Free Darla's Secret Wish by Selena Kitt Page B

back of the dress. It shimmered and shined deliciously when she moved.
    She danced, sylphlike, her reedy arms stretched above her head, swaying willowy, back and forth, pursing her lips, widening her eyes at the mirror. Irene had hundreds of these dresses, and she wore them out every weekend. Darla felt suddenly very jealous. Her daddy, who she only saw a few times a month at the most, spent hours with the woman who filled these dresses. Who filled this dress.
    What’s he ever given me ? Darla fingered the heart-shaped locket she’d had since she was little, the one thing her father had left behind. She sometimes imagined she had captured his real heart in it, keeping it like a secret from anyone else. Closing her eyes, she began to dance again, holding her father’s heart in her hand.
    What would it be like, she wondered, to have a man hold you, press you against him, kiss you? She closed her eyes and imagined dancing with a boy—
    no, a man. She found it was her daddy she was imagining, his large, strong hands guiding her, his eyes bright and full of love as he looked down at her. She was so lost in the fantasy she could even smell his aftershave.
    “Kiss me, Daddy,” she murmured, her eyes still closed, tilting her head up like she saw in all the movies.
    “Darla.” The sound of her name made her whirl around and stumble over her discarded clothes. She landed bone-jarringly hard on her bottom and she whimpered, leaning back on her elbows. Her father stood in the doorway, his 8
    large frame filling it completely. She felt her whole body flush with embarrassment.
    Oh no, oh god, this can’t be happening .
    They didn’t say anything for a moment, and Darla found herself trembling.
    He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you get your own clothes back on, sweetheart?
    I have to take you back to your mother’s tonight.”
    She forgot what she was wearing, what she had been caught doing, she forgot everything at those words. “But… I thought I was going to stay here tonight, Daddy! You said…we were going to go to the movies tomorrow!” She struggled to contain her tears and lost, but at least she did it silently. She swallowed around the hard lump in her throat.
    “I know, honey…but Irene isn’t feeling well. She’s downstairs lying on the couch. I’m glad she didn’t come up here first,” he chuckled. “I’ll make it up to you, angel. I promise.”
    She nodded, looking down at his shoes, his dress shoes. They had gone to a play tonight. Taming of the Shrew . She didn’t want him to see that she was crying.
    “I’ll get dressed,” she said, wanting him to go before she really started sobbing. “Be down in a minute.”
    “Ok…and Darla, honey…don’t forget your panties.” He turned around, his voice sounding strained.
    She snapped her slim thighs closed, her face burning. She had forgotten entirely that she wasn’t wearing any.

    9

    * * * *

    Darla put the dress back and hurriedly pulled on her clothes. She stopped in the bathroom to smooth her hair into a ponytail and wash her face, still wet, and gave herself a good talking-to in order to stop the tears. There was no way she was going to go downstairs crying. Now she was putting on her coat, and she smiled, pleased, as her father helped her while she pulled her hair out from under the collar.
    “Lee, did you pay her? Darla, thank you for watching your sister,” Irene murmured from the couch where she was lying with her arm thrown over her eyes.
    “Half-sister!” Darla hissed, surprising both of them and herself.
    “Money’s in your coat pocket, sweetie,” her father said, looking sideways at her. “And you did a fine job, too. I told you she would, Irene.” There was a snort from the couch.
    “Come on, let’s get going,” he said.
    She followed him out the door, shouldering her backpack with all her school work and a change of clothes for the weekend she wouldn’t be needing anymore. Tears stung her eyes again at that thought.