Animate Me

by Ruth Clampett

  “She’s not going to marry him, Dad. She loves me. She told me so.”

  “Oh, that’s excellent news. What did I tell you, Son? Logic and statistics don’t mean a damn thing when it comes to love. I’m so glad, Nathan. So, how did this Arnauld react?”

  “He’s on a business trip this week, but before he left she told him she wouldn’t marry him. She’s going to finalize everything Monday, and then we’ll figure things out from there.”

  “So does she know about Dani and the comic book yet?” Mom asks cautiously.

  “Not exactly, we agreed to a week of just being together, and we’re going to deal with all the hard stuff next week.”

  “I see,” replies Mom, sounding unsure.

  “We’re having a week of woo,” I explain.

  “You followed my advice,” Dad says proudly. “Well, as we discussed, historically wooing has always been a favorable way to secure your mate. So what do you have planned for tonight?”

  Damn. I’ve been so swept up with the day that I hadn’t thought that far in advance.

  “I haven’t planned anything yet,” I admit nervously. “Everything’s been happening so fast. But don’t worry; I’ll think of something.”

  There’s a pause. “Arthur?” Mom says, “Can we?”

  “Yes, Diana. It’s perfect…woo-ing with a capital W.”

  Their shorthand talk always baffles me. “What’re you guys talking about?”

  “We have tickets for the Hollywood Bowl tonight. I just finished packing our picnic dinner, complete with an excellent bottle of wine. You should take Brooke, Nathan, it’s the perfect night for it.”

  I’d forgotten they always have season tickets with great box seats. The Hollywood Bowl’s an experience like none other. “But you guys already had your evening planned,” I try to persuade, half-heartedly.

  “It’s Harry Connick Jr. doing the classics, Nathan. You’d be a fool to pass this up,” Mom stresses.

  “Wow. That would be super woo-worthy. If you’re sure…that’d be amazing.”

  “We insist,” Dad says firmly.

  “Thanks. You guys are the best. This really means so much to me.”

  “We know, Son. Mom and I are behind you two hundred percent. It doesn’t take a forensic scientist and inter-personal sociologist to clearly determine that you’re meant to be with this girl. We want you to have a stellar time.”

  Brooke is thrilled when she gets my call.

  “I love the Hollywood Bowl…and Harry Connick Jr…wow! You’re taking the wooing up a notch.”

  Win!

  “So, let’s leave right at six, and I’ll follow you home so you can get a jacket and something warmer to wear,” I explain.

  I splurge on valet parking, and we slowly wind our way up the hillside, surrounded by happy faces and arms laden with food and wine. It’s a beautiful clear evening as we settle into our prime box seats facing the famous clamshell shaped theater.

  Just the look on Brooke’s face when I unpack mom’s basket, spreading the cloth over the little fold-down table, makes everything worth it. While I uncork the wine bottle and fill our glasses, Brooke carefully opens each container and fills our plates. We even have cloth napkins and silverware. I’m so happy I can’t stop grinning as we eat and sip wine. There are berry tarts for dessert. The sun slowly falls behind the hill and the purple cast of twilight falls over us.

  Later as Harry serenades us, Brooke curls up under my arm and I wrap the blanket around us. It feels like he’s singing just to us.

  Brooke nuzzles my neck then whispers in my ear, “Thank you for tonight, Nathan. I don’t know when I’ve ever been so happy.”

  “Me too, Brooke,” I reply and then gently kiss her, realizing this is one of those moments I’ll never forget.

  I look up into the night sky, sprinkled with stars and as I hold my girl in my arms, the music surrounds and lifts us up, while Arnold and the weight of the last few weeks falls away. I never would have believed I could feel like this, my heart so full that it’s going to spring out of my chest in a big cartoony gesture.

  We are in our own world now, my Red Hot and I. The title of the next number sums it all up perfectly…“It Had to Be You.”

  Animate Me / Chapter Twenty-One / Master of the Woo

  “It’s my turn now and I’ve got to make it.” ~ Speed Racerxx

  “You really outdid yourself, you know,” Brooke sighs as she curls into me. The alarm clock’s gone off but we’re doing our best to ignore it.

  “Yeah, that was a great evening,” I agree. “But I have to tell you, I have a whole support group behind me; Team Woo is leading me to victory.”

  She laughs. “You’re just so damn charming that everyone wants to help you. Who got you those Hollywood Bowl tickets on such short notice anyway?”

  “My parents,” I admit.

  “Awww,” she croons. “Remind me to thank them. That was so sweet.”

  “They really like you,” I share, hoping that makes her happy.

  “I like them too. I see so much of them in you.”

  I pull her tighter into my arms and kiss the top of her head. She sighs happily then lifts up to face me. “So don’t forget I have a late meeting tonight.”

  “That’s right,” I say. “How late do you think it will go?”

  “I’m not sure, I’ll call as soon as I get home.”

  “Okay. What would you like for breakfast?”

  “Can we have Pop-Tarts?”

  “Strawberry or brown sugar?

  She laughs. “Both!”

  On the way to work, my cell phone rings.

  “Hey Dad. Thanks again for last night. It was completely perfect.”

  “I’m glad, Son. We were happy to do it, and the reward is hearing it achieved the desired effect.”

  “I’ll say,” I agree, remembering not just the concert, but also the rest of our night with the physical manifestation of the woo. Before my thoughts get too X-rated though, I try to focus back on the conversation.

  “By the way, I just finished going over your contract for your comic books. Nathan…wait a minute, are you driving? Is your headset on? Because the statistics of accidents due to cell phone usage while conducting a vehicle are staggering.”

  “Headset’s on, Dad.”

  “Excellent,” he says sounding relieved. “So regarding the contract, I’m not concerned about the points you asked me about…pretty much standard legal-speak. This looks pretty solid to me.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief. Knowing Dad is good with the Sharper Edge Comics deal means a lot to me.

  “I do have one question though, Son. How are you going to manage these obligations for Sharper Edge, do your job at Sketch Republic justice, and have a romantic relationship all at the same time? Don’t get me wrong—you’re highly capable. But men traditionally are not multi-taskers. Evolution really left that in the hands of the female species, and their ability to excel at it convinces me that they’ll eventually rule the world.”

  “I can multi-task,” I insist, imagining myself stepping out of a phone booth and ripping my shirt open to reveal the big Super N on my chest.

  “You’re already under the hypnotic spell, I see. With new love, when the surge of hormones hit you, you’re so euphorically distracted and blissfully unaware of the world that your house could burn down around you and you wouldn’t notice.”

  I’m so flustered that I swerve the car a bit before I regain my composure. “Dad, can we please not discuss hormones hitting me?”

  “But do you understand the ramifications of my point? Sharper Edge has very high expectations for you and your comics.”

  “Of course. Look, my plan is to give it my all and go without sleep for a while until B-Girl gets established and hopefully succeeds. Then I will quit my day job and devote myself to Brooke and B-Girl full time.”

  “Quit your job?” he asks thoughtfully. I can tell he’s making complex financial calculations in his mind.

&nb
sp; “Hell, Arnold may fire me before then, and I’ll get unemployment. That could work to my benefit.”

  “Being fired is never a desirable option, Nathan. Your industry is small. The stigma could follow you if you wish to re-establish yourself in animation.”

  I start tensing up. Thinking about fucking Mojo just does that to me. It’s a relief as I pull into the parking structure not to see his car and be reminded I won’t see his car or his hairy ass all week.

  “Dad, I just arrived at work…gotta go.”

  Dad is patient with the brush-off. He knows I can only take so much advice at once. “Okay, Nathan, I’ll call Walter and let him know you’ll sign the documents and get them out today. Congratulations, Son. I’m proud of you.”

  I feel a thrill realizing that this is good to go. I’m going to sign that darn contract as soon as I get in my cube, and be one step closer to my dreams coming true.

  • • •

  At lunchtime Dani agrees to order me a sandwich so I can drop the contracts at Fed Ex, before meeting up with them to eat.

  “So it’s a done deal?” She nods at the contracts on my desk as I pull money out of my wallet and hand it to her.

  “Yeah, I still can’t believe it,” I admit, shaking my head. “Everything’s working out so much better than I could’ve hoped.”

  “Everything?” she asks, her eyebrows raised.

  “Can you and Nick keep a secret?” I know I can trust them, and I feel like I owe them the truth after what we all went through together.

  “It’s on with Brooke?” She asks, smiling and looking hopeful.

  “It’s so on.” I grin like a fool.

  “I knew it, I knew it!” She bounces on her heels excitedly. “Nick owes me twenty! I could tell—your whole vibe was so different yesterday, even if you were trying to hide it. We have to go out for drinks soon so we can hear the whole story.”

  “Okay,” I agree. “But meanwhile we have to be on the down low until the Monkey gets back and she tells him,” I explain.

  “Well that’ll be an interesting day at Sketch Republic,” Dani states. “But fuck him. He’s getting just what he deserves. And even if he’s an ass and gets nasty, you have something else already lined up.”

  I nod, because it feels good to hear Dani so confident about my future.

  That afternoon Joel walks in on me as I’m doing a drawing on a Starbucks cup. He doesn’t say anything—just rolls his eyes, and walks out of the cube. I vow to stay later tonight and get some extra work done to show my thanks.

  I’m happily buzzing as I sketch out Brooke posed as a modern day Juliet on her home’s balcony. Of course, I’m below…one hand reaching up to her, the other placed solemnly over my heart.

  I finish it up with a few details and then hold it up proudly and shake my head. My Dad’s right, the hormones have rendered me insane…but damn, am I a happy fool.

  Morgan gives me a look I’ve never seen before. She seems genuinely impressed with my apparent progress. She gives me a thumbs-up as I pass her on the way into Brooke’s office.

  But when I step inside my girl looks tense as she tersely says something into the receiver, then slams the phone back down in its cradle. She leans over the desk and drops her face in her hands. It’s obvious she hasn’t seen me yet.

  “Brooke?” I ask, tentatively.

  She looks up startled. “Hi,” she replies weakly. “How long have you been standing there?”

  “I just got here. Who was that you were talking to?”

  She gives me a pained look. “It was Arnauld.”

  Anger fires up in me. “What did he want? I thought he was supposed to leave you alone and give you space for a week.”

  “Exactly,” she agrees. “He was interrogating me as to what I’ve been doing, who I’ve been with…”

  “Did you tell him?” I ask, twisting my fingers together.

  “No, of course not…so he threatened to come back early.”

  My stomach drops. “But this is our time,” I say, trying to hold back my frustration.

  “I told him that if he came back now, I wouldn’t even talk to him, so he may as well stay and take care of business. I think he got the message loud and clear.”

  “So he isn’t coming back early?”

  “I really don’t think so. He still has a lot of work to take care of. And I swear, I’m not going to let him mess up my woo week, damn it.”

  I stare at her all flushed and wild looking. I can’t help it; I want her. I’m getting more distracted by the moment.

  “Have I ever told you how incredibly sexy you are when you get mad?” I ask.

  “Really?” She looks at me and almost smiles, and then finally notices that I’m holding coffee. I feel her mood instantly shift.

  “Is that for me, Mr. Woo?”

  “Yes, it’s especially for you, Ms. Woo.”

  Brooke has a coy smile as she approaches me. She reaches for the cup anxiously as if she knows this is going to be a special one. I proudly hand it to her. I’m feeling good…confident…like I’m the master of the woo.

  She oohs and runs her finger gently over the image as if she’s holding a masterpiece.

  “Nathan,” she whispers.

  I smile at her, basking in my masterfulness.

  “This is my new favorite cup!”

  “I puff my chest out proudly. But when I see her eyes have glazed over, I tone it down. “Remember, I told you how much you inspire me.”

  She suddenly turns and picks up her phone and taps a button.

  “Morgan, I need to have a private conversation. Can you make sure that I’m not interrupted?” She then walks over and shuts the door quietly, carefully setting the lock.

  Oh my

  As she turns, she gives me the look, and it only gets more heated as she walks back into my open arms. Her lips find mine, in an insistent, insatiable way. My arms wrap around her tightly as one of her hands works it’s way through my hair.

  “Whoa, Brooke,” I gasp when we finally part. She pulls off my heavy black glasses and sets them down with such energy that they skid across her desk.

  “Nathan…how will I get through today without having you?” she asks, pressing into me.

  I can tell that the frustration over Arnold’s call has made her reckless. She seems to need my full attention right now.

  I press my hands over her and pull her against me so she understands how much I want her too. “I’ll be thinking of you like this all day,” I whisper, my lips on her neck, my hand edging up towards her breast. “But we’ll be together later tonight and we can have fun then.”

  “That’s too far away,” she sighs. “I can’t wait that long.”

  “Brooke, what are you doing?” I ask, as she starts to undo my belt buckle. Holy shit. I remember her office-sex fantasy. It’s looking like her fantasy could be mine too. “In here?” I ask nervously, gesturing to her office door and the walls with offices on either side. “There are people working all around us.”

  “Is this too much?” she asks, when we stop to catch our breath. “I know I can get loud.”

  “Well, it’s obvious how much I want you but are you sure? The gossips around here would love nothing more than having something to talk about. I don’t care about me, but I don’t want to put you through that.”

  She holds onto me and sighs. “Oh, you’re right…that would be really bad.”

  I nod my head and kiss her forehead. She knows I’d do it if I could figure out how we could get away with it. I’d make love to her anywhere, anytime.

  That’s how much I want this girl.

  Amped up and inspired, I head right over to the Outer Limits when I get off work. I don’t see Billie at first, so I get lost in the graphic novels section of the store.

  Moments later I fell a tap on my shoulder. “Hey Nathan!”

  I didn’t even hear her approach. “Hi Billie.”

  “I have your whip and other shit in the back. Hold on a sec and I’ll
get it.”

  As she walks away I watch the tattoos flex on her calves as she moves. I marvel at the idea that Billie is practically a sister now. Who would have thought?

  She returns, handing me a black shopping bag full of my props. The brim of Indy’s fedora peeks out of the top of the paper sack.

  “Hey, thanks so much, Billie. I really appreciate your help.”

  She shrugs. “Sure no problem.”

  She walks over to the new releases part of the store. “Hey, we got your new book in today. I loved the new monkey-man villain. Is that who I think it is?”

  I grin and nod.

  “You play a dangerous game, my friend.”

  “But that’s the last book,” I warn her.

  “What do you mean the last?” she demands, her eyes squinting as if she’s angry.

  “Well, the last I’m publishing. I signed my deal with Sharper Edge Comics today. They’ll be publishing the next one in about eight weeks. I’m submitting the pages tomorrow, and they really work fast.”

  She throws her arms around me and hugs me tightly, before stepping back and placing her hands on her hips.

  “That’s so awesome, Nathan! Mother fucking Sharper Edge, Dude! This is going to be huge…I just know it.”

  “Thanks, Billie. I don’t know about that, but I’m never gonna forget that you supported me and B-Girl from the very start.”

  “Awww. Hey, I know! Let’s have a big party here when the first book launches. What do you think?”

  “That’d be great,” I assure her. I think about Brooke and imagine that everything will be settled then and she will be my special guest that night…my real life B-Girl.

  • • •

  At seven Brooke texts to ask if I mind her having a drink with her girlfriend Jenn, who was at the meeting. They rarely get to see each other. I assure her to take her time and have fun. It’s almost nine when she calls me from her place.

  “Hello, Nathan.” She sounds very flirty and I like it.

  “Hi Brooke, are you home safe?”

  “Yes, I am and guess what?”

  “What?” I ask.

  “I told my friend Jenn all about us. I think I bored her. I couldn’t stop talking about you.”