“What do you want?” Reva demanded. “What are you doing here?”
“What do I want?” Daniel bared his teeth in a cold smile. “I want to kill you!”
Chapter 11
“HELP ME—PLEASE!”
Reva’s mouth went dry.
Daniel’s cold smile faded. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
He does look like he wants to kill me! Reva thought.
But why?
“Daniel, I don’t understand!” she cried innocently. “What did I ever do to you?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot already.” Daniel took a step toward her. “The other night at your house? The security guard? Is it coming back to you now?”
“Oh, that!” Reva sighed. “But that was just a little joke!”
“Guess what? I’m not laughing!” Daniel snarled. “You got me into real trouble, in case you’re interested. The police treated me like some kind of criminal. They actually thought I was a burglar or something. If my friend hadn’t come down to the station to explain who I was, I’d probably be in jail right now!”
Too bad you’re not, Reva thought. But she quickly put on an ashamed expression. “Daniel, I’m really sorry,” she told him. “It was a joke. I never, ever meant for something like that to happen to you. It must have been horrible!”
“It wasn’t exactly a picnic,” he agreed angrily.
Reva shook her head sympathetically. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated. What else did he want her to do—cry and beg forgiveness?
Daniel ran a hand through his sandy hair. “Yeah, well, I’m sorry I got so angry just now,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean to threaten you. I guess I kind of lost it.”
No kidding. Reva smiled and put her hand on his arm. “I don’t blame you a bit,” she murmured. “Maybe we can forget the whole thing, okay?”
“Good idea.” He smiled back. “Especially since we’ll probably be seeing each other a lot.”
“Oh?” Reva couldn’t imagine what he was talking about. She definitely didn’t plan on seeing him again.
“Yeah. I told you I’m staying in Shadyside for the whole vacation,” he reminded her. “And guess what?”
Reva took her hand off his arm. “I hate guessing games. Why don’t you just tell me?”
“My friend got me a temporary job, right here in Dalby’s,” he announced. “In the stockroom.”
“Oh.” Does he expect me to do cartwheels? Reva wondered. “That’s nice. Listen, I have to. . .”
“So why don’t we put the other night behind us and celebrate?” he interrupted. “If you’re free tonight, we could have dinner. Or catch a movie. Or both.”
“I don’t think so,” Reva replied coldly. “I’m not allowed to go out with someone who’s been arrested!”
Laughing at her own cruel joke, Reva hurried away, leaving Daniel alone in the hallway.
What a nerd!
Reva shook her head. College must have done some weird things to my brain. I actually used to think Daniel was interesting!
As Reva passed the ladies room, the door swung open and Grace stepped out. “Oh, hi, Reva. I’m glad I found you.”
“Why? Was I lost?”
“Huh?”
Reva rolled her eyes. “A joke, Grace. It was a joke.”
“Oh. Well, anyway, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Ask me fast,” Reva ordered. “I absolutely have to get to the model audition.”
“That’s sort of what I wanted to talk to you about,” Grace told her. “I . . . um, well. . .”
“This isn’t asking me fast, Grace,” Reva snapped.
“Okay. Right.” Grace took a deep breath. “See, I’ve always dreamed of being a model. And I was thinking you could use me in the scarf show. It would be so great!”
Great for you, maybe, Reva thought. But not for the show. She shook her head. “Listen, you’re thin, but that’s about all you have going for you. As a model, I mean. You’re too short, for one thing.”
“But. . .”
“And,” Reva interrupted, “you don’t carry yourself very well. You sort of hunch around like you’re scared of your own shadow. No offense, Grace, but you just don’t have the training to be a model.”
Grace’s face turned bright red.
“I know you wouldn’t want me to lie to you,” Reva told her, forcing a sympathetic smile. “It’s better not to hang on to a dream that will never come true, right? I’ll tell you what, though—you can be my assistant.”