“I just realized something, Kiisu,” Tyler says in place of a greeting.
“Tere you.” I smile goofily. “What did you just realize, Tyler.”
“That you don’t have a nickname for me?”
Could he be any sweeter? “Who says I don’t?” I grin wider. “I use it all the time . . . when I think of you. It actually stars in my inner dialogues.”
“That so?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I can hear the distinctive candor of joy in his voice when he says, “I’m all ears, Kiis.”
I can’t control the dose of honey that infuses my voice as I say, “Mine.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “I’m considering legally changing my name now,” he says, prompting a giggle from my side of the line.
“So how did it go with Jace?” It takes me a moment to make the connection that Jace must be Mr. Daniel’s first name.
“Well. . . It was quite a surprise. Not what I expected the meeting to be about, for sure.” I regret putting it this way because I know it will bring up —
“What did you think he’d meet you for, then?”
Now, that’s a conversation I’d rather skip. “Just, nothing. I was just surprised. I mean pleasantly surprised.”
“Kiisu,” his resolute voice demands. “Brutal honesty please, what was it?”
Brutal honesty. I ponder for a beat. A key to a successful relationship, or maybe a way to hurt each other with pretense of morality? I feel like the brutal aspect is a landmine, there’s no good outcome of brutality, ever. “I just thought that maybe, I don’t know, ahem, you — you might want me to sign a common law partner agreement.” I squint my eyes, bracing for things to come.
“A what?” Tyler asks baffled. “Are you serious, right now?” He pauses. Sounding a tad more collected, he says, “You were right, some things are better left unsaid, especially if it’s complete nonsense.”
“Well, I’d totally understand and honestly, I’d encourage you to have me sign one.”
“Ivi.” Uh-oh, I’ve been demoted from Kiisu to Ivi. Here we go. . . “You know what? It’s a shame you feel this way. What would it take for you to understand what you mean to me?”
“I’m just saying — ”
Disregarding my attempt at clarifying my standpoint, Tyler asks next, “So, any idea what you want to do?”
Not a huge fan of raising a white flag, I decide to let this one go. “Not sure yet, but, thank you, I’m so grateful.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m more than confident that you’ll do great things. Go ahead use my name, use my influence, use my money to do the magic you already do but on a larger scale because — ”
“Tyler,” I cut him mid-sentence. “I love you.”
“Kiis, you’re everything.”
“Sorry ladies.”
The Tonight Show host to the audience after asking Tyler if the rumors about his love life are true.
I arrive at the hospital late at night as agreed with Melena, dropping off coffees and some baked goods (courtesy of Adina) at the nurses’ station. The overworked ladies reward me with grateful smiles, a couple of tired appreciative head nods and a brief update on Jeremy’s latest shenanigans. The kid, for sure, has a fan club.
I nod at the guard sitting outside Jeremy’s room. No matter how much Melena, Jay and I tried to convince Tyler that Jeremy doesn’t require twenty-four seven security outside his room, he wouldn’t hear of it. He still carries the guilt of everything that happened to Melena and Jeremy. Surprisingly, Eli who’s a constant voice of reason was on Tyler’s side. I lightly knock on the door and open it. I pop my head inside, “Everyone decent?”
“Hilarious,” Jeremy retorts.
I smile at Melena as I enter the room. “Here we go, a special delivery from Adina.” I set the canvas bag filled to the brim with goodies on the bed. Jeremy cracks a smile as he lifts himself to an upright position, peeking inside the bag.
Jeremy murmurs appreciably, “Sweet.”
Passing by me, Melena squeezes my hand, “Thanks, Ivi.” She steps over to kiss Jeremy’s head. “Have fun, you two.”
“Us three,” says Jay, entering the room. He hugs Melena before she leaves and turns to shrug off his blazer.
Jay makes his way to the large loot bag. “So, what have we got here?”
I take off my shoes, order the kid to scoot over and plant myself by his side on the bed. “Where’s the remote?”
“You know we could have watched a taped one,” Jay says teasingly.
I shake my head. “We’re watching the live show.”
“It’s not even really live, it was taped earlier today,” Jeremy joins Jay’s reasoning.
I fold my hands. “Shush, both of you, just shush!”
I get a synchronized eye roll duet which I dismiss with a little hand wave while bringing the TV to life.
Jay kicks off his shoes, falls into an armchair by Jeremy’s bed while shoving a whole fresh cinnamon roll into his mouth. Graceful.
Glancing at the mounted TV, Jeremy asks the room, “Did you know that the word Television was coined in 1900 by a Russian scientist?”
Jay and I trade a smile. “No, I didn’t, but thanks for sharing,” I say, navigating to the right channel.
Jeremy grins. “Did you know that before electric televisions we had mechanical ones?”
“Dude, it’s on.” Jay grins, tipping his chin at the device in subject.
On cue to the Tonight Show intro, the three of us fall silent, our joined attention directed at the mounted screen.
The monologue as always, leaves me with a faint smile. Relaxed, with my legs crossed before me by Jeremy’s side, my smile grows as Jimmy Fallon presents his next guest. “Ladies and gentlemen, Tyler. Lee. Adams!” Just by mentioning Tyler’s name, the audience comes alive.
As Tyler steps on stage, he becomes the main focus of my attention. He’s sporting a few days of stubble, his eyes slightly squinted with joy, looking everything the entertainer that he is in white crisp shirt, suspenders and plaid trousers. To vigorous clapping, Tyler takes a seat, a faint, flirtatious smile hovering over his lips.
Tyler takes a sip of the mug by his side as a response to Jimmy’s mentioning of him being GQ Sexiest Man Alive. When Jimmy amicably pesters Tyler with a cheeky grin and a probing look, Tyler shakes his head. “An honor to be in such great company,” he refers to a few winners from previous years Jimmy mentioned.
Letting him off the hook, Jimmy continues with, “You’ve been working on a new album, actually two projects.”
“Yeah, the soundtrack for a movie, Hearts, together with Brooklyn Mars and Dante and some new material in the making.” I rub the charm of my necklace with Tyler’s name on it between my finger and thumb, full-heartedly beaming at the screen. Tyler bobs his head, confirming that both the movie and the soundtrack release date mentioned by the host as he brings up the soundtrack’s cover art for a camera close-up.
“A lot of things happening to you. Congrats on the VMA award.” Jimmy turns back to Tyler. Tyler nods modestly. Jimmy’s smile lifts. “And,” He clears his throat somewhat theatrically. “There’s a rumour going around that Tyler Lee Adams is off the market?”
With a cheeky tight lip smile Tyler nods in affirmation.
Jimmy puts his hand behind his ear, pretending to listen. “Can you hear that? The avalanche of hearts breaking across the world?”
Tyler chuckles, lowering his eyes humbly and reaches for the black mug once more. He takes a sip and returns to look at Jimmy.
“What, like the real deal?” Jimmy insists with a huge grin.
Tyler’s dimple makes its debut for tonight. “The real deal, Jim.”
Jimmy’s brows lift up. Tyler nods, lips trapping a smile. With his hand, Jimmy gestures for Tyler to go on. “The real deal?”
Tyler’s grin lets loose. “I’m talking Tom Cruise circa 2005 jumping on Oprah’s couch —real.”
Jimmy chuckles, giving Tyler a mischievous grin. Ty
ler’s eyes crinkle at the sides in return. “Dude, you know I need to ask you to do that now. The sofa jumping thing.”
Tyler throws his head back with a chuckle. He shakes his head with humor.
Matching Tyler’s amusement, Jimmy says, “Dude.” He gestures at the sofa imitating a jump by curving his hands.
Tyler sends two fingers to hover over his upper shirt’s button with a teasing smile. “Umm, how about I strip for you instead, Jim?”
“Wha?” Jeremy shrieks next to me. “What is he doing?”
Hugging a pillow to my chest I bite on my lips. What is he doing?
Jimmy turns to the band, “We need special music, here.” The tune to Put Some Sugar on Me fills the stage.
Sporting the most mischievous side smile, slowly, Tyler moves on to the next button. Yells and whistles follow from the audience. As Tyler’s fingers move lower, Jimmy feigns fanning himself with the notecards. Reaching the last button, Tyler rips his shirt open to reveal a plain white tee decaled in black letters across the front with “#Ivi, have my baby.”
First, my jaw drops. Then, to the close-up on Tyler’s smile, not only my lips stretch, but my entire face turns into one, huge crimson smile.
“Hold up, does this mean I’m going to have a little brother or a sister?” Jeremy points at the screen, looking at me hopefully.
I blink at him. “What? No.” My brows pinch. “I mean — ” I swallow hard. “I mean, not now, or.”
Jay’s chuckle is like a life buoy, lifting me up from my own deep confusion. “He’s just joking.” I finally tell Jeremy. Here you go, Ivi, you finally got your own “have my baby” shirt. But for the love of God Tyler, on TV, in front of God knows how many people?
Just before the interview is concluded, Tyler blows me away once more, this time by telling Jimmy about my new project, giving it wider exposure. Jay sends me a gentle look which I counter with pinched brows, communicating a genuine swoon over my one and only. “Sleeping pods for homeless people,” Tyler explains and Jimmy nods. “The wooden pods provide a mattress and storage space and have curtains for privacy. Most importantly, they offer security and shelter.”
Sleeping pods for homeless people in L.A., that’s the project I chose to start in addition to my volunteering at YWPO. A project that with Tyler’s name and connections didn’t take too long to raise attention and funding. The people I managed to reach using Tyler’s name. My jaw literally dropped when the mayor pledged a hefty sum a year in additional help to the sleeping pods. But no matter how busy I am with the project, I decided to keep volunteering at YWPO, especially the field work. There’s a lot to be said about bringing projects to life that help people. Running it, raising donations, bringing an idea to an actual operating program. However, to me, nothing compares to hands on manual work, to interacting with the actual humans you help.
“You know what I just realized?” Jeremy asks, bringing me back from my thoughts.
I turn to him.
Appearing pensive, Jeremy says, “You’re going to be my stepmom.”
I’m not sure what my expression transpires, but I can only imagine it’s not of the cool variety, what with the elated chuckle coming from Jay. I throw him a glare.
“What?” Jay asks over a chuckle. “The man just wore a shirt declaring he wants you to have his baby on the God damn Tonight Show.”
Hesitantly, my eyes go back to Jeremy, only to find a full-blown smarty-pants smile radiating my way.
“When all the pieces fit together, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture.”
Instructions for a jigsaw puzzle Jeremy and Ivi completed earlier together.
I jump up from the lounger to get the tray Adina is carrying. “I was planning on coming in to get some snacks soon, you really didn’t have to,” I tell Adina, sending my hands forward for the tray.
Passing by me with a dainty smile, Adina whispers, “It’s my job, honey, when will you get used to it? And, I enjoy doing it.”
Right. I’m well aware of that. But still, I guess it is an innate thing, or the way I was brought up. I can’t have someone older than me attend to me in such a way. Probably will never get used to it either.
Shadowing his eyes with his hand, Tyler sends me a humoured gaze. “Thanks Adina,” he says to Adina as she sets a tray with fruits and lemonade on the low table. His eyes return to me for a wordless conversation.
His: It’s her job.
Mine: I don’t care. She could be my mom; I’d never have my mom run around for me.
His: Get your sweet ass over here, sit next to me.
Mine: Happily.
“Wow, you just totally neuron mirrored him,” Jeremy declares as my rear hits the lounger, taking a seat next to Tyler.
I squint at the kid and turn to the dad person. “What did I just do to you?” I question Tyler who shrugs animatedly in return. I turn back to Jeremy, “I neuroed what?”
Clever brown eyes do a full-fledged roll from under blue glasses. In a bored tone, kept to dealing with the less gifted, Jeremy says, “You know how there are three types of communication, right?”
Both Tyler and I nod, watching him closely, albeit with identical amused smiles. Tyler squeezes my thigh. Jeremy explains, “It’s like you guys have the nonverbal one down pat. You even copy each other’s gestures.” Returning to his bored tone, he turns back to me and adds, “Neuron mirroring is when the neuron of an animal or a human ‘mirrors’ the behavior of another human or animal, as if the observer were itself acting.”
“How about you neuron mirror yourself doing your homework?” Tyler says, imitating Jeremy’s flat tone.
I smile at Jeremy as he reluctantly retrieves a notebook and a pencil case from his gamers’ backpack. It’s so nice having him back home, as if everything simply fell back into place. Melena is in a meeting out of town, so Jeremy stays with us tonight. It’s almost ridiculous how everyone spoils him rotten since his release from the hospital. From Adina, to Tyler, Jay, me and even Eli. And the kid? Soaking it up like a happy, little, overindulged, bespectacled sponge.
Utterly content, I slide to lie on my side next to Tyler, resting my head on his chest, the one adorning the #Ivi have my baby shirt. Also known as my favorite shirt on the planet. Needless to say, I raised my displeasure with Tyler when he came back home for choosing to debut our little joke shirt on none other than The Tonight Show. That little show with roughly eleven million viewers. His response was kissing me stupid till I nearly forgot my mother tongue.
“The shirt,” Jeremy peeps from beside us. Tyler pivots to look at him while I raise a sleepy head, squinting one eye under the illuminating sun. “Is it, like, a wooing thing or a hint for things to come.”
Takes me a minute to make sense of the things to come part, to which I immediately respond. “A private joke.” My words colliding with Tyler’s “Both.”
With my mouth parted, I gape at Tyler.
He cocks his head, reciprocating my baffled stare with an easygoing one. I squint Jeremy’s way, confirming the kid has lost his interest in us and whisper. “Both? What?”
Grinning, Jeremy loudly whispers, “You know I’m sitting right here, I can clearly hear your whisper, Ivi.” Smugly, the kid air quotes “whisper.”
Tyler chuckles utterly amused by the entire situation.
I let it go.
It’s been a long day. A rarely, blissfully quiet day. It’s not too often that we spend an entire day together, the three of us, Tyler, Jeremy and me. With Tyler’s constant traveling, meeting, practicing and generally work filled days, together with the time I invest on the Sleeping Pods project, mainly looking to expand it to other cities and my time with YWPO, we don’t get much quality time together. So, when days like this come by, especially with Jeremy back home, I indulge in having them both by my side to the fullest.
Brushing my teeth, I think about the lovely evening we’ve just spent with pizza and a movie and snuggling by the fire. I don’t need more than this. This is perfect.
I smile at him. “We’ve reached a new level in our relationship.”
“I’ve never neuron mirrored with anyone else before,” Tyler murmurs. My smile stretches. “Kiis, this is serious material, right here. I don’t think that many relationships can top this.” And my smile grows bigger and bigger. A wicked, wicked grin prompts his dimple to sink deep as he tears off his shirt, pulling it up over his head. “How about you neuron mirror me, right now?”
Rinsing my mouth, I turn to look at him. I squint my eyes and cock my head, tilt it back and with enough attitude as if I own this game, I get rid of my shirt. Tyler stares at me as I stand before him with a baby pink lace bra, boy shorts and fluffy, wool socks up to my knees.
He shakes his head, murmuring, “Damn.”
Sparks fly wild between us as Tyler slowly steps my way. I watch him, realizing, all the pieces of my life are falling into place. My career, my wellbeing, my place in this world, it’s all getting together. And him, Tyler, the last piece that completes this puzzle into a picture of a promising, exciting future.
“Ivy Who? Brooklyn Mars and Tyler Lee Adams Spend Thanksgiving Together at Tyler’s L.A. Mansion.”
Tabloid headlines quoting a source “close” to the “couple.”
“You look nice,” Jeremy throws my way just before skipping down the stairs way too fast to be safe.
“Thanks,” I say to his back. “Jer, be careful! You’re still recovering, you could — ” and he’s gone, joining the large group of joyful voices congregated in the main living room. By his behavior you can’t tell what the kid went through merely a month ago. Holding the banister, I lean forward to catch a glimpse of everyone. Everyone, a medley of people closest to Tyler and me. From Jay, Eli, and Melena to Brooklyn, Dottie and even my parents who Tyler flew over to spend Thanksgiving with us, with me.
Unplugged II: Unplugged, #2 Page 15