Teacher

by R. L. Merrill

  “I love it that you are the first thing I see this morning,” he said in a sleepy voice.

  I kissed his forehead. “I loved watching you sleep. I was beginning to wonder if you ever slept. With all the work you’ve been doing, you have to have been putting in some all-nighters.”

  He yawned and stretched, his muscles straining and expanding. “I don’t need much sleep. I’ve got a high metabolism. It’s hard for me to sleep sometimes, too. But not with you. I think I slept better with you than I have in a long time.” He was twirling my hair around his finger so I reached over and rubbed at the scruff on his head.

  “So what are you doing with this? It was pretty long when I met you. Then you shaved it. How do you usually wear it?”

  He laughed. “I don’t know, depends on my mood. How do you like it?”

  I ran my fingers through it again and he snuggled closer. “I like it all ways. As long as I can touch it, I like it. I like all of you. You’re very touchable.”

  He laughed and showed me just how he liked to be touched.

  When we finally emerged from the bedroom it was after nine and Nora was noticeably absent. I asked Danny where she was and he smirked.

  “She left last night. I gave her the week off. She went to go stay with her family and see her nieces and nephews.”

  I raised my eyebrows at him. “Well, I hope you weren’t relying on me to cook for you. I really suck at cooking. I can pour a mean bowl of cereal though, got any around here?”

  He chuckled and pulled out some fruit for us. “We won’t starve to death. I do not suck at cooking. I’m actually quite adept at the culinary arts. Would you still like cereal, or can I interest you in some pancakes?”

  I smiled at him. “You can interest me in a whole lot of things. Pancakes sound delicious.”

  He got to work making us breakfast while I watched him work. He bravely cooked shirtless and barefoot, lucky for me.

  “So we’ll work on your studies today and then what time are the guys coming over? The guys! I feel like I’m talking about your college buddies or something, not the platinum-selling members of Blackened.”

  He turned to me, laughing. “Is that weird? To me they’re just 'the guys.' I’ve seen them at their worst. Alex and I were dirt-poor, living like your neighbors when we met the Mannings, who soon gave up the lap of luxury to move in with us. To me they are 'the guys' and nothing more.”

  “Do they live near you now?”

  He nodded. “Alex has an apartment and the brothers have a house in Beverly Hills, not too far from Brooke. I stayed with them when I first left for a couple of months before moving to the Los Feliz place. They didn’t want me to leave because I was the only one who could cook. But I needed to get out.”

  “How did you end up buying this place? Nora told me a little about Roland Curtis. Sounds like he is a great guy.”

  Danny smiled and pulled at his lip. “I’d met Roland at a few gatherings with Brooke, and I loved talking to him. I used to come out here and talk to him all the time, just to hang out. That’s how I ended up buying this place. He’s such a cool guy. He wants me to bring Nora to visit him in Spain. Maybe the four of us can go.”

  “Spain? Wow. I’ve never even been out of the country! I bet you’ve been everywhere. Where has been your favorite place to visit?”

  He thought for a moment while flipping pancakes. “I’d have to say going to Ireland. I took a side trip after we played in London. I went to the area my ancestors were from. There were Blacks everywhere! They were a bunch of ruffians. I felt right at home.”

  “That’s so cool! I have always wanted to research my ancestry. Do you know when your family came to America?”

  He nodded. “That would be my grandparents. They still live in Los Gatos. Grand Da is a great guy. I love to hear him tell stories. My mother's family is Irish, too, but they’ve been in the U.S. for a few more generations.”

  We talked and laughed through the rest of breakfast. Danny wasn’t kidding. He was a great cook. He planned to make chicken and shrimp kebabs for tonight’s dinner. Nora had already done all the shopping. I told him I’d help him with prep, but he could not allow me anywhere near the grill.

  We moved to our outdoor classroom and worked for the rest of the morning. Danny was struggling with the rest of Geometry and I did my best to explain it to him. We snacked in the middle of the day on fruit and crackers with cheese and then I read to him in the afternoon. We were on American Literature now and we were reading The Crucible. He loved the story once he got all the characters figured out. By 3:00 we’d finished reading and he had his essay outlined.

  “I’ll finish writing this essay tonight after the guys go home.” We were cleaning up so we could prepare dinner when he stopped for a minute and put his hands on my shoulders.

  “Today was so nice, Jesse. Thank you for all you’re doing to help me.”

  I frowned. “You’re doing all the work, Danny. You don’t need much from me.”

  He shook his head and pulled me closer. “I do need from you. I feel like I can really do this when you are with me.”

  I kissed him and was quickly losing myself to the feeling of him. A loud, rhythmic pounding on the door brought me back to reality.

  “And that would be the guys,” he said, kissing me one last time.

  “I’ll help you get started, but I really have to get to the studio.”

  He pouted but then he sighed. “I know. But you’ll come back after?”

  I smiled. “If you want. As long as I’m not intruding.”

  He gave me a heated glance and licked his lips. “No fucking way you are ever intruding. Let me get this.” He trotted to the front door and let the guys in. They hugged and back-slapped and then came into the kitchen where I was elbow deep in raw shrimp and chicken.

  “Hey, guys,” I said over my shoulder as they came in.

  Danny came over next to me and cleared his throat. “Gentleman, I have an announcement to make.”

  Bronson and Julian were sitting at the counter and Alex was looking in the fridge for a drink.

  “Let me guess, Jesse’s finally flunked your ass back to Jr. High.” Bronson was ribbing Danny, and I guessed they had that kind of relationship, but I’d also seen how quickly Danny could get upset.

  “Actually, I’ve fired Ms. Martin as my home instructor.” They were dead silent and I had to keep working with the meat, sticking it on skewers, or I would totally have laughed.

  “But Danny, I thought you were serious about getting your diploma,” cried Alex. “You were doing so good!”

  “I know. It was a difficult decision, but it was the only way I could get her to admit she was in love with me.”

  I gasped and would have smacked him, but I was covered in slime so instead, he grabbed me around the waist and kissed my neck.

  I shrieked, “Danny! I’m going to get you all gooey!”

  He bit my ear and said, “Oooo, promise?”

  The guys started laughing and congratulating him as I elbowed him. He squeezed one more time before getting drinks for the rest of the guys.

  “That is so great! Congratulations you two! And Jesse, I am so sorry about the party. I can’t believe what an ass Stacey was. I promise, we aren’t all jerks like that.”

  I turned to smile at him over my shoulder. “It was fine, Julian, thank you. I was a little sore, but it was ok.”

  Danny cursed. “A little sore? Dude, she was fucking black and blue all over! That prick! I better not see him for a long fucking time. Just thinking about it makes me want to go to his fucking house and pound on him.”

  I finished with the skewers and started washing my hands. When I was sure I had all the nastiness gone, I stood behind Danny and wrapped my arms around his waist.

  “Ok, Caveman, it’s all over. I hate to run, but I’ve got dance class to teach at five. Maybe you’ll still be here when I get back?”

  They looked to each other and Danny, surprised by this development.<
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  “They’ll still be here. Drive safe, honey.” He kissed me and I said my goodbyes. I heard murmurs as I grabbed my bag I’d packed earlier and left in hallway. I stepped out the front door and took a deep breath. I couldn’t believe we were outed to the band! ‘The guys'... This was surreal. I chuckled to myself as I drove away.

  Dance class was small, as many of the kids had taken time off for the summer. I had fun with the kids, started a few new routines, and even danced with the senior girls. They all shared how much they loved my performance at the recital and asked me to dance with them again.

  “Maybe, guys. But I have to be careful. Remember to take care of your bodies. Don’t overdo it.”

  I felt good when I pulled up in front of the house. I’d left on my workout clothes so I could hurry back. I was wearing a halter and low-rise yoga pants, my hair piled up on my head. I walked up to the front door, hearing music and laughter from the backyard, and rang the bell. I wasn’t sure if they’d hear me, but Danny pulled the door open wearing just his swim trunks and a huge grin.

  “Get in here, honey. I missed you.” He pulled me into a big hug and made an appreciative sound as his hands cupped my ass.

  “Did you work out with your class tonight? You look totally fucking edible right now.” His expression said he wished we were alone, but he shook it off quickly and took my bag from me.

  “Go on out back, we were just sitting by the fire. Can I get you anything?”

  So domestic! This was the most amazing feeling, coming home to someone. Coming home to Danny.

  “I’ll have some water, thanks.” We walked through the kitchen and I watched as he filled up a plastic glass with a ton of ice and water. I’d kept my purse with me and I fished around in it for my Aleve so I could take some as a precaution. Danny looked worried.

  “Just in case. I feel good, but I don’t want to wake up a mess. We have too much to do.” I winked at him and he smiled lovingly at me.

  “If you wake up sore I’ll take care of you, I promise.” He kissed my hands and led me out back. The stereo system was playing outside, early AC/DC, and the guys were sitting around in their swim trunks.

  “Hey Jesse,” called Alex. “How was dance class?”

  I walked over to the outdoor couch and was about to sit when Danny pulled me onto his lap, nuzzling my neck until I giggled.

  “It was great. We had our big summer show last weekend so we were mostly just messing around with some new stuff, experimenting. New classes don’t start until September so the summer is mostly just working on skills and playing around with choreography.” I must have been nervous, carrying on like that.

  Julian seemed very interested. “Danny said you danced professionally. What kind of work did you do?”

  I shrugged. “Um, some cruise ships. I danced with a couple of shows in San Francisco and Berkeley... I auditioned for some movie roles and music videos. I actually preferred the stage. But then I had to quit.”

  Danny gave me a squeeze and kissed my shoulder.

  “I’m sorry about that, Jesse. It’s really a shame,” said Bronson. He and Julian were looking at me intently.

  I smiled. “It’s fine. I had a great time while it lasted. I probably wouldn’t have done much more anyway. Teaching keeps me moving still and I love the kids.”

  Alex smiled at me. “I would love to see you sometime. Will you do any more shows? Danny said you performed in this one.”

  “Only because of a last minute injury. We probably won’t put on another show until late fall. I can get you tickets if you like.”

  He said he would and Julian asked, “Can we come watch you teach some time?”

  Danny laughed. “She said they don’t have old men’s classes there, you know, for us senior citizens.”

  Bronson blanched. “Who are you calling old, fucker! You’re older than me!”

  “By two months! No, Jesse gave me shit about being older than her. She thought I was forty-five for fuck’s sake!”

  They all cracked up at that.

  “Damn! That’s harsh, Jesse,” said Julian.

  I flushed. “Well, I didn’t know! I just knew you guys had been around for a while and that his daughter was almost a teenager! It’s not like you guys look that old.”

  Alex snickered. “But we look sorta old?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Danny! Save me here,” I pleaded, but he just shook his head.

  “Nope. You’ll have to charm your way out of this one.” I tickled his ribs and he grabbed me, a wicked smile breaking out on his face.

  “You know what happened last time you did that,” he whispered.

  “So, if I may,” asked Bronson, “If you aren’t his teacher, then what’s going on with the diploma?”

  Danny laughed. “Her boss told me to unfire her and that she would evaluate my work and assign my grades herself. I take the exit exams in two weeks and hopefully I’ll have most of the rest of my credits by then. Jesse is going to help me with the rest of my work. All I’ll have to do is wait for the results and if I pass, I’m good!”

  “You’ll pass, “ I said quietly. “You’re so smart, Danny.”

  He gave me a shy smile and Alex laughed. “He is totally fucking smart! You guys should see the shit he has to do! I don’t think any of us could pass now.”

  They all laughed.

  “I know I couldn’t if my teachers were as hot as Jesse,” said Bronson.

  Danny tensed a little and I patted his hand.

  “Oh my students don’t look at me that way. They think I’m a drill sergeant. I’m totally no nonsense at school. For the most part.”

  Julian shook his head. “Nope. Not buying it. They’re Hot For Teacher.”

  We all laughed, except Danny. Alex started tapping out the drum intro to Van Halen’s classic song.

  I figured I needed to take the focus off me before Danny had a coronary. “So did you guys make a plan for the studio?” Julian nodded.

  “We did. Danny’s doctor said he can start singing in two weeks, so after he takes his tests, we’ll get to work.”

  “Yeah. I’ve got material I wrote before I started school and I’ve been writing when I’m not doing homework. We should be in good shape. It’s not going to be where we usually are but maybe that’s good. Shit, we don’t even know what I’m going to fucking sound like.” I ran my hand over the top of his head and kissed him. He gave me a grateful look.

  “Whatever happens, we’ll work it out, Danny. It’s going to be fine.”

  I was glad to hear Bronson being so supportive. I was worried before.

  “How long do you guys usually spend in the studio,” I asked, curious how this process worked.

  Bronson threw back his hair and answered. “Anywhere from 4-6 weeks depending on how well things go. Our last album took almost three months, though, because we kept having to take breaks because of Danny’s voice.”

  I frowned. “That had to be hard on you,” I said to Danny and he nodded.

  “I really wanted to avoid surgery, but I kept pushing it until my throat was raw and then I’d have to rest it. It sucked.”

  “Yeah, and watching you deep throat popsicles scarred me for life, “ Alex snorted and we all laughed.

  I had a shiver thinking back to the first time I watched Danny with a popsicle. I wouldn’t mind watching that again.

  “So guys, I also want to talk to you about Janey. Brooke is going to be doing a TV show in New York so we decided that Janey will live with me for the time being.”

  Julian smiled brightly. “That’s awesome! I know you’ve wanted that for a long time.”

  Danny smiled too, checking the other guys for reaction, but they were all looking at him with respect. “Yeah. I’m really glad. But it’s going to affect things for us a bit.”

  “We’ll work around it, bro. We’ll make it work,” said Bronson, further putting my mind at ease. “We won’t be going on tour until later in the fall anyway, right?”

  Danny nodded
. “Yeah, but I’m going to want to schedule it in shorter chunks if that’s cool. You know, go out for a couple weeks, come home for a week or so... I don’t want to be gone from her that much.”

  They nodded.

  “Sure, man. Besides,” deadpanned Alex, “we are getting older. We probably couldn’t handle the strain of months on the road.”

  I threw a pillow at Alex as they all laughed.

  “Just make sure you pack your Depends,” I said and they all shouted.

  “That was wrong! Danny?”

  He just shook his head. “Oh, you can be sure I’ll show her we aren’t ready for that shit yet. Keep laughing, little girl. I’ll put you over my knee.”

  My eyes shot to his and he wiggled his eyebrows at me. Trying to get myself out of deep water, I changed my line of questioning.

  “So how does a tour work for you? Do you guys already have a plan of where you’ll go?”

  Julian spoke up. “I know we’ve been talking about doing the festivals next spring, right?”

  Bronson nodded and said, “Yeah, and the weeks around the release of the album we’ll probably hit the late night circuit, then summer we’ll do some arenas. Assuming we finish the album sometime in September and it comes out in November or December...”

  “And there’s Europe, too. Are we going to try to do that this fall or early next year,” Alex asked.

  I wondered how it would feel when Danny was gone so much. It would be weird living here without him, especially with Janey. Would she accept me having that kind of a role in her life? I didn’t want to start worrying. I just wanted to enjoy my time with Danny. It was fun to think about visiting him on tour, seeing them perform. There was so much to look forward to with him. Then again, there was so much we still needed to talk about.

  They talked about their music and tour for a while longer and I got more cozy, stretching out on the couch with my head in Danny’s lap. He played with my hair while they talked and laughed. I studied him in the firelight, watching him get animated while telling stories. He listened intently when someone else was sharing an idea, and lit up when he talked about Janey. He told them she was coming home Sunday and that we were going to tell her about us then. It was surreal talking about our relationship with these men who were strangers to me. I felt more comfortable with them now, but I wasn’t sure they saw me as more than just a diversion for Danny. I knew Alex saw how much we were in love, but I didn’t know about the other two. Didn’t know if they even cared.