Текст книги "Triangle: The Complete Series"

Автор книги: Susann Julieva

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did. But I do now.”

“Danny…” he seems to run out of words then, because he just stares at me, utterly lost. Pale, and

shaken to the core, and still so very beautiful.

“Can I ask you a question?” I say softly.

He nods.

“What you told me at the house – you said you promised to keep it a secret.”

He nods again.

“Why did you tell me?” Of all people, I almost add.

James looks at me with those beautiful lonely eyes and shrugs. “I don’t know. I had to, somehow.

Now that she’s gone… I think I needed someone else to know. I needed you to know.”

“Glad you did.”

He frowns. “How can you be? Now that you know this about me. Don’t you wish I hadn’t said a

word?”

I shake my head and roll onto my side, propping my head up on my arm. “Never in a million years.

And you’ll keep talking to me about these things, okay? It’s obvious that you need to.”

He shakes his head. “No, Danny. I can’t burden you with any more of my crap.”

I lean over and cup his face in my hand. “I want you to. Hell, Jimmy, I want to be with you. Let me

be there. Let me be the one.”

He blinks slowly. “Are you serious? But…”

“Oh, shut up. Just say that that’s okay with you.”

The lonely eyes light up with a shimmer of hope. “Okay? Are you nuts? That’s not just okay,

that’s… you are… I can’t believe you still…”

That’s when I lean in and kiss him, and he sinks into the kiss with the softest sigh of relief. It’s a

careful kiss, tender, almost chaste, unlike any kiss we’ve had so far. But for some reason, it is the best. I

know that he is everything I want. And it looks like we’re finally on the same page. Hallelujah.

When we break the kiss, for the first time in ages, I see him smile. It’s a weak smile, a crooked

smile. But it’s a start.

Chapter 12

Leap Of Faith

JAMES: We finally get back to Woodhaven a week later. I probably should have stayed longer, but I

just couldn’t deal anymore with wrestling with insurances, banks, police, and about a billion other just

as pleasant institutions that want something from me because of the fire. Although Danny did most of

the wrestling for me. Part of me still hasn’t quite processed that we’re officially together now. That

Danny Rizzo is suddenly my boyfriend. Damn.

I don’t tell him, but I’m so glad he’s around right now. Just taking on some responsibility, taking

care of me, so seamlessly like that’s exactly what he’s always done. I’m still in doubt, because I’m not

sure I can allow this to be real. I want to be with him more than anything in my life. But I can’t shake

the fear that he’ll change his mind tomorrow, and wander off to sleep with someone else. My head’s still

in a bit of a funk over everything that’s happened. I still reach for the phone automatically every night to

call Mom, and then I realize that she isn’t there to answer anymore. That she’ll never be again. I’ll never

hear her voice or see her face again. Part of me still just can’t accept this. I always feel like she’s still

around somehow.

I’ve come to learn that I do have friends, and that they’re all pretty amazing. Everyone is trying to

take care of me, mostly in a sneaky way, hoping I don’t notice. Anna secretly does my laundry. Rhea

brings me useful books from the library so I don’t have to deal with people, and takes over as temporary

editor in chief. Nick comes by almost every day, just to talk and distract me. He’s a pretty good

distracter. And I’m pretty sure Casey talked all my professors into going easy on me when it comes to

assignments, because everyone is suddenly offering me extensions on my paper deadlines out of the

blue. That’s really all very sweet, but all I want is to just get on with my life. If I don’t, then I’m even

more miserable. Studying keeps me from thinking of Mom. Danny keeps me from thinking of Mom too,

in his own special way. He has a way of sensing when I need him around, and when I want to be on my

own that borders on paranormal. Sometimes I’m happy when we’re together, and then I feel bad for

being happy during this hard time.

“It’s okay to be happy,” Danny says when I finally mention it one afternoon. “That’s what your mom

would want.”

I frown at him, knowing he’s right. We’re on his bed and I’m playing with his fingers, lean and

beautiful. Exactly the kind of hand you’d want to touch you. “That’s easy for you to say.”

He smiles and shrugs. “J, you’re gonna feel how you feel no matter what. You can’t change that. No

use feeling guilty about it.”

Wise words, and I can’t believe it’s him of all people to say them. I can’t hide a grin. “My god,

you’re like a talking fortune cookie.”

He laughs out loud and attacks me with his pillow. “Confucius say: You get your ass kicked!”

It turns into a pillow fight that somehow turns into making out. I’m not sure how exactly, but

suddenly he’s on top of me, and I’m breathless from his kiss. The laughing brown eyes are looking

down at me, and my heart is so full with all kinds of emotion I’m sure it will burst any moment now.

Then I think of Mom again, and my smile fades. Danny rolls off of me and tugs me close. I let myself

be held, and I like how that feels.

“Do me a favor?” I say after a short moment of silence.

“Let’s hear it.”

“Play for me.”

He looks surprised. “On the sax?”

“Yeah. Show me what you got.”

“I’m a little rusty on the sax.”

“All the more reason to practice.”

He kisses my neck and groans softly. “The things you make me do, Jimmy boy,” he mumbles as he

climbs out of bed, but there’s a smile in his voice. He gets the saxophone from his closet and out of the

expensive looking case. The instrument is shiny and elegant, not too big. I wonder if Grazzo gave it to

him. From what I’ve heard about Famous Dad so far, he probably did. Danny has been opening up to

me a lot this past week, telling me things about his past that no-one else knows. I like that. It makes me

feel like this could be a longer-term thing after all.

Danny fiddles with the mouth piece for a while, blowing on it a couple of times before he starts to

play. I sit up and laugh with delight when I recognize “On the Sunny Side of the Street”. The way he

plays it is a bit groovier and modern than I remember the tune, but gosh, that’s beautiful, masterful. And

what a glorious image this is, Danny playing the sax in his boxers in the middle of the afternoon, with

mild sunlight filling the room. Guess you really ain’t got a thing if you ain’t got that swing. Like father,

like son, I guess, truly in this case. Grazzo isn’t one of the great living jazz legends for nothing. You can

tell that with a bit of practice and a couple of years of serious experience in music, Danny could easily

be as great.

He wasn’t kidding, he really does need more practice, but he’s good, really good. I can just picture

him on stage with a big band somewhere, just making the audience jump up and dance. He looks all

loose and relaxed, and truly happy. He looks like Danny, not Rizzo when he plays. And that probably

explains why he doesn’t like to play for other people, always careful to keep his masquerade up. But he

seems to shine with some inner light when he’s making music, his eyes bright like they only ever are

when he’s looking at me. A case of true love, to be sure. I have to somehow make him study music. He

mentioned that he’s been thinking about it, but thinking is definitely not enough. So I make a little pact

with myself that I’m somehow going to make this happen. Even if I have to personally drag him to

music classes every day. I may not believe in destiny, but all the same – it’s clear that this is his.

* * *

Two weeks later Andrea and I walk into Cafe Plato at the same time to meet up with Danny. It’s still

quiet here this time of day. “I won’t go into the backroom,” I tell her by way of greeting.

She just shrugs. “Fair enough. Keller never does either.” She gestures toward the corner, where I can

see Nick hunched over a stack of his school books, oblivious to everyone else in the cafe. I make a

mental note to go over and say hi when he’s less busy. I’d much rather join his study orgy than be faced

with the ice queen on my own, thank you very much. But there’s no escaping now.

Andrea and I order our coffee, then she leads me over to an empty table by the big side window. An

awkward silence falls between us once we’ve settled down on our chairs. It’s a sunny spring day, still

somewhat chilly but lovely. There’s a blossoming cherry tree right outside the window, branches

swaying in the breeze. Little pink petals are sailing through the air, like they love to play with the wind.

I’ve never talked to Andrea alone. I have no clue what to talk to her about. She probably feels the

same way. Because let’s face it, we surely have exactly zero things in common. The play opens next

Friday, and she and Danny and Nick have pretty much spent every waking hour at rehearsal during the

week. But it’s the weekend now, and the aloof goddess looks just a little bit tired. She and Danny are

graduating next month, so I guess I could try to start a conversation about that. I’m still deciding when

she looks at me and takes matters into her own hands.

“So, Foley.” Somehow that opening doesn’t bode too well. “It’s a good thing I’ve caught you alone

for once.”

I arch an eyebrow, warily. “How so?”

“Let me make this clear: Danny is my best and oldest friend. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

And I don’t ever, ever, ever want to see him suffer again like last year when you dumped him.”

I’m somewhat baffled, so I just blink and look at her. She is a bit scary, isn’t she? I try to say

something, but she brushes me off.

“I want to know if you’re serious about him now, or if you’re just messing around again.”

I almost laugh, because the situation is somewhat bizarre, in the sense that I’d never expected

anything like this to happen in a million years. Someone interrogating me if I’m serious about Danny. I

lean forward in my seat. “I don’t know if you know this, and frankly it’s none of your business, but last

year Danny and I weren’t even together. I was seeing someone else.”

This seems like old news to her, and she frowns at me as the waitress brings us our coffee. I thank

the girl while Andrea ignores her, holding her tongue until she’s gone.

“That’s not really an excuse, is it? For the way you treated him.”

“You’re right, it isn’t.”

She eyes me suspiciously, and somehow that is almost cute. “So you’re telling me things are

different now?”

“Yes, Ma’am. But while we’re on the subject, tell me something. Is this for real? I mean, Danny… I

have no idea what I’m in for. Has he ever been in a serious relationship?” Because he still hasn’t told

me a lot of things, and I haven’t asked. And I have this nagging worry that he is gonna get bored with

me pretty soon. I don’t fit into his world, do I?

Andrea takes her coffee mug and leans back in her chair. “He has. Once. Back in high school. I don’t

think he was even that serious about the girl, but they were together for quite some time.”

“Was he…” I don’t believe I’m really gonna ask her this, and clear my throat. “Was he true to her?”

Andrea snorts. “You really don’t know him that well yet, do you? ‘Course he was.”

I’m more than a little surprised to hear this, and frown at her. “We are still talking about Danny

Rizzo, right?”

Andrea rolls her eyes. “Foley, I expected more of you. But if you must know, I’ve never seen him

this head over heels for anybody. People think he’s so superficial…”

I try to say something, but she stops me by holding out her hand, and continues: “But that’s all just

for show. He’s stuck with me through some rough times when all my other friends turned their backs on

me. This lifestyle he’s been leading for the past couple of years, I’ve always known that would end

some day. Us kids of divorces, we’re crazy like that, okay? I’ve had my times when I was out of control,

too. But that’s just it, isn’t it? You need someone to ground you, and be your home. And for reasons

beyond me, he seems to have found this in you.”

Her eyes are just a little bit warmer then, and she ends her expose with a half-smile that one might

interpret as friendly. I sit in slightly baffled silence for a while and watch my coffee getting cold. When

I lift my gaze to Andrea again, she’s smiling for real this time. It makes her seem like a different person,

and it’s suddenly clear that this lady has her own scars, and all the attitude is a protective measure.

“So we’re cool?” I ask, and wonder why I even care.

Her smile widens and she nods. “Seems like, Foley. I can teach you the ropes of how to navigate his

world if you want me to.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because you’d fail spectacularly otherwise. And he deserves some happiness.”

I can’t hide my grin. She has some serious balls, you gotta hand her that.

I wince when a thought crosses my mind. “Am I gonna have to join the entourage?”

Andrea actually laughs. “Forget the entourage. I’m the only one you need to impress.”

“How am I doing so far?” I snarl, only half-joking.

“We’ll see, Foley. We’ll see. I don’t hate you, so that’s a start.”

“Good to know. Surprisingly, I don’t hate you either.” It’s really weird and unexpected, but somehow

I feel like Andrea might actually turn out to be my kind of girl. When she’s not all blase about her

surroundings for once.

Our timing is perfect, or maybe Danny’s is, because that’s when he arrives and joins us. I still get

those silly butterflies in my stomach, getting a welcome kiss from Danny in a public place. No more

sneaking around. It’s such a relief. Still almost surreal. But sure enough, everyone is watching. Guess

I’m gonna have to get used to that. When you’re dating the guy who’s the centre of everyone’s

attention, the guy at least half of campus is infatuated with, you’re bound to get a little attention

yourself. I’m getting better at ignoring it, but it’s gonna take me a while longer, getting used to this.

Maybe you gotta be blase about it all, like Andrea. Maybe I’m gonna be like that some day. But today, I

still get to stare back darkly at the people staring at me, until they drop their eyes. It’s almost fun to do. I

think maybe I’m gonna get used to this circus after all. Maybe Danny and I really have a shot.

Things are changing; I can practically feel the bits and pieces shifting all around me. Everything’s in

motion. As Danny and I are trying to figure out what it is we have, and what we want it to be, we’re

making waves that touch those around us as well. We’re already building a new circle of friends. Our

own circle of friends. People we both can stand. People like Nick, and Anna and Rhea, but also Andrea

and Sebastian, an exchange student we kind of befriended together, which was a whole new experience

in itself. Danny isn’t quite cool with Casey yet, but things are getting better on that front too. It seems

like we’re slowly but steadily drawing more people into this funny little group of a patchwork family.

And that’s exactly what I need right now: family. I’ve been feeling so lost since Mom passed away.

Some days are hard to bear, but there are more and more okay days now. Some days are even pretty

good. And as Danny, Andrea and I fall into a surprisingly easy conversation about art, I think this might

turn out to be one of the better days.

* * *

Danny uses the spare key to my room the next afternoon and enters quietly. I glance up from my desk

briefly, not turning around. I finally managed to get my head around this cursed literature assignment

from hell. I’m almost done making the important final point, and I read through a note on my little

notebook before I continue to type on my computer. A smile lights up my face momentarily when a

large paper cup of fresh coffee is presented to me and placed on the only free spot on my desk. The rest

is covered with stacks of books. Mmm, the scent of heaven. Danny knows how I like my coffee, strong

and black. He gently runs his fingertips along my neck in greeting, and walks over to the bed to get

comfy, dropping his bag of school things on the way.

When I’ve finished typing the paragraph, I look over to him. He’s settled in, shoes off, back propped

against the wall, an open book on his lap. This close to graduation even Danny Rizzo has to study. He’s

taking it surprisingly seriously, and that’s just another side of him that’s completely new to me. The

brown eyes scan the written lines in rapt attention. There’s a small, concentrated frown on Danny’s

forehead. As I look at him, my heart is filled with a strange yearning, and I listen to its beating, the

steady rhythm slowly accelerating. He’s so beautiful. He’s wearing his hair longer for the play, all soft,

dark curls and sinful perfection. In moments like this, he’d make Botticelli angels wither and die with

envy.

“Why me?” I blurt out without thinking, breaking the comfortable silence. I hate to spoil the

moment, but I can’t help it.

Danny lifts his gaze to me. His eyes are still filled with thought from reading, like he’s coming back

to me from another world. “Hm?”

I swallow, my throat feeling tight. “Why did you pick me? I mean, initially.”

A small smile graces his lips, the dark eyes lighting up noticeably. He tilts his head a little to the side

and pats the empty space beside where he’s lounging. “Come here.”

I roll my eyes. “Does that mean you can’t tell me from where I’m sitting?”

“No, that means I intend to kiss you senseless sometime in the near future. Get your delicious ass

over here right now, Jimmy Foley.”

I can’t help but grin at that, and sigh a little in fake protest before I haul myself up and join him on

the bed. He tugs me close and kisses my forehead, his warm fingers tangled in my hair.

“Initially?” He pauses to think before he continues, then grins. “Mostly I was after aforementioned

phenomenal ass.”

I chuckle and kiss him. His playfulness makes way for a rare glimpse of his serious side that always

makes my breath catch in my throat and leaves me a little speechless. His eyes are thoughtful as he

studies my face.

“I’ve been in love with you for much longer than I was aware. It took me a while to realize.” Danny

looks and sounds the most vulnerable I’ve ever seen him, and it only makes me want him more, if that’s

even possible. “Guess it’s because I never felt like this about anyone.”

My voice sounds oddly hoarse. “But you’re pretty sure now, right?”

“I love you, James,” he replies simply. It hurts unbelievably good, in all the right places. He’s only

said it once before, at the motel on that black, black day. But not like this, not with such brutal honesty.

No jokes, no flirting undertones. He’s stripping down to truth and bone emotionally, because I’m asking

him to. Because he trusts me that much. I get a strange lump in my throat.

“It’s hard,” I manage to get out. I know that’s not what you’re supposed to say back. He moves to

say something, but I shake my head. “No. I want to be able to accept this. I’m trying.” I look away,

feeling positively crestfallen. That leap of faith he just made, I’m not sure I’m ready to follow yet. I hate

myself for that, because it’s not who I want to be anymore. “I wish I could just get past all theses…

stupid fears, and insecurities. I hate that I can’t just magic them away.”

He smiles. “Who said that you have to?”

“But…”

“Look,” he says, serious again. “We both don’t believe in all this ‘love will conquer everything’ shit.

So let’s not pretend that we do. You’ve been through hell, and I have some messed up issues too. But

that’s just it. On some completely crazy cosmic-karmic level or whatever, you and I are perfect

together.”

I smile a little, sheepishly, because strangely enough, I have to agree. “On a cosmic-karmic level, is

it?”

He grins. “Yeah, screw you.”

I laugh and look at him, and for a moment I try to imagine us five years down the line, and the crazy

thing about it is – I can. I can see this thing we have working out somehow. Even with us soon being the

entire Atlantic apart. And that’s something I don’t even want to start thinking about, because it breaks

my heart.

I smile at him, grateful for him, for everything. “If you’re going to tell me to stop worrying next,

forget it. Because that’s just not how I roll.”

He gives me a look. “Shut up now,” he says, suddenly all charisma and in charge, like he can be

sometimes, and god, does it ever turn me on when he does that. It might just be the sexiest thing on this

planet. “If you think I’ll give you a reason to chicken out again, you are so wrong, Jimmy Boy.”

I punch him a little for that. “Hey, I don’t chicken out.”

He punches me back playfully. “You do too.”

“When have I ever… oh,” I say, and feel more than a little bit stupid. I make a face. “Well, that

sucks. Why do you always have to be right?”

He shrugs. “I’m just that cool. Also, didn’t I tell you to shut up?”

“Okay.” I nod and place a gentle kiss on the special spot on his collarbone that I know when worked

on properly can drive him to do unspeakable things. “Shutting up is in commencement.”

There’s a positively wicked grin on his lips. “You’re still allowed to moan.”

“Oh thank heavens,” I whisper into his ear before I start to kiss a trail along his neck. I suddenly stop

then, and look into his eyes. “How exactly are you so awesome?”

He blinks at me, surprised. “What, a compliment? Again?”

“Yeah, sorry. I know you prefer flattery.”

He laughs, and it’s the most beautiful, carefree sound in the world. Like me, he still remembers the

date that wasn’t supposed to be a date, when we talked about art and Europe and so much more. It

seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened since then. And look at us now. We can talk all day if

we want to. We can sit in the most comfortable silence ever known. We laugh so much when we’re

together. He always senses when I need space, and I know when to leave him alone. It just works,

somehow. Who would have ever thought it possible? It feels incredibly good. One of these days, I will

come to realize it’s not just a dream. This is real, isn’t it?

“Maybe I could make an exception for you.”

“For compliments?” I grin.

He winks at me. “Yeah. As long as they’re not too frequent.”

“You have my solemn promise.”

His smile is irresistible. “Deal.”

“That being established, I’ll probably still try to sabotage my way out of this. Just so you know.”

He chuckles softly, but his eyes are warm and full of promise. “Wiggle as much as you want, Jimmy

Boy. You won’t get off this hook.”

“Speaking of wiggling…” I grin, and reach down to open the zipper on his fly. He laughs and covers

my lips in a kiss that leaves me hot all over, and more than a little breathless. I get goosebumps when he

kisses or touches me like that, all intense and focused. If there ever comes a time when I’m no longer

hopelessly turned on by that amazing body of his and the things he does with it, I demand to be shot on

sight. He slips his hands underneath my shirt and caresses my skin in a way that has me half-hard in no

time.

“Hell, I don’t want to leave you,” I whisper against the skin of his chest, so softly I’m not sure he

even hears. There’s no real reaction to it, just him taking my shirt off, but when I look into his eyes, they

are dark and thoughtful. He’s back to his sexy self instantly, continuing to undress me.

“You do grasp the concept of shutting up? It means you don’t talk.” He pushes me onto the mattress,

reaching down to expertly wrap his fingers around my now painfully hard cock.

“Gah”, I reply, and follow it with something even more incoherent for good measure.

“That’s the spirit”, he grins, and kisses me in a way that makes me want to die from pleasure. This

concept of shutting up I can buy into.

* * *

It’s quiet in the large theater auditorium this time of night. Like the heavy silence from the empty

corridors is pressing in through the cracks underneath the doors. The room is dark except for a few

lights near the front that fill the stage with a warm, almost magical glow. I sit beside Danny on the

bench of the grand piano, waiting for him to start playing. He runs his elegant fingers over the keys like

a gentle caress, and I listen, transfixed, as notes begin to rise and music sweeps through the theater. It

starts slowly, rises to something living and breathing, powerful and true. It’s completely improvised, and

the melody rises as it comes to him, drifts into something else flawlessly and touches something deep

inside of me that’s never been moved in such a way. His gaze is fixed on something only he can see. My

heart is beating so loudly in my chest I think he must be able to hear it.

I don’t know for how long he plays like this, oblivious to the world, showing me this secret side of

his. Time drifts away like nothing, and when the melody slows down and exchanges its power for

something tender and fragile, and finally ends, I can only sit in silence, too moved to speak.

“You okay?” he finally asks, turning to me.

I nod. I feel liberated, still swept away by his music, and at the same time scared as hell. I lean my

forehead against his, and close my eyes. Only then do the words come, and I exhale with a shudder of

relief. “Just so we’re clear: I love you too.”

He leans back a little with an amazed smile. “Hell will freeze over, he actually said it.”

“Yeah well,” I smile back at him. “Get used to it. I might repeat it some time.”

“I could learn to live with that.” He grins, only a little smug in the most endearing way.

He pulls me close, and my chuckle gets buried in his kiss. Suddenly I’m senselessly happy. I feel

better than I have in… well, ever, probably. It pushes back my lingering sadness, sets me free. I’m

always gonna be good old Jimmy Foley, Waldorf and Statler combined in one person. I don’t change

easily, and maybe I never will. I will still bite the hand that feeds me if I can. But maybe even Jimmy

Foley can learn to take a leap of faith every now and then. Stranger things have happened.

Chapter 13

In Secret Places

DANNY: I know it’s pretty sneaky, and maybe I should have talked to James first. But the first thing I

do the next day is give Markus a call. Markus is one of Grazzo’s good friends, and he teaches at the JIB

– the Jazz Institute Berlin. Grazzo’s been telling me all kinds of good stuff about the place. It’s one of

the schools he’s been nagging me to apply to for years.

As it turns out, applications for the next semester are already closed. Shit. My heart sinks, but then

Markus starts to ramble about how Graz would probably kill him if he found out that I wanted to study

at the JIB and they didn’t let me in. He says he’ll talk to some people. Make some calls. Looks like

there might be some chance on getting in late due to being the undeniably talented offspring of one of

the world’s leading jazz musicians. I’ve never made use of Grazzo’s connections, but count me in this

time.

Seems stupid now, not studying music in the first place when now that I’ve decided that that’s what I

want to do, it feels so right I can’t believe it. It’s got nothing to do with making Grazzo happy. It’s got

everything to do with what I want to do with my life. And I think J may have more than just a little bit

to do with my finally figuring this out.

So when we hang out at my room that night, and for a while I’ve watched him typing away on his

laptop for another class assignment that apparently I made him late to finish, just feeling strangely

content, I sit up straighter on the bed where we’re both lounging.

“What if I came to Berlin with you?”

He freezes mid-motion and looks up at me. I can see his eyes light up at the thought momentarily,

but then his expression switches to puzzled. “Come again?”

“You heard me the first time,” I grin.

“This is no joking matter, Mister,” he tells me sternly, with that adorable frown on his face.

“What makes you think I’m joking?”

“But…” the frown deepens, “your life is here.”

I chuckle softly. “My life is where I want it to be.”

For the split of a second, he looks heartbreakingly happy while still disbelieving. He closes his

laptop with a soft click, now completely focused on me. “You serious? But… what do you want to do in

Berlin?”

“I’m planning on studying music, actually. At the JIB, if they let me.”

His eyes widen in surprise. “The JIB! That’s a music school for jazz, isn’t it?” he asks a little

breathlessly. “Oh… wow. That’s… Danny, that’s awesome.” His face lights up then, and it makes my

heart beat just a little faster. “Not to sound like your dad, but music, it’s your thing. You should do it. No

matter if it’s in Berlin or…”

“It will be in Berlin. I’ll see to that.”

“You’re not doing this because of me, are you? Because I wouldn’t want you to…”

“Oh, shut up.” I pull him close and kiss him, and I can feel his smile on my lips. He gives in for a

little while, but then he breaks the kiss and looks at me seriously.

“I need to know this, though. Is this really what you want to do, or is it just because it will suck balls

being so far apart for so long?”

“I want this, J. I never felt better about anything in my life. I know it’s the right decision.”

He looks cautiously happy then, before another thought crosses his mind. “But you don’t even speak

German!”

I grin mischievously. “Ein bisschen schon.”

He laughs. “A little bit? That sounds like more than just a little bit to me. What the hell, D? Why did

you never tell me that?”

I shrug with a smile. “You never asked.”

He laughs softly and shakes his head. “I’m gonna have to do a lot of asking, it seems. You,” – he

pokes me in the chest – “are such a mystery, Danny Rizzo.”

“Is that a good thing?” I wink at him.

“It’s a you thing. So naturally, it would be good.”

We both laugh and I take his hand in mine, and I feel so happy that it’s almost unreal. We fall down

on the bed and just lay there, looking at each other.

“Your mind is set then, about coming to Berlin with me?” he asks quietly, looking into my eyes.

“All set, Jimmy Boy.”

“That’s good. Because if you change your mind about this later, I’m gonna seriously kick your ass.”

I laugh. “Never gonna happen.”

“You changing your mind, or me kicking your ass?”