Speed Dating by Natalie Standiford Page A

been addicted to painkillers ever since.”
    “That’s terrible,” Holly said. “She must have been so hurt when he left.”
    “Well, yes, she was hurt when he left, but the stab wounds didn’t help, either.”
    Holly gasped. “Stab wounds? What are you talking about?”
    “My poor mother,” Eli said. “She’s had to have a lot of surgery ever since… ever since Imelda stabbed her with her own diamond-studded
     stilettos.”
    Holly needed a moment to take this in. “Stilettos? As in shoes?”
    “Yes.”
    “Your mother wears diamond-studded shoes?”
    “She’s very flamboyant,” Eli said. “But then, so is Imelda.”
    “Who’s Imelda?”
    “She was our maid. Now she’s my stepmother.”
    “Your father had an affair with her?”
    Eli nodded. “She’s very greedy. She wanted to marry my father, so she tried to kill my mother. My father took her away, partly
     to save my mother’s life. Now my mother’s a basket case. She can walk, but she prefers the wheelchair.”
    “Wow,” Holly said. “That’s some family story.”
    “I know. More sangria?”
    He poured the fruity punch into Holly’s glass. Holly picked out an orange segment and sucked on it. No wonder Eli had acted
     so strangely. His background was pretty weird.
    “What about brothers and sisters?” she asked. “Do you have any?”
    Eli looked away. “That’s very complicated. I’ll explain it to you some other time.” His eyes returned to settle on her face.
     “Right now all I want to do is drink you in, like this sangria.
Salud.”
    They clinked glasses. She felt herself getting lost again in the gray-green-gold labyrinth of his eyes.
What am I getting myself into?
she wondered. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be dull. She could feel herself perched on the edge of an adventure.
    After dinner, they got into his car, a blue Honda, and drove south along the coastline. Holly had been surprised when he offered
     to pick her up; since spying on him with Sebastiano and spotting him in the student driver car, she’d thought he didn’t have
     his license yet. But it turned out he’d just gotten his driver’s license, even though he was already seventeen. He might have
     been on his way to take his driving test the day she had seen him.
    Just outside of Carlton Bay, they pulled into an overlook and stopped to watch the moon over the water. They got out of the
     car and sat on the rocks, side by side. Eli didn’t say much, and he didn’t touch her, didn’t reach for her hand, didn’t start
     petting her hair the way so manyboys did. He simply sat still and stared at the moon. Holly did the same, stealing sidelong glances at him from time to time.
     What was his story? She knew some of it, the lurid family parts, but that wasn’t what she meant. What did he want from her?
     Where did he think this was all going, if anywhere?
    “I like to sit outside and kind of absorb the moonlight,” he said at last. “I can feel it sinking into my body through my skin
     and my eyes. I feel like it gives me some kind of special power.”
    “Power to do what?” Holly asked.
    “I don’t know,” Eli said. “But I think I’ve absorbed enough moon rays for tonight. Ready to go?”
    He stood up and held out his hand. She took it, and he helped her to her feet. They returned to the car and drove home. A
     CD was playing, the Shins. The music filled the car, so that there was no need to talk. Holly had the feeling the Shins were
     doing all their talking for them, much more beautifully than they could do it themselves.
    He pulled up in front of her house. She looked at him. He looked at her. He leaned forward.
    Here we go,
Holly thought.
No guy can make it through a whole evening without trying some sort of pass.
    He pressed his lips against hers, softly. Then he pulled back. “Good night,” he said. “I had a beautiful night.”
    That was it? She held still for a moment to make sure he didn’t want to suddenly start mauling her. She wouldn’t