"I know a little about plenty of sports, but I never really got into them. I was always more interested in music. Even in school, the basketball and volleyball teams always wanted me to tryout since I’m tall or something,, but I didn't want to play. I was happy with my music."
"Oh, you're into music. What kind?" he asked.
"All kinds. And I do mean all kinds. I listen to everything. When I was younger, I wanted to play everything. Sometimes, I'm content to just listen to a summer night because it's filled with enough sound to be considered music," she replied with a soft, contented look.
"So, do you play something?"
Dane smiled slightly and nodded almost shyly. She started going down the list of instruments that she played. and Raymond began talking about classical music. Dane chuckled because she now knew where Nicole got her taste in music. The only lull in the discussion came when Raymond asked Dane what made her get into music. She steered clear of the question and Raymond didn't force the issue. Kate wasn't following the discussion, so she missed the chance to make things uncomfortable for Dane.
Nicole smiled, seeing her father get along with her girlfriend. Kate didn't make any attempts to do so and spent the night glaring daggers at Dane when she wasn't making snappy comments. Nicole sighed in relief as soon as her parents left.
"Could your mother hate me any more?" Dane inquired with a deep sigh of her own. Aside from glaring and insulting Dane for the entire time that she was there, Kate tried to goad the younger woman into sensitive debates about money, politics, religion, and just about anything that could start a serious argument. Dane had skillfully dodged all attempts, but it was clear that was only upsetting Kate more.
"I'm sure she could with a little effort. I have never had a dinner so tense with her before.
"On a good note, I think your dad liked me a little bit, I could tell he was trying really hard."
"I'm grateful that he at least tried, even though you definitely didn't gain any points when you called his favorite composer a hack."
Dane shrugged. "I call it like I see it. The guy was a hack. You spent a lot of time with your father growing up, didn't you?"
A dry laugh escaped Nicole. "I actually spent a lot of time with both my parents growing up. I just happen to take an interest in a couple of things my dad liked. He got me into tennis, softball, and baseball. We used to play tennis together a lot, especially when I was younger. My mother came to all of my games."
Dane smiled. "That's nice. I can't imagine what it's like, but it sounds very nice. My parents wouldn't come to my recitals when I was younger, even though I started playing because I knew my mother really liked the piano. So, despite the fact that your mother hates my guts, I think you are lucky to have the parents you have."
"Especially since even though my mother doesn't like you, she did tolerate your presence. It is more than she's done with my past girlfriends, so it's a start. Hopefully, we can work her over to the right side sooner or later."
Dane laughed. She wasn't too sure Kate would change her mind, but she didn't care. The point was that Nicole didn't change her mind.
"How about a movie to top off the night?" Dane suggested.
"I would much rather whip you in some trivia right now, so let's find a show," Nicole replied with a playful smile.
"Uh, can I change first?" Danny requested, earning a laugh and a nod.
They went to change into something more comfortable before cleaning up the clutter from dinner. Finished, they snuggled up onto the couch and scanned over five hundred channels in search of a game show. Once they found one, it was on.
CHAPTER 19
Nicole groaned, rolled over in bed and flopped on top of a nude Dane. The younger woman moaned from the contact and her arms automatically went around her mate. Nicole snuggled closer to Danny, burrowing her face into Danny's neck. She wanted to revel in the soft, sweet-smelling skin for as long as possible. She took a deep breath, which tickled Dane's flesh.
"Are you sniffing me?" Dane whispered. She laughed as her eyes partially opened to see a mass of auburn hair buried in her neck.
"Maybe…" Nicole replied and blatantly sniffed her human mattress. She loved the way her girlfriend smelled. There was something about Danny's natural aroma that was so…her. To Nicole, Danny smelled as she should: subtle, laidback, almost like a lazy summer afternoon with nothing about her being overpowering. It was intoxicating.
"You get stranger by the day."
Nicole scoffed. "As if you don't sniff me every once in a while. You've admitted before that you like doing it after showers and I know you do it after we make love. Sometimes, you rub your nose all over me."
"Busted." Danny grinned sheepishly and gave her lover a gentle squeeze. "I can't help that you smell so good," she cooed.
"Well, I'm just trying to commit as much of you to memory as I can, so I can make it through the day. You do remember it's a long day for me, right?" Nicole danced her finger along Danny's side reveling in the feel of her lover.
"Of course I remember. I never forget anything about you. You'll be fine, just like you were the last couple of times. It's me that has to make it through torturous hours alone in the quiet still of the house," Dane dramatically complained and gave Nicole a squeeze around the waist. She earned a giggle from the smaller woman.
"Please, you probably light off fireworks and have blockbuster parties when I'm not here to nag you about things."
Dane kissed the top of Nicole's head. "Since when do you nag me to do anything?"
"Oh, those trips where I dragged you to the doctor's office kicking and screaming weren't nagging? Good to know. I'll do it more often." Nicole knew it would make her girlfriend adorably nervous.
"You wouldn't dare. That physical therapist is evil." Dane stated with heartfelt emotion that made her partner nearly laugh.
"Baby, she's not evil. She's helping you get your hand stronger and helping you with your leg and knee. She even said that you might be able to play your guitar again without having to pause so much if you really work at it. So, you should be happy about that instead of giving that woman such a hard time."
A deep, exaggerated pout fell onto Dane's face. "Nope, don't wanna."
Nicole giggled at the childish response. Danny disliked physical therapy, but Nicole was sure that tune would change when Danny could finally pick up her guitar and play without pausing. When all was quiet again, Nicole ran her hands up and down Dane's bare side. Danny halted the movement by placing her hands over Nicole's busy ones.
"Don't start something you can't finish. You have to get up in a few minutes," Dane warned.
"I could call in sick." the redhead suggested with a sly smile.
"No, you won't call in sick. You have class tonight, too, so you'll have to leave the house eventually."
Nicole kissed Danny's neck; it was a long, wet kiss meant to seduce. "I don't have to go to class, either."
Dane whimpered, but managed to stay strong and pull away. "Yes, you do. School just started and it won't look good for you to miss a day so early. Besides, what if you really get sick or something? You can't miss a lot of days."
"You're right, honey." Nicole pouted. "I hate it when you're right."
"I know. That's why I don't make it a point to be right often. C'mon. You get in the shower and I'll start on breakfast. I'll make you an egg sandwich with sausage." Dane hummed.
"Fine. You do drive a hard bargain."
"I know I do, but I'll make it up to you with lunch."
Nicole smiled and leaned up to give Danny a "proper" good morning kiss and show her approval of the offer. Dane moaned loudly as Nicole took command of her mouth and controlled the kiss. Dane submitted to her lover's will for almost a minute before she pushed back to take over. Nicole battled with Dane before the musician pulled away.
"No, no, no, we've got to get out of bed." Dane chastised herself and her girlfriend. If they continued on as they were Nicole would be late for work.
> "Party-pooper," Nicole teased as she climbed out of bed.
***
Dane sighed and took a few deep breaths while watching Nicole cover her nude form with a nearby robe. The cloth teased Danny's senses. Damn, being responsible is hard.
Dane didn't get out of bed until Nicole was tucked away in the adjoining bathroom. She yawned and stretched, a few joints popping and a couple of bones cracking accompanied the sound of the shower starting. Dane scanned the room for her clothing, finding her boxers near the closet. She couldn't help chuckling, remembering how the shorts got there. She didn't even bother looking for her t-shirt and just fetched a new one from her dresser drawer. After sliding on the new t-shirt, she grabbed some fresh shorts to avoid tempting Nicole when she came down for breakfast.
Dane made her way downstairs while going through a mental checklist of what she needed today. There was a lesson on her schedule, but only one because she was gathering clients all over again since her unannounced vacation. Since Nicole had her class that night and would be out late, it would be the perfect night to do laundry. It'd keep her occupied while she was alone in the house.
God, this woman makes me happy to do her laundry. I've been bewitched. Danny smiled and hoped the spell never wore off if that were the case.
She gathered the items that she needed for breakfast and Nicole's lunch. She packed the lunch first; it was leftovers from dinner, as it almost always was. She dropped two pudding cups, chocolate and vanilla, into the lunch bag and made a note to go shopping later. Iced tea was the beverage for the day, and since Nicole would be out for most of the day, she put a fruit cup in there for a snack.
With lunch packed, Dane started on breakfast. By the time she was done with the eggs, Nicole was in the kitchen and pouring them both some orange juice. They had breakfast together as always and discussed any and everything that came to mind. Dane walked Nicole to the door and sent her off after giving her a deep, loving kiss.
Before Nicole was out of the driveway, Dane was already going about the house picking up any dirty clothes that had somehow not made it to the hamper. She had a couple of hours to kill before she had to leave for the music lesson. After the lesson, she'd do the grocery shopping. Once she was done with that, she'd get to the laundry since Nicole wouldn't be home until about 9:30 this evening.
A smile suddenly worked its way to her face as she got an idea of just what she should do. Nick'll kill me for sure.
***
Nicole yawned and rubbed her eyes. She glanced at her clock and discovered it was time for most of the office employees to go home. She would've been running out the doors right with them, but she had class in an hour.
Raymond poked his head into Nicole's office. "Nikki, sweetheart, are you going home?"
"No, Daddy. I told you before that I have class on Mondays and Wednesdays." She discovered her parents had selective memories when it came to the days that she had school. It let her know their opinions remained the same on her going back to school for her chemistry degree, but she didn't care. She got the support that she needed and she'd get that degree. After that, she'd do her best to get the hell out of practicing law.
"Oh, right. It really doesn't make much sense for you to be taking classes again, Nikki. You've got the degrees you need."
"Not the ones I want, though," she countered in a calm tone. She was beyond getting upset and there was no point in debating the issue.
Raymond frowned slightly and silently conceded the argument once again. He had been conceding to his daughter quite a bit lately. Nicole was glad for it, even though she could tell it bothered her parents. They seemed to think she changed and wasn't the same person because she was doing things with which they disagreed.
***
Raymond eased her door shut and marched away because he wasn't sure what else to say. He didn't know what to make of her wanting a chemistry degree when she already had a career at which she was brilliant. He was trying to accept it was something she wanted for herself. He didn't think it was as terrible as Kate did because his wife took it as a personal betrayal, a betrayal of them by Nicole stepping out of their shadow. Kate figured Danny had managed to get Nicole to go back to school and was trying to turn Nicole against them. Kate was sure that Nicole's change in personality was due to Dane and accused Danny of stealing Nicole from them. Raymond would concede that Danny was probably the reason Nicole was changing so much, but didn't think of it as a completely negative thing like Kate did. He acknowledged Dane was good for Nicole's emotional wellbeing, but he still didn't like disagreeing with Nicole so much over the graduate school issue.
Raymond shook the thoughts away to avoid wasting time on something that he couldn't solve on his own. He had his briefcase in hand and his coat on already and was headed home for the night. He made it to the main hall and saw there was a commotion rising in the lobby.
"What the hell are you doing here." Tyler's bellow echoed throughout the whole building.
Raymond made his way over to the disturbance, wondering what was causing Tyler to raise his voice to extremely inappropriate levels. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Tyler was yelling at Danny. A small crowd was watching the scene, undoubtedly wondering what was happening. Having an audience didn't halt Tyler; in fact, he seemed to be happy that he could humiliate his cousin in front of so many people.
"We don't have handouts for lowlife bums."
Dane eyed her cousin in a bored manner and didn't bother barking back at him. Tyler's face was bright red from raising his voice. He didn't even notice the crowd that gathered around wasn’t on his side. Whatever Tyler was doing, it certainly was entertaining and they stayed continuing to watch.
"Tyler," Raymond called in a calm voice.
"What." the irritated attorney demanded before he turned to see who was talking to him. His expression immediately sobered.
"I think you need to take that attitude outside," Raymond ordered in a firm tone.
Tyler frowned and pointed at his cousin with the same regard that he'd point to an unwanted object. "Why should I go outside? Dane doesn't belong here and doesn't have any business being here."
"Danny's fine and has plenty of business here. I think the person that doesn't have any business here at the moment is you, so go home," Raymond stated in a civil tone.
A feather could've knocked Tyler over at this point as he gawked back and forth between Dane and Raymond. He sputtered, trying his best to say something, but words failed him and he stormed off in a huff.
"Throws a temper tantrum just as well as his uncle does," Dane remarked, her eyes on Raymond instead of watching her cousin leave.
"You here to surprise my daughter?" Raymond asked while suppressing a smile. He couldn't remember a girlfriend or boyfriend surprising Nicole. He decided he really needed to talk to Kate, if Nicole welcomed a visit from Dane at the firm. It would be the first time that Nicole assented to mixing a little pleasure with business.
"I'm trying. I thought big mouth might blow the whole thing," Danny said with a half smile.
"I'm sure he was trying. Has Nikki said anything about him bothering her?" Raymond heard things around the office about Tyler now that he listened for them and he didn't like what he heard. Also he disliked the few things that he observed when he watched the younger man every now and then. After the display moments ago, he planned to talk to Tyler tomorrow about his conduct and what it meant to be a professional.
Dane ran a hand through her hair. "She talks to me about Tyler as much as she talks to you about him."
He nodded. "That sounds like Nikki. Danny, can I talk to you for a few minutes before you go see her?"
She shrugged and followed behind Raymond to the elevator. There were a few whispers as they walked by people to the elevator and then to his office. Dane had been to the firm once before not long ago, but she had remained in the lobby waiting for Nicole. It hadn't been enough time for people to get a good look at her, but it started the rumor mill. Nicole to
ld Dane that she suspected the rumors were started because Tyler went around telling people that Nicole was a "dyke" and bedding a homeless woman, so when Dane came up there, people saw ‘the homeless woman’ briefly and that was enough to get them to start swapping stories. Now that Dane was up there again, people would get a better look at her and start talking again.
"Close the door behind you," Raymond instructed Dane as they entered his office.
She silently nodded and did as she was told. She glanced around quickly, taking in the dark woods that decorated his office. It was rich, like she expected of Raymond. She could only imagine how decadent Kathleen's office looked.
"Danny, did you know about Nicole going back to school?" Raymond inquired with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Yeah, we talked about it," Dane admitted with a lazy shrug. Of course I know. We live in the same house and Nicole had already attended two weeks of classes.
Raymond was silent. Dane studied his face, watching him scratch his wrinkled brow. She knew he couldn't understand Nicole's need to go back to school. What she couldn't understand was what the issue was in the first place. Nicole liked chemistry and wanted to be a chemist. It seemed simple enough, but obviously not since Raymond and Kathleen continued giving Nicole grief about it.
"Well, she never said anything to me or her mother. This isn't good, Danny. It'll cut into her time at the firm, her time with you."
Dane knew a ploy when she heard one. He wanted her to be upset since Nicole wouldn't be able to send time with her or make the same amount of money anymore. If only he knew what I used to get by on, she thought.
Dane shrugged again. "It's what'll make her happy. I'm willing to sacrifice a little time if it'll make her happy."
"Why is she doing this? She already has a damn good job," he stated with a stern expression.
Dane frowned and regarded him as if he was short. "Yes, it's a good job as far as money goes, but it makes her miserable. She hates it here. She hates what she does and she hates a lot of the people she's forced to interact with. She deserves to be happy."
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