Off Sides

with my own and hear her intake of breath before she giggles.
    Pulling her long hair back away from her neck, I lightly graze my lips back and forth, just below her ear. She shivers in response and squirms underneath of me.
    "Do you like that?" I ask softly in her ear, just before I lick the outer edge.
    Danny issues a low groan and I flex my hips into her butt in response so she can feel what she's doing to me.
    "Ryan...lock your door..."
    I jump up from the bed to do her bidding but just as I reach the door it swings open. Mike is standing there with a shit-eating grin on his face. I glare at him.
    "Hope I didn't interrupt anything?"
    Danny laughs under her breath and I look back at her. She's flipped over and scooted back to lean up against the headboard. She's resting her head on her knees, looking completely innocent. I sigh and step back for Mike to come in, knowing that I'll have to wait to get my fill of Danny.
    "What's up, man?" I ask.
    "I come bearing bad news, buddy. Your mom is downstairs and wants to see you."
    "Fuck!"
    I scrub my hand through my hair in frustration. My mom has been trying to reach me for days and I've been ignoring her phone calls. I was hoping she'd just get tired of it and leave me alone. She is on a mission to try to get Angeline back in my life and that will happen when Hell freezes over.
    I walk over to Danny and kiss her on the head. "I'll be right back."
    Mike pipes up. "I'll keep her company while you go battle the grizzly bear."
    "Thanks, dude."
    I slowly trudge down the stairs, feeling like I'm walking to my death. My mother has a way of making me feel about two inches tall, just with a look. I will have to steel myself to tell her in no uncertain terms that I am not getting back with Angeline. In fact, now is as good a time as any to tell her about Danny.
    As I enter the foyer, my anger burns. Angeline is standing there beside my mother. They're both dressed in their best. Wool and cashmere and thousands of dollars in pearls. I'd take Danny in a ratty t-shirt and sweat pants any day.
    "Mother," I say as I walk up to her and bend over to give her a peck on the cheek. "What are you doing here?"
    My mother appraises me closely and then practically sneers. "If you'd bother answering your phone or returning my calls, you'd know."
    "Sorry. I've been busy with school and hockey."
    She doesn't pull any punches when she says, "That's not all you've been busy with so I hear."
    I glare over at Angeline who is smiling at me blandly. There’s no doubt she’s been filling my mother’s head with all kinds of nonsense.
    "I'm an adult, mother. What I do is none of your business."
    She looks like she's going to lay into me for a minute but then changes her mind. Instead, she fixes a smile to her face and says breezily, "I don't want to fight with you, darling. I've come to take you to lunch and I invited Angeline along, too. Won't that be nice?"
    My rage peaks again and is threatening to boil over. What do I have to do to get these two to see that I want nothing to do with Angeline?
    "May I speak with you in private, Mother?" I say this through gritted teeth in an effort not to yell at her.
    She inclines her head toward me to indicate she agrees, and I turn to walk back up the stairs. She follows without question.
    I open the door to my room and Mike's head pops up. He's playing his PSP.
    "Can you give us a minute, Mike?"
    He jumps up from the bed and leaves the room, mumbling a goodbye to my mother. I look at Danny and she looks like a deer caught in the headlights. She starts to get up from the bed but I hold my hand up to stop her. "Please stay."
    I turn and step aside so my mother can walk in. She does so and inhales her breath sharply when she sees Danny sitting on my bed. Danny stands up, nervously wiping her hands on her jeans. I hate putting her in this position but I need my mother to understand what Danny means to me.
    I walk over to where Danny is standing and put my arm around her waist. Leaning over, I give a small kiss to her temple and I feel her relax.
    "Mother. This is Daniella Cross but she goes by Danny. Danny, this is my mother, Celia Burnham."
    Danny reaches her hand out to my mother to shake it and good manners dictate that my mother has to reciprocate. "It's a pleasure, Mrs. Burnham."
    My mother doesn't reply to Danny and releases her hand. Instead she looks at me. "I thought you said we were going to talk in private, Ryan?"
    "I'm sorry, but what I want to say needs