Dangerous to Know & Love (53 page)

Rodney looked challengingly at Lisanne.

“There aren’t many girls in here,” she said, slowly. “I think this is a gay club.”

“Yes,” said Rodney, “it is.”

“Did you know?” she said, wide-eyed.

Rodney nodded so she turned to Daniel, who was watching her with amusement.

“Did you?”

Daniel grinned at her.

“Baby doll, the look on your face. You’re so cute!”

Lisanne stared in confusion. “Why are we in a gay club?”

Daniel looked at Rodney. “Do you want to tell her or should I?”

“What?” said Lisanne. “Tell me what?”

Rodney grimaced, then looked up at Lisanne. “I’m gay.”

Lisanne stared.

“No, you’re not.”

Now it was Rodney’s turn to stare.

Lisanne had heard what he’d said, but the words seemed to take forever to make sense.

“But… what…? When…? I mean… are you sure?”

Rodney looked dumbfounded by her question. “Well, yeah. I’m sure.”

“Since when?!”

“Well, always, I guess.”

She turned her accusing gaze to Daniel. “How the hell did you know?”

He shrugged.

Dumb. Dumber. Dumbest. Lisanne flushed with anger and embarrassment.

“Well why didn’t you tell me?” she yelped at Rodney.

“It’s not so easy. We’ve been friends like forever. I thought you’d figure it out. Eventually.” He sighed. “But you never did and… your parents are friends with mine and dad’s a preacher…”

Lisanne felt hurt. “So you can tell my boyfriend that you’ve known for all of two hours, but you can’t tell me? We’ve been friends since kindergarten!”

“I didn’t have to tell him, Lis, he just knew. I didn’t know how to tell you. I hoped… you know… You’re not mad?”

“Yes! I’m so mad at you! I’m mad you didn’t tell me. I’m not mad you’re, you know, gay, for goodness sake! We’re
friends
, Rodney.”

He looked relieved. “Thanks, Lis.”

“Do your parents know?”

He shook his head. “I’m waiting until after Christmas for
that
conversation… and that I won’t be going back to theological college.”

Lisanne shook her head, sadly.

“It’ll break dad’s heart,” said Rodney bitterly, and Lisanne didn’t know if he meant because he was gay or because he no longer wanted to train to be a man of the cloth. She was tired and feeling emotional, and still kind of pissed at Daniel because he’d guessed in a few minutes what had been under her nose for years.

She’d always thought that Rodney liked her
that
way. It was beyond embarrassing. But what Rodney had to face – that was way harder. She gave herself a mental kick – this wasn’t about her.

“Well, fine. I suppose you want to go shopping with me now.”

Rodney rolled his eyes and pretended to sigh. “That is so cliché!”

Lisanne gave him a big hug and kissed him on the cheek. “Serves you right for not telling me.”

Rodney gave her a squeeze and looked at Daniel. “Look after my girl.”

Daniel smiled. “It’s a full-time job.” He looked at Lisanne’s tired face. “Do you want to go home now, baby doll?”

She nodded and looked at Rodney. “Are you going home, too?”

“No. Think I’ll stay for a while,” he said. “Maybe we could catch up again before New Years?”

“Sure, I’d like that. Take care, Rodney.”

She slipped her hand around Daniel’s waist and they strolled out of the club.

They hadn’t walked more than half a dozen paces before Lisanne heard someone calling her name.

“Hey, Maclaine! Mouse Girl!”

She turned with a horrified expression.

Grayson Woods.

And associates.

“Your faggoty fucking friend broke my goddamn nose!” he growled.

Lisanne looked up, realizing that Grayson’s nose had indeed been remodeled.

Daniel glanced around him and his lips tightened into a thin line.

“Get back to the car, Lis,” he said quietly.

“No!” she gasped. “I’m not leaving you!”

His gaze was strained and deadly serious. “Go now, Lis!”

He was still staring at her, his eyes burning with intensity – when Grayson hit him, catching the left side of Daniel’s face.

Suddenly he was on the floor, holding the side of his head, and Grayson Woods was standing over him with a cruel smile twisting his lips.

“I’m going to fuck you up,” he snarled, aiming a kick at Daniel’s unprotected ribs.

Lisanne screamed as one of Grayson’s friends aimed a second kick. Daniel was still holding his head, using his hands to cover the left side. He coughed and gasped, as the second blow caught him low in the stomach. Lisanne ran forward but Grayson batted her away.

Lisanne screamed again, and the bouncers from the club looked up and started toward them. Before Lisanne could react, there was an old-fashioned melee going on at her feet. More men ran out from the club, and soon it was Grayson’s friends who were getting a beat down, curses filling the air and fists flying. The fight broke apart, and Grayson fled, sprinting down the street, his friends trailing behind him.

Lisanne was on her knees next to Daniel. He looked dazed and she realized blood was seeping through his beanie.

She pulled it off and saw the gauze was soaked red. Her heart shuddered and she felt sick.

One of the club guys pushed her out of the way.

“I’m a nurse, let me look.” He checked Daniel over quickly, running his hands along his body to see if anything seemed to be broken.

Daniel sat up shakily and the nurse took one look at the dressing, giving Lisanne a significant look.

“Okay,” said the nurse, “let’s get him off the street.”

Hooking Daniel’s arms around their shoulders, two burly men half dragged, half carried Daniel back into the club. Rodney came running over, his face pale and shocked.

“What happened?”

“Grayson Woods,” gasped Lisanne, her hands trembling from fear and adrenalin.

“Fucker!” hissed Rodney.

Rodney saw the blood-soaked dressing on Daniel’s head and looked confused, but the nurse was thoughtful. “I think we should get him to hospital,” he said, calmly. “Just to get him checked over.”

Lisanne rubbed Daniel’s arm, and he looked up at her, his eyes slowly focusing.

“They’re going to call an ambulance.”

He shook his head slowly. “No. No more hospitals, baby doll.”

“Daniel…!”

“Please, Lis,” he said, sounding dazed.

“You’re bleeding all over the place!” she cried.

He gave her a lopsided smile. “Yeah.”

“Take him into the office,” said the nurse. “They keep a first aid kit in there.”

Rodney and one of the other men helped Daniel to stand, and led him into a room a short distance from the main entrance, lowering him into a seat.

The man who’d identified himself as a nurse gently pulled off Daniel’s dressing.

“Has he had a procedure?”

Lisanne nodded. “Yes. A cochlear implant – a week ago.”

The nurse glanced up at Lisanne’s worried tone.

“Okay, that doesn’t look too bad.” He stood in front of Daniel and spoke slowly and clearly. “Where you had stitches, one has pulled apart slightly. There’s no bleeding from your ear that I can see. Breathe deeply for me.”

Daniel pulled in several deep breaths, letting them out slowly. Lisanne could see it caused him some pain but the nurse looked pleased.

He stood in front of Daniel and gave another instruction.

“Can you tell me where you are?”

“Shit-poke, Iowa.” Lisanne nudged his arm and Daniel sighed. “Well, I guess it must be Georgia then.”

“Can you repeat the months of the year in reverse order?”

“Give me a fucking break,” said Daniel.

“He’s only trying to help,” snapped Lisanne.

“December, November, October, September…” Daniel intoned, obediently.

“Okay, that’ll do. Let’s take a look at your ribs.”

Wincing, Daniel pulled up his t-shirt and Lisanne’s hand flew to her mouth. Several large bruises were billowing out across Daniel’s smooth skin.

The nurse ran his hands over Daniel’s chest and stomach. “Nice nipple rings. Ahem. There doesn’t appear to be anything broken, but I still think you should have an x-ray to check if your ribs are cracked.”

“Fuck that,” said Daniel, tiredly. “They wouldn’t do anything even if they were – except tape them up. I can do that myself.”

The nurse shook his head but smiled.

“Okay, Mr. Oh So Stubborn. Last test. See if you can touch my finger and then touch the tip of your nose.”

Daniel dropped his t-shirt down and straightened up. Lisanne winced in sympathy. She was glad that he didn’t have any trouble following the nurse’s instructions.

“Sure I can’t persuade you of the benefits of a quick trip to the emergency room?” said the nurse.

Daniel shook his head and cursed again.

“No, I’m good.”

“Honey, you’re more than good,” sighed one of the other men. “Vernon, next time
I
want to play nurse with the hot guy.”

The nurse smiled and Lisanne wanted to sink through the floor – even guys were ogling her boyfriend now. At least they weren’t hitting on him – yet.

“He’s pigheaded, that’s for sure,” said the nurse. “Hard headed, too. I’ll just put some butterfly strips over his wound. I suggest you wait here for 10 minutes and if there’s any dizziness, call an ambulance, no matter what he says.”

Lisanne nodded.

When the nurse was done, he tried one last time to persuade Daniel to go to hospital, and also to persuade Lisanne to call the police. Daniel wouldn’t allow either, and eventually the nurse left them alone with Rodney.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” asked Rodney. “What’s this implant you were talking about?”

Lisanne turned to face him.

“Daniel’s deaf. He had surgery a week ago and they placed what’s called a cochlear implant just behind his ear, under the skin. Eventually it’ll help him to hear. We hope.”

Rodney stared at Daniel. “He’s… you’re
deaf
? Completely deaf?”

Daniel met his gaze evenly. “And you thought you were the only one who was different.”

Rodney’s breath caught in his throat, and the two men stared at each other.

“Wow, I… I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry, man.”

Daniel stretched slowly, feeling his ribs as he did so. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

Rodney gave a rueful smile. “Yeah, right.” He shook his head. “I didn’t even guess.”

“That’s the general idea.”

“But how?”

“Daniel lip reads.” Lisanne answered for him.

Rodney looked out of his depth. “But why do you hide it?”

Daniel gave him a disbelieving look. “
You’re
asking
me
that?!”

Rodney stared, then laughed out loud and shook his head. “Most guys try and act cool about it – except for the Neanderthals like Grayson Woods – but even the ones who pretend they aren’t that bothered make jokes about keeping their backs to the wall. You don’t.”

Daniel shrugged, but Lisanne saw a small ripple of pain run through him.

“Well, hell, man, I’ve been called every crappy name under the sun – know every dumb joke about being deaf: ‘How does a deaf person know if someone is screaming or yawning?’ Funny, huh. Got into a lot of fights. I don’t give a shit who you fuck as long as it’s not baby doll because that’s
my
job.”

Rodney smiled and raised his eyebrows at Lisanne, who was trying to cool down her flushed cheeks.
Such a dirty mouth!

“So,” Rodney asked at last, “why did that asshat hit you?”

“Daniel broke his nose at Sonia Brandt’s Thanksgiving pool party.”

Rodney snorted. “Seriously? A lot of people have been wanting to do that for years. The guy’s a bullying bastard. But why did you hit him in the first place? At the party – which no one invited me to, by the way.”

“You were away, remember?”

“Whatever – tell me about Grayson.”

“He was… rude to me,” Lisanne said, simply.

Rodney looked at Daniel with renewed respect. “And you broke his nose?”

“With one punch,” Lisanne said, a touch of pride tinting her words.

Rodney shook his head. “Well, Woods knows how to hold a grudge, so you’d better watch your back while you’re in town.”

“Rodney! If you think I’m going to give him the chance to do this again – or to someone else… My dad plays golf with his dad. Once he sees…”

“Lis,” said Daniel, patiently, “I broke the guy’s nose – he could have landed my ass in jail. I think you should just leave it.”

Lisanne was furious that the omerta of guy on guy fights seemed to be alive and kicking. She started to protest but Daniel looked so tired and battered, she bit down on her lip to stop the words flooding out.

“Do you want to go home?”

“Yeah, baby doll. I don’t think I can take any more ‘fun’ tonight.”

Rodney looked sympathetic then glanced at Lisanne. “Poor, Lis. All dressed up and no one to have ‘fun’ with.”

“We did
that
before we came out,” she said, coolly.

Rodney looked surprised. “Whoa! Way to go, Lis. You
have
changed.”

Lisanne wondered whether he was right. She still felt like the old Lisanne Maclaine but people did seem to treat her differently. Was it just the outside that had changed? Some more makeup and shorter skirts? Or had she changed on the inside? Had college and Daniel and living away from home, had these things changed her?

She was still pondering the question as Daniel struggled to his feet.

“Fuck. I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.”

“What are you guys doing tomorrow?” Rodney said, hopefully.

“Fuck all,” replied Daniel. “Merry Christmas.”

“We’ll catch up before New Years,” said Lisanne. “Text me?”

“Sure,” said Rodney, then waited until Daniel was looking down. “By the way, tell your boyfriend I like his nipple rings. They’re… inspiring.”

They left Rodney grinning to himself as he headed back into the club.

One of the bouncers walked with them to Lisanne’s car, winked at Daniel, blew him a kiss and then smiled cockily at Lisanne.

She sighed and started driving home.