Scorpio Love

by S. Tamanaha

  He smiled and squeezed her hand. “I’m going to learn it then so that I can sing it to you because I feel the same way.”

  “So, why were you smiling? You said to remind you to tell me.”

  “I was just thinking that it was a nice thing that you did for Max—getting him to relax and then letting him take all of the credit. He was totally on cloud nine tonight. Everybody was slapping him on the back and telling him how great he was. But it was really you who did it for him.”

  “He just needed a little encouragement,” she said. “As karaoke singers go, he’s actually pretty good and fun to watch once he gets going.”

  He smiled again. She had no idea of how special she was.

  At home, she hugged a very happy Angel and took her out to the backyard for a last outing. Even though it was late, she took time to play with Angel and then gave her a little treat to settle her down. Then she retrieved some sleeping clothes from the dresser and headed for the bathroom. As she passed by Johnny who was sitting on the edge of the bed, he took hold of her arm and pulled her onto his lap and kissed her.

  “I’m glad you came with me tonight,” he said. “I had a good time and the guys like you. I can see why you have so many male friends.”

  She smiled. “Because I can shoot pool and sing backup on Elvis songs?”

  “Because you don’t act all silly and stupid and loud like some of those women were tonight. You act like a lady all the time and yet they don’t feel as though they can’t swear in front of you or throw back a few beers. They feel comfortable. And yes, they were in awe of your pool shooting and your singing. You made Max a very happy guy. He even told me when you went to the ladies room that he thought you were pretty cool.”

  She smiled. “Maybe he was only saying that because he wants to keep singing that duet or more Elvis stuff.”

  “No, he liked you. Billy too. You’re going to be the talk of the set on Monday morning when they tell everyone about how you kicked the Baker brothers’ butts at pool.”

  “How about you? Do you like me? Because your opinion’s the only one I care about.”

  He smiled and kissed her lovingly. “I like you—and I love you,” he said.

  “Can I ask you something, Johnny?”

  “Of course.”

  “What’s the real reason that you invited me tonight? I know it was more than you feeling guilty about leaving me at home.”

  He smiled a little. She always read him so well. “I do always feel guilty about leaving you at home. But tonight ... it was kind of a test, I guess.”

  She frowned. “A test? Of me?”

  “Of me,” he said. “Ever since that incident with Daniel and especially after New Year’s Eve, I’ve felt different inside. I guess I wanted to see if I really could have you in a bar in a sea of men and not feel jealous or threatened.”

  “And?”

  “And I’m not going to say that I’m a completely changed man. If any of those guys who were checking you out tonight actually started hitting on you, I wouldn’t just sit back and do nothing. But just the fact that they wanted to hit on you didn’t bother me like it used to. That guy Mike would have been moving on you in a second if you weren’t my wife, not to mention a few other guys who you impressed with your pool playing and your singing. I could see it, but instead of feeling upset about it, all I felt was proud of you. Do you know why?”

  She shook her head.

  “Because of you and who you are. Before, I’d always be focusing on what the men were doing and thinking and wanting and then my imagination would just take over. But now my focus is on you and tonight, no matter what you were doing and how many men were noticing you, I could tell that you weren’t interested or you didn’t even notice or care. I can see that now because of the things that we talked about after that stupid fight over Daniel. And after New Year’s Eve ... I knew that you loved me but until that night, I don’t think that I really knew how much you loved me. To find out how she tried to hurt you so badly and then to find that you were still only worried about me and what I wanted ... it changed me somehow. I don’t know how to explain it exactly. I just know now how much you love me and what love means to you and it’s made me feel calmer, less worried about losing you.”

  She looked into his beautiful eyes and she saw it—the love that he felt ... and the peace. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. “I’m so glad, Johnny,” she said softly, emotionally. “I’m so glad you know now how much I love you and that there could never be another man for me. The only thing that could ever make me leave is if you stopped loving me.”

  He wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Then you’re not going anywhere because I’ll never stop loving you, baby,” he said, his voice also filled with emotion.

  At last he understood. It was ironic, she thought, that it took a terrible fight and an encounter with a woman like Denise to make him finally realize what she had been trying to show him from the beginning. The Universe had a strange way of working things out sometimes.

  He pulled her away from him gently and kissed her tenderly. “Are you too tired? It’s okay if you are.”

  She shook her head. “But I want to take a shower first. I feel grimy.”

  He kissed her again, more passionately. “Why don’t we both take a shower?” he asked in that low and seductive voice that she loved. “I’ll wash your back. You’ll wash mine. And if anything else happens in there, well ...”

  She smiled and then stood up and offered him her hand. He smiled, took her hand and kissed it, then led her into the bathroom.

  The two Scorpions had overcome every obstacle that they had encountered—crazed fans and vindictive women, the suspicion of infidelity, the unreasonable jealousy, the arguments, the inherent distrust of the opposite sex that had existed in each of them—and they had come away with a deeper understanding of each other and of themselves and with their bond of love even stronger than when they had first pledged their hearts and their souls to one another.

  He knew that it was because of her. She had given up everything to be with him in a world that often brought her pain. She had been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and to forgive his jealousy and cruel words. She had looked past the image and loved the person that he was inside—loved his heart and soul—and made him finally know what it felt like to trust someone completely, to love someone completely, and to be loved by someone so completely.

  She knew that there would be no relationship at all if he hadn’t taken that first step. She had known from the beginning that her soul loved his, but his physical self, his life, the women, and her distrust of men in general had all caused her deep concern. She would have resigned herself to being a friend and never let him know how much she loved him if he had not been willing to follow his instincts and pursue his feelings. Now she had finally found a good, strong man whom she loved and trusted completely—a man who trusted her and loved her just the way that she was—and it gave her joy and peace.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Johnny had agreed to assist Samuel Taylor with the New Jersey film in exchange for a much reduced salary and credit as a producer. His job was to assist the locations manager to secure film sites in New Jersey. Since Johnny was such a well-known New Jersey native, the producers felt that obtaining the necessary permits from the various townships, boroughs, and cities would be easier if he made the initial contact. In short, they wanted Johnny to use his charm and celebrity status to pave an easier path for production. Johnny didn’t mind. He was learning about an aspect of movie production that he had never been previously exposed to and that would be of benefit to him when he produced his own film. He had made the initial contacts by email and letters and since his series was going into planned hiatus in late January, he agreed to go to New Jersey during that time to personally view the potential sites and formally meet those who would have to enter into contracts and work with the locations manager. On his way to New Jersey, he would stop in New York
City to do a photo shoot and an interview for a magazine.

  Before he met Susan, he didn’t mind traveling out of L.A. He had flown to various U.S. cities, even to Europe, often for only a day or two, just to do interviews and photo shoots for magazines and a few product endorsements. Since he met her, he hated these out-of-town trips and tried to keep them at a minimum and no longer than an overnight stay. He would have taken her with him on these trips but she worried about Angel and the photo sessions were often long so she would have to spend most of the time alone anyway. This time, however, he was going to be away for more than two days.

  When she dropped him off at LAX in the late afternoon, he kissed her and said, “I know it’s only for a couple of days but I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’m going to miss you more. Call me once you check in to your hotel? I want to make sure that you’re safe.”

  “After I check in and every chance I get. You be careful driving home.”

  “I will. You be careful. Period.” She kissed him again and he stepped out of the car. He closed the door and then slid open the side door of the van and took out his bags.

  “I love you,” he said.

  “I love you too.” She lifted the Scorpio pendent that she always wore and kissed it.

  He smiled and then picked up his bags and headed for the check-in.

  She drove home slowly. She hated when he had to go on these trips. When he was with her, she didn’t think much about the city, but when he was gone she realized just how much she still disliked the place. She realized, however, that these trips were necessary for his career so she tried to accept them without complaint.

  When she arrived home, Angel’s happiness at seeing her made her feel better. She let Angel out into the backyard for a short outing and then brought her back inside and played with her for a while. It would take about six hours for him to reach New York and check into his hotel so there was nothing to do but wait. She exercised, showered, and finished up some work to pass the time. It was past midnight when he finally called.

  “Hi, baby, did I wake you?”

  She was so happy to hear his voice. “No, I was waiting—and worrying.” She always worried about Johnny when he was gone but for some reason, she was more concerned than usual about this particular trip.

  He still loved her breathless, sexy voice. “I’m okay. Just a little tired. It’s after three a.m. here and they want me at the shoot at seven so I checked in, took a shower, and climbed into bed so that I can get whatever sleep that I can. I just wanted to hear your voice. I still have a hard time sleeping unless I hear your voice in bed with me.”

  “The house seems so empty without you, Johnny. You’d think that a couple of old married people wouldn’t mind some time apart but I miss you when you’re gone like this.”

  “Hey, who are you calling old?” he said, laughing a little. “I miss you like crazy too, baby. The next time I have to be gone for more than a day, you’re coming with me. We can ask Damien to look after Angel for a couple of days since I know that you don’t want to kennel her or maybe even find a pet-friendly hotel if there is one. Even if I have to be at a shoot for the whole day, at least you’ll be with me the rest of the time. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed. “Let’s do that. Well, you’d better get some beauty sleep. Literally. Call me later?”

  “First chance I get,” he promised. “I love you, you know.”

  “I love you too. Sleep tight. Be safe.”

  He called her after the photo shoot and interview were over saying that he was driving to New Jersey. He had meetings scheduled in Salem and Pennsville and then would be working his way up New Jersey to a couple of towns near the Pennsylvania border. He would arrive at his mother’s place in Englewood in the evening, stay overnight, check out the rest of the sites on his list the next day and then catch a late flight home.

  “I miss you Johnny,” she said, “but are you sure you don’t want to stay an extra night and spend some time with your family?”

  “I don’t think so. I’d rather come home.”

  “You know, you’ve never really said anything and I never really wanted to ask, but your mother doesn’t approve of me does she?”

  He sighed. “It’s not you. It’s me in general. She doesn’t think that I can make the right choices. She thinks that I’ve rushed into something again and I don’t really know what I’m doing. The same old story.”

  “Maybe if you try to tell her how much we love each other ... ”

  “Yeah, well, talking to her about that kind of thing. We just don’t do that, you know?”

  “Well, call me then if it gets too difficult, okay? Don’t lose your temper or anything. Just call me.”

  “I’m going to call you anyway,” he said, “every chance I get. Hearing your voice always makes me feel better.”

  His appointments took the rest of the day and it was past seven o’clock when he reached his mother’s house in Englewood. He tried to be in a good mood when he got there but for some reason, being in that house, in the old neighborhood, always made him edgy. He wanted to call her but as he was talking to his mother, his brother arrived to have dinner with them. Markus was four years older than Johnny and a teacher at Dwight Morrow High School, the same high school where they had been students. Although he and Johnny shared the same height and coloring, Markus lacked Johnny’s chiseled features and build.

  “We saw that interview that you did with Ray Jennings,” Markus said at dinner. “Is everything that you said about your wife true? Was that phone call to her really spontaneous?”

  It irritated Johnny when they asked him questions like this. He felt as though they doubted his truthfulness. He tried not to let his feelings show.

  “Yes, everything was true and the phone call wasn’t planned. She never expected it. Here’s something that I didn’t say during that interview though. She insisted on signing a prenup.”

  “What is that?” his mother asked.

  “A prenuptial agreement. She gave up her right to ask for a lot of money and half my assets in case of a divorce, which isn’t going to happen by the way. She didn’t want anyone—especially my family—thinking that she got married to me for my money.”

  “She comes from money, this girl?”

  “She’s a woman, Mom, and no, she doesn’t come from money. Her parents were both disabled. She’s been working since she was fourteen. She still works. And she’s done okay for herself. Better than okay. If you’re all so interested in her, why didn’t you just come to the reception and meet her? I offered to pay your expenses.”

  “That’s too far to fly for just a weekend,” she replied, “and Markus had a school function. Why don’t you bring her here?”

  “We’ll visit. She wants to meet you. I just can’t say when.”

  “So, what kind of business are you doing in New Jersey?” Markus asked.

  “I’m scouting for film locations,” Johnny said, then spent the next few minutes explaining the purpose of his visit.

  “They pay people to do that sort of thing?”

  There it was. Every time he visited, the questions that they asked, the comments that they made, always made him feel as though he had to defend what he did for a living; that his work was not respectable. Being a plumber or a carpenter or a teacher like his brother—that was respectable employment. Getting paid double his brother’s yearly salary to pose for a poster or endorse a product seemed to be, in their eyes, ridiculous. Where was the skill in that? All he had to do was stand there and look good. And what he got paid to do a television series was “unbelievable”. What was it, after all, except playing make believe?

  “Yeah,” he said, as calmly as he could. “They actually pay me for it. Amazing, I know.”

  He passed on dessert and went outside to call her.

  “Hi, what are you doing?” he asked when she answered the phone.

  “Just got back from taking Angel on her walk.”

  “Hey, I t
old you not to walk her outside when it’s dark.”

  “It wasn’t dark when we left and anyway, I ran into Damien and we walked together,” she said.

  “Why doesn’t that make me feel any better?” Johnny joked.

  “Stop it. He’s a nice guy. And so happy now with Richard.”

  “I know. I’m just kidding. I like the both of them.”

  “How about you? How is it going over there?”

  “Lots of questions about you. I told them they should have just come to the reception and meet you if they wanted to know so much.”

  “Johnny, I hope you didn’t tell them that in that tone of voice.”

  “Probably,” he admitted. “You know, I always feel as though I’m straining to be nice when I’m with them. It’s like they don’t approve of what I do for a living—like it’s not important or respectable work and it’s ridiculous how much I get paid for doing it.”

  “Your mother is old school. She probably doesn’t understand why anyone would pay such large sums of money to you to act or do a poster. It doesn’t mean that she isn’t happy for you or doesn’t approve.”

  “And what about my brother?”

  “A little jealous probably,” she said gently.

  He sighed. “Maybe so. All I know is that I can’t wait to be back there with you.”

  “I can’t wait either,” she said. “Are your appointments all set for tomorrow?”

  “Yep. It’s going to be a full day.”

  “You know, I never looked at your list. It doesn’t include the local Hooter’s bar I hope.”

  He laughed. “Even if it did, which it doesn’t, you know that you don’t have to worry about that kind of thing.”

  “I don’t know,” she said with mock seriousness. “New Jersey native who’s now a big celebrity and who’s as handsome as you are.”

  “I’m a one-woman man,” he said lovingly. “You know that.”

  “I’m glad because I can only ever love you,” she said softly.

  He wished that he could hold her and kiss her.

  Suddenly, there was a woman’s voice in the background. “Jack?”