“I might have the perfect place for her, if you’re sure she’s available,” I said, thinking there was no way Jane was going to be able resist her charms.
He shrugged and said, “Sure. She’s been here over a week and no one has come for her. Frankly, I feel bad for her and don’t want her to get hurt when these jackasses start getting wild. You wanna take her?”
I nodded, cuddling her. “I do. Jane has been asking Danny for a puppy. I hope they won’t mind, but if they do, I’ll make sure she goes to a good home. One of the teachers I work with is involved with a rescue organization. She’ll help me, I’m sure, if I need it.”
He smiled. “Getting domestic over there, I see. When are you moving in?” He was genuinely asking, there was no hidden agenda there.
“I don’t know, Cosmo. Am I being difficult if I tell Danny we should wait for another two months until he gets his diploma? It has nothing to do with him actually getting the piece of paper. I just thought it would be a good length of time. I don’t know, everything’s been so intense, and then I got sick and he’s worried about me... I don’t know what the hell I’m doing,” I laughed.
He took the puppy from me so I could step over the gate. We sat on the ground and she crawled all over me.
“I don’t think you are being difficult, baby, but why do you think you want to wait?”
I shrugged. “No reason other than trying to do what’s right. I don’t want to set a bad example for Jane, which I did this morning when she found me sleeping in his bed!"
"Were you naked," he whispered.
I groaned. "Cosmo! No! That's not the point! Her mom is moving in with some producer in New York and they’re getting married. I don’t know. She says she wants me to be with her dad, but I don’t want to cause problems. It's a lot for her at once."
He nudged my shoulder. “That sounds like a whole lot of what’s best for everyone else. What do you want?’
I sighed and cuddled the now-sleeping puppy to my chest. “I want to be with him. I feel like I'm part of the family over there. I just hate it that he has to take care of me. Being sick in front of him was terrible, although he was super sweet about it. He says he wants to take care of me, but I don’t feel right not supporting myself.”
“Are you afraid that something will happen and you won’t be taken care of?”
I looked up at him, his dark eyes so sincere. “Not really. I know I’ll survive somehow, but moving in with him just feels like taking the easy way."
He burst out laughing. “Jesus, Jesse! Life doesn’t always have to be about struggle! But I guess you’ve been doing that for so long, it feels normal, doesn’t it?”
He was right. I think I was so used to having to do everything myself, having to fight for everything, that being loved and wanted felt like cheating.
“I’m a disaster, Cosmo. What should I do?”
He laughed. “You’re really going to ask me? You know I will miss you terribly, but fuck it, baby! He loves you. If you guys can avoid having sex at the dinner table in front of his daughter, I’m sure you can manage to provide her with a positive influence. It’s not like you are walking around in latex with a whip and shit.”
My eyes bugged out at him. “Where did all that come from,” I asked with a laugh and he rubbed his stubbled jaw.
“Guess I still have some fantasies." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I elbowed him in the ribs. "I'll behave, I promise! But if you go, you need to promise me something." His tone grew serious.
"What is it?"
He took my hand in his and said, "Promise me that if he ever treats you badly, or you decide to leave, or if you just need someone, you'll always call me? Your best friend?"
"How did I get so lucky to pick this piece of shit apartment and end up with such a good friend? I don't deserve you, but I promise, you will always be a part of my life, ok? Even if I go, I'm not leaving you"
Cosmo smiled at me and kissed my hand. "I'm glad to hear it."
I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Did you guys name this little girl yet?"
He laughed and shook his head. "What do you think? We call her Legs."
"Of course you do." I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to go in and grab some things. How about I take her with me when I go? Like I said, if she doesn't end up with us, I'll make sure she gets a good home."
"She will. I have no doubt you will all be happy together." He winked at me, stood and helped me to my feet.
"Thanks. You're the best!"
He shooed me over to my place. I hurriedly showered and changed into capris and a tank. Next I made what I needed to for Danny and grinned at the outcome. I packed what I needed: clothes to get me through the weekend, my two swimsuits and necessary toiletries, some reading material, and before I left, I made sure I unplugged things that weren't necessary to leave plugged in. The last thing I needed was to cause a fire in this old place!
"Hey Cosmo, I don't suppose you have a leash for this girl, do you?"
He handed me a rope with a slipknot. "This is what we've been using. Let me grab this bag of food and her bowls, and I'll load them in your car."
I thanked him and we chatted as we packed my things into my little Honda.
"Did you call Patricia yet about recording with Danny?"
He nodded. "That I did. We have a meeting with him in two weeks and he got us a rehearsal space that we can move into starting Monday."
"That's great! When did this all happen?"
He pulled his hair back and thought for a minute. "Over the weekend. Maybe while you were laid up? Anyway, things are finally happening for the Tragedy it seems!"
I hugged him again, careful not to breathe deeply. "I'm so happy for you guys! Thanks again! I'll let you know what happens with Legs."
He laughed and kissed the top of my head. "Let me know what happens with both of you. Now get back to your man," he said and closed me into my car.
Legs looked up at me from the passenger seat happily. She was pretty mellow for a puppy so young. I didn't know a ton about dogs, but she couldn't have been more than a couple months old. She was wire-haired with deep golden eyes. Her black and grey coat reminded me of those giant Wolfhounds that marched in the St. Patrick's Day parades, but she was so small. I doubted it was possible she would get that big.
"I just know Jane is going to love you, little girl. Are you ready for an adventure?" A couple of thumps of her tail told me she was, and as I pulled away, she sat up straight to look out the window.
It was already 1:00 when I got back and I hoped Jane and Nora weren't back yet. I'd texted Danny so he wouldn't worry, especially after our tense night. He pulled open the door as Legs and I approached and his expression was priceless. He crouched down and let her paw and lick him all over.
"I wondered if I might see this little girl again! Hey honey!" He took me in his arms and inhaled deep.
"How does it feel to be done," I whispered.
He pulled back and kissed me deeply. "Mmmm, like that."
I giggled and said, "I brought her here because some girl just dumped her with Cosmo and he was worried they wouldn't take good enough care of her. I know Jane wants to pick out a dog, so if she doesn't want Legs, I told Cosmo I'd take her to a teacher I know who helps out with a rescue."
Danny burst out laughing. "They named her after you? That is just precious! You really think Jane is going to turn away this gorgeous girl?" Danny scooped her up and got all baby-talking, smoochy-face with her. It was absolutely the cutest thing I'd ever seen.
"What's in the bag, honey," he asked absently as we walked in the front door.
I swallowed nervously. "I thought I would camp out in your spare room for a few days and hang out with Jane while you are in the studio. I hope that wasn't presumptuous of me."
Danny turned around to face me and froze, Legs twirling around his feet. He seemed shocked, and when he didn't speak for a minute, I started to lose my nerve.
"If you'd rather I didn't, I under-"
His arms crushed me to him before I could finish my sentence and he kissed me desperately. I pulled back to catch my breath and his hands cradled my face.
"Are you fucking kidding me? I don't want you to ever leave, honey, but I'm trying to be patient. I'm so damn happy right now!" His enthusiasm was infectious.
"Me, too. But I'm sleeping in the spare room. Jane found me in your bed this morning and I felt terrible. I'm sorry, I tried to wake up when you left, but my body is all off schedule."
He shook his head. "It's fine, Jesse. She understands. I talked to her about it. If it makes you feel better to stay in the spare room, I won't argue. I'm just so happy you're here I could scream!"
"Don't do that! You have to go to the doctor tomorrow!"
He nodded, kissing me again so that I was quickly losing all perspective, when he suddenly broke away. "Shit! We've got to get to your appointment! What are we going to do with Legs?"
Just then we heard the girls coming in and he smiled fiendishly.
"Ok, girl," he whispered to Legs. "Go meet your sister. Go on!" Legs wobbled over to the door wagging her tail and when Jane opened the door she squealed!
"Who are you," she said, kneeling down, wonder in her voice. Legs pawed her and jumped up in her face to kiss her.
Nora came in behind her, beaming. "Where did you come from?"
"She's a refugee from Jesse's apartment. Her neighbor didn't think they could take good enough care of her so Jesse came to the rescue."
I looked between them and said, "If she's not what you wanted..." That was as far as I got.
"You mean we get to keep her? She's perfect, Daddy! Thank you so much!" She squealed and bounded over to Danny with Legs flopping happily in her arms.
"Thank Jesse. She's the one who saved her from those hairy beasts. Huh, Legs, you perfect little girl."
Jane giggled. "Her name is Legs? That's silly!"
I slapped my forehead and Danny laughed. "The guys named her after Jesse."
Jane looked at him like he'd sprouted horns, looked at me in puzzlement, her gaze dropped to my lower half. "Oh yeah, I get it! You are pretty tall." I loved this little girl! "So I guess it's settled! Legs stays," Janey cheered.
Nora clapped her hands, then bent down and had a heart to heart with the little pup to go over who was boss.
"I know you got these folks all snowed with your cuteness, but there will be no potty in my house, ya hear?" Legs gave her a woof and licked her face. Guess we knew who was going to be boss.
"Alright, ladies. You two are in charge. I've got to take Jesse to the acupuncturist and then to pick up her medication. We'll be back for dinner. Then, Janey, you and I can go to the pet store and get the necessary supplies."
Janey said she couldn't wait and immediately took Legs outside to play.
"Watch her around the pool," he yelled and took my hand, kissed it, and hurried me out to the garage, yelling to Nora that we'd be back.
The acupuncture experience was not at all what I thought it would be. The woman we saw was Native American and practiced all kinds of alternative medicine. Her name was Marianne and she was a true natural beauty. I instantly felt at ease with her. She interviewed us in her office, asking me all kinds of questions about my health.
When we got down to it, the needles barely hurt. She placed them carefully around my joints and face and then had me "marinate" in a dark room for about twenty minutes. The scents were heavenly and the sounds of ocean waves had me nearly dozing.
"How do you feel," she asked when she came in.
I mumbled, "Like Jell-o?"
She laughed. "Then the treatment is doing its job. You come back weekly and you may be able to do without the anti-inflammatory the doctor prescribed. Let's try this first, but you should start on the other medications. I have some natural supplements for you that will help flush the toxins, boost your immune system, and help with healthy weight gain. Drink this water and I'll meet you out front when you are ready."
I thanked her and took a moment to get more lucid before I tried to sit up. I felt fuzzy, so I moved slowly. I could hear Danny talking with Marianne, his voice sounding serious. When I emerged, I had to squint until my eyes adjusted and when they did, I saw her handing him his credit card and a large brown bag.
"Ok, Jesse! I'll see you Monday. Danny says you are taking a trip next week, so let's meet before you go." I thanked her and gave Danny a pointed look, which he gleefully ignored as he opened the door and said our goodbyes.
"This sounds promising, babe! How do you feel?"
I took a deep breath. "How do I feel about what? Physically, I feel loopy but good. Emotionally, I'm all over the place." I looked down at my hands and Danny put his between them.
"Thank you for letting me do this. I know you hate it, but can you forget about that? For a little while? Especially if it means you might not have to take as many drugs?"
I exhaled and nodded. "I am grateful, Danny. No matter what happens between us, I will never forget all you have done to take care of me."
He glanced over at me, squeezed my hands and smirked. "Does that mean I can be forgiven in advance if I did something else for you?"
"What?! You are really going to manipulate my gratitude!? You do not fight fair, Danny Black," I said in my most stern voice that was completely ruined by a giggle.
His eyes darted to mine and he said, "Good. I took the liberty of scheduling a shopping trip for you this weekend with Patricia. She lives for this shit! Shopping and spending my fucking money are her favorite things on this earth. I'm having her take you out to get whatever you need for the wedding, as well as a dinner party my parents are insisting on throwing when we visit. "His smile slipped a little and this time I squeezed his hand.
"For some reason you don't sound too excited about that."
He shrugged, lifting my hand to kiss my knuckles. He frowned down at my hand. "Hey! You're bleeding," he said and started to pull over.
"She said it’s fine, babe. She said that means it’s doing its job. I might bruise a little, too, so don't be alarmed, ok?" He winced and took my hand in his a little more gingerly. "It doesn't hurt. You can kiss it and make it better, though."
He growled a little and continued kissing my hand.
"You didn't answer my question. Are you having mixed feelings about seeing your folks?"
He nodded. "Always do. I'm sure they will be wonderful to you and Janey. Otherwise, I wouldn't take you. I just hope my father keeps his snide comments to himself. He can be a real ass."
"So are we going there first? I haven't even told my parents we're coming yet! I guess I should call them."
He laughed. "We can see whomever first. I just wanted to give my mother a heads up. She does nothing last minute. Maybe we can get that over with before we see your parents."
I shrugged. "I'm fine either way. My folks are pretty mellow so there shouldn't be much pressure there. Mom will love you immediately. Dad will try to figure out whether you're worthy. He will soon learn that resistance is futile, like the rest of us have, and he will join Team Danny."
Danny chuckled at that and pulled into the pharmacy parking lot.
I turned on him and said, "Are you going to make a scene this time?" I tried not to laugh but his look of mock indignation ruined it.
"I can't believe you don't trust me! I was simply trying to learn from my teacher! I can't believe you'd accuse me of making a scene." He continued to shake his head as he climbed out of the car and came around to my side. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me, an action I could never get tired of.
"Listen, baby. I can take care of this cost, ok? You've done more than enough for me today, ok? Thank you, again."
He kissed me once more and nodded gravely. "You're more than welcome, honey. But if we walk down the aisle with the flavored lubricants, I might have to stop and do some investigating. You never know when we might need those."
"Of course, you're right." We chatted in the store abou
t our trip and he told me he wanted to book us a hotel in Los Gatos for the first two nights and then we could stay closer to my parents on Thursday if I wanted.
"Whatever you are more comfortable with," I said. "You think Nora will be fine with Legs while we're gone? I'm not sure she's ready for a road trip."
He nodded, pulling on his lip. "You're probably right. I'll check with her, but I'm sure she'll be ok."
The pharmacist had my order ready and took a few minutes to go over the new drugs with me. My head was swimming from his litany of potential side effects. Thankfully Danny listened intently and asked some important questions. We left with another big bag, and my bank account a little lighter.
"They really don't try to make you feel safe about taking these drugs, do they?" Danny looked worried and he had a death grip on my hand.
"They have to tell you all the side effects. Dr. Rosenberg had already told me what to expect. I'm just going to try to stay positive." We were back in the car and I was feeling really tired again.
Danny turned to me and ran his thumb over my chin. "Whatever happens, we face it together."
I nodded and gave him a weak smile.
We were quiet for the drive back to the house. When we arrived, he got out and came around to my side.
"You look like you could use a nap. Want to lie down for a bit?"
I really didn't want to, but I wasn't exactly fit for company. "Just until dinner? You'll wake me?"
He kissed me and helped me carry my things into the spare room. He tucked me in and I was out.
The next time I woke it was full dark outside and I was really warm. I moved to stretch and heard a tiny intake of breath.
"Did you sneak in here to cuddle with me," I whispered to Legs. She made a huge effort of stretching herself and then she licked my face. We went out to the kitchen together where I found Danny sitting on the couch with a stack of directions in front of him. A half built crate was on one side of him, and a pile of wire fencing was on the other. Janey was reading to him from the Internet and Nora was folding towels.
"Somebody came and took a nap with me," I said.
Jane jumped up and threw her arms out to cuddle the puppy.
Teacher: Act Two (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy Book 2) Page 10