The Dark Stranger

15. A Little Get-together

I found Daisy and Daniel sitting stiffly across the living room from each other.

"Ah, good," said Daisy as I came through the door. "You're finally here."

Without a word, she rose and stalked off to her room.

"I hope she wasn't too unpleasant," I said to Daniel apologetically.

"Not at all," he said, though his relief at my arrival was palpable.

"I don't know what's gotten into her."

"Yeah, she's not the Daisy I remember from last time."

"I'd better go talk to her. Do you mind waiting a little longer?"

"Would it be better if I just left?" he suggested. "Maybe we should try some other time."

"Give me a minute and I'll see what I can do," I said. "In the meantime, make yourself at home. There's beer in the fridge. Kitchen's through there."

"Okay. Thanks."

I knocked on my roommate's door.

"Daisy? Can I come in?"

Cautiously, I opened the door and peeped inside. She was lying on her stomach with her earbuds in. I slipped in, closed the door, and perched on the side of her bed.

"So... are you going to tell me what's up?" I asked.

She snorted as if I should know what was up.

"Look," I said, "I know I've been wrapped up in myself, and I'm sorry. It's just... this weird thing happened to me. I never told you, but I met a strange guy in an alley, and, well, one thing led to another and we had sex. After that, something changed inside me. At first I thought I looked different, and then I found out it's more to do with—'

"Did you mean it?" she interjected. "What you said?"

I felt like a cartoon character who's run off a cliff but doesn't know it yet. "I... uh... what?"

"Hmph. I didn't think so."

"Sorry, Daisy, I don't know what you're talking about. Did I mean what?"

"Doesn't matter. You obviously don't remember. That says it all, I guess."

Okay. This wasn't going the way I had hoped. But at least she was talking. Considering this was Daisy, it was a good start.

I laid a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Daisy. You know you can talk to me about anything. What's up?"

She rolled over to face me. "It's stupid. Crazy and stupid. I shouldn't be getting all upset about it."

I stroked her hair. "Tell me. What's crazy and stupid?"

She fixed her gaze on the intricate pattern of her coverlet. "When we were, you know, in that.. that big group..."

"The gangbang?" I ventured.

"Yeah, that," she said, and a small smile played on her lips before vanishing again. "Right in the middle of it, you told me..."

"Yeah..."

It was a struggle for her to say it. After stopping and starting several times, she finally blurted it out. "You told me you loved me."

I thought back. I did vaguely recall saying that.

"You don't remember," she sighed.

"No, I do, I do," I assured her. "Why?"

"Well, do you?"

"What? Love you?"

She nodded.

"Of course! You know that. You're my best friend."