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Chapter 6

Lewis spoke on the phone, "Yeah. The doors up here use some damn electronic locking system or something. Primitive technology."

Rose sat on the sofa speaking to Lewis on her phone. "Lewis. It's really alright."

Danny had taken off his shoes and laid down. He opened his eyes widely as his head hit the pillow.

She jumped up and immediately got him a larger pillow. "You do not need to lay down."

"What?" Lewis asked.

Rose stood up and sighed. "Nothing. This Danny guy-"

"Yeah, isn't he great?" Lewis smiled, "Tell him I owe him and I'll get you back home as soon as I can. But, in the meantime, gather some blankets."

Rose sighed, "Got it."

"Is Danny there-"

Danny held his hand out. "Let me talk to Lewis-"

Rose smacked his hand and pointed at him forcefully. "No."

Danny laughed, "Damn."

"No, Lewis. He's not able to come to the phone."

"Alright. Well, have him call me. And Rose? Please don't break his neck."

She ended the call. How did Lewis know?

She reached over and took the blanket from the other sofa. "Lewis says to get some blankets."

"Why?" He asked her with a drunken smile.

"Because it's going to get cold in here."

"Oh! Right. Because of the snow. Good thinking. Alright. You take the blanket."

"Surely you have two blankets."

"This isn't my place."

"It's not?"

He shook his head. "Nope. It's a friend of mine's. He's letting me stay here to….hide."

She took the blanket and sat on the sofa. She slipped off her shoes and pulled the blanket over herself. "What are you hiding from, Captain Morgan?"

He smiled at his new nickname. "Oh geez. I don't know-"

"Did you commit a crime?" She teased as she picked back up her wine glass to sip it.

"Only how it was scripted. You do know that stuff is pretend, right?"

"What stuff?"

"Movies. Television."

"Well, duh." She sipped her drink. "I'm not an idiot, Captain."

He sat up and put his feet on the foot. He bleched politely again and stood up. He nearly fell onto the other sofa but caught himself. "Oh, there's a hole in the floor!"

She laughed, "Don't break your neck-"

"Oh, my neck is the least of my concerns at the moment." He stood up and groaned. "If you will excuse me, I need to visit the little boys's room."

She giggled at him. "You are so fucked up."

"Yes, I am." He agreed, "You may have to come to to to to to fish me out-"

"I am not fishing you out of some toilet! You are completely bonkers!"

He laughed, "Make yourself at home. I'll be right back."

He stumbled until he got to the hallway next to the kitchen to walk around the corner to the bathroom. "Rose!"

"I'm here, Danny."

"What the hell is wrong with the lights?"

She laughed.

He continued to feel his way down the hallway.

Rose had time to reflect on what was happening. Clearly this guy had gotten a forewarning that she was coming over. Lewis had arranged everything and he was usually amazing at checking every detail. The door locks not working at the moment were surely grinding his gears and she was certain someone was getting told off for it. But, it was no matter. She knew she was safe, even if she was with this drunk guy who thought way too much of himself. He was entertaining if nothing else.

"I'm Danny."

So the hell what?

The room became a bit more illuminated when the snow began to come down even harder outside. She walked over to the window to watch it blow over the rail. She took in the peacefulness of the scene. Gosh, if only life was this calm all of the time.

She sipped her wine just as Danny walked back into the room with a cough.

"And you've hit something again?"

He shook his head but seemed to be oddly walking more upright. He joined her standing in front of the windows and cleared his throat.

"Change of plans!" He announced with a thunderous clap. "I need some information."

She sighed. "No comment."

They turned to face one another. For the first time, she had actually looked into his face. His dark eyes almost disappeared into this dark room. The reflection of the snow made them twinkle. Before she could stop the thought of how handsome he was, he quickly smiled at her. If she hadn't been prepared for it, it may have made her go weak at the knees.

"No, see. I believe I have gotten off on the wrong foot with you. In some way."

"Some way?"

He cleared his throat and held out his hands to explain. "Yes. See. Umm."

It was clear his drunken brain wasn't ready for much thought.

She noticed this and laughed.

He smiled, "What?"

"You are just so….!"

"Really?"

"I mean. I get it. I know. Lewis asked you to babysit the famous Rose Tyler….so you had to get all-"

"It had nothing to do with you. I am celebrating!"

"Yeah, selling a couple of houses-"

"Well, maybe that's not a big deal to you-"

"No, I get it. It's a lot of money.-"

"Well, yeah. Not really, but-" he crossed his arms and looked at her in question. "Do you think I shouldn't take the offer? I can call Russ-"

"Why do think I have any idea what you are talking about?"

He turned his head to look at her in surprise.

She turned to walk back to the sofa. She sat down and covered herself with the blanket again. "I mean, what the hell? Lewis didn't tell me anything about you except you are a great guy, and I would be safe over here. That is all I know."

"Really?" He looked down at his hands. Rose noticed he slowly looked at each finger, and fingertip before he rubbed them together and seemed to remember she was there. "Well, I must say it's extremely humbling to be around you."

"Is there something I should know?"

He crossed his arms. "You're seriously telling me, that you have no idea who I am? Am I right?"

"Exactly." She insisted. "Captain Morgan."

He put his hands in his pockets and grinned. "That's interesting. Really?"

"Am I supposed to?" She sighed and pulled the blanket up to her chin.

He looked out at the snowy city.

She finished her wine and set the glass on the low table.

"Cooked carrots or raw?"

"Neither, thanks."

Danny smiled, "No, I mean, which one does Lewis eat with his ice cream?"

"Raw baby carrots and plain chocolate ice cream. It's so gross."

Danny stood and began to look at his palms again.

Rose watched him. He would open his hands, and close them. As if he was flexing his fingers. Without looking up he asked, "You know what? I have an idea."

"I hesitate to ask."

He looked up at her and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Yeah. I'm going to get a few things, and then I'll meet you in the office upstairs. It's going to stay warmer than this room. You take the blanket."

"Alright. It's just up the stairs?" She stood up and pointed.

"Yeah." He told her as he disappeared back down the hallway.

Rose slipped back on her shoes and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. She carefully walked up the staircase and arrived at a small office at the top.

"An office." She thought, "Great. He's a therapist."

She stopped once she came to the doorway. "This is an office?" She said aloud.

The room was very simple and small. She saw immediately why he wanted for them to go up there. One entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows took up one side of the room. A sofa sat in the center of the room with a low coffee table. Directly across from the sofa hung a television, but she knew he would be denied his football game because of the blackout. Directly behind the sofa sat a round table with at least twelve chairs sat around it. A small marble bar sat in front of a kitchen that was identical to the one in her apartment.

She walked over to the window and immediately it gave her that sick, falling feeling again. She shivered and crossed her arms. She had worn a short-sleeved blouse with some jeans. It was probably just the idea of it getting cold, but she wished she had a jacket.

She walked over to the sofa and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. She noticed a sketch pad sitting on the low table. It was opened to an unfinished drawing of the room that she had just been in downstairs. The bottom was unfinished where the large u-shaped sofa set.

She heard his footsteps on the steps then Danny walked into the room. "Good you found it in the dark."

"The emergency lights came on the stairs."

He sat down some things he had brought with him on a chair and stood up. "Oh, I hadn't noticed."

She pointed at the sketchpad. "Who did this?"

He grinned at her, "John Travolta."

She smiled and picked it up. "May I look?"

He grit his teeth, "Umm…"

She sat it back down. "Or not?"

He rubbed his chin. "Maybe in a little bit."

She smiled and politely sat it down. "It is nice. It's downstairs, right?"

He slipped his hands in his pockets and smiled, "Yeah. I like drawing interiors."

"Really?"

"Helps me think." He nodded. "Ummm. Sorry, maybe I should have called it the romper room."

"This is an office?"

"Yeah. Russ has a handful of children, so this is where we banish them to get some peace."

She giggled. "Russ is?"

"Friend of mine who owns this place." He walked behind the bar and busied himself pouring water into a kettle.

She walked over to stand on the other side of the bar. She grinned as she watched him prepare the kettle. "What are you doing?"

"Want some coffee? Hot chocolate? Tea?"

"Tea?" She smiled, "You have tea?"

"Lewis keeps it over here for himself. He won't mind." He turned around and showed her the box of PG Tips. "You drink this kind, right?"

"Yeah." She answered in surprise. "Wow. But, how are you doing to get the kettle-"

The kettle beeped that it was finished.

Danny pulled two mugs out of the cabinet and poured the hot water into both. "One thing about my friend, Russ…..he's serious about his coffee drinking. It's on a rechargeable connection so he's never without it."

She giggled and joined him. She finished preparing her tea. Danny made himself a cup of black coffee. They turned and faced one another as they both took a sip.

He laughed with his deep voice at the reaction to her taking the first sip of her tea. "English girls and their tea. The rumors are true."

"It's life."

He continued to chuckle as sat his coffee down and walked over to the sofa. He grabbed one end of it and turned it around to face the large window. Rose watched as he grabbed the end of the coffee table, and pulled it in front of the sofa.

He stood up and put his hands on his hips. "There. Now we can sit and watch it snow."

"You sobered up quick." She said as she grabbed his coffee and walked over to join him.

He smiled, "Not even close. This is me, fucked up, acting sober. How am I doing?"

She grinned. "You had me convinced."

He smiled. "Good to know. Hang on."

She sat on the sofa and watched him walk over to the bundle of things he had brought with him. He handed her a grey hoodie.

"Here. That should be better."

She slipped it on and looked down at the chest at the large Navy blue symbol. "What am I even wearing?"

He sat down next to her on the sofa, "Something that will keep you warm."

"Football?"

"Baseball." He said and picked back up his coffee. "The New York Yankees."

She smiled, "It's nice. Soft."

"Old. I've had that since I was a teenager." He handed her a rolled-up pair of clean, grey socks. "For your feet?"

She sat down her tea and took them from him. "Oh wow! Thanks! Yes!"

She slipped off her shoes and pulled his thick socks over the thin ones she wore. Then, she moved her pillow so she could sit back and relax while watching the snow outside. With the blanket pulled over her lap, and warm feet now hanging off of the sofa, she took her tea and held it in her hands.

"Better?" He asked.

"I don't think I've been his comfortable in ages."

He smiled and sipped his coffee.

She sipped her tea.

Danny spoke, "I'm going to be completely honest with you."

"Still drunk enough for that?"

"Umm. I'm about a seven, six, and half maybe, so yeah."

"What's the scale?"

"A ten."

They laughed together.

Rose spoke. "You know what would be so amazing?"

"What's that?"

"To meet someone, who just…has no idea who you are. I didn't realize how much I would miss that. I just want to be, invisible again."

He nodded and held his coffee. "I understand."

"I mean, anyone I meet, it's as if they feel they know everything about you."

He pointed at her, "You are drunk."

"Yes, a bit." She admitted. "That wine really spun my head around….but….well, am I making any sense?"

He shook his head. "None. Explain it again to me."

She groaned. "Really? I mean….Well…."

He grinned that he had annoyed her again, "Yeah. Someone who would just get to know you? Instead of the opinion, the press gives them, about you?"

"You get it."

He nodded, "Oh, I do."

Rose continued, "What I've read about myself….man, I'm a bitch."

"Well, I've only known you a short time, so –" He stopped talking and looked at her. A quick smile spread across his face and he began to laugh.

She rolled her eyes. "You are such a pain."

He smiled at her. His handsome dark eyes twinkled as he said, "Let's start over. Hello."

"Hello." She giggled at how silly this was. But, she couldn't help but enjoy it.

"How are you?" He smiled, reminding her how high he really was.

"Wondering why you aren't sharing what you're smoking."

He laughed and pulled a small vape out of his pocket. "Be my guest."

She took it and inhaled.

He continued, "It's nice to meet you…."

She blew smoke and smiled, "Rose."

"Rose, huh?" He nodded, "Not Rosie?"

She blew smoke again. "Pete calls me Rosie. But, he's the only one who may."

"Who may." He mocked, "Why?"

"Because he used to have a dog named Rose, and he refuses to call me that."

Danny collapsed in laughter. "Shit."

His laughter was contagious and she began to laugh with him.

"Why did Pete name his daughter the same thing as his dog?" He laughed.

"Mum named me." She laughed. "He didn't have a say in it."

"Oh, hell. Like she didn't know what this dog was named?"

She handed him back the vape.

He inhaled and said, "It's nice to meet you Rose. It's my first time meeting someone who was named after a dog."

She laughed, "It's nice to meet you, Captain Danny Morgan."

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