Lean On Me
Chapter Thirty Six
Thursday November 22, 2007
Serena only told one person that Logan had been in a car wreck- her father- so when her cell went off it was his eyes that went to her, as the rest of the family kept talking, unaware that one of their one was in trouble.
She had told Lucy, Tina, Gail and Lee that Logan was called into work. Serena didn't even know if he had a job or what it might be but that sounded better than: I don't know if he is dead or alive.
Serena walked onto into the den before she answered the phone. Scott slipped in the door as she answered her phone. "Yeah."
"Just a bump on his head," Cooper told her. "You can breath easy again. You hanging in okay?"
She let out a long breathe. "Better now."
Scott visibly relaxed, then turned away as he ran his hands through his hair.
Cooper told Serena "He's got to get checked out at GH but I'm sure he's gonna be just fine. He's got a hard head. Sorry about messing up your dinner."
"I could bring you both a plate."
"Don't go through the trouble. We'll get some pizza or something."
"That's un- American, Cooper. Pizza on Thanksgiving."
"Just this once."
"Next year you pick him up and drive him here....early! You hear me?" she teased, happily.
"You got yourself a deal."
Serena heard someone talking in the background before Cooper added "Your brother says he'll call you about setting up a time to meet Tina. That cool?"
"Since he could have gotten his ass killed today, yeah, that's cool. But he better not pull a stunt like this again. Does he need me to give him driving lessons or what?"
"Someone hit him. But yeah...that couldn't hurt. He's always driven like the devil was chasing him down. Old ladies all over Texas breathed a sigh of relief the day he left. I'm sure you could teach him a thing or two behind the wheel."
She heard Logan say to Cooper "Don't let me catch you flirting with my sister, Barrett!"
Cooper said "I have to go. Good night, Serena."
She laughed. "Tell him to mind his own business, would ya?"
"I don't think that would be a good idea on my part. Bye."
"Later, Rook."
She knew what she sounded like when she called him that- a sweet way she never sounded since she was fifteen and staring in the blue eyes of her first crush- but she couldn't stop herself. This was Cooper...and Cooper, in Serena's eyes, was safety, goodness, and strength. He brought the soft side of her out. The softness she had been afraid was gone forever before they started having their little chats over the last few days.
Cooper told her, his tone easygoing, "I really hate that nickname, just so you know."
"Did I ask you what you like or not? Deal with it. I think its cute. Little Rookie Barrett."
"Two Logans in my life. I don't know how this is going to work out."
"You know you love me."
"Love is kinda a strong adjective. But with a temper like yours I dare not disagree."
Logan shouted in the background "Hand over that phone! I won't be having none of this, Coop! You HEAR ME?
It sounded like they started wrestling. Coop said "Talk to you later!"
"Bye."
Serena hung up with a huge smile on her face. Scott turned around. He said "I knew he was way too stubborn to die."
She asked "Is that your way of saying you actually care one way or the other, Dad?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Spinelli sat on a stool at Jake's, commiserating with Coleman, after making hasty apologizes to Lesley Webber for his and Lulu's inappropriate Thanksgiving Day conversation. He regretted ever mentioning anything to Lulu about Maxie.
Because there was no way- fantasies or not- that he was ever laying one finger on that snarky, bitter, mean...sexy.....temptress....witch.
To that end he had decided to call Nadine and ask her to meet him at the bar. While he waited he heard a laugh from behind him.
Her laugh.
His jaw set in a hard line. He drummed his fingers on the bar in frustration as he slowly turned his head a little and saw Maxie walking in with Johnny. Wearing a huge smile....for Johnny.
Johnny?
She really did make the rounds. Cooper, Logan, Milo (just friends, Spinelli tried to make himself believe for the sake of whatever sanity he had left since Maxie had taken over his mind) and now Johnny. Was she that upset these days that any man would do?
The thought made Spinelli sick. No woman should feel that way. Even if he did have compassion for her he also was angry at himself for wanting her and at her for teasing him. This had all gone too far. Less than a month of him being in her sights and he felt like he was being slowly driven out of his mind.
Spinelli jerked his eyes off her, after briefly taking in her short shimmery blue dress and her tanned legs.
He said to Coleman "The Jackal has heard there are lodgings available upstairs for temporary one night stays?"
"You need a room? Way to go there, man. You got a chick meeting you here?"
"Yes, someone is supposed to be joining me but I was inquiring for more of preventive measures. You see there is this...and she is...and until I...it would be better if....The Jackal should be discreet. Pardon my lack of details but I sure you get the gist of my conundrum."
"Whatever you say, man."
"How much does the room cost?"
"Well I got two open. One's 50 and one's 75. Go for the upgrade. Chicks love the vibrating bed. More motion in the Jake's ocean, if you get my drift, man."
Spinelli screwed up his face in disgust but pulled out his wallet. "Give me both."
"Whoa....you got it like that, do you? I won't judge. But don't let these two chicks catch you sneaking between their rooms in the middle of the night cause I don't want no girl fights going on...unless I got my camera out."
Spinelli threw the money on the table and took the keys.
XXXXXXXXX
Scott told Serena "It don't matter how I feel about him. Logan is too pissed off and hell bent on revenge to see me as anything but the enemy. That brother of yours is gonna be hating me till the day I die."
"You got a second chance today. Tell me you're not so blind that you don't see that. I can't take much more of this shit-"
"Hey, watch the language!"
"I'll change my ways the day after you change yours."
He glared at her for a long moment and then smiled. "This is why you should be a lawyer. You're wasting all your talents on studying journalism. You'd be a bulldog in the courtroom."
"I'll be the bulldog nipping at your heels, Dad, till you make this right with Logan."
"Why do you care so all fire much, huh? You had a good life in Paris. Why give it up for a guy you don't know at all?"
"What makes you think I had a good life? Someone told you wrong. My life is here with my family. So forget about sending me off with some more hush money to be quiet and play nice out of your sight...where I can't harass you about doing what everyone, even you, knows you have to do....Put this family back together."
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"Your son is in the hospital. He has a bump on his head. You want to do something for this family? Go there."
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Johnny couldn't be in this bar tonight and not think about last night. A different blonde. The smell of her perfume. Her bad attitude.
The kiss that burned his lips.
Sitting at a table with Maxie, having a good time and forgetting for the most part his miserable life, he still could not focus completely on the present. He was caught in yesterday....with Serena.
"Earth to Johnny." Maxie waved a hand in front of his face. "I am so about to get offended. Or drag your happy ass off to the eye doctor."
"What?" he said, chuckling.
"First you ditch me at the Ball to screw Lulu. Such a dumbass move and just pathetic but I forgive you. You were drunk, right? I mean you would have to be. And then you never call me afterwards...which okay I was not waiting for your call but still....you should have called. I mean look at me. And then you mack on my baby sister. And now you are zoning out instead of buying me a drink. Either you have brain damage or you are half-blind."
She stood up and walked around his chair in a seductive manner. She placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned down to whisper in his ear "You could have had this and you can't be bothered? See a doctor, Johnny, asap."
Maxie straightened back up and added "And buy me some Grey Goose before I get cranky." She turned to face the bar. "Oh."
Johnny followed her gaze. "Isn't that Lulu's best friend? The computer guy. Sp.."
"Spinelli," she said with a wicked grin on her face and a playful lust in her voice. "His name is Damian Spinelli. But they call him The Jackal."
Let the games begin.
She held out one hand to Johnny. "Credit card."
He chuckled and took it out of his wallet. "Go easy on me. You don't know what I got to do to make that money."
"Boo hoo. I feel for the mob prince." She stalked over to the bar, her body heating up with every step.
There was one way to forget her broken heart for a few hours. Tomorrow she would cry again, she was sure. But tonight she would play.
Her hand hit the bar, landing right next to Spinelli's arm. "Hi," she said in a breathy tone. "Tell me something. Any of those fantasies you have about me involve that pool table over there....or maybe throwing me on this bar here....or going upstairs? What's your pleasure? Fill your vixen in."
He slowly turned his head and looked in her eyes. His voice held a low, angry, hard bitter edge to it when he said "I won't be used by you so you can forget it."
"Oh, yes, you will."
"The Bad Blonde One is mistaken."
She placed a hand on his thigh and felt him tense under her grip. "The Jackal is lying to himself."
(Tell me
what I got is what you want.
Tell,
tell
me do I turn you on?
I don't want no one judging me.
I
wanna be bad.
You make bad look so good.
I got things on my mind.
I never thought I would.
I
wanna be bad.
Bad!
You make bad feel so good.
I'm losing all my cool.
I'm about to break the rules.
I wanna be bad. ) (Willa Ford)