“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” asked Rodney. “What’s this implant you were talking about?”
Lisanne turned to face him.
“Daniel’s deaf. He had surgery a week ago and they placed what’s called a cochlear implant just behind his ear, under the skin. Eventually it’ll help him to hear. We hope.”
Rodney stared at Daniel. “He’s… you’re deaf? Completely deaf?”
Daniel met his gaze evenly. “And you thought you were the only one who was different.”
Rodney’s breath caught in his throat, and the two men stared at each other.
“Wow, I… I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry, man.”
Daniel stretched slowly, feeling his ribs as he did so. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”
Rodney gave a rueful smile. “Yeah, right.” He shook his head. “I didn’t even guess.”
“That’s the general idea.”
“But how?”
“Daniel lip reads.” Lisanne answered for him.
Rodney looked out of his depth. “But why do you hide it?”
Daniel gave him a disbelieving look. “You’re asking me that?!”
Rodney stared, then laughed out loud and shook his head. “Most guys try and act cool about it – except for the Neanderthals like Grayson Woods – but even the ones who pretend they aren’t that bothered make jokes about keeping their backs to the wall. You don’t.”
Daniel shrugged, but Lisanne saw a small ripple of pain run through him.
“Well, hell, man, I’ve been called every crappy name under the sun – know every dumb joke about being deaf: ‘How does a deaf person know if someone is screaming or yawning?’ Funny, huh. Got into a lot of fights. I don’t give a shit who you fuck as long as it’s not baby doll because that’s my job.”
Rodney smiled and raised his eyebrows at Lisanne, who was trying to cool down her flushed cheeks. Such a dirty mouth!
“So,” Rodney asked at last, “why did that asshat hit you?”
“Daniel broke his nose at Sonia Brandt’s Thanksgiving pool party.”
Rodney snorted. “Seriously? A lot of people have been wanting to do that for years. The guy’s a bullying bastard. But why did you hit him in the first place? At the party – which no one invited me to, by the way.”
“You were away, remember?”
“Whatever – tell me about Grayson.”
“He was… rude to me,” Lisanne said, simply.
Rodney looked at Daniel with renewed respect. “And you broke his nose?”
“With one punch,” Lisanne said, a touch of pride tinting her words.
Rodney shook his head. “Well, Woods knows how to hold a grudge, so you’d better watch your back while you’re in town.”
“Rodney! If you think I’m going to give him the chance to do this again – or to someone else… My dad plays golf with his dad. Once he sees…”
“Lis,” said Daniel, patiently, “I broke the guy’s nose – he could have landed my ass in jail. I think you should just leave it.”
Lisanne was furious that the omerta of guy on guy fights seemed to be alive and kicking. She started to protest but Daniel looked so tired and battered, she bit down on her lip to stop the words flooding out.
“Do you want to go home?”
“Yeah, baby doll. I don’t think I can take any more ‘fun’ tonight.”
Rodney looked sympathetic then glanced at Lisanne. “Poor, Lis. All dressed up and no one to have ‘fun’ with.”
“We did that before we came out,” she said, coolly.
Rodney looked surprised. “Whoa! Way to go, Lis. You have changed.”
Lisanne wondered whether he was right. She still felt like the old Lisanne Maclaine but people did seem to treat her differently. Was it just the outside that had changed? Some more makeup and shorter skirts? Or had she changed on the inside? Had college and Daniel and living away from home, had these things changed her?
She was still pondering the question as Daniel struggled to his feet.
“Fuck. I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.”
“What are you guys doing tomorrow?” Rodney said, hopefully.
“Fuck all,” replied Daniel. “Merry Christmas.”
“We’ll catch up before New Years,” said Lisanne. “Text me?”
“Sure,” said Rodney, then waited until Daniel was looking down. “By the way, tell your boyfriend I like his nipple rings. They’re… inspiring.”
They left Rodney grinning to himself as he headed back into the club.
One of the bouncers walked with them to Lisanne’s car, winked at Daniel, blew him a kiss and then smiled cockily at Lisanne.
She sighed and started driving home.
Why had she ever thought her life was boring?
Chapter 22
Daniel woke up wondering why the hell he had an elephant sitting on his chest.
He moved slowly and pushed down the sheet to stare at the large, purple bruises that discolored his ribs and hip.
He touched his head and winced slightly, but it didn’t feel too bad. He hoped that the implant hadn’t been damaged – there was nothing rattling, so far as he could tell. The doc had said it was made of titanium, but he was still supposed to be careful. Getting that bastard’s fist in his face was probably pushing the whole ‘careful’ game plan.
He swung his legs out of bed and waited for the usual dizziness and nausea, but there was nothing. That was a relief.
Pulling on his jeans, he then rifled through his backpack. Daniel quickly realized he was down to his last clean t-shirt. And damn it, his beanie was stiff with dried blood. He pulled a face – he’d better get Lisanne to show him how their washing machine worked. He glanced at his phone, noting that it was already after ten. He was surprised no one had woken him up.
Scraping his hand over his stubble, he wondered if Lis would get on his case about that, too. After the mood she’d been in yesterday, he thought it highly likely. He’d better shave. Jeez, when had he gotten so pussy-whipped?
As he shuffled toward the bathroom, Monica was walking in the opposite direction.
“Oh my goodness! What happened?”
He grinned at her. “Rough night out,” and left her gaping in the hallway.
The shower helped him loosen up a lot and he spent some time letting the steam do its work on his sore, bruised muscles. He turned and relished the feeling as the water cascaded over his back, and he lazily jacked off.
Ambling down to the kitchen to see if there way anything that looked like breakfast, he realized that letting Monica see him bare chested had been a mistake.
Harry was hunched over a bowl of cereal, and his parents were sitting with their arms crossed.
“Daniel, take a seat, please,” said Ernie in full teacher mode. “I want to know what happened last night. Monica says you’re badly bruised. Have you been in a fight?”
Daniel leaned against the doorpost, ignoring the first request, and oozing insolence.
“A misunderstanding. It’s cool.”
Ernie inflated with annoyance.
“I won’t have you involving my daughter in… whatever happened.”
Daniel’s hackles were well and truly raised.
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to Lisanne.”
“Clearly something did happen. Now, you’re a guest in our house, so please have the courtesy to explain yourself – so I don’t have to worry about her.”
If Ernie hadn’t added those last few words, Daniel would have turned on his heel and walked out. He took a deep breath, acknowledging that they both had Lisanne’s best interests at heart.
“We were jumped by a guy Lis knew from high school and a couple of his buddies. Someone else broke it up – end of story.”
Ernie gaped at him. “It was someone Lisanne knew? Who?”
“We were never introduced,” Daniel answered evasively.
At that moment, Lisanne walked into the kitchen looking tense, c
learly having heard the last part of Daniel’s statement. He felt her touch his arm and he smiled down at her.
“Who was it, Lisanne?” barked Ernie.
She jumped slightly, and Daniel frowned.
“Grayson Woods.”
Harry’s head snapped up and there was a sudden silence around the table.
“Barry Woods’ son?”
“Yes.”
“And he just… decided to hit Daniel? For no reason?”
Lisanne bit her lip and looked up at her boyfriend.
“We, um, we bumped into him at Sonia’s party at Thanksgiving.”
“And…?”
“Dad, you know what a bully Grayson is.”
“Lisanne, I want to know what happened. I play golf with Barry Woods every week, for goodness sake!”
“Yeah?” said Daniel looking furious. “Well tell him his son is a dirty mouthed fucker who got everything he deserved – when I broke his nose.”
He stormed from the room and was out of the front door and halfway down the road before Lisanne caught up to him, slightly out of breath.
She grabbed his hand to slow him down.
“Hey,” she said, softly. “Hey, it’s okay. They just worry.”
Daniel’s anger was still surging through him. On one level he understood Ernie’s reaction – the asshole was the son of his buddy, one of the good ole boys – but on another level, Daniel was infuriated that it was always assumed that he was the one at fault. Always the outsider. He was honest enough to know that he brought a lot of that on himself, but fuck, was it any wonder?
He stopped walking long enough to let Lisanne pull him into a hug, while he stood there stiffly, his nostrils flaring as he breathed hard.
Her soft hands held his face and he looked down into her eyes. She kissed his lips and he relaxed a fraction.
“Come on. Let’s go back. Dad didn’t mean it like that.”
Daniel took a deep breath.
“Just… just give me a moment, okay. Fuck, I could use a smoke.”
“Well, go ahead. I don’t mind. Much.”
Daniel gave her a crooked smile.
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I gave up, baby doll.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “When did you do that?”
“After Thanksgiving – a couple of weeks before the op. I didn’t think jonesing for a smoke while I was in the hospital would be the best idea.”
He shrugged, trying to make it sound insignificant, because she looked upset that she hadn’t noticed during all of those weeks.
“Oh,” she said, quietly. “That explains why you were so cranky.” She looked up at him. “And I’m sorry I was such a grouch last night. Time of the month,” she mumbled, embarrassed.
Daniel smiled at her and raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, I know.”
The pink in Lisanne’s cheeks deepened. “How do you know?”
“I can count the number of days in a month, baby doll. Besides, you were being such a bitch, it was pretty fucking obvious.”
He smiled when she smacked his arm harmlessly.
“It’s horrible timing though,” she said. “You being here for the holidays and we won’t be able to, you know…”
“It doesn’t bother me that you got your period.” He grinned at Lisanne’s shocked expression and shrugged. “I’ll always want you.” He’d never been bothered by shit like that. Hell, wasn’t that what shower sex was invented for?
“Um, I don’t think so,” she said, her face scarlet.
I hear you, he signed at her, and she gave a nervous laugh.
“Elephant shoes,” she whispered back, which made him smile.
Daniel was disappointed but not surprised that she’d vetoed sex for the rest of the week. He also suspected that given time, she might change her mind. At least he hoped so.
She tugged on his hand again. “Are you ready to go back now?”
Daniel breathed out slowly. “Yeah, I guess.”
“How are your ribs today?”
“Okay.” He’d had worse playing football.
They walked back hand in hand and found Harry sitting on the doorstep, waiting for them.
“Did you really break Grayson’s nose?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool! Everybody hates him.”
Daniel’s answering smile dropped away when Monica suddenly appeared. “Please don’t encourage him, Daniel,” she said severely. “We don’t condone violence in this house, whatever the reason.”
Daniel tensed up again and Lisanne glared at her mother.
“In the kitchen, please,” she snapped. “We’re going to clear this up now. Your father is all for calling the police after I described the mess Daniel was in when I saw him this morning. But as we know there was more to this than you’re telling us, I think my husband deserves to know the full story, don’t you?”
Daniel fumed silently. This was turning out to be one fucked up Christmas Eve. He had the option of leaving, but he didn’t want to put Lisanne in the position of having to choose – especially when he wasn’t sure that she’d choose him.
He followed Monica into the kitchen and stared stonily at a red-faced Ernie.
Monica waved at a couple of chairs and, reluctantly, Daniel and Lisanne sat.
“Lisanne, please tell us exactly what happened at Sonia’s party. What led up to last night’s… events?”
Lisanne sighed. “Basically, Grayson was rude to me. Daniel told him to shut up. He didn’t, so Daniel hit him… and broke his nose.”
“What did he say to her?” gasped Monica.
Daniel’s eyes slid over to Lisanne’s mom, but he didn’t reply.
“Lisanne?” her mother said.
“Mom, it’s really embarrassing. I don’t want to repeat it.”
“I am this close to calling the police!” roared Ernie. “You will tell us what he said!”
“Fine!” shouted Lisanne. “He said, ‘Who knew you could be such a hot piece of ass’. Daniel told him to shut up and then…” her voice trembled, “and then he said, ‘Looks like that uptight bitch finally opened her legs for someone’. That’s when Daniel hit him.”
Tears glinted in her eyes and Daniel put his arm around her, his face stern.
Monica had her hand over her mouth, her eyes tight, her expression horrified.
Ernie took in his wife’s devastated expression, Lisanne’s humiliation and Daniel’s still present anger and resentment. He stood up slowly, as everyone turned their eyes to him. Taking a deep breath, he held out his hand toward Daniel.
“Thank you,” he said.
Daniel stared back then nodded his head. He shifted his chair back so he could stand and lean across the table to shake hands with Lisanne’s father.
“Well,” said Monica. “Well.”
Lisanne was feeling very emotional, too.
“I think we need a drink after that!” Monica wheezed.
Daniel hoped that she’d be offering him a beer or, better still, Ernie would be breaking out the bottle of Jack that he hadn’t seen since Thanksgiving, but instead Monica put the kettle on. Daniel declined a drink, and went outside to get some air and let his boiling temper cool.
Lisanne grabbed herself an iced tea from the refrigerator and went out into the backyard with Daniel.
He sank gracefully onto the grass and sat cross-legged as he pulled out a pack of gum – he’d much rather have had a smoke.
Lisanne nudged his elbow and he smiled at her.
“By the way, how did you know Rodney was gay?” Lisanne said, almost crossly. “I’ve known him for years and I never knew. You met him for 30 seconds and knew straightaway. I don’t get it!”
Daniel gave her an amused smile. “He was checking out my package in the coffee shop.”
Lisanne choked on her iced tea. “What?! He was hugging me! I thought he was checking me out?!”
“He was, baby doll, but he was probably thinking
‘not that skirt with those shoes’.”
“What was wrong with my shoes?”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “It’s a metaphor.”
“I like those shoes,” Lisanne muttered to herself.
Daniel laid back on the grass and let his eyelids drift down. “I know you’re looking at me, baby doll.” He felt her hand on his stomach and opened his eyes.
“You’re so beautiful,” she said.
He blinked in surprise. “Yeah, you too, baby.”
“No, I mean it. You’re beautiful inside and out.”
Daniel frowned, feeling deeply uncomfortable. “What’s on the schedule for today?” he said, deflecting quickly. “Can we go somewhere? I don’t think I can take any more mom and dad time – although I need to do some laundry.”
She pulled teasingly on the waistband of his jeans.
“Are you going commando again?”
Daniel raised his eyebrows. “Why don’t we go to your room so you can find out?”
Lisanne laughed. “Don’t you ever stop?”
“Do you want me to?”
“No, not really.”
He grinned at her. “Okay.”
“Anyway, I already put your laundry in.”
He looked at her, surprised and pleased. “I didn’t expect you to do that, but thanks.”
She smiled shyly. “Well, don’t get used to it. It’s only because you’re a guest.”
He winked at her.
“We can head out for a few hours if you need to do any shopping or anything. We do gifts in the morning,” she hesitated. “Not that I’m expecting…”
He silenced her with a kiss, and she didn’t notice when her iced tea spilled onto the grass.
They spent the rest of the day taking it easy, having long quiet coffees and strolls by themselves. The town was full of people doing last minute shopping but Daniel felt like he was in a bubble of happiness, embracing just him and Lisanne. It was a good place to be.
Harry had willingly loaned Daniel a beanie to wear, and then headed straight for his friend’s house. It was clear he couldn’t wait to tell everyone that Grayson Woods had been taken down.
Daniel was still amazed that Ernie had shaken his hand and thanked him. It was something of a head spin after the way the day had started.
Dangerous to Know & Love Page 43