Teacher: Act Two (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy Book 2)

by Merrill, R. L.

  I got cleaned up, threw on a sundress and pulled my hair up. Danny had hidden my bag in his closet and hung my dresses up, the sneak. I wandered out to the kitchen and found Nora in there cleaning.

  “Good morning,” I said quietly. She looked up and gestured outside with her chin.

  “He’s been out there for a long time. Everything go ok last night?”

  I shrugged. “Yes and no. He was in a great mood, but then we were talking and he just went to this really vulnerable place.”

  Nora dropped her towel and let out a sigh. “He gets like this sometimes. I think recording is good for him because he gets to work out his demons, but it can mess with his head. He’s a perfectionist when it comes to the music. When it’s not perfect, he starts to doubt himself. It bleeds over on to everything.”

  I frowned. “Well, that’s just unacceptable,” I said, perturbed. “I’m glad he’s working out his feelings, but he needs to get it through his thick skull that he is perfect!”

  Nora snorted. “Oh, you two are a pair! Good luck with that. I’ll enjoy watching you try to convince him.” I turned and winked at her. “You want breakfast, sugar?”

  “Not yet, thanks. I’m going to go see if I can’t turn his frown upside down.”

  She barked out a laugh and muttered, “Better you than me.”

  I walked out through the slider, hugging myself when I felt the morning chill. The fog hadn’t burned off yet, but it was supposed to be a very warm day.

  “Hey, baby,” I whispered as I sat next to him. He was drinking tea in his jeans with no shirt on and, thankfully, bare feet. He gave me a small smile and kept sipping on his tea.

  “I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

  He shook his head. “Not at all. I was just enjoying some quiet. You cold? Come here.” He lifted his arm so I could snuggle up to him.

  “I have a confession to make,” I said, hoping I could get him to smile just a little more.

  “Oh yeah? You rob a bank or something? You’re CIA?”

  I giggled and pinched his side, causing him to jump and almost spill his tea.

  “Hey! Watch it, killer! I don’t want blisters.”

  “Sorry. No, it’s none of those. It’s a little embarrassing, but I feel like I have to tell you.” He raised an eyebrow and took another drink. I took an exaggerated breath. “It’s your feet, Danny.”

  He turned to me and frowned and then looked down. “My feet? What about them?”

  I sighed dramatically. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this. My favorite thing about seeing you in the mornings is your bare feet. I don’t know what it is about them, but they are extremely sexy.”

  He shook his head and laughed softly. “My feet. Huh. I’ve never given them much thought.” I kissed his shoulder, and he turned to brush a kiss across my forehead.

  “So what time is Patricia coming today?”

  He finished his tea and put his cup down on the ground. He pulled me closer to him and rested his chin on my hair. “I think she’ll be here around noon? She’s been instructed to buy whatever looks good on you and not to listen to your protesting.”

  I groaned. “Ok, Mr. Bossypants. Whatever you say. I hope this is not a regular thing. You do not have to buy me things, Danny. You just need to let me look at your perfect feet.”

  He laughed, leaning back further. I was now lying on his chest facing him. Our bodies curled around each other. It felt like we were made to be close like this. He closed his eyes for a minute and looked like he might actually be relaxing.

  “Did you sleep at all,” I whispered. He just frowned.

  “A little.” I ran my thumb across his crease and he caught my hand, kissing my fingers. “Can I just hold you for a while?”

  I snuggled even closer and said, “Of course, baby. Whatever you need.”

  We were quiet like that for a long time. He may have slept. I just concentrated all my positive vibes and tried to send them his way. The sun came out about an hour and a half later and the warmth felt good on my legs. Just as my eyelids were getting heavy, I felt a cold wet nose on my foot.

  “Hey, girl! Good morning! How are you digging your crate?”

  Danny moved a little, but had definitely fallen asleep. Legs put her paws up on his chest. I pushed her back a little and told her, “Daddy’s sleeping. Go do your business.” She trotted off to sniff around her pad as Jane came out the slider looking sleepy.

  I held a finger up to my lips and she giggled. “Is he really sleeping?”

  I nodded. “I think he had a rough night trying to sleep after such a big day yesterday. How is Legs doing with her crate?”

  She giggled. “She’s fine. She wakes me up sometimes with her puppy mares. She sounds so cute.”

  “She is so cute, aren’t you sweetie.” I reached over to give her a scratch and Danny shifted under me, grabbing my hips and moaning softly. Jane and I giggled and she rolled her eyes.

  “If he starts groping you, I’m gonna barf.”

  “I’m sorry, Jane.” I started to get up and he pulled me to him tighter, moaning a little more.

  Jane waved her hands, “Don’t move, don’t wake him. He looks happy.”

  I looked down at him and he was smiling peacefully in his sleep. I couldn’t help it.. My heart was so full of love for him. I was glad to see him happy, even in sleep.

  “Trust me, it’s fine. He needs his sleep,” she said quietly.

  I looked seriously at her and said, “Jane, I don’t want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. I don’t know how I would feel if some woman was all over my dad in front of me.”

  She rolled her eyes and said, “Yeah, but you aren’t ‘some woman,’ Jesse. And you take care of him. As long as you guys aren’t running around naked or making out in front of my friends or something, it’s cool.”

  “See? I told you she was a smart girl,” Danny muttered. I pinched him and he started laughing.

  “Were you playing possum, you little brat!”

  I tried to get off him again, but he rolled me underneath him and started biting my neck. Jane started laughing and fake-rescuing me. She grabbed his arm and yelled, “Get off her, Dad!”

  He turned and roared at her and she ran screaming from him. He chased her towards the door and caught her, swinging her up in his arms. He jumped into the pool with her, clothes and all. Legs chased after them and stood at the side of the pool, barking seriously at them. I walked over to sit next to her and calm her down.

  “It’s ok, sweetie. Your daddy is just being silly.” Jane and Danny emerged at the deep end and she tried to dunk him back under. They were play fighting for a while when Nora came out laughing.

  “I gotta hand it to you, sugar. That seems like an improvement.”

  I smiled at her and said, “Baby steps, Nora. Baby steps.”

  By 10:30 Jane had eaten and she and Nora decided to run up to the ranch before I left so I could hang out with Legs. Danny said he was going in a little earlier today so he could get some stuff done before the others got there. I followed him back to the bedroom so he could get ready and did not turn down his offer to shower together.

  “Are you feeling any better,” I asked him as I washed his hair for him.

  He moaned at the feel of my fingers. “I’m feeling pretty fucking great right now.” I pulled a little and he said, “Ow! Sorry, yeah. I don’t know what happened last night. I felt pretty good, but I don’t know. I guess I just kind of got lost in my head a little.”

  “It’s ok. I just worried. I promise, tonight when you get home, no heavy conversations. I’ll be waiting for you to make you feel better. Any requests?”

  He turned around and pulled me against him, looking down at me with a scheming smile. “You mean I get to make requests? Damn, this just keeps getting better and better.” He took his time washing my hair and running his hands over me, all the while making deep thinking noises.

  “Nope, can’t think of anything hotter than finding you in my b
athtub waiting for me. That was pretty fucking perfect.”

  I would think of something, though. If he needed a distraction, I wanted to give it to him. If he wanted to play, I’d be ready for that, too. If he just needed me to hold him, I’d hold him all night.

  We finished our shower and got dressed. “Do you want me to pick something out for you to wear for either occasion?”

  He smiled at me as he slipped on a Pantera t-shirt. It looked really soft and worn. I’d have to make sure to steal it when he took it off tonight.

  “If you see something you like. I have suits, maybe a shirt in a color you like? I think you know I have a monochromatic wardrobe.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, but it looks so damn good on you, I have no complaints.”

  He kissed me one last time before heading out. “Jesse?” He’d stopped at the door.

  I was just zipping up my skirt and still standing in my bra. “Yes, baby?”

  He smiled softly at me, looking at me with so much love in his eyes. “I heard every word you said last night and it meant a lot to me. Thank you for being here. I love you.”

  I reached up and touched my pendant. “I love you, too, Danny. I hope you have a good day.”

  He took one last look, sighed and turned to leave.

  I was frozen in place for a moment, remembering the night we went to the club together and he’d said, “You could end me with one word. I hope you don’t, but you could.” I reminded myself that I needed to be so careful with him.

  I was outside with Legs when Patricia arrived. She obviously had a key, and it startled me when she closed the slider.

  “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you,” I said, standing up. Legs trotted over to check her out and she bent down to say hello.

  “She is a cute little thing, isn’t she? You ready to shop?”

  I shrugged nervously. “I don’t know, Patricia. I’m a little intimidated by this whole thing.”

  She waved me off. “Don’t worry about it, babe. You’re in good hands. If Blackened ever breaks up or I decide I’m done babysitting rock and roll bad boys, I’ll go be a personal shopper. I LOVE shopping! But I know you don’t, so I promise not to torture you. We’ll make this fun, ok? Besides, I’ve been dying to spend some time with you and find out just how you’ve turned my Danny into such a teddy bear. Do you know he hasn’t grouched at me once in the past few months? Ever since he met you he’s been all, ‘Whatever you think, Patricia. Whatever you want.’ I could just kiss you!”

  I laughed. “I haven’t done anything! He's just so happy he can sing and that he finished school. I can’t take credit for any of it.”

  She raised an eyebrow at me and said, “Fine, make me dig. I’ll figure it out. You ready?”

  “Sure, let me just put Legs in her crate. The girls should be back soon. C’mon girl.” Legs followed me happily into Jane’s room and I tossed a couple chew toys in for her. “See you soon, little one. Wish me luck.”

  Patricia’s car was a little red Corvette. Perfect. She was wearing a black pencil skirt with a sleeveless cream blouse. She had such fine, porcelain skin, it was incredible. She was probably in her mid-thirties and had that pin-up girl look down to a ‘t’. She drove fast and blared rock music through a killer stereo. She had an infectious energy, and I felt myself relaxing a bit.

  “I have a few shops in mind that I think carry stuff that Danny would like. Of course, he’ll like anything you wear! You certainly have a more professional style than women he’s dated in the past.” Ok, that felt weird. I think she realized it, too, and quickly apologized. “I'm sorry. I just meant to point out yet another way you are different. I don’t compare you to other women he’s dated because that’s just it. They were dates. Usually a functional necessity. I don’t want you to feel like you’re one in a long line, because you’re not. He’s not like that.”

  I nodded. “That’s what I’ve been told.” I looked down at my skirt, a floral print in pastel color. I frowned. I dressed the teacher role so often I didn’t really have a style outside of that.

  “You know, Patricia, I am open to whatever you think suits me. These are work clothes mostly. I don’t even begin to understand fashion, and have no idea what will look nice, so lead on! Make me your project.” Her eyes lit up and she revved the engine a little. Nervous, I said, “But don’t get carried away! We are absolutely not doing damage to Danny’s credit card today. I refuse for him to spend a bunch of money on clothes for me. It’s ridiculous! I’m only doing this because I really have nothing to wear to a wedding.”

  She grinned at me and patted my knee. “I’m absolutely seeing how this happened. I hear you. We won’t go crazy, but we are getting you some nice things. I’m under orders, and while you won’t get in trouble, I will if you don’t come home with what he feels is acceptable. He’s never asked me to do this before, other than to buy gifts for associates, but he knew exactly what he wanted for you, so there you have it.”

  I couldn’t help it, I totally laughed. “Ah, Mr. Bossypants strikes again.”

  She chuckled, too, and then we were turning on Melrose. The block we parked on was packed with specialty boutiques and eateries that were certainly more my idea of fun than the haute couture in Beverly Hills.. I relaxed even more, thinking she knew exactly what she was doing.

  Patricia and I had a blast! She took me to some trendy boutiques, but nothing was outrageously priced. For the wedding we chose two dresses, both with crocheted overlay, one in royal blue and one in peach. Patricia couldn’t decide which one Danny would like more so she wanted me to get both. One pair of tan strappy sandals with heels matched both and I bought a white wrap embroidered with beaded skulls on it. I figured Danny would appreciate the gesture.

  For the dinner party, we settled on a classy black dress that looked very 1960’s. I told her I worried it wasn’t conservative enough so she had me also buy a longer black dress with a boatneck collar, and we found black heels to go with both. I figured we were done, but she had other ideas, so we ended up in a lingerie boutique next.

  “This part is just as much for you, my dear, as it is for Danny. I want you to pick out some nice undergarments because we all know we feel more confident and beautiful when we are sexy down to our silkies.”

  I giggled and decided I would relent, knowing it could have a nice effect on Danny. I found several sets of matching bras and panties that were on sale and decided to go with garters and stockings for the dinner party dress. Patricia insisted on adding two nighties to our purchases.

  “You never know,” she winked conspiratorially.

  “Was this specifically part of your ‘orders’, Patricia?”

  She looked innocent for a moment, but couldn’t pull it off. “It was mentioned, yes. But only as a necessity.”

  “Sure. I can imagine just how that conversation went.”

  We were walking back towards the car when I noticed a men’s store and told her I wanted to look for a shirt for Danny.

  “He said I could get him something to go under his suit.”

  Score! I found shirts that were exactly the same color as the two dresses I’d picked up for the wedding and while it might be a little prom-ish, they would both look dashing on him. Patricia found the right size and while she wholeheartedly agreed the colors would look good on him, she added, “I am a firm supporter of his color choice. It’s just him. Makes it easier to shop for him, that’s for sure.”

  When we were nearing the cashier, I noticed a selection of bracelets and leather cuffs. One caught my eye as a perfect gift for Danny. It was black with a pewter heart in the center. The word “soul” was engraved on it and it just seemed appropriate.

  “I’m going to make a purchase here. No arguing allowed,” I said.

  She took the shirts from me, glancing over my shoulder at the cuff. “Very Danny. Nice choice.”

  I pulled my credit card out and paid for it, feeling good that I was able to find something nice for him, something personal. I loved my
pendant. It was the most touching gift I’d ever been given, with the exception of a simple gold necklace for my sixteenth birthday from my parents.

  We were walking back to the car, laughing, when I almost ran into a woman on the sidewalk coming out of one of the higher-class shops.

  “Grace,” Patricia said and I internally winced to see that we’d literally almost collided with Mrs. Manning.

  “How are you, dear,” she said to Patricia, air kissing her cheeks. “Nice to see you again, Miss Martin.” She gave me a once over that dripped disdain. “Out spending Danny’s money, I see?”

  My face flushed and I felt as though all the air had been sucked out of West Hollywood.

  “Grace! Danny instructed me to take her shopping for a couple of events they are going to. Hardly a reason to be disrespectful.”

  Grace raised an eyebrow and said, “My apologies. I’d hate to see the man be taken advantage of. I just assumed a teacher would need to do her shopping at the mall.”

  “I usually do shop at the mall, Mrs. Manning. At least there I don’t have people accusing me of being a gold digger.”

  She smiled wickedly and said, “Truth can hurt, dear. But then I’m sure you are aware of that.”

  “I am aware of that, but I don’t know that you are. I’d appreciate it if you’d stop asking Jane pointed questions about her mother. It’s none of your business, but she’s very sensitive about things right now, and doesn’t want to talk about it.” Why not dive right in and tell this woman how I felt?

  “And just who are you to speak for Jane, hmmm? Screwing her father gives you no right.” She liked to play dirty. Not what I expected from a woman with such ‘class.’

  “Grace! That is enough! Let’s go, Jesse. You don’t have to listen to this.” She tried to take my arm, but I pulled away from her and stepped closer to Mrs. Manning, who was at least four inches shorter than me. Height was nice at times like this.

  “I don’t really care what you think of me. What I do care about is whether Jane or Danny are hurt. I won’t allow you to come between them, no matter how much you wish he was still with Brooke. She left, ok? Maybe you should let it go. Whether he and I stay together is irrelevant. Bringing up Brooke is only going to upset both of them so please, drop it.”