though. I don't want to be a bother."
Paulina opened her mouth then closed it again. It would be rude to throw him out and make him wait for the locksmith in the hall. "Nonsense," she said as she walked over to her kitchen area. "Do you want something to drink?"
"Water is fine. Did you do this?"
Paulina turned her head as she got down a glass from the cabinet. She flushed lightly when she saw him looking at her sketch book. "It's just a doodle I was working on." She poured water from the faucet into the glass before carrying it over to him.
"It's very good. Are you a designer?" Steven set the sketch book back where he found it as he took the glass she offered him.
"I'd like to be. I'm trying to get a spot in a showcase coming up, but I have a lot of work to do before everything is ready." Paulina sat down on the couch, hoping she wasn't blushing too badly.
"That's pretty incredible." Steven joined her then took a sip from the glass. "I'm just your average banker. It's a pretty boring job, but the pay is good."
"And you live here?" Paulina raised an eyebrow at him, imaging that he made enough to afford a much better apartment. She could afford something far better with her salary as a model, but traveling for shoots made having some big, fancy apartment seem rather pointless.
"Well, I probably could, yes," Steven agreed with a chuckle. "But being single, I haven't really seen much reason to have a place bigger than what I have here. Maybe if I ever got a girlfriend and we moved in together, I would get a bigger place. But for now, I'm content where I am."
Paulina nodded, seeing the sense in what the man said. As they talked, Paulina thought back to what Desiree said about Steven being her dream man. But that couldn't be possible! Dream men didn't suddenly appear in real life. That was why they were called dream men. But the man, so far, seemed nice. He was handsome, but not in that flashy way as the men she normally dated from work. He made her laugh with some of his jokes. He didn't seem to recognize her from her modeling pictures though they were shown in a number of magazines. It was... very nice talking with him like two normal people without any expectations of ulterior motives. Maybe he could be the right man for her. It wouldn't hurt to give him a chance, at least.
Snowleopard0: Yes~ 8D Couldn't ignore adorable little Cujo~ 8D
PhantomBowtie: Thanks! 8) *pinches their cheeks* Lex and Xan are just too adorable together.
jeanette9a: The rest of them being the other children?
Clockwork's Apprentice: Thanks! 8D Cujo's such a cute, playful puppy~
midnight: Haha, yeah. XD;; Cujo just pops up out of nowhere. Luckily, this was the first time he was spotted by someone else.
YoDog41: I'm glad you like it! 8D *pats* I'm a super slow reader. orz It takes me forever to read things sometimes.
NikaStarlight: Soon~ That's about all I can say. XD;; Eventually there will be more Dash and Danny bonding.
MsFrizzle: Lex got lucky in the past with none of the other children spotting Cujo when he came to play at school. XD;; Then again, back in Amity Park, the teachers wouldn't be all that surprised to see a ghost pop up at the school. It's just be like "Whelp, that's Amity Park for you." XD;;
Just Will: Yup. The other students are definitely starting to side with Lex and lose their fear of Jeremy's bullying. I imagine Vincent is likely to switch loyalties now that Jeremy's losing his power. XD;; And when that happens, Jeremy's going to see just how lonely he is with no real friends. The question is: will he start to change and make real friends, or will he continue being a jerk and isolating himself from everyone else in the class? It's going to be a sad life for him if he doesn't learn to change soon. =( Haha, Vlad doesn't care much for what's appropriate. XD;; Next year, he'll probably do something like take Lex into the Ghost Zone without Danny's consent or something. XD;; I think in part, Danny is hoping that he's forged enough good relations with ghosts that Lex won't have to take up the Phantom mantle, but he also knows that there are always going to be ghosts looking to stir up trouble and his son is bound to get caught up in it. Things most definitely didn't progress that far between Dan and Kwan. XD;; Kwan's mood wasn't on the same level as what Denise mentioned about her mother, but there was definitely a noticeable difference for the ones that were paying attention. I can see it now. Jeremy starts taunting them again, trying to regain some semblance of power in the class, and Xander just blurts "Oh yeah? Well, we're have our ghost dog chase you!" or something. XD;;
: 8D I'm glad you're enjoying it!
maltese: Oh really? O: Haha, it's a guessing game! How long can Xander keep the secret? XD;;