Frank Downey - Dance of a lifetime

A couple hours later, Sophia was gathering her stuff up to go home, and ran into Warren doing the same thing.

"Where do you live?" Sophia asked.

"Up off Tremont."

"You get picked up?"

"Naah, I’m gonna walk it."

"That’s a pretty long walk. I walk home, too, but I only live halfway up Washington."

"You mind company from a Prep Boy?"

Sophia grinned. "I guess I can stomach it." They left the shop and headed out up the street.

"I’m surprised you walk," Warren began. "I know it’s not far, but still. It’s dark."

"You don’t think I can take care of myself?"

"No doubt in my mind. But, let’s face it-Oceanview isn’t Mayberry, and you’re a gorgeous girl."

Sophia blinked. Gorgeous? Her? But she kept her face blank. "Anyone who tries anything with me has to contend with my boyfriend. I’m not worried."

"Boyfriend, huh?"

"Yeah. Scott. He’s a senior. He’s a lot of fun to party with. And he loves the hell out of me. He’s insanely jealous. I’m only letting you walk with me because I know he’s not around."

"He’d be upset?"

"Sure he would. Wouldn’t you, seeing your girlfriend walk around with some other guy?"

"Depends."

"Depends on what?"

"Circumstances. If I saw my girlfriend walking with a guy, and then she told me that the guy was a co-worker that was headed the same way and was just keeping her company-no, I wouldn’t be upset."

"But if you love her, wouldn’t you be jealous?"

"Jealousy is notmy idea of love."

Sophia stopped walking. "What isyour idea of love?"

"Well, I would think trust would figure into it somewhere. I figure if I loved someone, and she loved me, I could trust her to walk down the street with a guy friend and not go on a bender about it."

"You’ve got some strange ideas about love."

Warren grinned lopsidedly. "That, no doubt, is why I don’t have a girlfriend."

Sophia grinned back at him. "Well, that, plus you’re an unredeemable Preppy." They both laughed.

"This is my house. Working tomorrow?"

"Yup"

"See you then".

"See ya."

Two weeks later, Sophia made the normal trek from school to Dunkin Donuts. It had been another wild weekend, lots of partying and lots of Scott. Probably too much of Scott. She walked in the back and put her stuff away.

"Hey, Wild Woman." It was Warren.

"Hi, Prep Boy," she waved-but instead of their normal teasing session, Sophia quickly rushed out front.

Warren was perplexed. They’d worked together for two weeks, and he was still trying to figure this girl out.

She made a point to take her cig breaks when he was out in the lot. They had walked home from work every day. She obviously enjoyed their teasing repartee, as he did. And now she was rushing past him like he had the plague.

He went about his work, and found his way to the lot. Sure enough, Sophia followed him out and lit a cig.

Warren noticed, however, that she was carefully avoiding looking at him.

"Yo, Sophia, so how was the weekend? One of your traditional chemically-infused bacchanalias, I take it?" He had gotten a good idea of Sophia’s lifestyle on their walks home.

"Yo, Prep Boy, could you speak English, please?"

"That wasEnglish."

"Coulda fooled me. My weekend was fine. I think I drank two six-packs Saturday night. Great sex with Scott, too." Warren blushed. Sophia thought that was cute. "Just my typical Wild Woman weekend."

"Uh huh. Soph, why are you hiding the left side of your face?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You avoided me in the back room earlier. You came outside, but you’ve been giving me your right profile the whole time. I walked towards you to change this barrel, and you tucked the left side of your face into the building."

"You don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Don’t I. Then let me see your face, Sophia."

Sophia turned towards him. The makeup was skillfully applied, but the black eye and the bruise on the cheek was plainly apparent.

Warren gaped at her bruises. He looked down and noticed another one, on her arm. He looked at her for a minute and thought. Her mother? He knew she didn’t have a father. He had met Sophia’s mother a couple of times after walking her home. Was her mother doing this to her? Somehow, he just doubted that. So, he took a stab in the dark.

He looked in her eyes, and said, "Great sex, huh?" and saw the moment of startled recognition in her eyes, and knew that he had hit paydirt.

Sophia attempted to cover it: "Oh, look, it’s my motheragain! For your information, Prep Boy, I got hit in the head by a door."

"OK."

"Happened at school. One of those swinging doors, you know? Wasn’t watching where I was going."

"OK."

"I’m clumsy that way."

"OK."

Sophia glared at him. "Look, that’s what really happened!"

"I’m agreeing with you."

"But you don’t believe me!"

"Not for a second."

"This is none of your business, Warren!"

"Probably not."

"This is myproblem!"

"Yeah, walking into doors can be a problem," Warren said with a snort.

"I’m fully capable of taking care of myself!"

"Oh, yes, you’re doing such a damnfine job of it, Sophia. You’ve even got the bruises to show for it. If taking care of yourself includes getting beat up by your boyfriend, you’ve certainly got it covered."

Sophia stopped, and blinked. Damn he was perceptive. Shit, what was she going to do now? She gathered up her fury and shame, and blasted him with it, desperately hoping to just end the conversation. "Dammit, Warren, it’s none of your business! Who the fuckare you to make judgements about me?"

Warren gathered up his cleaning supplies, walked towards the door, and looked at this bruised, furious, ashamed girl glaring at him. "I’m your friend, Soph. That’s who I am." And walked into the shop.

Sophia stood outside the shop for five minutes, desperately trying to blink back the tears.

Warren gathered his stuff together, getting ready to go home. Sophia hadn’t said one word to him for the rest of their shift. It was probably just as well, Warren thought. He was in way over his head. He turned to head out the door when Sophia grabbed him by the arm.

"Walk me home?"

"I wasn’t sure you’d want me to."

Sophia smiled. It was a genuine smile-she hadn’t had many of those, lately. "What are friends for, right?"

Warren smiled back.

"You want to talk about it, now that you’ve calmed down?"

"I don’t know. I don’t think so. What’s there to talk about?"

"Was I right?"

Sophia paused. And practically whispered, "Yes."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"What canI do?"

"Dump him. Now. Vamoose, scram, do svidanya. Get lost, asshole."

"I can’t do that."

"Why not?"

"Because he loves me. He’s all I have."

Warren stopped, grabbed Sophia’s arm, and spun her around so that he was looking into her eyes.

"Sophia, someone who lovesyou does notgive you a black eye! This isn’t love!"

Sophia forced a grin. "Oh, yes, I forgot. You’re the great expert on love, aren’t you, Prep Boy? Come back and talk to me once you find yourself a girlfriend, OK?"

Warren knew she was teasing him to lighten the mood, but he wasn’t buying it this time. He touched her face with his finger and said, "You can rest assured that if I didget myself a girlfriend I would neverdo thisto her."

"No. No you wouldn’t." She started walking again. "Then again, any girlfriend you got wouldn’t be anyone like me, either."