Teacher: The Final Act (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy #3) (15 page)

Danny motioned for me to go ahead. He was kind of supporting Jinx, who had fallen asleep against him. Poor kid. I followed Mrs. Grammatica down the hall and into the last room. Tears burned my eyes along with the many hospital’s smells. Cosmo’s eyes were closed as we approached. He coughed a couple of times and looked as though he was in pain. I took his hand gently in mine.

One of his eyes popped open. “Hey Jesse Baby.”

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. He grinned, but it quickly turned into a grimace as he coughed again. “Don’t try to talk. Your throat is a mess.”

He nodded, and then both hazel green eyes opened wide. “I’m so glad you weren’t there, baby. I—”

“I’m not! If I was there, this wouldn’t have happened!”

He shook his head at me and put his other hand, the one with all of the needles and tubes in it, over mine. “No, baby. It’s my fault. I should have gotten rid of those clowns a long time ago. It’s just escalated since you left. They are totally out of control.  I’m just damn lucky Jinx was next door. That guy…” He trailed off and took a deep breath, which brought on more coughing.

“You need to rest, Cosmo. We’re taking Jinx home with us. You’re welcome to stay when you get out…”

“Thanks, baby, for taking care of Jinx. I might go home. Or not. I don’t know how long I can hear it from my uncles.”

I knew he had a lot of reality to face when he was feeling up to it. I assured him Danny and I would be there for him however we could. He squeezed my hand and closed his eyes again.

“I’ll come back tomorrow, and the next day and the next day until they finally let you out.”

He grinned with his eyes closed. “Thanks, baby.” He drifted off and I was glad for it.

I felt shaky when I thought about losing my best friend. I watched him sleep for a few moments before I went back to the waiting room and found Danny and Jinx talking quietly.

Danny stood and hugged me tightly. “I guess this was your gut feeling,” he said quietly in my ear. I wanted to cry, but I was exhausted.

“Let’s get you two home,” Danny said to Jinx and I.

We said goodbye to Cosmo’s family. His mother thanked me for coming and I told her I’d be back to see him the next day.

Jinx seemed reluctant to get in our car.

“Hey,” Danny said quietly, putting his arm around Jinx. He spoke quietly to him and I watched Jinx nod a couple of times.  They came to some sort of bro agreement and Jinx climbed in back. When I slid into my seat, I reached for Danny’s hand and gave him a grateful smile. 

We got Jinx set up in the spare room and Danny gave him some clothes to change into after he had a shower. Jane was filled in on what happened and she agreed to help take care of him. Danny called Patricia and they brainstormed ways they could help with this situation. Patricia had heard from the fire marshal. Everything was lost. All four units in that building were totaled. The rest of the complex survived relatively unscathed with just some smoke damage externally. It seemed that his uncles already had it under control. They had a cleaning crew coming the next day.

I spent the weekend visiting Cosmo in the hospital and shopping for Jinx at Danny’s insistence. It seemed he’d taken Jinx under his wing. He got him to try to talk to his parents, who lived in Missouri, and they were thankful for the call. Danny said they seemed like nice people, but had no way of helping their son. 

Cosmo was released to go home the next Wednesday with his parents. I arrived to visit just as they were getting him into the wheelchair to go home.

“Hey Jesse Baby! You’re a sight for sore eyes.” He may have spoken in his jovial way, but he looked miserable.

“You okay, Cosmo? Are you in a lot of pain?”

He shrugged and asked his cousin to give us a few minutes. “I’m in emotional turmoil more than in physical pain. I’m going to hate not having my own space, but it seems I’m going to be at the mercy of my mother and aunts for a while.” He rubbed at his shaved head with a frown.

“Your hair will grow back, Samson,” I joked.

He tried to smile, but I could tell he wasn’t feeling it. It didn’t reach his eyes. “I know. I just feel naked, and I’m not just talking about my hair.”

He didn’t possess his usual level of mystery and swagger.  His confidence was hiding somewhere behind doubt and misery. I pulled up the chair next to his wheelchair so I could be on his level.

“Cosmo, I’m going to tell you what I told Janey about the wedding. Everything happens for a reason. Us missing our wedding happened for a reason. This fire, as awful as it sounds, happened for a reason. You have to look at it that way. Maybe this means there’s something better for you?”

He looked out the window and I admired his profile. With his hair gone, he seemed much more stark and serious. His hazel green eyes had a far-away look to them under his thick, dark lashes.

“You might just be onto something with that, baby. I needed a kick in the ass. Getting rid of Sam and Johnny is my first priority, then selling the complex. My uncle already said he wants to buy it from me. I’m going to get a house where I can really focus on my music.  I’m hoping Jinx will be on board. I don’t want to lose him. I owe him my life and I intend to drag him along with me and see this through. Something is stirring. I can feel it. I need to embrace this opportunity, and I intend to. As soon as I’m back on my feet…” He trailed off like he was making plans in his head.

“We’ve got Jinx under control at our house. He told Danny he’s going back to work this week, but I think Danny doesn’t want him to.”

Danny had been talking to Patricia about getting him some work doing music. He was an incredible bass player. It would be good for him to get a break. He worked so hard.

“Something is stirring. I have no doubt,” he said in a really cryptic way.  Maybe he wasn’t as fragile as I had first thought. Or maybe it was the painkillers.

I gave his hand a squeeze, knowing his cousins would be back soon. “Is there anything I can do for you?” I asked.

He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it gently with his eyes closed. “You already have. So when is the wedding going to be now? Spain would have been so beautiful. It’s a shame you had to postpone.”

We’d already been over this. I would have been devastated if we were gone when all of this happened.

“I have no idea. I think I finally convinced Danny we don’t have to have a plan yet. Let’s get through Christmas, for crying out loud, and his tour season next spring. Nowhere is it written we have to get married right now.”

Cosmo laughed and gave my hand one last squeeze before letting go. “I don’t know, baby. If I were Black, I’d lock you up until I had that certificate signed, sealed and delivered. Trust me. I already know what it’s like to lose you.” His laugh was incredibly forced.

I raised an eyebrow at him and he held up his hands in surrender. “I know. I’m just saying I wouldn’t want anything to take you away from me if I were him.”  His eyes focused so intently on me, my breath caught in my chest.

This fire, the whole experience, it changed him. Cosmo on a mission was definitely going to be a force to reckon with. I just hoped he directed that force in a positive way.

His cousins came barreling back into the room fighting over who was going to push him out. Cosmo just gave me a sly smile and a “see you soon, baby,” as they headed out the door. I watched them go and felt grateful I hadn’t lost my best friend, although the Cosmo I watched leaving that hospital room was a new man.

Life was very busy, and a little lonely, with Danny on the road. The band toured the first three weeks of December.  Danny came home exhausted. He spent the first two days resting his voice, hugging on Janey, and watching me longingly. At night… Well, if I’d thought he was a beast before. He was insatiable. I had to tap out a couple of nights. He took it pretty well. Mostly.

“But honey, I’ve only got two weeks, and Christmas is in a few days and… CHRISTMAS! Let’s get married on Christmas! I’ll have Patricia—”

“Danny,” I sighed. I’d only just started my own break from teaching and I just wanted to sleep. I’d been trying to sleep before he woke me at two a.m. to apparently plan our wedding. “Let Patricia rest. Let’s just rest. Jane’s been really tired. I’m still trying to get Jinx to rest, but he’s not only working, he’s visiting Cosmo every day and they’re working on music. We have enough chaos. Give me until after Christmas, please?”

He pouted. “Fiiiiiinnnneeee. But I want to marry you, honey! OH! We’re going to be in Vegas for New Year’s! Is it too cheesy to want to get married in Vegas?”

I glanced at him over my shoulder. He was leaning over me with eyes all crazy. I rolled onto my back and his hands started to roam.

“Danny! Babe. I gotta get some sleep. We were up all night last night and I had to get up early to—”

“I’m sorry. I am. I just can’t keep my hands off you. Do you know how many times I thought of you in those fucking hotel rooms?”

I did, actually. He’d texted me in the middle of the night at least four times during the last leg of the tour. They’d played dates in major cities on the East Coast before coming home two days ago. They had two sold-out dates in Vegas planned for the 29
^th
and 30th.

“Vegas? Really? What about Jane?”

He shrugged. “Nora can stay with her for a day or two after. Shit. I forgot to tell you. Nora’s going to Spain after all. I’m sending her for Christmas. Patricia will stay with Jane. It’ll be fine. It’s perfect! We have the two shows before, we’ll get hitched on New Year’s Eve, and then we’ll just stay for two days after that and have a little mini-honeymoon until I can take you somewhere nice. I don’t think we leave on the bus until like the second week in January.

A bus. Ugh. “You guys will be careful on that bus, right? You guys have a good driver?”

He smiled at me wickedly and used those big, talented hands to position me right where he wanted me. I loved it when he manhandled my hips.

“I’ll be fine. We’re safe. We have an excellent driver. So Vegas. I can dress like Elvis, and you can—”

“What? Are you still trying to—Ahh!”

Danny was on his knees. He’d yanked my hips up to where my ass was pressed against his thighs and entered me in one thrust. He pulled me tight against him.

“Come on, baby,” he pleaded, slipping into a very King-esque drawl. When he started singing to me, I knew I’d do whatever he asked. He slid a hand up my spine lifting me to face him. “Come on, honey. Come for me,” he panted, then resumed his singing.

He was in such good shape that he kept up his rhythm without missing a lyric. I collapsed against him and let him continue to move me against him. He was so powerful, our lovemaking so raw. He made my body sing for him. He continued to emulate The King while I exploded in rapture over and over. He was relentless in his ministrations. It wasn’t until I bent down and used my teeth to tug on his nipple rings that I felt him start to tremble. I’d learned that if I wanted to get any sleep, I sometimes had to resort to these tactics. Not that I didn’t enjoy him thoroughly. I just needed to get rest so I could continue enjoying him. My reward was watching him completely lose himself inside me. He’d learned to kiss me as he came to muffle his screams. Most of the time.

“Please, Jesse. Please,” he moaned as his body ceased its trembling. His hands cradled my face. His eyes implored me. “Please say yes.”

That damn gimme smile. I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I’ll marry you in Vegas. But I want a Priscilla bouffant hairdo then! You have to find me someone who will pile all this stuff up on my head until it’s the biggest damned beehive you’ve ever seen.”

He laughed heartily, his hands caressing my back. “Whatever you want, honey. I fucking love you so much. I can’t wait to be married to you.”

Danny called Patricia the next morning and set the wheels of chaos in motion. She called me directly after hanging up with him to ask me if I was ok with all of this.

“Frankly, I don’t know. He kind of…He, um, sort of… Well, he kind of asked me under duress.” The other end of the phone was silent for a few beats. 

I heard her sigh. “Jesse, if you aren’t up for this-”

“No! I am. I want to. I just…I don’t really want to make my parents come to Vegas. They just got back from their trip and are trying to settle into the new house and Dad’s new job.” Danny and I insisted they go ahead and take their scheduled vacation even though there was no Spain wedding. They’d had a wonderful time and my mother glowed with excitement when we picked them up from the airport.

“Give them a call. See what they think. I’ll hold off the beast for a few hours.”

We laughed together for a while. I hated to admit it, but I was starting to get excited about the idea. Spain would have been breathtaking and beautiful, but Vegas…I hadn’t been there since my dancing days. I’d done a couple of shows there. I just remembered there wasn’t a lot for me to do because I was underage at the time. Now? I’d heard about the spas, the shows, the food…

I called Mom next and she was tickled.

“A Vegas wedding! That man of yours, Jesse. Of course we’ll come. Then why don’t you let us take Jane home afterwards? We’d love to have her for a few days. She hasn’t spent the night over here yet, and last time you guys were here, I noticed her eyeing our spare bedroom. She gave that whole room a once over like she was-”

“She does that. Alright. If you guys are sure. I, um, believe it’s going to be a themed wedding.” I filled her in on Danny’s plan and she laughed out loud.

“Oh, can I make your father dress up, too? He does a great impression of Elvis’s pelvic—”

“MOM! I don’t need to hear about his pelvic region!”

We spoke for a few more minutes and I told her Patricia would likely call her with travel arrangements soon.

Vegas. And I’d finally get to see a Blackened show! I managed to get that added to the plan once Patricia assured me that The Joint at the Hard Rock would be a fine place for Jane to see her father rock out. When I told Jane, she squealed with delight.  She frowned a bit when I told her about the Elvis theme for the wedding.  Danny won her over with his gimme smile and it was a go. He also promised, we’d have a proper reception at home once they finished their winter tour at the end of February. They’d be off for the month of March, play the festivals in April and May, and then head to Europe in June. I tried not to think about it or I would freak out.

I went to see Cosmo before we left and told him of Danny’s crazy plan. He listened intently, but his smile was faked. It was probably better he wasn’t up to coming. I wasn’t sure how much more he could take of my happiness with Danny. I promised him we’d send him pictures and video. He assured me he’d be fine. Later on I talked to Jinx and he assured me he’d stay with Cosmo. Jinx also graciously agreed to take care of Legs while we were gone.

Brooke was still in her treatment program, but she’d been calling Jane every Sunday. The first few conversations were very brief. At least they were starting to communicate. Danny and I watched Jane closely after their conversations. The day before we left they spoke and afterwards, Danny got on the phone with her and told her our plans. When he hung up, he seemed off.

“Danny? Did that go ok?”

He shrugged. “I guess. It was a little weird. She cried and said she loved me and wanted us to be happy. What the fuck did she have to go and cry for? I’m just going to chalk it up to her being a mess in rehab.” 

I hoped he was right. Bronson’s warning to me months ago was still fresh in my mind.

Nora, Jane, my parents, Patricia and Max and I all flew together in a private jet to Las Vegas on the morning of Blackened’s first show. The guys went a day early to supervise all of the setup and, I found out, to plan a surprise bachelor party for Danny after the show. Bronson promised me it would be tame and told me not to worry.

“He’d kick our asses if we hired, uh, professionals. Nah, we’re just going to take him to a club we know and listen to some good music.” He filled me on some embarrassment he had in store for Danny. Bronson apparently had some things to get him back for.

We took a limo from the airport to the Hard Rock, which was off the strip. Danny and I had a two-room suite we shared with Jane. My parents and Patricia and Max also had suites on the same floor. Jane and I geeked out over the décor.

She wandered around looking at the pool table, the furry pillows, and the bar. “Daddy, I don’t think this is a kid kinda room.”

“I hope they cleaned up all the condoms,” he stage whispered.

Jane shouted at him. “That’s disgusting, Dad! Ew! Just stop!” She stomped off to her room and I had to tame my beast.

“You better behave! You also better get going. You guys have sound check in an hour and you need to—”
He pulled me into an embrace and bent me back in a dip. He kissed my neck and attempted to make his way down the front of my dress.

“Daddy!”

He pulled me up quickly and did some kind of weird dance moves before scooting over to Jane like Angus Young with his guitar. She balked and started to turn back into her room.

“Oh relax, babe. I’m just excited! Aren’t you excited?”

She nodded, looking fearful. “You are so weird.”  

Jane and I had dinner with my parents at the Hard Rock restaurant across the parking lot from the hotel before the show. Dad was looking forward to seeing Blackened play. It was surreal hearing him talk about music and getting “pumped” and “stoked” for some “kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll.” I was waiting for a “far out.”

After dinner, I wanted to freshen up before the show, so I left Jane with my parents and went up to our room. As I exited the elevator, I heard raised voices.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Now? You’re going to-”

“I’m sorry, Patricia. I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

“Then make me understand! You don’t just walk out after ten years with no explanation!”

I had turned the corner and there was no way to escape detection. I gave them a nervous smile. Max was really red in the face. Patricia was red all over. I could see her chest heaving as she fought back tears of anger.

“I, uh, was just coming to freshen up. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s almost time! I’ve got to get to the venue.” She turned on Max with a fury I hadn’t seen from her before. Not even when we had our Melrose Showdown with Her Hungarian Highness, as the incident had been dubbed. “We will continue this later.” She turned on her four-inch red heels and stomped towards me, one plump curl bouncing under her chin. She threw her shoulders back and smiled at me. “I’ll see you downstairs. You’ve got your passes? You’re ready?”

“Absolutely.”

She was back to business, but I made a mental note to check in with her later.

I changed into some jeans with blingy stuff on the butt that Danny really liked, and a matching black tank I’d picked up earlier from the hotel shop. I still didn’t have much in the way of rocker wear. I did, however, have my black cowboy boots that I was dying to slip into. I left my hair down and applied just a little bit of makeup around the eyes and smeared my lips with sparkly, dark pink lip gloss. Then I giggled. I was going to see my boyfriend’s band play. What kind of bizarre world had I landed in? That I was marrying into? In less than forty-eight hours!

The show was beyond amazing, beyond anything I could describe adequately. All four of “the guys” rocked their hearts out on that stage. The Mannings often seemed reserved to me when we hung out, but not on stage.  Bronson prowled around like a dark shadow to Danny’s fire. Julian threw off so much sexual energy, it was a miracle that more bras and panties weren’t thrown, or that more of them didn’t spontaneously combust. Alex was a major clown behind the drum set. He smiled the whole time like he was the happiest kid on the playground. These four men, who had become so important to me, were larger than life. I thought maybe they’d seem like strangers up there, but their personalities were just amplified, uninhibited. Bronson and Julian sang backing vocals frequently, which I guess I hadn’t realized since the times I visited the studio, they were done recording. I loved the way their voices supported Danny’s, just like they were always there to support him in life.

Jane and I watched the show from the side stage, while my parents sat in the luxury box reserved for guests of the band. Patricia flitted around back and forth between the box and backstage, making sure everyone had what they needed. She was on top of everything, but I was still worried about her.

I couldn’t see Danny interacting with the crowd much from where we were standing. I guess I’d been worried he would see all of those women out there and decide I wasn’t enough. But it wasn’t really like that. He did catch my eye a few times and he grinned bashfully, like he was worried what I was thinking. The rest of the time I mostly had a view of his backside. And oh what a backside! Completely in his element, he was the epitome of male beauty and sensuality. I couldn’t wait to get him back to our suite.

Jane loved the show. She rocked out next to me, singing along to all of the new songs. She was still learning their back catalogue, thanks to Brooke, who wouldn’t let her listen to his music. She’d even learned to play a couple of the new tunes on her guitar and sang along. The first time Danny heard her sing one of his songs he shivered. Later he told me it freaked him out how much she sounded like him and wondered if she would want to start singing. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. But watching her having so much fun, I was beginning to see a future with music in it for our little Janey.

Ours! Oh! The wedding. I got lost in thought for a bit thinking of all the things we still needed to do for the wedding and kind of missed the rest of the set. The next thing I knew I was being swept up in a pair of strong, sweaty arms.

“I can’t fucking take you being over here,” Danny said close to my ear over the din of the crowd that was still shouting for more. “Let me do this encore and then I’m going to make you come so many times tonight, you’ll likely lose feeling in your legs.” He set me down hard and backed away, licking his lips. 

“Ok, that was soooo gross.”

Oh my God. Jane.”Oh, honey, I’m—”

“No. Don’t be sorry, just, GOD, does he have to maul you like that? And he’s so… ew!!!”

I totally laughed, feeling a little relieved she hadn’t heard what he said. Then she’d really think he was “ew.” The band played two more songs and then bowed together on stage. Danny pulled off his shirt for the encore, making it all the more necessary to fan myself. I couldn’t even remember what songs they played when I tried to think of it later on the phone with Nora. My parents were brought backstage and they took Jane with them. That left me alone with the band and the crowd that was beginning to form of people who wanted a word, an autograph, a picture or a handshake.

Danny was super gracious to everyone, but his eyes let me know he already had me undressed in his mind. I could almost feel his hands on me as I watched him sign a young guy’s t-shirt on his back. All the times he shook hands with people I imagined those hands playing me…

“Jesse, can I go over some things with you for tomorrow?” Patricia was standing next to me with her phone out and her calendar pulled up. I shook myself. I’d been close to a fucking orgasm just from watching my fiancé. What the hell was wrong with me? Was this what I had in store for the rest of my life with him? Sign me up!

“Huh? I’m sorry. I-”

“I know. He fills out a pair of jeans well. Anyway, I need to take you and Jane to get fitted for your dresses tomorrow. Bronson is taking care of all of the guys for me, thank God. Then tomorrow night we’ve got the show and then the guys are going out afterwards. Did you want—”

“God, no. I need sleep. I don’t think I’ve had a full night’s sleep since…”

“He got back from tour. Got it. Don’t need to hear the details.” She was being sarcastic, but not really humorous.

This was not the same woman I’d grown to consider my close friend. I knew she wasn’t right.

“Patricia? Are you okay?”
“What? That? In the hall? That was nothing. I’m fine. Totally fine. I’m on this. We need to get your dresses, then I wanted to get you into a spa to get pampered and get your nails done while your parents take Jane to see Cirque du Soliel.”

“Oh! You were able to get them tickets! I know they’ll love it.”

Patricia nodded and went back to flipping screens on her phone. “Alright. I’ve got some things to take care of, so you get your ass back to your room and tell him I said not to keep you up all night, got it?” She kissed my cheek and stormed off.

Oh no. I was so shaken with worry for her that I barely paid attention to the conversation on the way back to the room between Danny and Jane.

“I really liked the way you guys changed up that bridge on ‘Shelter’ and the chorus on ‘Fly’ was so cool the way Uncle Bronson and Uncle Julian sang those dueling parts while their guitars harmonized.”

“Jesse?” Danny tugged on my hand hard. “Honey? Are you with us?” My ears were ringing a little, but this time I heard him.

“Were you talking to me? I’m sorry.”

They looked at each other and laughed out loud.

“Uh, you have the room keys,” Jane snickered.

I narrowed my eyes at them. I was used to them ganging up on me by now, but I couldn’t let them get away with it.

“Excuse me! I was just so engrossed listening to you accomplished musicians!” I made fun of them a lot, especially now that she was getting to be quite proficient and showing very promising talent on the guitar. The two of them together… Overwhelming.

“I’m going straight to bed after I shower. Uncle Alex hugged me and got sweat and God knows what else on my new shirt. I can’t even!”

Danny took that moment to rub his sweaty hair all over her back, causing her to squeal and run to her room. He laughed and called out “I love you” to her closed door. She answered back that she loved us. At least I’m pretty sure that’s what she mumbled.