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FRANNIE PACKED ENOUGH winter clothes for three nights and picked up a few groceries before heading north. The highway was wide, well maintained and not very busy, allowing her to relax and think.
The decision to accept Carly’s offer to use her condo had been sudden. In a way she supposed that she was escaping the disappointment of discovering that she’d been duped but it was hard to feel sorry for herself when she considered how Shayna had been used. Her friend rarely cried and it had been all she could do to hide her emotions when Shayna teared up. But her friend was nothing if not resilient and with the busy Christmas season coming up, the store would keep her busy.
Frannie let her thoughts drift back to their conversation yesterday. When it came to romantic involvement, she and Shayna had travelled different paths. Her friend didn’t shy away from meeting new people and had dated with varying degrees of seriousness since they left school around ten years ago.
Her own experience had been different. She’d been burned a couple of times and was now hesitant to trust anyone. And look what happened when she finally did attempt to break free of her rut. Was she destined to stay single forever? It certainly seemed that way, if her recent attempt at judging Brett was anything to go by.
“Don’t think about him,” she said aloud. “He’s not worth it.”
Turning on the car radio she smiled as familiar ‘oldies’ took her back in time. In spite of her experience with her high school boyfriend, those had been happy times. By comparison, the kids today lived in such a stressful world. Did they still have high school dances? She had no idea, but her memories of that one night were still as magical as they’d been all those years ago.
It was Christmas of her graduation year and she’d worn a special dress for the occasion. When her mother had encouraged her to try it on in the store she’d balked at the deep green colour, but when she pulled it over her head it settled on her figure like it had been made for her.
“You see,” said her mother, eyes shining as she stepped back to admire the effect. “It brings out the auburn highlights in your hair. You look beautiful, Francesca.”
She studied her reflection and for once she had to agree with her mother’s choice. “Thanks, Mom. I love it.”
Colin’s eyes had widened when he picked her up for the dance. Tall and handsome in his sports jacket, he offered her his arm as they ran through a light snowfall to his car. “You look nice Frannie.” His voice was low and husky, sending a thrill of anticipation up her spine. “You’ll be the belle of the ball.” The compliment thrilled her; when she was with Colin she felt like the most attractive girl in school even though that wasn’t exactly true.
His friends offered high fives as they arrived. She waited for him to take her coat, but when it became obvious that his chivalry didn’t extend that far, she headed for the cloakroom herself.
The gymnasium had been transformed into a winter wonderland. Earlier in the day she’d helped with the decorations, but somehow it looked different tonight with the lights turned down and music playing. One of the teachers had arranged for a disco ball and it turned lazily above the heads of the dancers, shooting prisms of light in every direction. She sighed; it was going to be a magical night.
Or maybe not. She walked back into the gym expecting to find Colin waiting for her, but he was nowhere around. Couples were already dancing, and Shayna spotted her and waved. Always the bold one, Shayna had come alone tonight and it appeared that she was having a great time.
Frannie nodded to friends, none of whom seemed to notice that she was alone. It was assumed that she and Colin were together, so nobody asked her to dance. As time passed, she found herself backing into a corner next to the refreshment table, struggling to keep a bright smile in place.
It was almost an hour later before Colin came back in. He didn’t spot her at first and looked around angrily, evidently thinking that she’d left. Then he spotted her and strode toward her, his gait uneven. He’d obviously been outside drinking but that didn’t stop him from wanting to dance. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her onto the dance floor, slurring his words as he greeted the other dancers. Frannie had never seen him like this and held herself stiffly in his arms.
“What’s the matter with you?” he demanded, sensing her discomfort.
A voice in the back of her head warned her not to anger him. “Nothing,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Why don’t I believe you?” His tone was belligerent. He dropped her hand and made a broad gesture encompassing the gym. “Any one of these girls would be happy to dance with me. Maybe I should ask them.” He left her standing there and walked away.
Dumbfounded, she watched him walk away and then made her way back to where she’d been standing earlier. Shayna sidled up to her, eyes flashing. “What’s the matter with him?”
“I think he’s been drinking.”
Shayna’s eyes narrowed. “I hear there’s a gang of them out in the parking lot. They’ve been at it since before the dance started. Would you like me to take you home? I’m not letting you drive with him tonight.”
“No way. You’re having too much fun. I don’t mind not dancing but I’ll take you up on the offer later. Just knowing you’ve got my back makes me feel better.”
“Okay then.” Shayna lowered her voice. “I’ve been dancing with Carl. Why did I never notice him before?”
Frannie laughed. “Get out of here, and have a good time.”
Her classmates, who had witnessed the confrontation, began to ask her to dance. She hesitated at first and then decided to enjoy herself. In spite of Colin’s nastiness, she felt beautiful in her dress. I moved beautifully when she was dancing and before long she stopped watching the door, dreading Colin’s return.
“May I?” Benny Lau stood before her, his hand outstretched. “I’ve been waiting my turn like a good boy.”
“So you say,” she said, teasing him right back. “I hear you’re a bad boy when it comes to playing your guitar.”
He chuckled. “I see my fame has spread far and wide.”
He was a good dancer and they moved comfortably together. “Seriously Benny, do you ever play in public? I was walking past the music room one day after school and I heard you. You’re good.”
He might have blushed; it was hard to tell in the subdued light. “Thanks Frannie but I won’t be playing in public any time soon. My parents have made it clear that they didn’t leave Hong Kong and come all this way for me to grow up a vagabond.” He gave her a wry smile. “At least that’s how they see it. They want me to be a lawyer.”
“Wow. What’s it like to have to live up to your parents’ expectations?”
He thought for a moment. “It’s the Chinese way.”
“I suppose so. So are you going to do it? Study to be a lawyer, I mean.”
“Yup. Galen and I are both moving to Vancouver next summer. It helps that we’re already friends. I think we’ll probably room together.”
“Really? What’s he studying?”
“At the moment I think he’s leaning toward creative writing but I’m not sure if he’s decided.” He glanced around. “He’s here somewhere, trying to get up his nerve to ask you to dance.”
Frannie scanned the clusters of students on the sidelines. “I don’t see him.”
“Don’t tell him I told you, but he’s feeling a bit self-conscious. His contacts were giving him trouble and he’s had to wear his glasses tonight.”
“Nothing wrong with wearing glasses.”
Benny grimaced. “Tell him that.” The music came to an end and he walked her back to the sidelines. “Shall I tell him to come ask you to dance?”
She slapped him lightly on the arm. “Of course Benny. I’d love to dance with him.”
The DJ cued up a slow number and Galen materialized in front of her, executing a small bow. “May I have the honor?”
“Of course.” She slipped her hand into his and smiled up at him; she hadn’t realized he was so tall. There was something about the way he looked at her that told her he’d never berate her in front of a gymnasium full of people. Behind his glasses his eyes were gentle and she went into his arms as though they’d been dancing together forever.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he said. “That dress brings out the red highlights in your hair.”
“You sound like my mother.”
“That wasn’t my intention,” he said with a devilish grin. “Anything but.”
“Hmmm. Anyway, thank you for the compliment.”
“You’re welcome.” They danced for a few moments in silence and then he spoke again. “I saw what Colin did earlier and I hope you’ll let me know if you need anything, like a ride home.”
She took a deep breath. “I guess everyone saw.”
“Pretty well.”
She felt safe in his arms. “At least you didn’t pretend not to see what happened.”
His eyes glittered with anger. “A few of us are keeping an eye on you. Colin’s known for being unstable when he drinks.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.” She exhaled a long stream of air. “I was just thinking I’ve never seen him like this. Shows you how much I know, huh?”
“I suppose there’s something good to be said for that. At least he’s never threatened you before.” He twirled her around. “But let’s talk about something else. He tightened his grip ever so slightly. “It’s not every day I get to dance with the most beautiful girl in the room.”
“I’d like to believe you but...” She shrugged. “Let’s talk about you. Benny says you and he are going to school in Vancouver.”
“Yeah, we are. My family’s moving over in the New Year.”
She drew her brows together. “Creative writing? Where will that lead?”
“I’ve always been interested in advertising. Basically, I’m curious about what makes people buy things. I know that writing ad copy is a very small part of the business, but I’d like to get into that.” He paused. “At least that’s my plan right now. Who knows where I’ll end up? What about you?”
“My dreams are a bit less exciting. The truth is, I haven’t really decided on a direction yet. I’d love to make a living with art, but everyone knows about starving artists. So until I settle on something I think I’ll get an office job.” She looked up at him. “My Mom surprised me the other day when I mentioned not knowing what I want to do. She said that when she was small everyone expected young people to know what they wanted to do from the get-go. Apparently it was quite common to ask really young kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. She thinks that because of this, many people got pigeon-holed in a job that they hated for the rest of their lives, and she didn’t want that for me. Cool, huh?”
He nodded. “Your mother’s a wise woman. I’ll remember that if advertising doesn’t work out for me.”
The song was drawing to a close and he paused. She’d been following him so effortlessly she hadn’t noticed their passage around the dance floor.
“You know where we are, don’t you?”
She gave her head a small shake. “What do you mean?”
He looked up. “We’ve ended up under the disco ball.” He pointed up. “See that? It’s mistletoe.” His eyes glittered behind his glasses.
“Oh.” She was suddenly breathless. “Does that mean...?”
The look he gave her almost made her knees buckle. “Only if you want to.”
There was something about the way he held her that made her throw caution to the wind. “Well, if it’s tradition.” She raised her lips.
Fire shot through her veins as his mouth covered hers. His kiss was nothing like Colin’s. It was soft and gentle, and yet he possessed her in a way she’d never experienced. Whimpering softly, she slid her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, hoping the embrace would go on forever.
“What do you think you’re doing!” An enraged Colin grabbed her by the arm, wrenching her away with so much force she stumbled across the dance floor. “And you!” he said, stabbing Galen in the chest with a finger. “I ought to take you apart.”
Stunned by the attack, Galen blinked a few times and then stepped forward. But by then, several young men had surrounded Colin, pinning his arms to his sides. He shook himself free and stood there, breathing heavily. “I don’t care if you do wear glasses,” he said, his tone menacing. “If you touch her again, you’re mine.”
He turned to Frannie. “Come on, I’m taking you home.”
Galen was making a move toward Colin when Benny stopped him with a hand on his arm. Frannie’s friends had encircled her protectively, but Shayna separated herself from the pack, stepping forward. “No, Colin. You’re in no condition to drive, and you’re certainly not going anywhere with Frannie.” She scanned the gymnasium. “And if you have any friends here, they’ll see you don’t get behind the wheel.”
“Nobody tells me what to do,” His tone was ugly. “I’ll drive if I want to.”
“Fine. I’ll call the RCMP and report you.”
“You’re a bitch!”
“Maybe so, but Frannie is my friend and you’re not.” She put an arm around Frannie. “Come on, we’ll take you home.”
Frannie looked back to Galen. His expression softened and he nodded toward Shayna. She’d only danced with him once, but she would have given anything at that moment if he was the one taking her home. She returned his smile, and then walked toward the cloakroom with her friends.
