Sunday evening, May 17th, 2020
I'd spent a very slow day at our store awaiting evening when I could talk to Dani about my night with Elle. It was also the day she, Alan, and a couple others had gone for a horseback ride on 'Dani's ranch', as I'd come to call it. It fascinated me that she'd become such a horsewoman for this movie. Perhaps, I thought, we'd get a horse or two on the farm we were intending to buy. At least two, I wouldn't want it to get lonesome.
But that was the future, this was now. And I was nervous as hell about what Dani thought about what she'd seen with Elle and me. I hoped to hell that she hadn't changed her mind after watching us.
I had my computer open, keeping one eye on it along with my movie, a Hallmark Aurora Teagarden Mystery (mostly because Dani loves them - makes me feel closer to her). Her picture finally popped up, sitting cross-legged on her bed wearing a pair of tight leather jeans and a western blouse, both that we'd bought at Hamley's in Pendleton just because Dani thought they looked sexy. She was damned right, too! She looked fabulous, her long, black hair brushed out, fresh lipstick, looking radiant like she was ready to go out on the town, not what I'd have expected after a day riding.
"You look good," I told her. A fuckin' understatement, if ever there was one.
"Thank you, I wanted you to see what I wore on our ride today. I think Alan approved." She stood, reconfiguring her laptop so it'd get the picture of her doing her pirouette. Damn, those leather pants fit her body like she'd been poured into them. She reminded me of Mel McDaniel's song, 'Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On,' except that Dani knew exactly how good she looked.
"And how was your ride?" I asked her, figuring I'd let her bring up last night.
"Great... would've been better if it had been just the two of us." She smiled, hugging her body, making sure I knew exactly what she meant, "But, wow, what beautiful views, I'd love to show you sometime. I did get some pictures, though, I'll email to you, but they're not going to show what it was really like. Maybe the movie will have a scene from that trail, so pretty."
We both sat, I guess waiting for the other to bring up last night. Finally, Dani asked me, "What time did Elle leave this morning?"
I smiled, remembering our shower that morning. "I was a little late opening the store, about ten minutes. She left right before. I trust you saw last night? Thank you for that. Oh, by the way, that security company did a bang-up job keeping those cameras hidden."
Dani smiled, that million-dollar smile I've always loved, then a giggle, "That's because... there, uh... were no cameras. I sorta made that up."
My eyes went wide, my jaw must have dropped open, "But you said..."
"I know. I didn't think you'd take her home unless I told you there were cameras." Another smile, "Guess it worked, huh... So how was it, you have a good night?"
I couldn't help chuckling, "Pretty ordinary, I'd guess. We fucked in the hot tub, I convinced Elle she needs to wear her black babydoll in a wet t-shirt contest, we fucked in our bed... actually, 'made love' would be a more accurate description, Elle on top, then we fucked in the shower again this morning, Other than that, was a pretty boring, routine night... well, except for the sleeping all tangled up with my naked, sexy high school crush, that was quite enjoyable. Oh, and I let her drive your Mustang home this morning. I think she'd have felt funny driving her car last night in nothing except that little babydoll nightie, so she rode with me."
She rocked back and forth with her arms wrapped around herself. "So... tell me about your love scene with Alan?" I asked her.
Dani rolled her eyes and let out a little sigh, "God, that man is..." she hesitated a moment, "I told you last night, I want you to see it. Just... prepare yourself. That's all I'm going to say."
We talked another half hour, Dani trying to get more details of my night with Elle, and I tried to get details about her love scene. Neither of us were successful. Then we reverted to that old faithful, the weather. She told me that it's been unseasonably warm in Montana, the same as here.
A few minutes after we'd clicked off, an email from Dani popped up, the pictures she'd promised. There were eleven, and she hadn't exaggerated, they were positively stunning!
My dreams that night consisted of some variation of Dani with Alan Ryder, me with another night with Elle, and even Jenny made her appearance, inviting me over to watch that video with them, the one she'd made on her cell phone... with the expected results. That was one I hoped would eventually come true when I woke up the next morning. Somehow though, my nighttime dreams hadn't been coming true like so many of my coma dreams had.
The store picked back up during the week. Sundays have always been a little slow, we were open mostly as a convenience to those weekend mechanics that needed something last minute more so than just a profit. Besides, I didn't want those people to think they could get their parts at a different store.
The rest of the week more than made up for it. I couldn't have been happier with the turnout at the new store, which seemed to be maintained after our opening.
Wednesday, I called and talked to Dave Alvarez, asking him if I could get a key to the farmhouse for my contractor to get a head start designing the renovations. He said he'd be happy to send one. I called Wade, my contractor for the stores, and he suggested it'd be better if I had an architect look at it with me, giving me a name he recommended strongly, Ashley Robertson, that he'd worked with often (yes, his architect was a woman). I called her, explaining who I was, what I needed, and she said she'd be happy to meet me next week. I told her I'd call as soon as I got a key to the house.
Dani and I talked every night. She was just ecstatic about the movie; the story, the shoots, everything. She said that everyone on the set was certain they were going to have a hit on their hands.
Then, Thursday afternoon, I received a surprise call from Janet, the movie's publicist, the woman I'd spent several days with, telling her everything about my coma dreams. She wanted me to come to Tampa the following week, almost demanded it, and said the studio would pay for everything. She wanted me to fly down Thursday, meet with her Friday, then I could do whatever I wanted Saturday, either there or come home. The thing she wouldn't say was why, what was so important.
I told Dani about it that night, asking her if she had any idea what it was about. She didn't, they hadn't said anything to her about it. "Are you going?" she asked me.
"She sounded like it was important, so yeah, I'll go. It's a week from today so it'll give me time to make arrangements at the store."
"Alone?" she asked.
