Diamonds in the Rough. Michelle Madow

Savannah’s mom only kept the hard stuff in their apartment. It was cheap, and the few times Savannah had tried it, it had tasted vile.

      Damien perused the rows, taking a few bottles out and reading the labels. He reached one in the middle, paused and showed it to Savannah. “Amarone,” he said, pointing to the label. “One of my favorites.”

      “Sounds good,” Savannah said, although she had never heard of it.

      He found a wine opener, uncorked the bottle and poured the wine into the clean Solo cups Savannah had brought in from the kitchen. “Not the best way to drink wine, but it’ll work.” He handed her one of the cups. “Cheers.”

      Adrian had allowed Savannah and her sisters glasses of wine at dinner—although Courtney always declined—but Savannah was far from a connoisseur. They all tasted the same to her. She sipped the Amarone, and it was stronger than she’d expected, but good. Much better than the cheap beer and liquor in the kitchen.

      “Like it?”

      “Yes.” Savannah flushed at the sudden realization that she was alone with Damien in a small space. And the way he was looking at her, his dark eyes so intense, as if he wouldn’t have wanted to be in there with anyone else….t made her nearly forget to breathe.

      “What’s wrong?” he asked.

      “Nothing,” she lied. Then, deciding better of it, she said, “I guess I’m wondering why you’re here with me instead of hanging out with everyone at the party. You were doing really well in Survivor—you probably could have won.”

      “You looked bored watching, so I thought you’d be happy to get away for a few minutes,” he said. “Was I wrong?”

      “No,” Savannah said. “This is actually my first big house party. I’ve seen them on TV, and they looked so fun, so I’ve always wanted to go to one. But now that we’re here…” She shrugged and sipped her wine while contemplating how to word it, not wanting to sound like a downer.

      “It’s not what you expected?”

      “Exactly,” she said. “People are either almost naked in the pool, playing drinking games in the rec room, doing drugs or pairing up. Even with Evie here, I feel out of place. Maybe I just haven’t had enough to drink. I tried that beer, but…” She scrunched her nose as she recalled the taste.

      “No explanation necessary.” Damien laughed and raised his Solo cup. “We have Amarone to the rescue.”

      They sat on the floor and chatted while drinking the wine—after the first “glass,” Savannah felt warmer and more relaxed. Midway through the second, she and Damien were talking as if they’d known each other for years. There were a few times when their skin would touch, but he didn’t try to kiss her like he had in the Myst pool caves over the summer.

      She should have been happy that he was respecting her request to take things slowly—he had tried to move too fast by putting his hand down her bathing suit bottom on the first night they’d met—but she also felt disappointed. Was he only paying attention to her out of pity because she’d looked bored during Survivor and Evie was too involved with the game to talk to her?

      “What are you thinking about?” Damien asked. “You just got really quiet.”

      “Nothing,” she said, taking another sip of wine. But her body felt warm and tingly now, and Damien had asked, so why not tell him what was on her mind? “Well, I guess I sort of feel like I’m never going to fit in with anyone here,” she admitted. “The only reason Alyssa, Jackie, Brooke and the rest of them are being nice to me is because I know you and Nick, and because I made the volleyball team. They expect me to forget that first morning at Goodman when they wanted nothing to do with me. I’m trying, because they can be fun and it feels good to be part of a group, but I can’t shake the feeling that they’re not true friends. They’re all so comfortable with each other. But even with Evie here, I feel like an outsider.” Her cheeks heated, and she looked down at her wine, unable to believe she’d blurted that out to Damien.

      He tilted his head, his forehead creasing. “You’ve been comfortable at clubs all summer, and it’s a house party that makes you feel this way?”

      “You thought I looked comfortable at those clubs?” Savannah laughed. He had to be saying that to be nice. “Because I felt like an outsider there, too. But the clubs are different—they feel like a fairy tale, not real life. It’s easier to pretend that I’m what people expect me to be when I’m there. But being here, at Jackie’s house….t hit home for me. This is how they’ve lived their entire lives—with pools, saunas, spare bedrooms, live-in housekeepers, wine closets and refrigerators full of more food than they could possibly eat. I don’t belong here.” She wrapped her arms around her legs and looked down, ashamed at what she’d admitted. Stupid Amarone, loosening her tongue.

      “Hey.” He used his index finger to force her chin up so her gaze met his. “You might feel that way, but you do belong here. I know it’s a big change for you, and I can’t imagine what it’s like, but those girls aren’t only friends with you because you’re on the volleyball team. You’re talented, and fun, and you say what’s on your mind even if it’s not the ‘cool’ thing to say. I like that, and if those girls don’t, that’s their problem, not yours.”

      Savannah’s heart raced, and she stared up into his dark eyes, amazed by his kind words. “Thanks,” she said, still embarrassed she’d admitted so much, even if it was apparently a trait he liked about her. He was watching her so intensely right now, his eyes traveling to her lips, as if he were about to kiss her again. She took another sip of wine to cool her nerves. Maybe he actually did like her?

      Then she remembered when Madison had kissed him last summer, and how in that one instant he’d forgotten about her. How he’d gone on that teen tour and had those girls hanging all over him. And how Evie had flirted with him during the game, and he’d flirted back. Yes, he made Savannah’s heart race and made her feel like he cared. But he was a player. What if he’d brought her in here because of some stupid bet, like the one Oliver had made over the summer about her and her sisters? The two of them were close friends, so it was possible.

      “We should go back out there,” she said, then finished her wine. “Evie’s probably wondering where we are.”

      Disappointment flashed across his eyes. “If that’s what you want,” he said. “But before we go—what are you doing for dinner tomorrow night?”

      “Evie’s leaving in the afternoon, so nothing that I know of.” She played with her bracelets. “Why?”

      “I’ve been wanting to check out the new Italian restaurant at the Diamond,” he said. “Want to go with me?”

      She froze, her arm dropping to her side. Was he asking her on a date? Or did he genuinely want to check out this restaurant and was asking her out of pity after her embarrassing confession? Or was this the next move in his game, because she’d made it clear she wasn’t falling for it tonight?

      He watched her, waiting for an answer. “Sure,” she said quickly. After all, if she didn’t go, she would constantly wonder what would have happened if she did.

      “Great.” He smiled, seeming truly happy that she’d agreed to go with him.

      When she stood up, her head spun, and Damien reached out to steady her. “Thanks.” She giggled and tried to focus. When had the room started tilting so much? “I didn’t realize how strong that wine was until I got up.”

      “Amarone will do that to you.” He held out his arm, and she took it, grateful for his help as he led the way out of the wine closet. “Come on, let’s go find your friend.”

      They reached the living room, and Savannah spotted Evie sitting on the couch. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her lips curled in a scowl as she talked to Alyssa, whose hair was still wet from the pool. They both went silent when Savannah reached them.

      “Where’ve you