Dirty Dancing

3

Another dinner with dancing. I sit at the table with my parents. Gemma is out with Robbie even if I told mum and dad that she's resting in the cabin. I feel bad for lying to them. Max comes over.
"Aren't you dancing, Doc?"

"We're waiting for a waltz." My dad replies.

Louis dances past our table with an older woman in his arms.
"Hi, Max. Aren't my dance lessons starting to pay off?"

"You look great, Vivian!" Max shouts and gives her the thumbs up.

"Terrific!" She smiles before they dance off.

"That's Vivian Pressman, one of the bungalow bunnies. That's what we call the women who stay here all week. The husbands only come up
on weekends. Moe Pressman's a big card player. He'll join our game." Max tells us before he turns to shout to Vivian again.

"Moe coming up on Friday?"

"Friday." She replies. I wrinkle my eyebrows. She's a little too touchy with Louis.

"He's away a lot. I know. It's a hardship." Max sighs.

Zayn comes up to us and asks me to dance. It's the polite thing to do to accept. He dances up next to Louis and Vivian.
"Where's Eleanor? Everybody's been asking for her." Zayn asks Louis.

Louis wrinkles his eyebrows. He looks irritated. I watch him curiously.
"What do you mean, where's Eleanor?
She's taking a break."

"As long as it's not an all-night break.
Come on, doll. Let's take a walk."
Zayn says and puts his arm around me and leads me off the dancefloor.

We walk to the golf court.
"I love to watch your hair blowing in the breeze." Zayn compliments with a crooked smile.

It makes me uncomfortable.
"Maybe my parents are looking for me." I mumble.

"Baby, don't worry. If they think you're with me, they'll be the happiest parents at Kellerman's. I have to say it. I'm known as the catch of the county." He grins and wiggles his eyebrows.

"I'm sure you are." I answer dismissively.

"Last week I took a guy away from Jamie, the lifeguard. And he said to him, What does he have that I don't have? And he said, Two hotels." He says and giggles.

Thankfully we're interrupted. Robbie and my sister walk by without noticing us.
"Robbie. I don't hear an apology." My sister says, sounding upset.

"Go back to Mommy and Daddy and listen. Maybe you'll hear one in your dreams." Robbie replies snarkily.

Zayn turns to me and puts his arm around my shoulders.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Baby.
Sometimes in this world, you see things you don't wanna see. You hungry?"

I nod my head. Best way to get away from here.
"Come on."

We walk back to the main house and he escorts me back to the kitchen.
"So, Baby, what do you want? You can have anything you want. A brownie, some milk, leftover rice pudding, beets, cabbage roll, fruit salad, sweet gherkins?"

While he keeps rambling I spot Eleanor on the floor crying. Zayn hasn't seen her and she does her best to keep quiet. I put my arm around Zayn and turn him around so he won't notice her.
"Zayn, look, I'm sorry. I better go check on Gemma."

"Yeah." He agrees and we walk out of the kitchen.

As soon as I have ditched him I look for Liam. I can't talk to Louis directly. He's too intimidating. I whisper to Liam, telling him about the situation. He grabs my hand and pulls me along to the dancefloor where Louis is still dancing with Vivian. He tells him about the situation and Louis immediately excuses himself to Vivian and we head to the kitchen.
"Why's he here?" Louis asks and gives me a glance of disapproval.

"In case Zayn comes back." Liam answers.

Louis seems to accept that. He's upset.
"Eleanor just doesn't think."

"She wouldn't do anything stupid, would she?" Liam questions.

"So, what's wrong? What's the matter with her?" I ask.

Louis glares at me but Liam answers.
"She's knocked up, Baby."

"Liam!" Louis growls.

I look at him. Then I look at Liam instead.
"What's he gonna do about it?" I ask.

Louis snaps his head and stares me down.
"What's he gonna do about it? It's mine, right? Right away you think it's mine.

"But I thought..." I stutter. Blushed cheeks.

He just snorts and gives me an icy stare. We arrive in the kitchen and Louis immediately gets down on the floor and wraps his arms around a crying Eleanor.
"It's okay. Louis' here. I'm never gonna let anything happen to you."

He lifts her to carry her back to her place. Eleanor buries her face in his neck and cries.
"We got to go. Just hold on. Just hold on. Good girl. Good girl."

They walk to Eleanor's cabin and I tag along. Louis puts her down on the sofa. Pace around.
"What do you think you're doing? You're in trouble, you talk to me. I'll take care of it. You should've come to me in the first place."

He takes a seat next to her on the couch. He looks worried.
"Forget it, Louis. I'm not taking what's left of your salary." She huffs.

"El, that's my business." He protests.

"Besides, it wouldn't be enough. Oh, God, it's hopeless!" She wails.

I take a step forward.
"Don't say that. There's gotta be a way
to work it out." I try to comfort.

She stares at me. Her eyes are red and swollen and her mascara is all over her face.
"Baby? Is that your name? You know what, Baby? You don't know shit about my problems."

"I told him." Liam confesses.

That upsets her.
"Jesus! He's gonna tell his management boyfriend and then we'll all get fired. Why not skywrite it? Eleanor got knocked up by Robbie, the creep."

"Robbie?" I gasp. Mouth falls open.

Louis flies up and points a finger at me.
"Look..."

Liam interrupts him.
"No, Baby. One of the counselors
knows a doctor, a real M.D. just traveling through here one day next week. We can get an appointment, but it costs 200 pounds."

I don't understand.
"But if it's Robbie, there's no problem.
I know he has the money. I'm sure if you tell him..."

"He knows. Go back to your playpen, Baby." Eleanor snorts.