"His owner fell sick, and Banjo was under contract for a new movie, so the owner sent him on ahead. When he didn't arrive on schedule, I assumed Bernard decided to wait until he was out of the hospital so that he could accompany Banjo."
"So, our little stray monkey is a star. We knew he was something special.” A definite understatement.
It also explained a lot about his behavior—at least the intelligent part. Dennis was not only intelligent, but trained. Not Dennis, she amended, but Banjo. She decided the name suited him.
Zack probably wouldn't agree.
"Yes, his last movie was Monkey Fever. He received tons of fan mail from children, and adults as well.” Reno checked his Rolex and looked beyond her. “Where is he, by the way?"
Justine quickly told Reno the story of the monkey's arrival, and his attachment to Zack. “We didn't know anything about Banjo,” she concluded. “So when he refused to let go, Zack offered to take him home until we found his owner.” No need to purge her conscience by telling Reno she had persuaded Zack to take the monkey.
Reno was frowning by the time she finished. “That's strange. He's usually very calm as long as he has Cocoa with him, and I know that Bernard wouldn't have sent Banjo along without Cocoa."
"Cocoa?” Justine repeated blankly.
"Cocoa was Banjo's twin."
Justine's heart stopped. “There was another monkey?"
"No, no. The Cocoa I'm talking about is a stuffed monkey—a toy. When Banjo and Cocoa were separated, Banjo refused to be consoled. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, and became wild and uncontrollable. Bernard tried everything, and nothing worked until he found a stuffed monkey that resembled Cocoa. He presented the monkey, and voila—Banjo became calm.” Reno shook his head at the memory. “Heaven help anyone who tries to take Cocoa from Banjo."
His explanation was almost as shocking. Justine gulped. Everything Zack had told her about the monkey must have been true. Granted, it didn't explain the mystery of why the monkey became calm when Zack was in the store, but she knew she couldn't use the enigma as an excuse for her mistrust.
She had a lot of apologizing to do.
Inwardly cringing, Justine excused herself and went to her office to leave a message on Zack's phone to let him know Reno had arrived. When she came out, Reno was disappearing into the next room where the birds were housed, giving Justine the perfect opportunity to slip into the storage room.
She found the empty crate beneath a stack of boxes, and inside the crate she found Cocoa, a white-faced replica of Banjo.
"Zack's going to kill me,” she whispered. “And I'm going to kill Chris."
But after a short deliberation, she knew this wasn't Chris's fault, or her own. Who would have thought a monkey would have his own inseparable stuffed toy? No one, that's who. It was all a terrible mix-up, with the exception of her unforgivable behavior regarding Zack and Dennis.
Banjo, the movie star.
Who would have thought?
Shaking her head, Justine clutched the stuffed monkey against her chest and went to find Reno.
The moment Zack opened his apartment door, Dennis leaped from the ceiling fan into his arms. Zack held him for a moment, both surprised and moved by the unusual greeting. He rarely ventured from the ceiling fan unless Zack was gone from the apartment or asleep.
"So, now that it's time to leave, you've decided you like me, huh?"
Dennis pulled back to stare solemnly at Zack. He reached out with his finger and stretched Zack's bottom lip downward. The huge grin that split his face made Zack laugh.
"You're a mess,” Zack said. “And I may be crazy, but I think I'm actually going to miss you.” Dennis seemed to be listening intently, and not for the first time, Zack sensed the monkey understood. “After having you around, a kitten or a turtle's going to seem mighty boring."
The monkey chattered and shook his head so fast it made Zack dizzy. Then he twined his arms around Zack's neck and laid his head on his shoulder. His legs were wrapped firmly around Zack's waist. If it wasn't for the hair covering his entire body, Zack could almost imagine he held a toddler in need of comfort.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. Ridiculous, really, feeling this way after all the trouble the monkey had caused.
Behind him in the open doorway, a nasty, familiar voice drawled, “Well, well, well. I can't wait until Mr. Potter hears about this. The great has-been and a monkey. What's the matter, Wayne, can't get any women?"
Zack turned with Dennis in his arms, surprised and pleased to discover Fowler had lost the power to anger him. His smile was genuine. “How's your head, Fowler? Dennis here has a great arm on him, don't you think? You should be thankful he was holding an apple instead of a baseball."
Barry's eyes narrowed. “You expect me to believe this little...ape was the one who knocked me out?"
Zack shrugged and walked with Dennis over to the bowl of fruit. “If you don't believe me, I'm sure Dennis would be glad to give you another demonstration.” He glanced down at the monkey. “How about it, sport? Want to show him how it's done?
Eagerly, Dennis grabbed an apple from the bowl.
When Zack turned around, the hallway was empty.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Twenty-Three
When Zack entered the shop with Dennis, he ran into the green-eyed monster of jealousy. It was Justine who prompted the unfamiliar emotion with her spontaneous, husky laughter, and before Zack could truly focus on the man standing before Justine at the counter, he developed a keen dislike for him.
The suave-looking older man in a three-piece suit spotted Zack standing by the door. With a friendly smile Zack didn't return, he strode to him and thrust out his hand, introducing himself.
"Reno Web. You must be Zachary Wayne. Justine tells me you've been taking excellent care of little Banjo here."
The devil in Zack prompted him to ignore the out-stretched hand. He knew he was being churlish, but Justine's laughter—laughter this man had evoked—still rang in his ears. Besides, he had a perfect excuse; he was holding the monkey. “I call him Dennis.” To Zack's satisfaction, Dennis lifted his head from Zack's shoulder at the sound of his name.
Reno's smile slipped at Zack's aggressive tone. He dropped his hand. “Well, Banjo and I need to get going, so if you'll just hand him over..."
Zack tugged at the monkey, perversely reluctant to give him up now that the moment had come. Dennis seemed equally reluctant; he screeched and clung to Zack. Trying not to look too smug, Zack closed his arms around Dennis and said, “I don't think he wants to let go."
With a mysterious smile, Reno turned to Justine. “Miss Diamond? May I have Cocoa?"
Frowning, Zack watched Justine give Reno what appeared to be a stuffed black and white monkey. When he shot her a questioning glance, she shrugged. I'll explain later, she mouthed silently.
Reno held the toy monkey out. “Look, Banjo. It's your old pal Cocoa."
Banjo slowly turned his head. He stared for a long moment at Reno before looking at the monkey Reno held. Finally, he swung his gaze to Zack, then back to the toy. Zack felt the monkey's grip loosen and knew he'd made his choice.
He should have been relieved, but he wasn't.
Ridiculous to feel hurt, but he did.
Dennis—Banjo—Zack corrected, curled an arm around Reno's neck and grabbed the stuffed monkey with the other. The transfer was complete, and Zack was left feeling lost and abandoned.
"Miss Diamond, Mr. Wayne.” Reno nodded to each in turn. “I can't thank you enough for taking care of Banjo."
"Yeah, well, I'll send you a bill for the damages,” Zack muttered, hoping they didn't notice the slight, unmanly crack in his voice. He reached out and patted Banjo on the back. “Take care, little guy, and stay off the roof."
"Beg your pardon?"
"He's joking,” Justine said hastily. She flashed a warning glance at Zack. “Have a safe trip!"
The moment they were out the door, Justine
turned on Zack, regarding him from beneath half-lowered lids. “You're going to miss him,” she stated.
"Miss Dennis?” Zack forced a disbelieving laugh. “Not on your life. I'm glad that fruit-throwing, roof-climbing, chef wannabe is gone. Now I can relax in the comfort of my home without worrying about flying objects, and I can come and go as I please without fear of the building catching fire while I'm gone. Furthermore, he was eating me out of house and home. Do you have any idea what the price of off-season fruit cost these days?"
Justine folded her arms, a knowing smile playing about her full lips. There was no need for words.
Zack snorted, dismayed to feel his face warming up. He'd never developed a great talent for lying. “You're crazy. That monkey is a walking disaster. Anyone with an ounce of sense would be glad he was gone."
"But you're not,” Justine observed softly.
She wasn't going to give up, Zack thought with an inward sigh. “Maybe I did get a little attached to him.” When she rewarded him with a brilliant smile, Zack decided the embarrassment was worth it.
"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?” she asked teasingly. “I guess your apartment will feel empty with Dennis gone."
"Yeah, it will.” Quiet, empty, and lonely.
"Zack, I was wondering..."
"Yes?” Zack prompted cautiously. She lowered her gaze to study her nails, an evasive action Zack noted with rising suspicion. A dark curtain of hair fell forward, hiding her expression.
"Do you remember Mini and Reuben?” She nodded at the covered cage on the counter.
How could Zack forget? Just this morning Jordan had claimed the birds talked to him.
"The lovebirds are nesting, and it's important they have a quiet place until the eggs hatch. Birds are nothing like monkeys,” she added quickly. “You hardly notice they're around most of the time."
"I've got a bad feeling there's a point to this nature lesson,” Zack drawled. “So why don't we just cut to the chase?"
She took a deep breath and looked up. The liquid gold of her gaze was compelling—and in Zack's case, irresistible. At that moment, he would have agreed to babysit an elephant.
"I was wondering if you would let the lovebirds stay at your place for a while. You wouldn't have to do anything. I could come over each day and feed them after I closed the shop."
Zack quirked a wicked brow. “Now there's an offer I can't refuse."
She rushed on as if she hadn't heard him, “I know you had a bad time with Dennis—Banjo—so I wouldn't blame you if you said no."
"I said yes."
"And of course there would be no hard—” Her eyes widened as his words sank in. “Did you just say yes?"
Smiling, Zack nodded. “After Dennis, lovebirds will be a piece of cake. Besides, I think it might be a good idea to separate them from Jordan."
A chill swept over Justine at his words. “That—that was my second reason for wanting you to take them. Is there something you're not telling me?"
"We'll talk about it tonight over dinner. Do you want me to take them now?"
Justine hesitated, hating to inconvenience Zack more than she already had. But Jordan was scheduled to work today and she didn't want him around the lovebirds another moment. Maybe without their influence, Jordan would snap out of his fantasies.
If he didn't... Justine shuddered at the terrifying thought. He had to.
"Yes, please take them now. I'll bring food and clean newspapers tonight.” She carefully lifted the covered bird cage from the counter and handed it to Zack. Their fingers brushed. A tremor shot through her at the brief contact, reminding her she was playing with fire by continuing to find excuses to keep Zack in her life.
Was this what she was doing? she wondered, quickly moving her hand away and scolding her undisciplined body. When she chanced a look at Zack, she saw that his eyes had darkened, indicating she wasn't the only one disturbed by the contact.
"Is the living room okay?"
Justine blinked. “The living room?"
Zack lifted the cage. “Is it okay to put them in the living room? Or should I settle them in my bedroom?"
"Living room,” Justine answered quickly. Just the thought of having to go into Zack's bedroom each evening to feed and care for the lovebirds made her weak all over. She was hopeless!
"I'll have an extra key made in case I'm gone when you come over."
Justine flushed at his faintly amused tone, assuring herself that he couldn't read her mind. She darted a nervous tongue over her lips, her eyes flaring wide when he sucked in a sharp breath.
"Don't do that,” he whispered roughly. “You don't know what that does to me."
Oh, she had a good idea—if it was anything compared to what his rough voice did to her. Deciding it was best to pretend as if he hadn't spoken, Justine stepped ahead of him to open the door. “If you have any problems, just call."
Zack paused at the door. Their eyes met. Undeniable tension crackled between them. Justine wanted to look away from the intensity of his gaze, but she couldn't.
"I'll see you at seven-thirty?"
"Yes."
Justine didn't realize she was holding her breath until the door closed on Zack and the lovebirds. Pressing her forehead against the cold glass, she exhaled slowly, frosting the pane with her breath. She had less than seven hours to build her resistance against Zack's considerable charm.
Right now it seemed an impossible task.
Why did she bother? Justine was shocked her mind could ask such a question. She bothered because of soaked pillows and sleepless nights. She bothered because she didn't want to go through another broken heart episode.
She bothered because when Zachary Wayne decided to walk back out of her life, she wanted to be able to smile and wave as if it didn't matter.
Too late for that, of course. Her heart had already surrendered. But this time—this time was different. This time her eyes were wide open. There would be no humiliating surprises in the end.
Justine gave a start as a customer pushed on the door. She moved away, pasting a professional smile on her face as she greeted the newcomer.
Seven hours. Plenty of time to prepare herself for what she suspected would turn out to be a test in willpower. It was obvious Zack wanted them to become lovers, and just as obvious her body eagerly agreed. But her heart wasn't strong enough for a sexual relationship with Zack; she loved him too much.
Tonight she would show Zack they could be friends without muddling the relationship with insincere—and painful—pledges of love.
Reuben felt ridiculous talking to Mini through a small hole in a box. “You should come out here and see what he's doing,” he whispered urgently. “No candles, no flowers, and he's making some kind of foul-smelling soup!"
"I'm—I'm feeling kind of dizzy, darling. I don't think it would be safe to go hopping around a cage. And truthfully, I think we've done enough meddling. It gets us nowhere."
Her calm reaction disturbed Reuben. If he wasn't afraid they'd declare her insane and take her away, he'd consult the witches’ council about Mini's strange obsession with the bird's nest. “Mini, if nothing has happened, why are you sitting on the nest?"
"Well...I'm resting."
Reuben propped a wing against the nesting box, frowning. She was keeping something from him, but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't tell him until she was good and ready. “All right, I'll buy that excuse. Meanwhile...what are we going to do about Zack and Justine? He's ruining everything!” The silence lasted so long he thought she'd fallen asleep.
"I see you're not going to take my advice about the mortals,” Mini grumbled. “While Zack was gone earlier, you took a look around the apartment, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did.” Reuben tapped his foot and waited for her to explain. Mini poked her head through the hole, startling him.
"This is what I think we should do..."
As Reuben listened to her plan, he began to grin.
Zack wished the lovebirds wo
uld chirp or sing, anything to break the silence. He twisted around and eyed his stereo with longing. Probably not a good idea, he decided, transferring his gaze to the elaborately covered bird cage he'd placed on top of the entertainment center. Justine had been specific about the lovebirds not being disturbed.
He missed Dennis.
With a sigh, he turned his attention back to the special dinner he was making for Justine. He hoped she liked her chili spicy. Chuckling, he imagined her expression when she arrived to find not the seduction scene he was sure she was expecting—he'd recognized the look on her face—but a simple feast with a simple guy. Not that he wouldn't be adverse to making love with the woman he loved...
But tonight he was going to concentrate on earning her trust again. After what he'd discovered today from Jordan he suspected it wouldn't be an easy task. If he could get his hands around that steward's neck he'd throttle him.
He tasted the chili, frowned, and searched the cabinet above him for the ground red pepper. Unscrewing the cap, he tapped a little into the bubbling chili. Maybe a tad more—
The sound of breaking glass startled him. His hand jerked, spilling a considerable amount of red pepper into the chili. With a curse, Zack grabbed a spoon and tried to scoop it out, but the bubbling mixture sucked it under.
"Damn!” Throwing the spoon aside, Zack lowered the fire beneath the pot and went in search of the noise. If he didn't absolutely know better, he'd think Dennis was back. Breaking glass? He was alone in the apartment with the exception of the lovebirds—who were securely locked in a cage.
On impulse, he backtracked and peeped between the satin covering. One of the lovebirds stared back at him from the perch; he glimpsed the white-ringed eye of the female looking through the hole in the nesting box.
Laughing at his silly thoughts, Zack continued to the bathroom. It was probably nothing more than a drinking glass he'd left on the sink. Vibrations from the ancient heating system had most likely sent it crashing to the hard tiled floor.
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