Southern Seduction (8 page)

She walks as fast as her flip-flops will take her, heading straight for Wortham Theatre.

The first assignment of the semester is to help the theatre students with developing banners, pamphlets, playbills, and other promotional items for their big production of The Philadelphia Story. She is really excited and already has a vision in mind. Professor Wallace informed the class that the students in the production will choose whose promotional items they want to use. Daniella is bound and determined to make sure hers are chosen.

Not only is she stubborn, but she’s also highly competitive. Her brothers used to tease her that she should have taken up basketball or soccer rather than ballet. For over fourteen years, she worked on her pointe technique. Two hours a day, six days a week she spent in front of the long mirror that lined Miss Clara’s ballet studio. She wanted to be the best and she refused to settle for anything else. That was until she reached the age of eighteen and decided that she was done with ballet. She didn’t love it as much as she loved photography, so she hung up her shoes and saved up enough money to purchase her first camera. And that was all she wrote. Daniella finally found the one thing she loves.

Her love for taking pictures has become a near obsession. Okay, it really is an obsession. She considers photography her boyfriend at this point in her life. Her roommates are on her ass all the time about her lack of social life, but she couldn’t care less. She’d rather spend her weekends perusing campus and people watching for perfect picture-capturing opportunities than attend frat parties and hang out at local bars.

Although, she could probably use a drink tonight.

Daniella decides to send Eliza and Sarah a text as she heads towards class.

Daniella:
I’m up for drinks tonight. Papa’s Pub?

She glances at the time on her cell while she makes her way to a seat.

Two minutes to spare
.
Hell yeah!

Professor Wallace is already standing at the front of the auditorium, prepared to start his lecture the second the clock strikes 12:15 p.m. He’s the extreme of timely and punctual, to the point of mania. He may suffer from some form of OCD. He’s
that
preposterous about time and attendance. Despite the fact that he’s a few fries short of a Happy Meal in the sanity department, he’s a genius when it comes to photography, and Daniella highly respects his professional opinion. She’s hoping she can talk him into writing a letter of recommendation for her at the end of the semester. He’s the type of professor students are desperate to get on their side, and with his assistance, they can practically get into any graduate program in the country.

He glances at the large clock above the door and begins his lecture the moment the second hand hovers over the three. “Good afternoon. I trust that everyone is focused and ready to finish out the week with some excellent shots for The Philadelphia Story Production. I’m assuming that each of you have worked out your ultimate goal for this project.” He glances around the room questioningly with his eyes.

Daniella’s phone pings loudly from her purse and she’s provided with an impressive scowl from her grumpy professor. She flashes a sympathetic expression in his direction as she frantically digs in her purse to silence the disruption.

Whoops!
She’ll most likely hear about that after class.

She glances at the screen and finds replies from both Eliza and Sarah.

Sarah:
WTF? Daniella is actually going out on a Friday night! What gives?

Eliza:
Who the hell cares! Let’s seize this opportunity before she changes her mind!

Sarah:
LOL! You’re right. Yes, let’s go out to Papa’s tonight. Wooohooooo!

Once Professor Wallace starts lecturing again, she discreetly texts them both back.

Daniella:
You girls are crazy. I’m game. See you after class :)

Class was boring and her professor spent most of his time droning on and on about crap she already knows. Daniella used the time to jot notes down about her plans for the upcoming project with the theatre production. She can hardly contain her excitement for the plan she has laid out. This project will be a nice addition to her portfolio that will hopefully guarantee her spot in a graduate program at a prestigious college.

She is praying she gets into Berkeley. It’s her ultimate dream, her ultimate goal. She would lose her mind if that dream came true. She’s given up on a lot of social activities for this dream, and she doesn’t regret one second of it. Her financial situation could ultimately prevent her from accomplishing everything she’s dreamed of, but Daniella has already decided that she will find a way.

She’s not going to let
anything
stop her.

And then, once graduate school comes, hopefully she’ll be eligible for more student loans.

After a few more classes and some much needed time in the library to finish up a paper for her mass communications class, she heads back to the apartment. It’s Friday night, and for the first time in a long time, Daniella is ready to go out and enjoy some time with her best friends.

Their apartment is small, but it’s enough. Three bedrooms, one shared bathroom, a small kitchen, and living room. There’s not much to it, but it’s home. Plus it’s conveniently located near campus and downtown Houston. Daniella isn’t a huge fan of honkey-tonk bars, but the nightlife near the university offers up some eclectic coffee shops, bars, and nightclubs that are more her speed. It’s hard to believe that a girl who was raised near cornstalks and cattle isn’t a fan of country music. Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Reba McIntyre, and Carrie Underwood are not her kind of music. It’s not that she doesn’t think these artists are talented; they’re just not her style. She’s more of an alternative, indie rock kind of chick. The Neighbourhood, Arctic Monkeys, Young The Giant, The Black Keys are more her speed.

She drops her keys on the table beside the door and heads into the kitchen. Eliza and Sarah are already popping the cork from a bottle of wine.

“Daniella! You’re finally home!” Sarah exclaims with a slight slur after she takes a sip from her generous glass of wine.

“Hey, Sarah,” she responds with a chuckle. “I see how it is… You bitches are starting without me.” She adds a dramatic pout for good measure.

“Oh, get over yourself!” Eliza hoots. “Here.” She hands Daniella a glass. “Drink up, Danny girl! We’re goin’ out tonight!”

Daniella chuckles and takes a sip of the cool, refreshing, mind-numbing deliciousness. “White Zin?” she questions with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Hell yes! We’re going classy tonight!” Sarah shouts as she puts her iPod in the stereo dock. “What shall we listen to while we get ready?”

“Anything but country,” Daniella demands.

“I swear you are the only girl in Texas who doesn’t listen to country music,” Eliza admonishes with a smirk.

She shrugs her shoulders in indifference. “All right, I’m taking a shower.” Daniella raises her wine glass in the air. “Don’t worry. This is coming with me. I’ll have it finished in no time.”

“That’s my girl!” Sarah hoots over her shoulder.

Eliza grins in her direction. “About damn time you loosened up and enjoyed a night out with us.”

Daniella makes quick work of her shower after finishing the liberal pour of White Zin. Yeah, it’s cheap-ass wine, but it tastes fantastic and seems to be going down smoothly tonight. She chooses her favorite biker boots, a tight black pencil skirt, and a cleavage-revealing tank that ends just below her rib cage. The tattoo she’s managed to hide from her conservative family is on display. Daniella got the tat the day she turned twenty-one as a birthday present to herself.

A dream catcher is inked in black and white on her ribcage, and it’s accented by beautiful feathers that hang down towards her hip. Several small birds fly out from one of the feathers and go across the middle of her back up to the opposite shoulder.

She clearly didn’t go small with her first ink. She went pretty damn big. The piece took several hours and it hurt like a bitch, but it was worth it. The tattoo is her freedom; it represents all of the things she plans on doing with her life and the fact that she’s not going to let anyone or anything stand in her way.

For once in her life, she chooses to let her long brunette locks hang down past her shoulders in a wavy mess of curls. She keeps her makeup minimal with just a little mascara and lip gloss. Daniella is a less-is-more kind of girl and wouldn’t be caught dead with a face caked full of makeup. Her brown eyes stand out like saucers and she refuses to draw any more attention to them with eye shadow and eyeliner. She strides into the living room and pours another glass of wine while Eliza and Sarah continue getting ready.

She’s savoring a third glass when they stride out of their bedrooms.

Eliza’s eyes go wide in surprise; she lets out a low whistle. “Lookin’ good, Danny girl. Lookin’ good.”

Sarah smirks in approval when she eyes her best friend’s current getup.

“Come on before I change my mind,” Daniella cajoles jokingly, and they both chuckle in response.

They head out of the apartment and walk in the direction of Papa’s Pub. The bar is only a few blocks from their place, and it’s a popular spot for college kids to hang out on the weekends. Especially Friday nights. Friday nights at Papa’s Pub are kind of legendary. The drink specials are outrageous, and no one has a clue how the owners survive financially. They’re practically giving away alcohol to college coeds.

All three girls stride through the worn-down, wooden bar door after the doorman checks their IDs and gives them an appreciative once-over.
Men are so obvious.
They receive several looks their way as they walk through the crowded bar.

These three women make quite the scene.

Eliza is gorgeous with her long blond hair and curvy figure accented in tight skinny jeans that are so form-fitting that someone will probably have to peel them off of her. Her stilettos add a little height to her otherwise shorter frame. Sarah is more wickedly sassy. Her style leans towards short dresses and her favorite cowgirl boots. Her pixie auburn hair and bright jade eyes are downright stunning. Although five foot four isn’t considered tall, Daniella is the tallest out of the group. Her years of ballet have done wonders for her body. She’s lean and toned in all the right places, and tonight, she feels sexy by embracing it for once.

They start the night with a pitcher of beer and a round of Washington Apples. The house band has a bluesy-rock style and Daniella is thoroughly enjoying the raspy voice of the lead singer. They find an empty high-top table and make themselves comfortable. While Daniella bobs her head to the music and enjoys her beverage, she finds Sarah and Eliza giving her incredulous looks. Her chair dancing comes to an immediate halt as she slightly cocks her head to the side, gauging their expressions. “What?” she asks with a small defensive tone to her voice.

“All right, spit it out. What’s going on with you? First of all, you’re dressed in something other than jeans and a tank top, and secondly, you’re
at a bar
…on a
Friday night
.” Eliza stares expectantly at her, waiting for a response.

How in the hell is she supposed to respond to that question?

Daniella shrugs her shoulders and buys some time by taking another sip of beer.

Sarah starts to tap her fingers impatiently on the table. “Seriously, what’s going on Daniella?”

She looks away from their scrutinizing glares before hesitantly bringing her attention back to them. “Nothing serious. Just some shit that I’ll eventually get figured out.”

Eliza gestures for her to continue with an impatient hand.

Sarah nudges Daniella with her shoulder. “Come on, Danny. Just tell us.”

“Well…” She pauses as a heavy breath escapes her lungs. “I’m not sure how I’m going to pay for this semester’s tuition. Actually,
all of this year’s tuition
.”

“Shit,” they both say simultaneously, and a small chuckle escapes Daniella’s throat. She’s amused by the fact that these two spend far too much time together.

“I just need to find another part-time job to get some extra cash flow. I’m sure I can find something,” she tells them with fake confidence.

“What about your parents?” Eliza asks.

“They’re barely making ends meet right now as it is. There’s no way I’m letting them know about this. They’ll feel terrible.”

Sarah starts to speak and Daniella immediately holds a hand in the air, effectively stopping her. “And don’t even say Bobby or Billy. There is no way in hell I’m asking them for money. They’ve worked hard for everything they’ve earned and I refuse to take anything from either of my brothers. I’m not their responsibility,” she adds with finality in her tone.

“So what are you going to do? Where in the hell are you going to get another job?”

“And how are you going to fit a second job into your already super-busy schedule?”

Sarah and Eliza start to overwhelm her with concerned questions.

“Can we just forget about this issue tonight? I want to hang with my two best gals and enjoy a night out on the town. I’m fully prepared to get into some trouble.” Daniella shoots a wink in their direction and goes back to enjoying the house music.