Page 59 of You Can Make Me
She beamed. “I’m so happy for you two!” Then she whispered, “He was so businesslike on the phone. I’ve been dying to see him in person. He’s so hot! Look at you with your silver fox.”
We were doing a celebration bump-slash-“Vogue” dance when Denny came back in with more bags. He stopped, frowned a little, then sighed as he dropped them in the foyer before heading back downstairs.
“Listen, I won’t stay long. I’ve stocked your fridge and put out fresh towels for you. I remade the bed. I hated the idea that things might have gotten dusty?—”
“Please, doll. Dust mites have no hope of survival with you around. You are truly the best. I can’t thank you enough. What Icando, however, is get you tickets to Gaga, and you can expect a hefty raise.”
She started to protest but I wouldn’t hear it. Despite the fact I hadn’t been working, the network had been quite generous since I’d technically been injured on the job. They’d covered my medical bills and continued paying my base salary. I had a meeting scheduled with my producer in a week, which she said could be in person or via Zoom, if I preferred, and then I’d know more about what my future career path would be.
“You know that doesn’t matter to me, Cooper. I’m just glad…”
She burst into tears, and thenIburst into tears. We were holding each other and sobbing when Denny came back in. Hesimply picked up a Kleenex box, walked over to us, and handed it to me.
“Thanks, Den.”
Ginny and I cleaned ourselves up while Denny stood there calmly, his expression amused.
“I’m just going to,” he said, gesturing to the bathroom, “and then we’re getting you lunch.”
“Yes, sir,” I murmured, giving him a salute, which had him grumbling as he left the room. I turned to grin at Ginny. “I’m in so much trouble.” I sighed happily. Having Denny here made this all a little less scary.
“I want to be in trouble, too. Can we clone him?”
That night, Denny and I were curled up in the lounger onourrooftop deck—fully clothed—looking out over the lights of the city with full bellies. We’d opted to order meals in that day so we could get Denny’s things moved into my closet, which meant moving some stuff around. I wasn’t a total clothes whore, but I had way more than him.
He really didn’t have much stuff at all, which made me want to wrap my life around him like a blanket and fill it with love, memories, and pampering. He’d worked so hard for years, and most of it had been thankless. Whoever his ex-wives were, they hadn’t taken care of him like he deserved. I intended to correct that every day for the rest of our lives.
“I don’t want you to go back to work, Den. I want you to be my kept man. Let me spoil you.”
He chuckled. “I appreciate that, baby, but I’ve nevernotworked. I don’t think I’d do well being idle.”
I rested my chin on my hand on his chest. “What about that project you and Gene talked about? Consulting on missing persons cases? Or…ooo! We could work together! Maybe I pitcha new segment, we find a pretty face to do the screenwork, but we do all the legwork. You’re great at research too. We can tell stories that need to be told.”
“No one is prettier than you.” Denny smiled and brushed my hair out of my eyes. “Do you know how happy it makes me to see you excited again?”
I waggled my eyebrows and tiptoed my fingers down his stomach. “I’ll show you excited.”
“I mean it, baby. You glow when you get talking about your work. You’re amazing, you know that? I’m…is it weird if I say I’m proud of you?”
I blinked at him and felt myself getting teary again. “God, I hate crying. Den, that’s…thank you. It’s not weird, it means a lot.”
Den kissed my forehead. “Cry all you want, all you need, and I’ll hold you. That’s what I’m here for.”
I patted his chest. “But I want you to be happy?—”
“I am. Let me take care of you and I’ll be happy.”
I’d had wealthy men who wanted to “take care of me,” but that was code for spend lots of money on me so they could have a booty call whenever they wanted, or a trophy on their arm. I knew when Denny said it, he meant it. He’d proven it over and over again.
“You know what would make me happy right now?” I rolled off him and stretched my arms over my head. “Some of that ice cream. Want some?”
“I’ll get it,” he said, but then his phone buzzed. He frowned at it and sat up.
“Everything okay?”
“It’s Walt.”
“I got this. You take care of Walter.”
