Teacher: The Final Act (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy #3) (9 page)

He kissed me loudly on the lips and groaned before taking the cheese tray.  ”Anything for you,” he whispered.  

He could still floor me with that look and his words.  I waited a couple of beats before following him with some waters for the cooler.  The stage lights were turned down. Just the Tiki lights had the patio illuminated.  Suddenly, a spotlight shone on the stage and a voice thundered from the PA.  

“Daniel Adam Black!  Please come forward!”  

Danny stopped mid-stride and dropped the tray at his feet.  Standing on stage in the spot he had occupied before our little tryst was his hero, Alice Cooper.  I crept up next to him and whispered, “Surprise, baby!”  

His eyes shot to me, wider than I’d ever seen them.  ”You did this?”  

I nodded.  ”With Bronson’s help.”  I gave him a push toward the stage and our guests cheered loudly.

“Daniel,” Alice called.  ”Come here, son.”  

Danny grinned like a loon and trotted up to the stage, wobbling on his platforms.  He pulled off his wig as he stood next to Alice and shook hands with him.  

“I’ve been told you have created a new house of horror, and as the godfather of all that is creepy in this world, your lady friend and bandmates thought it fitting that I come and offer a blessing, if you will.”  

Danny looked at all of us and shook his head, blushing.  ”Thank you.  That would make this whole thing perfect.”  

Alice nodded and raised his scepter.  ”Lead the way, Daniel.”  

He totally played it up as Danny walked down the steps next to him and led the way into the living room.  We all followed behind as Danny showed off his collection of life-sized classic monsters, vampire killing kits from the turn of the century, human skulls alongside the skeletons of other creepy mammals, relics from horror movie sets, and the pièce de résistance, a full-sized guillotine Alice Cooper had actually used on stage during one of his early tours.  Alice even let Danny “chop his head off,” which led to Danny squealing like a little kid.  He was so animated, so excited, and every so often he’d smile at me from across the room.

“Now I think this blessing will only be complete with a song or two.”  

Everyone screamed and Alice motioned for Danny to lead the way back outside. Once onstage Alice took the microphone again.

“There is one other reason my presence was needed tonight. Daniel, come here please.”

Danny jumped up on stage and stood next to Alice kinda looking like a dopey kid. Alice put his hand on Danny’s shoulder.

“Son, your teacher informs me that you have passed your exit exams and earned your high school diploma. That calls for a tribute!”

Bronson played the opening riff for “School’s Out” and Danny started cracking up. I got several hugs from our friends and Danny stood at the front of the little stage shaking hands and hugging our guests. We all sang along with Alice while Danny’s face turned redder and redder. Danny picked up his guitar when that song was over and they all played “Welcome to my Nightmare” and “I Love The Dead.” When it was over, Alice hugged Danny and I couldn’t hear, but it looked like he thanked him for having him over and must have asked about me, because then they walked toward me. I tried to breathe normally and not allow my freakout to show.

“Jesse, I would love for you to meet Mr. Vincent Furnier, best known as Alice Cooper.”  

He took my hand in his and kissed the back.  ”Thank you, Ms. Martin for inviting me tonight. I haven’t had this much fun in years.  Sadly, I must be going as I have an early flight to catch.  Enjoy your new home.”  

I thanked him, I think.  I tried to get those words out but it could have been “bless you,” for all I know.  

He smiled, shook hands with the guys in the band, and then was led out by his driver and a couple other people I hadn’t seen.

Danny turned on me and picked me up off the ground in a hug.  ”That, honey, was an awesome fucking surprise.”  

I was just glad it all turned out. “Thank Bronson!  He’s the one who got in touch with him and ultimately got him to come.”  

He hugged Bronson and thanked him, too.  Just not as intimately as he thanked me later, after everyone went home.

A week later we were once again covered in makeup and body paint, this time in Nikki Sixx’s photo studio.  Danny and I posed suggestively and innocently for Nikki, but once Danny started kissing me, all bets were off.  Nikki, his staff, and his girlfriend left us alone to let us play. It was almost as if Danny had pre-arranged it.  Too bad he couldn’t really enjoy it completely as he was itching like crazy from either the makeup or his hair growing back in.  Either way, I suggested that we continue having our fun back home.  He shook his head and held up a finger.

“There’s one more thing I want to try.”  He trotted away from me for a moment, rummaged through his bag, then trotted back over to the camera.  He set the timer once again and then walked over to me with a shy smile.  He turned me so my back was to the camera, and told me to turn my head the other way.  I did as he asked, giggling, and felt him tug on my hand.

“Jesse, you can look now.”  I turned to find him on one knee… with a ring in his hand.  I started to shake and my other hand flew to my chest.  I didn’t even hear the camera clicking, nor did I pay attention to our surroundings as Danny uttered the most precious words he’d ever said to me. “Jesse, honey, please give me the most incredible gift you could ever give me and tell me you’ll marry me.”  

I could feel my heart stuttering in my chest and my eyes filled with tears. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a sob.  Danny looked worried for a moment but then smiled when I nodded vigorously.  He stood and kissed me until I was breathless.

“Yes! Of course, yes, baby!  Yes, I’ll marry you!”  

He pulled me to him and held me tightly to him, letting out a relieved breath.  ”Oops, I forgot something,” he laughed and stepped back far enough to pull my hand up between us and slide the ridiculous diamond and platinum ring over my ring finger.  

I gazed into his loving face and just beamed.  ”We’re really going to do it?” I asked.  

He frowned.  ”Of course we are!  Damn, woman! I’ve been telling you I was going to marry you.  Just been waiting for the perfect moment to give this to you.”  

And then I remembered the cameras and pulled him back against me. “And you got the whole thing on film, didn’t you, you rat!”  

He laughed and squeezed me so tight the breath left my lungs.  ”I did.  Nikki was happy to help. He got his crazy pictures, and I got photographic evidence that you agreed to marry me.  You can’t get out of it now!”  

I threw my head back, laughing at his conniving. “I don’t want out of it, Danny! But I hope you weren’t planning on showing these to the family.”  

He shook his head.  ”No way.  Only for you and me.  Because that’s all that counts, when you come down to it.  Well, let’s take a couple we can show Janey and Nora at least.”  

We moved closer to the camera and took several shots of Danny holding my hand against his chest, him kissing me with my hand showing off the ring against his cheek, and then finally of my hand resting on my shoulder.  I cringed as I took a closer look at the ring.   “Danny, this must have cost a fortune!  You really didn’t need—”  

He shut me up with a kiss and shook his head.  ”Uh uh. No way.  I found the perfect ring and you are not going to ruin this for me.”  

I knew he was only sort of playing.  We’d had several arguments over the expensive things he purchased for me.  He insisted. I ranted. He’d used the gimme smile. I caved.  It was becoming our routine.  He listened to me when he knew it was important to me, like when I told him I felt really uncomfortable having a security guard with me all the time. He acquiesced on that matter, but he’d pull the Mr. Bossypants routine if he thought I wasn’t letting him take care of me how he wanted to.

After more kissing, more tears, more groping, and finally, more itching, we pulled on our sweats and tried to at least gather up the feathers we’d strewn all over the studio.  Now, Danny really needed a shower, and probably some Benadryl.  It appeared he was getting hives from the makeup.

“Let’s just tell Nikki we’re leaving,” he said with a grin as we stepped out of the studio.  Nikki’s office was across the hall, and a note was tacked to the door.

“Assuming all went as planned, congratulations!  I’ll get you the prints as soon as possible.  Go home and celebrate, and don’t forget to add us to the guest list.  Love, Nikki.”

I rolled my eyes.  ”Did everyone know about this but me?”  

Danny nodded, rubbing at his belly.  ”Yep.  I told Janey and Nora first, then called your folks, then my mom, then Patricia, then the guys…  Pretty much everyone knows.  Thank God you said yes!”  

I swatted his behind and he groaned.  ”Can you do that some more, like really fast?  I’m so fucking itchy right now. I need to be scratched!”

“You poor man.  Let’s get you some Benadryl and get you home.”  

We stopped at the drug store and I was glad when Danny opted to stay in the car so I could get this over with quickly.  I couldn’t help staring at my ring. I almost walked into a pole!  I found Benadryl tablets, some oatmeal bath packets, and several bottles of cream in case he needed more relief.  I hurried to the car and found him squirming like crazy.

“I’m so sorry, baby!  Let’s get you home.”  I drove the Challenger as fast as I could without getting arrested for reckless driving.  I got us into the garage and felt terrible as Danny hopped out of the car and jammed for the door.  He stopped short in the doorway.  I heard a female laughing as I approached.

“What happened to you, Danny?”  As I stepped up behind Danny, I could feel the tension coming off him in waves.  

“Brooke,” he said in a tone that told me several things; he didn’t know she was coming, wasn’t happy she was here, but had a feeling why she might be.  As we rounded the corner into the kitchen, her smile fell when she noticed me behind him, but didn’t take on the bitchy look she usually got.

“Hi Jesse.  I’m sorry to barge in.  Nora let me in earlier.  She left to pick up Jane and take her to ride Misty.  I like what you’ve done with the place.”  She yammered on for a moment more as we entered the kitchen.  She was actually being quite civil, but she looked like hell.  

I took the bag from Danny and started getting him some pills and a glass of water.  I handed them to him as he addressed her coolly. “I didn’t know you were coming.”  

She shrugged and smiled sadly.  ”I didn’t either. I have nowhere else to go.”  

I blanched at that and felt Danny stiffen.  She glanced nervously at me and then at Danny.

“Danny, I’m going to take this stuff to the room and shower.  You okay?”  

He nodded and squeezed my hand before turning back to Brooke with his arms across his chest.  I heard their low voices as I headed down the hall.  God, what now?

I showered, dressed, and then waited for Danny to come in the room.  I didn’t want to disturb them.  It was getting close to six, so I knew Nora and Jane would be home soon.  I paced back and forth wondering just what the hell was going on. I felt like it wasn’t my place to intrude.  I heard the front door a few minutes later and knew the girls were back.  I figured it would be safe to come out then.

I entered the kitchen and found Danny chewing on a fingernail, Nora angrily putting away groceries, and Jane hugging her mom weakly.  

“I need to go shower and get this shit off me.”  

Nora looked up and frowned.  ”Danny!  You’ve got hives all over!”

“I know.  It’s the body paint.  Jesse got me some stuff. The Benadryl is already helping. I just need to get this off me.”  

Nora nodded at me and said, “You go on, then.  I’m going to fix dinner.  Brooke, are you staying for dinner?”  

Brooke looked hesitantly to Danny, who nodded.  ”She is.  Nora, after dinner, can you get the spare room made up, please?”  

Nora’s eyes shot to him in alarm. The look on his face stopped her from making any nasty remarks.  ”Sure.”  

Jane looked helplessly from me, to Danny, to her mom.  Danny picked up on this and said, “Jane, why don’t you go let Legs out of her dog run and play with her for a bit.  I’ll be out in a few.”  

She nodded and hurried toward the slider.  Legs’ happy yips sounded as Jane got to her cage.  Inside, we silently waited for Danny to speak.

Brooke excused herself to use the restroom.  She must have sensed that Danny wanted to talk to us without her present.  Once she was out of the room, Nora turned to Danny with her hands on her hips.  

He cleared his throat and sighed.  ”Brooke left Oliver.  She came here because she doesn’t want her manager to know anything yet.  She wants to go to rehab and needs my help.  I told her she could stay here until I can get her set up in a facility.”  

Nora cursed and turned back to her dinner preparations.  Danny frowned at her and then looked to me.  

I stepped closer to him and put my hand on his arm.  ”What do you need me to do?” I asked him softly.  

He leaned down and kissed me quickly.  ”Can you go run me that oatmeal bath?  I’ll be there in just a minute.”  His eyes shot back to Nora as I left the room.  

I met Brooke in the hallway.  She was looking around with a smirk at the living room.  ”He finally got his house of horrors, I see.”  She turned to me with an embarrassed smile.  ”I’m really sorry to impose on the two of you.  I don’t mean to intrude.  I just didn’t have anyplace else to go.”  

I shook my head and my hand came up to push my hair out of my face, putting my new ring on display for Brooke.  I really didn’t do it on purpose, but her eyes grew wide, then narrowed.  

She looked bitterly back at me and smirked.  ”I’ll be out of your way soon. You can have my ex-husband and all of this,” she said, gesturing to the great room, “to yourself.”  

I could tell she was upset. I steeled myself and refused to sink to her level.  ”It’s fine.  Do you need anything?  Clothes or anything?”  

She shook her head, irritated.  ”I have a suitcase.  It’s in the spare room.”

I nodded.  ”Okay.  I’ll see you at dinner.”  

I turned and heard her huff.  ”Jesse,” she called out.  I turned around and took in her disheveled appearance, her limp hair, the bags under her eyes… I felt sorry for her.  ”Thanks,” she said.  

I smiled and said, “Whatever you need, we’re here.”  That made her feel worse, I could tell.  She slouched off to the kitchen and I went back to the bedroom to get Danny’s bath ready.

He came in a few minutes later looking disturbed.  He stripped down and got in the shower to wash off while I sat on the counter, watching and waiting patiently for him to speak.  I’d learned that sometimes Danny needed some time to work things out before he spoke.  If I’d known that this past summer when we had our first blow up, I might have been able to avoid several tense moments where I almost walked away from him.

After he washed he stepped over to me and looked to me as if he needed a hug.  I opened my arms and he wrapped himself around me.  He took several deep breaths before he spoke. “Damn, if she doesn’t have the worst timing.  I should be making love to my fiancée right now.”  I giggled and ran my fingernails over his scalp.  He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes.  ”Mmmmm, do that some more, all over.”  

I laughed and pushed him towards the tub. “In you go.  Then you can tell me what’s going on.”  

His shoulders sagged as he climbed into his giant tub.  Once he sat back, I took another packet of oatmeal and rubbed it onto his hives.  They were in the bands where the black had been, including across his face.  My poor baby.

“I’m sorry, Jesse.  I can’t turn her away.”  

I shook my head.  ”No, of course not. I wouldn’t ask you to.”  

He frowned. “She’s the mother of my daughter. I can’t just throw her out on the street, although God knows she probably deserves it.  I’m so sorry.  I hope it will only be a couple of days.  I’m going to talk to Patricia after dinner and see if she knows of a place that is good about discretion.  Brooke’s worried about losing her role on this show.  I guess she’s really happy with it, but the hours were killing her so she started taking crank to stay awake and edgy or some shit, and now she’s really sick.  I swear, I’ll get her out of here as soon as possible, okay?  I don’t really want her around Janey that much either.”  He rubbed at his head and closed his eyes.

“Shhhhh.  It’ll be fine.  If Nora can’t handle it, she can leave everything to me.  I know she has a hard time with Brooke.”  

Danny snorted,  ”That’s putting it mildly.  Thanks for the offer.  I may have to take you up on it.  I don’t want Nora to quit, and I don’t need those two going at it in front of Jane.”  

He was so smart.  I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind and kissed his shoulder and the back of his head.

“I fucking love you, Jesse.  My fiancèe.  The future Mrs. Black.”  I giggled.  He turned and smiled deviously at me.  ”You will change your name, won’t you?  Jesse Black sounds so fucking sexy.”  

I stuck my chin out and smirked. ”I’ll think about it.  I’ll at least hyphenate.  I’m the last Martin in my father’s family.  He might like it if I kept the name.”  

“Oh yeah? Whatever you want to do is fine.  As long as I can call you Mrs. Black.”  I whispered in his ear just what he could do with me and he started breathing heavy.  ”Shit, Jesse.  You can’t say things like that!”  

I heard Jane calling for me so I bit his earlobe and said, “Soak.  Get the itchies taken care of, okay?  I’ll go hold down the fort.”  

“Goddamn, you are incredible.  And I’m pretty smart for asking you to marry me.”  

I groaned as I walked back in the bedroom.  Jane was standing in the doorway and she ran to me for a hug.

“Jesse,” she cried, pressing her face into my chest.  

I held her and stroked her hair as she cried.  ”I’m sorry, sweetie.  Are you going to be okay with her here?  For a few days?”  

She nodded.  ”As long as you are here.  Daddy leaves in two days with the band and I’m afraid to be alone with her.”  

I pulled her tighter, cursing when I remembered that Danny was leaving.  The band had interviews with a couple of magazines and radio shows and appearances on the Tonight Show starting Thursday.  They’d be gone for a week.  I really hoped Danny got something in order before he left. Otherwise, we were going to have a long-term houseguest.