This became a sort of ritual. Every mealtime, I would get Jess set, feeding her whatever meal it might be and then putting her either in her playroom or down for a nap before taking care of Dean. I brought him food and let him cuddle me until he got the strength to eat.
I had started out in my underwear, but by the third, or maybe fourth, time, I was completely naked. He still didn't try anything. I was just trying to let him know I was ready if he needed it. In an odd way, I sort of thought that would be kind of a breakthrough.
Soon, after about two weeks of gentle care, Dean seemed to rally, though to say he was back to normal wouldn't really be the truth. He came out of his room and engaged with both Jessica and me, but there was definitely something different about him. Not something new. Like something was missing.
I kept up the routine, going a bit above and beyond my nanny duties, also making meals for Dean as he worked in his office. And going well beyond the call of duty eventually re-joining him in his bed, when he asked. Which was honestly less often than I would have thought or even hoped.
He really was amazing in bed, and I absolutely loved how he could make me feel. Even if I was really confused emotionally, not even really sure that Dean liked me, let alone loved me. He was willing enough to fuck me, but he had made it clear long before then he thought I was hot. Even back when he was still trying to find a replacement. Something I was pretty sure he didn't know I was aware of. The problem was, I had pretty good hearing and just so happened to be passing when he was on the phone asking about alternatives. How he had gone from wanting to give me the ol' heave-ho to giving me a nearly daily seeing to, sometimes twice a day, was anyone's guess. All I could figure was that something had happened to make him seriously reassess his priorities.
I floated about the kitchen, trying to figure it all out. It was lunchtime once again, and Dean was back to working in his office. Another good sign that he might be on the mend. I had gotten some pasta into Jessica, between her rapturous soliloquies about how awesome her Uncle Dean had become and put her to bed for her nap, unable to keep myself from smiling. I may have been confused, but Jessica was confident in her happiness. Her joy was quite contagious.
The little one taken care of, I went to the kitchen to make something for Dean. Struck by inspiration, I decided to give my Philly cheesesteak another try. Leaving one on a plate in the kitchen for when I came back, I brought the other up to his office.
I paused at the door for a second, pressing my ear to the cool smooth wood. I knew it looked crazy, but I had to be sure I was actually hearing what I had thought I'd heard in order to make sure I wasn't actually going nuts. From the other side of the thick door came the resonate sound of “Ode To Joy” being played on a Hagstrom Viking guitar, Dean currently being well into the third movement. I raised my fist and knocked, unsure about interrupting. He seemed to be having such a good time, and I kind of wanted to hear the end.
“Come in,” he said, the movement continuing.
“I brought you something,” I said.
“Sandwiches, awesome!”
I did my best to keep from bursting out in laughter. That reaction was so very different from my first attempt. He actually seemed to be looking at the sandwich this time and very much liking what he saw.
“Enjoy,” I said, setting the plate down and desk.
“Why don't you join me?”
“I'd like to, but I have to go get Jessica up soon. I'll see you tonight, though. After she's in bed.”
“It's a date.”
I left then before anything had a chance to happen, listening to Dean humming almost orgasmically after the first bite of his sandwich. Something I had heard before but was always nice to hear again.Chapter Fourteen - DeanI had forgotten I even knew how to play that song. I had loved Ludvig Von when I was a kid and not just because of his connection to A Clockwork Orange, though that was a large part of it.
I was pretty edgy as a kid. Though never to the point of actual violence, “ultra” or otherwise. Though me and my Droogies did twock the inter-webs real horror-show. Similar to almighty Alex The Large, it took being caught to quell the beast within.
I didn't go to prison, but I was basically under house arrest, unable to even go to the corner shop without a member of my extended family, who were nearly as bad as my actual family, coming with me. If I didn't, I would be sent back to America and go to prison.