Teacher: Act Two (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy Book 2) (15 page)

“This part is just as much for you, my dear, as it is for Danny. I want you to pick out some nice undergarments because we all know we feel more confident and beautiful when we are sexy down to our silkies.”

I giggled and decided I would relent, knowing it could have a nice effect on Danny. I found several sets of matching bras and panties that were on sale and decided to go with garters and stockings for the dinner party dress. Patricia insisted on adding two nighties to our purchases.

“You never know,” she winked conspiratorially.

“Was this specifically part of your ‘orders’, Patricia?”

She looked innocent for a moment, but couldn’t pull it off. “It was mentioned, yes. But only as a necessity.”

“Sure. I can imagine just how that conversation went.”

We were walking back towards the car when I noticed a men’s store and told her I wanted to look for a shirt for Danny.

“He said I could get him something to go under his suit.”

Score! I found shirts that were exactly the same color as the two dresses I’d picked up for the wedding and while it might be a little prom-ish, they would both look dashing on him. Patricia found the right size and while she wholeheartedly agreed the colors would look good on him, she added, “I am a firm supporter of his color choice. It’s just him. Makes it easier to shop for him, that’s for sure.”

When we were nearing the cashier, I noticed a selection of bracelets and leather cuffs. One caught my eye as a perfect gift for Danny. It was black with a pewter heart in the center. The word “soul” was engraved on it and it just seemed appropriate.

“I’m going to make a purchase here. No arguing allowed,” I said.

She took the shirts from me, glancing over my shoulder at the cuff. “Very Danny. Nice choice.”

I pulled my credit card out and paid for it, feeling good that I was able to find something nice for him, something personal. I loved my pendant. It was the most touching gift I’d ever been given, with the exception of a simple gold necklace for my sixteenth birthday from my parents.

We were walking back to the car, laughing, when I almost ran into a woman on the sidewalk coming out of one of the higher-class shops.

“Grace,” Patricia said and I internally winced to see that we’d literally almost collided with Mrs. Manning.

“How are you, dear,” she said to Patricia, air kissing her cheeks. “Nice to see you again, Miss Martin.” She gave me a once over that dripped disdain. “Out spending Danny’s money, I see?”

My face flushed and I felt as though all the air had been sucked out of West Hollywood.

“Grace! Danny instructed me to take her shopping for a couple of events they are going to. Hardly a reason to be disrespectful.”

Grace raised an eyebrow and said, “My apologies. I’d hate to see the man be taken advantage of. I just assumed a teacher would need to do her shopping at the mall.”

“I usually do shop at the mall, Mrs. Manning. At least there I don’t have people accusing me of being a gold digger.”

She smiled wickedly and said, “Truth can hurt, dear. But then I’m sure you are aware of that.”

“I am aware of that, but I don’t know that you are. I’d appreciate it if you’d stop asking Jane pointed questions about her mother. It’s none of your business, but she’s very sensitive about things right now, and doesn’t want to talk about it.” Why not dive right in and tell this woman how I felt?

“And just who are you to speak for Jane, hmmm? Screwing her father gives you no right.” She liked to play dirty. Not what I expected from a woman with such ‘class.’

“Grace! That is enough! Let’s go, Jesse. You don’t have to listen to this.” She tried to take my arm, but I pulled away from her and stepped closer to Mrs. Manning, who was at least four inches shorter than me. Height was nice at times like this.

“I don’t really care what you think of me. What I do care about is whether Jane or Danny are hurt. I won’t allow you to come between them, no matter how much you wish he was still with Brooke. She left, ok? Maybe you should let it go. Whether he and I stay together is irrelevant. Bringing up Brooke is only going to upset both of them so please, drop it.”

She was fuming and I could tell she wanted to say something else, but then Patricia was telling her off in a less professional way than I just had. She turned on her heel with her nose in the air and left a wake of perfume that would forever more make me sick to my stomach.

We walked away from her and loaded our bags into Patricia’s car. They were suddenly feeling very heavy and I wished I could take them all back. Mrs. Manning’s comments had me feeling dirty. She knew exactly what to say to get to me. Patricia got in and slammed the door.

“What a pretentious bitch! I am so sorry, Jesse. Are you ok?”

I smiled weakly at her. “I am. She didn’t say anything I wasn’t already thinking.”

Patricia’s face crumpled. “Jesse! You cannot possibly believe anything that witch just said! Oh, wait until Danny hears about this...”

“Danny is NOT going to hear about this, Patricia. Ever. He doesn’t need this kind of stress right now. I’m fine. I said my peace. Maybe she’ll leave Jane alone now.”

I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm myself down. It wasn’t working. I felt Patricia’s eyes on me so I turned to look at her.

“Uh uh. I am not letting you feel bad about any of this. Sweetie, Danny loves YOU. He picked YOU. He is ridiculously rich and has very little to spend his money on. Hell, he gives half of it away as it is! Even if he never recorded another piece of music, he and Jane could live comfortably on his money for at least two more lifetimes. I’m not trying to brag, here, but I want you to know what a tiny drop of water this little shopping trip is in the bucket of Danny’s fortune. We didn’t even spend enough to equal what he makes an hour when he’s producing for other people. Maybe ten minutes. So I’m not going to let you be upset about him taking care of you. Fuck that evil woman!”

I barked out a laugh. I couldn’t help myself. Patricia swearing and getting downright violent over the exchange we had with Grace was too much. I was even picturing the two of them coming to blows on Melrose.

She started laughing and said, “Let’s go have a drink. I’m not taking you home with this on your mind. I’m not done having fun yet!”

“Lead on, Mama Bear.”

She chuckled some more and pulled out into traffic. She took me to her favorite pub, saying she needed a Guinness to wash that nasty wench’s perfume out of her nose and I was hysterical by the time we got to Rock n’ Reilly’s on Sunset.

The place was a perfect mix of Irish and rock n' roll, and the fish n’ chips were so worth any pain I might have in my hands later. So was the Kilkenny, she insisted I try.

“I really can’t stand women like her,” she grumbled, still on about Grace Manning. “I’ve been in this business for 15 years now and there’s always one like her to put a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t care if her precious boys went to Juilliard, or if she played in the National Hungarian fucking Orchestra. She’s a person. She’d be nothing if it weren’t for her husband and his management of her career. Thankfully, Julian and Bronson take more after their father when it comes to relating to people.”

“I just don’t understand her fascination with Brooke. You would think if she was that protective of Danny that she would have been furious Brooke had an affair and publicly embarrassed him."

Patricia nodded and called her some more choice names. She was on her second Guinness and had really let her hair down. "Oh, that was such a terrible mess. I felt awful for him. Even though they weren't close, he still worked really hard at trying to make her happy. When he wasn't being a dick, that is."

I almost spit out my beer. "I don't see why you guys always refer to him like that! I mean, he can get grouchy, but a dick? I don't think so."

Patricia reached over and patted my arm, saying, "May you never have to experience it. I pray he knows better than to ever talk to you like that."

"Why do you put up with it," I asked.

She shrugged. "Because I get paid to? No, I'd do it anyway. It's not often that he does it, and he more than makes up for it with how wonderful he is the rest of the time. He's just super sensitive and has a quick temper. The combination can be harsh sometimes, I guess."

I finished my Killkenny and ate one last fry. "Thank you so much for today, Patricia. This has been way more fun than I would have thought it would be. I like hanging out with you. Although let's not go where we'll run into Her Hungarian Highness again next time."

She laughed hard and said, "Sounds like a plan, and yes, you and I will definitely hang out again. I haven't had this much fun in forever!"

She dropped me back at Danny's where Jane and Nora insisted on a fashion show.

"Jesse those dresses are perfect! My dad is going to drool all over you."

"Thanks, but ew!"

We laughed and Nora assured me the choices were perfect. I asked if I could hang them in her spare room so Danny wouldn't peek. She took them, saying, "They better go in mine. I don't trust him! Oh, I cleared you a drawer in Danny's closet for your things, although we will likely need to get you a dresser when you bring the rest of your stuff. When is that happening, may I ask?"

"Yeah, Jesse! When are you moving in for good?"

I looked helplessly between the two of them. "I don't know guys! I'm trying to do the right thing here!"

"Exactly, so when are you bringing the rest of your things," Jane said. "Because the right thing is for you to be with my dad."

I groaned and Nora laughed at me. "Jane, I think Jesse is worried about what is proper. She and your dad have only been seeing each other for a few weeks, even though they've been in love since they first met." They both snickered. "And some folks think that you need to wait a certain amount of time before taking such a big step. And it is a big step. Some folks even think that people should be married before they live together." Her eyes held mine and I wondered what she was getting at.

"What do you think is right, Nora?"

She smiled at Jane and said, "I think it is different for everyone. Personally, I think finding someone to love so deeply is a gift that should be cherished and that not a second should be wasted worrying about what is right or wrong. When it's love, it just is. When people think too hard, they just make it more difficult than it needs to be."

She had a sad smile on her face as she spoke to Jane words I was sure were meant for me. I took them to heart. The way she put it made so much sense. Was I really making things more difficult than they needed to be?

"I hope I find a love like that someday," Jane said dreamily.

I hugged her and said, "I hope so, too. It's scary and exciting and makes you feel like you’re on top of the world hanging from a ledge by your fingernails."

Nora laughed. "That about sums it up."

Jane went and stood next to Nora. "Have you ever been in love like that," she asked her.

Nora cupped Jane's cheek in her hand. "I have been in love like that. Unfortunately for me, the person I was in love with wasn't able to stop worrying about what was right or wrong, and it became too late for us."

Heavy. Poor Nora. She must have been alone for a long time. Long enough to get to the point where it just didn’t seem worth it to get back out there. She looked up at me and her eyes warned me to let her experience be a lesson. I smiled at her, trying to convey that her message was received loud and clear.

The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon walking Legs, trying to teach her to sit, and swimming. I needed to start really working out if I was going to keep up with Danny's late night proclivities. Jane and I raced each other back and forth across the pool, and by the end, I was barely able to make it! Nora took over racing her and had much more stamina than I did.

We ate leftovers for dinner, made a huge batch of movie theater popcorn, and piled into the theater. Jane wanted to watch Harry Potter movies, so we started with the first one and she was asleep by the middle of the second. I looked over at Nora and watched her smoothing Jane's hair back.

"I want you to know that I really heard what you said earlier. I think you are right. But how do you let go of the worry?"

She smiled at me, thinking for a minute. "I don't know the answer to that. I guess it depends on what you're afraid of."

"What was the love you spoke of afraid of," I asked, hoping I wasn't prying where I shouldn't.

She sighed and laid her head back against the seat. With eyes closed, she spoke. "She was afraid of coming out to her family."

I wasn't really surprised, but my heart hurt for her. "Nora, I'm so sorry," I murmured.

She smiled sadly. "Thanks. It was a long time ago and everything worked out how it was supposed to. I'm happy with my life, really."

"Can you really be satisfied without that kind of love, though?"

She frowned. "I don't let myself dwell on what I don't have. I did that for a long time. Being here with Roland, and then Danny and Jane, I have a family. I get to do whatever I want. I spend time with my sisters. I have a full life. My partner ended up marrying a man, getting abused, getting cancer, and passing away several years ago. I pity her because she was never truly happy again after we parted. I am happy. I can say that much.”

“I am happy you are in my life, Nora, and I know Danny and Jane adore you and feel the same.”

She smiled at me with tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped at and gave me a squinty look. “Don’t you get me going! You and your darn tears!” And then we were laughing so hard we woke Jane.

“Did I miss the Basilisk part,” Jane asked sleepily.

Nora kissed her head and said, “How about we watch the rest tomorrow night?”

Jane stretched out and yawned. “Ok, I’m tired.”

Nora got Jane ready for bed and I took Legs out for a walk in the backyard. After she did her business, I put her in her crate in Jane’s room and kissed Jane goodnight.

“Goodnight, Jesse. I love you,” she whispered.

My breath caught in my chest. “I love you, too, Jane,” I managed to whisper back before the tears started to spill.