Teacher: The Final Act (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy #3) by R. L. Merrill Read Free Book Online

want you to know that.”
    “You can do what you want, Danny.  It’s your hard earned cash, right?”  
    He shook his head.  ”Yeah, but I don’t want you to think that...I don’t know.  I know how you feel about—”  
    “Danny, it’s fine.  I can see how much you love it.  You deserve to treat yourself, and it’s not like you’re not going to use it.  Besides, I’m sure down the road if you wanted to sell it, it would fetch a pretty penny after being in your capable hands.”  I smiled up at him, biting my lower lip a little and I felt him growl.  
    “God, you are so fucking hot, Jesse.  You can’t do that in public.”  His face turned a little red and I laughed.  
    “I’m sorry.  Let’s change the subject.  You were very sweet to the salesman.”  
    He took my hands in his and stepped back, taking a deep breath.  ”He’s a good kid.  And I wasn’t kidding about Jerry needing a sessions musician.  He fired Stacey for being drunk at work.  That guy is a disaster.”  
    Sadly, I could believe it. “He’s got a real problem.  After the day at your house, and the fight, you’d think he’d realize...” I shook my head.  People who are in the throes of addiction don’t see what’s going on, usually until it’s too late.  
    “I hope he figures it out soon.  He’s got a lot of talent.  It’s a shame he’s throwing it all away on the bottle and drugs.”  Danny seemed genuinely concerned about the guy, even though I knew how angry he was with him.  Chalk that up as one more reason I loved this man.
    Randy came out and rang up Danny’s purchases.  He and Jane both walked out with huge grins on their faces, and guitar cases in hand.  We locked their purchases in the trunk of the Challenger and climbed in.  
    “Who’s hungry?” Danny called.  
    “Me!” Jane was actually never not hungry.  
    I wasn’t feeling much like food, but I was enjoying our afternoon.  
    “How ‘bout a stop down memory lane?” Danny pulled out onto Sunset, made a right onto LaBrea, and then a right onto Santa Monica, pulling up to the Formosa Cafe.  Danny looked at me, a loving expression on his face, and I melted.  
    “What’s this place?” Jane asked as Danny opened my door for me.  
    He helped me out, grinning, and then helped Jane.  He had the valet park the car and gave him extra to keep a close eye on it.  We watched the guy park it in a corner, closest to his stand.  
    “This, my dearest Jane, is where I met Jesse.  We had our dinner interview here with Patricia.”  
    We walked in together and were seated immediately, the hostess gawking at us.  She walked us back to the streetcar section and Danny asked if we could be seated at ‘our booth.’   
    “Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Black?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.  
    “Ladies?  What would you like?” I was tickled by the way he ignored the hostess.  
    Jane asked for a root beer and I ordered a Diet Coke.  Danny asked for ice water and the hostess, lingering a tad too long, told us our server would be over shortly.  
    Jane gave her a funny look and I leaned in to whisper. “He gets that a lot, doesn’t he?”  
    She rolled her eyes and nodded.  
    Danny continued with his version of our first meeting. “So yeah, I looked like shit, my hair was a wreck, and I was in my ratty sweats.  In walks this long-legged, fucking gorgeous woman dressed in a suit with her blonde hair piled on top.  She took my fucking breath away! I couldn’t believe it when Patricia introduced her.  I thought she was a damn supermodel. She was so perfect.  But no, she was to be my teacher, and a cranky one at that.”  I kicked him under the table. I was sitting next to Jane across from him, and he laughed.  ”You were kinda cranky, honey.”
    “Me? You were the one who looked pissed off at the world!”  
    He blushed a little and nodded.  ”Yeah, you’re right.  I was in a bad place.  I’d gotten