Hollywood Princess Read Free Page A

not wanting to ruin our reunion. I love Mom, but I envisaged college as the way to escape the giant shadow she cast.
    “What was prep school like?” I asked , thinking this would be a safe topic.
    Danny paused and stared down at his fingers, fidgeting, unusual for him. 
    “Difficult. Academics were great, but at times I felt socially inept.”
    “You, socially inept?” This admission surprised me. “You’re , you’re you,” I stammered. “You’re Danny Newman. How could you feel inadequate?”
    “My fan club !” he laughed. “That’s what I missed at Bromley.”
    “I am not your fan club. I don’t even know if I still like you. It’s been years.”
    “Of course you still like me , and yes, you are my fan club.”
    “You’r e so arrogant.”
    “Not really. I’ve humbled,” he smirked
    “Humbled?” I laughed. “Danny and humble do not belong in the same sentence.”
    “ Elizabeth, at Bromley, L.A. didn’t count, Wall Street ruled. The guys were quick to remind me that Dad had attended the wrong university in New York.”
    “If Steve hadn’t gone to NYU, he wouldn’t have become Steve. And he wouldn’t have met Ellen or my dad. They would have married other people. We wouldn’t exist.” I paused for a breath. “I’m beginning to sound like Back to the Future , aren’t I?”
    Danny laughed. “That whole time -continuum thing.”
    “Scary. I’m glad Steve went to NYU. I enjoy existing, don’t you?”
    “Yes.” Danny continued laughing. “I forgot how funny you are, Eli.”
    I turned serious again. “They were probably jealous. When have any of them ever attended an awards show or gotten backstage passes to their favorite band? I’ll bet they can’t get into the hottest clubs just by showing up, like you can. How did you put up with that crap?”
    “The preps ran everything, and they weren’t shy about letting me know they thought being Daniel Newman was less than impressive.”
    “That’s absurd. Danny Newman has always been impressive. In Brentwood, you’re royalty.”
    “Brentwood doesn’t exist to those guys. But they did like that I usually won matches for the golf team and was a tough bastard in the rugby scrum and at lacrosse.”
    Danny paused and smiled at a memory. “I was popular for one week. Gibby sent me passes for a performance in Boston. He invited us to hang out with his band. It boosted my standing for the week..”
    “I’m sorry . I wish I’d been there.”
    “I considered calling you, but I don’t know. Remember, the last time we’d seen each other , you were a little kid who worshipped me.”
    “You knew that?” I asked .
    “Everybody knew that,” Danny laughed. “That’s why I couldn’t call. I needed to believe your feelings hadn’t changed. If I had called, I risked learning that perhaps even you had turned against me.”
    “Oh, Danny.” I almost cried over the pain he had bravely endured while I had been safely oblivious in Santa Monica.
    We continued filling in the gaps of the last five years. Being back in each other’s life, a void had closed. Danny had always been the one person I could completely trust, and he felt the same toward me. Danny and I could discuss anything.
    “The boys at home are envious, ” I smirked. “They say you bed a new girl every time you go out. Is that the truth, Daniel?” I cringed picturing anonymous girls hanging on his every word.
    Danny glanced down at his hands, then back to me.
    “Eli, I enjoy a good time,” he said quietly. “I’m not ready for a relationship. What about you, Elizabeth? I’m sure you left plenty of broken hearts along the way.”
    “Not at all, ” I laughed.
    “Oh , c’mon, Eli. A hot girl like you?”
    “ Oh, shut up!” I exclaimed, both surprised and flattered. 
    “They must have been blind.”
    “Maybe they wanted a blonde,” I deadpanned and Danny laughed. “It was me. I didn’t want the entanglement of leaving someone behind.”
    Danny raised an eyebrow . He