“No, I don’t. I mean, they know that I know you, but that’s about it.”

That was bullshit and Danni was a terrible liar. She was one of those girls who couldn’t look you in the face when she lied. Most of the time she didn’t have to. Guys could barely get close to her. So I continued to stare at her until she began to crack a smile.

“I mean, I may have told them that I’ve slept with you once or twice, but not much more than that. They just keep bringing you up on their own when they see you in ads and things.”

It was no big deal to me. I smiled with her.

She said, “Now tell me, how many women do you have relations with?”

I shook my head again. “We’re not going there.”

I laid back to get more rest before it was time to go. Danni leaned over and looked into my face, determined to get her answers.

“Is it that hard to answer me? It’s not going to change how I feel about you if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Why even ask me then?”

“I’m just curious.”

“Don’t be. Because it will definitely kill you.”

“Has it been that many? And you don’t use condoms with any of them?”

She looked alarmed. I had to answer that.

“Oh, no, I wear condoms. But how many do you have with no condoms?”

We both needed to answer those questions.

She answered, “Only you with no condoms. I do have two other guys that I see, but it’s not that much, you know. We’re all busy doing what we do. I mean, I barely see them.”

“You barely see me either,” I told her. “And how would these other two guys feel if you just up and dropped them?”

“It’s no big deal to them. Trust me.”

“So, it’s not much of a sacrifice for you then,” I told her.

“Sure it is. Every girl likes to be pampered,” she stated with a smile.

It sounded like a similar conversation indeed. Danni wanted me to choose her over everyone and pamper her like a legitimate girlfriend. But at least she didn’t have a guy’s diamond ring to pressure me with. Not yet, at least.

“Would you cut your other women loose for me?” she asked me.

Before I answered I thought about Andrea and my bad dream that night. Would it be so bad to give Danni the illusion that I would work things out with her? Not saying that I had to, but would it really be that bad of an idea to cut off several women for the commitment of one? I was really thinking the idea over.

“Let me think about it over this trip,” I told her.

She nodded. “That’s fair enough. I mean, it’s not like I’m asking you to give blood or anything.”

I looked into her eyes to catch her smiling. If she only knew how crazy my dream was that night, she wouldn’t have joked about blood like that. But I hadn’t told her my real dream, and I never would.