Now & Forever 2 - The book of Danny

by Joachim Jean

  She stirred a little as the uncovering made her cold. Before she pulled up the covers, Danny looked at her fine form. Her bones were small and feminine, though she stood five feet five inches tall, she gave a delicate appearance. Being active and not a big eater, Eliza remained slender. Her neck was long and graceful, her breasts were full but not too big, they fit perfectly in his hands.

  Her stomach, slightly rounded where all woman are, enticed him. Danny placed his hand on her belly gently. She stirred a little, then lay still. He imagined what it would look like if she carried a child…his child. Eliza stirred again and woke up this time to find Danny gazing at her. She gave him a quizzical look.

  “You are incredibly beautiful.”

  He bent down to kiss her lips, her neck and her breasts. She touched his face.

  “I shaved this morning, just for you,” he whispered in her ear. Then he let her take possession of him, starting at his mouth, working her magic on his senses. She kissed his chest and ran her hands through his chest hair and down his flat belly, starting a fire in him that could only be quenched by her. He cradled her breasts, then slid his hands down her sides and over and around her hips, pulling them flat up against his body so she could feel his arousal. She put her arms around his neck and hooked one leg over his hip. Danny’s fingers found her core and stroked her until she started to squirm.

  “Ready for me, Sweetpea?” He said, covering himself quickly.

  “God, yes, oh yes, Danny, please,” she murmured, raising her hips to take him. Lying on his side, he pulled her leg up and slipped inside her. They made love slowly, gently at first then he picked up the pace until she cried out with pleasure. After his release, Eliza snuggled up to him, resting her head on his chest as he moved his arm around her and they went back to sleep.

  The clock struck two in the afternoon before the lovers got out of bed. Danny made coffee and brought a steaming mug to Eliza in the living room.

  “I’ve been seeing Dr. Weiss once a week for a month. And I’m keeping a journal. I’m down to two nightmares in two weeks now. I’m getting better. I can feel…the weight lifting. So I want…to ask you…” He dropped his gaze to the floor as a wave of uncharacteristic shyness swept over him.

  “What?” she asked, watching him in his bathrobe.

  “We’ve seen each other practically every weekend for quite a while now…” he said, hesitating, but looking up, into her eyes.

  Eliza sat, looking into her coffee mug, avoiding his stare.

  “I want to be with you every weekend, all weekend, from Friday night to Sunday night without having to ask first,” he said all at once, letting out a sigh of relief.

  “Sort of like a commitment?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.

  “Not a commitment exactly, I know you don’t want a commitment…a plan…well maybe a steady date…a long steady date…sort of a regular deal…a commitment, a small commitment, I guess,” he said, shifting his weight.

  She nodded, moving closer to him on the sofa and kissing him deeply.

  Pulling back, he raised his eyebrows. “Then you agree? Just like that?”

  “Just like that,” she said with a swift nod of her head.

  Chapter Fifteen

  In mid-October, Danny addressed his class about the literary magazine.

  “I have made a decision about your final essay for this course and the theme for our literary magazine, The Winds of Time. The topic for both is going to be love. All kinds of love. The love of a parent for a child or the love of a child for a parent, the love you have for a friend or a pet, a brother or a sister. Romantic love, even love of country would be acceptable.”

  Hands were raised immediately. Danny called on Tiffany Bell.

  “What about sexual love, professor?” she asked, making eye contact with Danny.

  “What exactly do you mean?” Danny asked.

  The whole class laughed and he blushed.

  “Don’t answer! Sure, sexual love is okay as long as you’re not submitting pornography and your work doesn’t involve extensive discussion of body parts,” he said. “Guys, no love of video games or sports teams, ladies, no love of clothing or designers, okay? This has to be personal, genuine, from the heart. You may submit your final essay for my class to the literary magazine as well by November fifteenth, you don’t have to write two different essays. Questions?”

  Students came up to him after class with more questions, making him late to his next class. He knew he chose a good topic because the class buzzed with discussion about the subject with occasional laughter and some serious faces.

  Love occupied Danny’s mind these days. He felt strong and growing stronger. He had gone for four days with no nightmares before Friday. After shooting Fred, the nightmares returned the past two nights, but he felt sure those would pass now Fred was in custody and not a threat anymore.

  “Come for dinner?” Danny asked Eliza on the phone.

  “Come here, its salad night.”

  “What time?”

  “Five-thirty for a drink first?”

  “See you then, Sweetpea.”

  When he hung up the phone, he noticed that Tiffany Bell had come into his office and heard the last part of his conversation. Luckily, David sat hunched over his desk, but was lost in writing on his computer. Tiffany wore a short, low cut dress. She sat in the chair facing Danny’s desk and crossed her legs provocatively.

  Danny, the least naïve in the English department regarding women, except David Cohen, knew exactly what she planned. He knew when a woman came on to him, sometimes before she even knew. His sweet face fooled people into thinking of him as innocent, but there was nothing innocent about him.

  “What can I do for you, Tiffany?”

  “I’m getting a B in this class and I want to know what I have to do to get an A,” she said, recrossing her legs.

  David must have heard the last part of her statement because he stopped writing and glanced surreptitiously at Tiffany.

  “First, hand in your papers on time. Second spend more time on your work and third read the short stories more carefully.”

  “Is there something else I could do,” she said, bending over slightly.

  “If you refuse to work harder, settle for a B, a B minus or even a C,” he said, standing up. “I have work to do, Miss Bell, if you will excuse me.”

  “Who is Sweetpea?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “I overheard you on the phone and you said ‘Sweet pea’.”

  “A friend asked me my favorite flower. I told him, Sweet Pea. Why were you listening in to my conversation, Miss Bell?”

  “Oh, well, I…I...didn’t mean...I...I guess I never heard of Sweet Pea, the flower…just curious,” she said as she turned to leave.

  After she left, David Cohen turned to Danny. “Nice save, Maine. Nice save. You got her number right away.”

  “Glad you were here, Dave.”

  “You’ll be on the Internet with Sweet Pea listed as your favorite flower by tonight. What does Sweetpea mean anyway? I’m not buying the flower bit.”

  “My nickname for my girl, and I’d better not see it on the Internet, Dave, or I’ll know who’s the culprit,” Danny said, smiling and pointing to Dave.

  “Trust me…if that babe found out, you would be Internet toast, buddy,” Dave said and laughed.

  Danny packed up and went to Eliza’s house.

  Eliza opened the door wearing a pale green tank top, plaid flannel shirt and jeans. The flowers he brought appeared to have delighted her, since she kissed him before he even got into her house, then handed him a beer. They sat close together on the sofa as Danny explained his project for the final essay and the literary magazine.

  “Wonderful! I love the topic. The students are so involved in this project…are all three classes contributing? Would you mind if I observed your class?” she asked.

  “Whoa…I’m still way too nervous when I get up there, if I see you sitting there, I’ll probably b
low lunch.”

  “Why?” she asked, turning to look at him.

  “Because I’m not ready to have you watch me.”

  “I’m supposed to drop in unannounced on classes from time to time. Besides, I would come in after you had begun and you probably wouldn’t even notice me,” she explained.

  “I’d pick you out right away. I’m trained to find the enemy, Eliza. If I couldn’t do that I’d be dead by now.”

  “I’m the enemy?” she asked, laughing.

  “You know what I mean. I’m not ready yet. Maybe in a month, eh?” He took her hand.

  “What if Mac came instead of me?”

  “That would be better, but I’d still be nervous.”

  “I can take a hint,” she said, moving away from him, offended.

  “Don’t be upset. How would you feel putting on a shooting demonstration with me sitting there watching?”

  She stopped, watching his eyes and thought about what he said.

  “I know you have to, but if you can wait a month...then maybe just show up, if I don’t know it’s coming…”

  “That’s fair. I would’ve already heard if your class wasn’t good. I’d have students transferring out and I don’t. I do have some who want in, but your classes are full.”

  “That’s good, right?”

  “Must be some positive buzz about your class.”

  Eliza stood up and offered her hand to Danny.

  “Come help me with the salad, sweetheart.”

  “Only if I can kiss the cook,” he said, pushing to his feet.

  “You can do more than that…for dessert.”

  * * * *

  On Wednesday morning, Danny began his second lecture. While he faced the blackboard, his ears, trained by the military to pick up the slightest noise, heard the faint sound of the door opening. When he turned around Danny instinctively felt something was different. He stopped to scan the audience and quickly spotted Mac seated in the back row.

  Their eyes collided and Mac gave a slight nod of recognition. Anger boiled up inside of him, but he picked up his notes and continued his lecture. The dean slipped out about fifteen minutes before class ended.

  After class, Danny stayed to answer student questions and then went directly to the administration building to confront Eliza before lunch. When he got to the Deans’ offices, he met with Jonesy.

  “Is Dean Baines in, Ms. Jones?” he asked, slightly agitated.

  “She’s with a student right now. Can you wait a few minutes? She won’t be long.”

  He nodded and sat in an empty chair facing Jonesy’s desk.

  “You’re that new English professor, Professor Maine, right?”

  “I am.”

  “You know Callie from before, don’t you?” She cocked an eyebrow.

  “You know a lot about me, don’t you?”

  “I’m observant. And you’re friendly with Dean Baines, aren’t you?”

  “You could say that,” Danny said, getting a little uncomfortable.

  “You’re actually her boyfriend, aren’t you?” Jonesy asked point blank.

  “You’d have to ask her,” Danny said, red creeping up his neck.

  Jonesy laughed.

  “We’re like one big family here, Danny. I’ve worked with Eliza and Mac for ages. We don’t have many secrets. I’ve noticed you…noticed the way Eliza acts when you’re around. Besides I haven’t seen Simon Whitaker here for months now.”

  “Observant, aren’t you?” Danny commented.

  “I approve, not that anyone asked…Eliza is much happier since you arrived.”

  Embarrassed and flattered at the same time, Danny didn’t know what to say, her praise made him smile. The door to Eliza’s office opened and a young woman came out. Eliza was surprised to see Danny there but she ushered him in.

  “Nice talking to you, Ms. Jones,” he said.

  “Call me Jonesy, everyone does…now you’re part of the Kensington State family, you should, too,” she said, smiling at him.

  Danny’s mood darkened after Eliza closed the door behind them.

  “Didn’t we have a conversation where I asked you not to observe me?” he said in an angry voice.

  “Yes, why are you angry?” she asked him, confused.

  “What was Mac doing in my classroom today?”

  “What?”

  “Mac showed up about fifteen minutes into my second class and sat in the back until the lecture was almost over.”

  “I’m completely surprised. Let’s ask him,” she said, moving toward the door.

  She knocked as they entered Mac’s office. With the phone to his ear, he waved them in anyway. When he hung up, Eliza spoke up.

  “Mac, why were you observing today in Danny’s class? Didn’t you say you would discuss the visit with me first?”

  “There’s an urgent matter that came up and I had to get the observation in today to meet a deadline. The Kobey Foundation awards are being decided this week.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot,” she said.

  “Danny, stay for a minute. Can you spare him?”

  “Lunch after this?” Eliza asked on her way out.

  He nodded and sat down.

  “The Kobey Foundation awards three scholarships to Ph.D. candidates at Kensington State. Full scholarships. I want to recommend you.”

  Shock and surprise rendered Danny speechless.

  “That’s why I observed you today. The deadline to apply is the end of the week and the candidate needs at least one observation write-up in his application. So I wanted to get yours done early. Your class impressed me,” Mac said.

  “Does this have anything to do with what happened last Friday night?”

  “Not that I’m not grateful to you, I am, but this is based on merit, not payback. Actually recommending you is harder for me because we are friends. I don’t want anyone to think there is any favoritism going on here. You have to be even better than others do, whether that’s fair or not, I don’t know. Eliza and I would like to see you get your doctorate so you can advance.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” Danny said.

  “Say you’ll get your ass over here to fill in the application and get the paperwork in on time. Your military duty works in your favor, too, with an additional scholarship open only to former military which gives you an edge.”

  “You’re sure none of Friday’s results or anything else between you and me or Callie and me influenced you in this?”

  “I can’t say our friendship didn’t influence me. I suppose to the extent I know you pretty well. I know what kind of person you are, the kind we want teaching here. I think your students and, as head of the English department, Jim Caterson would agree.”

  Danny’s emotions tightened in his chest leaving him unable to speak for a minute.

  “So, Danny, get over here after lunch and Jonesy will give you the forms and stuff and help you get them filled out. You don’t want to miss the deadline, buddy,” Mac said.

  They shook hands and Danny had returned to Eliza’s office before he could figure out what happened.

  “Let’s go, I’m starved,” she said, taking his hand.

  Jonesy was packed up, ready for lunch when Eliza and Danny came out. He stopped right in front of her desk.

  “I’m sorry for being angry at you,” he said taking Eliza into his arms and planting a long kiss on her lips right in front of Jonesy’s desk.

  Jonesy laughed.

  “I’ll see you after lunch to fill out those forms, Jonesy.”

  “I’ll be here,” she replied.

  “And that kiss was about what, exactly?” Eliza asked when they got outside.

  “She asked if I was your boyfriend and I didn’t know what to say. So I thought I’d show her instead.”

  * * * *

  After their commitment to spend weekends together, Danny’s weekend activities continued to surprise Eliza. The first weekend, he convinced her to go to a hog judging with him.

 
“What do you know about judging a hog?” she asked him.

  “Nothing. But I won’t learn how by sitting at home,” he replied.

  Every Saturday, they attended the Kensington State Football game, often going with Callie, Mac and their kids. David Cohen never missed a game and often went with Jim Caterson. Danny and Eliza became a part of a group of professors and their wives who were die-hard fans.

  Danny had to attend the weekend Kiwanis league soccer games as a referee and coach. Eliza cheered on his team and packed the lunch they shared with other Kiwanis families while tailgating at the games.

  Eliza chose crafts fairs or art exhibits in Willow Falls or neighboring towns, though scheduling occasionally became a problem. Weekends could be as hectic as during the week when they were caught up in school deadlines and correcting papers.

  “How can we go to the game when there is the Oak Bend Arts Festival?” she asked him.

  “You want to do both?”

  “I don’t want to miss the arts festival,” she admitted.

  “But this is a big game, we’re playing ComptonCollege.”

  “I know. Can we go to the game and leave early?”

  “What if we’re losing?” Danny asked.

  “Why don’t we decide in the third quarter?”

  “Okay. Arts Festivals, third quarter. Let’s hope we’re ahead by a mile,” he agreed.

  Rainy, cold weekends were their favorites. Relieved of having to attend so many outside activities, they easily agreed to stay in, make a fire, cook together, read books, work jigsaw puzzles while watching football and make love often.

  They clashed from time to time with different opinions about, politics, different ways of doing things. Danny got frustrated trying to convince Eliza of his point of view when she dug in her heels. She got furious when he assumed she had her period if she disagreed or argued with him. But make-up sex assured they never stayed mad for long.