8. Danny
Danny
Iwas still grinning like a moron when I walked into my hotel room. Paige looked up as I entered and laughed.
“You’re in a good mood. Is she endorsing you?”
“She’s going to wait and see how we do with the trailer. She is coming to the shooting and bringing her two friends who were backstage with us today.”
Paige smirked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Wow. Look at you.”
“What?”
“It’s… I don’t know. It’s been a while since I’ve seen anyone make you this happy,” she said with a shrug.
It was true. But this situation between Jessica and I was a fleeting thing, and I had to remember that. I heaved a sigh and grimaced. “Paige, I’m not in the mood to be cremated by you right now.”
Paige walked over and grabbed me by the shoulders. “Danny, I’m not trying to give you crap. For once.”
I took a step back. I didn’t trust her. Usually when she acted like this, she was setting me up to be mocked. “Why change the fundamental core of our relationship?”
“You deserve to be happy, Danny,” she continued, being serious.
It freaked me out.
“You’re being weird,” I countered.
She punched me in the shoulder. Again. Hard. “Will you just admit it?!”
I let out a long sigh, rubbing the permanent bruise on my shoulder. “Yes. I like her a lot. She’s amazing. But-”
“No!” Paige growled, now poking me in the chest with her index finger. “Stop right there. Just like her! Jesus!”
“It’s not that simple, Paige,” I said, shaking my head.
She rolled her eyes at me and groaned. “You’re a hopeless idiot.”
I stood there for a moment, trying to figure out Paige’s weird motive in this situation. Usually, she would harass me and then mock whoever I dated. Pushing me to a relationship and being supportive wasn’t her style.
“What’s he being an idiot about this time?” Faye asked as she padded into the room.
Paige scoffed in response. “He likes Jessica Richards, but won’t do anything about it.”
“Is she going to at least be at the filming?” Faye asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.
“Yes,” I said, happy to get away from the subject. “And I’m also taking her to meet Sebastian tomorrow.”
Paige and Faye shared a look and chuckled together.
“Okay, if you two are going to act like this, you can get another room,” I growled at them.
“He’s adorable when he acts angry,” Faye noted.
“It’s adorable for you. I’ve had to live with it all my life,” Paige said with an eyeroll and shoved me towards my room. “Doesn’t he have books to read?”
“Yes, he does,” Faye said with a smirk. “Come on, Uncle Danny.”
She led me into my room on the opposite side of the suite. Faye had set up a cozy corner for me to read with all the Tyrant books, stacked nice and neat. Her phone was set up on a stand, pointing at my reading corner.
“Why is your phone there?” I asked, frowning.
Faye crossed her arms and glared at me over her glasses. “I’m going to bed, so I’m setting up a time lapse recording. That way I’ll know if you skip out on your responsibilities.”
I laughed and put my hand on my chest. “What? Don’t you trust me? Uncle Danny? Who brings you books and soup dumplings?” I asked.
She pointed at the chair and furrowed her brow at me. “You told me you would read the books before. This is your punishment. Sit.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Whatever you say, Boss.”
Faye scowled and pointed again at the chair.
I sighed and picked up a book as she turned on her camera.
I got comfortable in my chair, opening the book where I had left off.
When Faye was done fussing with her phone, she crept up to the side of the chair and then gave me a small kiss on the cheek.
As nice as it was, I couldn’t contain my surprise. She hadn’t done that in years.
“What’s that for?” I asked, smiling.
She shrugged and shifted her stance, restless. “I know the last couple of days have sucked for you. I figured you could use it.”
“I could also use a hug,” I pointed out. I knew I was pushing my luck.
She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “No. Don’t be weird,” she grunted and headed for her room.
“How long am I supposed to read?” I asked.
That made her turn around. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “Until you’re done. Obviously.”
I scoffed. “Faye, I can’t read all the books in one night. Be reasonable.”
“Then read until you pass out,” she said with a shrug. “I do it all the time.”
I opened my mouth to protest but stopped when Faye fixed her death glare on me. “Read!” She growled and didn’t move until I had my eyes down on the pages.
It wasn’t hard for me to find my place. JKC Richards was a master of words, and it took only a few moments to be immersed in the story.
When I read the scene at the crossroads with Fiona and Roderick, I imagined Sebastian in the role.
I could see him with his doublet askew, offering ridiculous ideas before giving Fiona a pearl of wisdom that would doubtless be important later in the story.
We have one life, Fiona. Do you want to waste it on meaningless tasks and empty people?
As I read, I realized that after a very long time, I might have gotten my soul back. Not that I had lost it. I only needed a girl with a crooked smile to show me where it was.
It was fifteen minutes before we were supposed to meet him, and Sebastian had texted me to let me know he got a table for us. I met Jessica in the lobby of the hotel where she was almost vibrating in excitement, a smile plastered across her face.
I couldn’t help but smile back at her. “Excited?”
“Oh, you have no idea,” she gushed.
“You are going to make Sebastian’s week,” I informed her. The cafe was a couple blocks away, but I had no problem taking a slow pace to eke out a few more minutes and have Jessica all to myself. She practically skipped as we walked.
She nudged me with her shoulder, and I had to resist reaching for her hand. “Did you have your training session today?” she asked, “Did you admit your culinary sins from last night?”
She laughed as I groaned. “Yes. Jorge was generous. He made me do an extra ten minutes of cardio to work off the dumplings.”
“You could have gotten away without telling him, you know,” she reminded me, nudging me again. “If he somehow magically found my number, I would have never given you up.”
Every time she brushed up against me, I had to remind myself this was all about meeting Sebastian.
That’s all. But it was becoming increasingly difficult to remember that.
“Paige ratted me out and told him that I went out to Kao’s yesterday.
His first question when I walked into the gym was what I had for dinner last night.
It’s like he could smell the dumplings I ate. ”
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, giving me a little smirk. “You and your sister seem pretty tight.”
I shrugged a little. “Wasn’t always the case.
She could be a real pain in the ass when we were kids, but now I can’t even imagine my life without her or my niece,” I said, giving her my own sidelong glance.
She wore dark jeans, a T-shirt from Brayonna’s tabletop game series, Critical Chaos, and a black cropped blazer with the sleeves rolled up.
Despite her casual outfit, she somehow still managed to look elegant. “What about you? Any siblings?”
“Nope. I’m an only child. Which explains my diva personality,” she joked. “No, it is just me and my parents. My dad teaches high school English, and my mom is a nurse. I have a few cousins, but they live on the East coast. I always wished I had a sibling though.”
“And then you met Paige,” I joked.
“Yep. Straight-up crushed that dream.” She laughed, and the image of her in that bathrobe and leaning on the doorframe entered my mind. I pushed it aside. This wasn't a date, no matter how much I liked her.
I opened the door for her and followed her into the cafe to see Sebastian, front and center as soon as we walked in.
He turned sixty-seven a couple of months ago, but his energy and personality were easily someone half his age.
As usual, he wore his three-piece suit with a silk tie and polished shoes.
I’ve never seen him in anything else unless he wore a costume for a show.
He was leaning back in his chair chatting up the waitress, being the charming devil, no one could resist.
When he saw us, he stood up, throwing out his arms in a grand gesture. “Daniel, my boy!” he shouted, as he went in for a hug. “It is so good to see you, my friend!”
He stepped back to examine me and poked me in the stomach. “I see Jorge has been remaking you into a sculpted god of machismo?”
“He’s trying,” I laughed.
“He’s succeeded,” Jessica quipped. I rolled my eyes, trying not to blush.
“And this must be your lady friend you told me about,” Sebastian laughed and took her hand. “Sebastian Glass, it is so lovely to meet you.”
I smiled as Jessica became tongue tied and stammered out a meek “Hello.”
“Oh dear, I have appeared to have flummoxed her,” Sebastian teased, taking her arm and leading her to the table. He pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit. “Quick, Daniel, get a dirty martini with a pearl onion.”
Jessica laughed as she sat down in the chair. I could tell she was instantly charmed by him. “I have to admit I’m not a fan of martinis,” she confessed.
“Oh, it’s not for you dear,” Sebastian quipped and turned to mock-scold me. “Daniel! What are you waiting for, where’s that martini I requested?”
I laughed and made my way to the bar where I placed Sebastian’s order, a French 75 for Jessica, and a seltzer for me.
From the shelves behind the bartender, I spied my favorite brand of bourbon.
It sounded good, but I knew Jorge would somehow find out and punish me.
Alcohol was strictly off the list of things I could have.
When the drinks were finished, I sighed at my glass of fizzy water and accepted my fate for a tasteless beverage.