Heart Of Stone (14 page)

“You do have a point. But if I can’t fuck, what else is there to do?”

“I don’t know, talk? Watch some T.V.?”

She picked up the remote control and tossed it aside. I hate television. I need a cappuccino.” She batted her eyelashes at him.

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’ll be fine. Where am I gonna go. I’ve got so many tubes runnin’ through me I wouldn’t know which to pull first.”

Matthew nodded. Going out of the room, Cordell was right where he expected him to be, outside the door. “I’m going to go grab a few coffees, do you want one?”

“Venti, Black.” Cordell answered. “Thank you.”

“Y-You’re welcome.” Matthew half-smiled.
He finally spoke to me. All it took was Donnella nearly dying
.

***

The walk from the hospital to the coffee shop and back was crisp, it helped to awaken Matthew’s tired senses. His body ached from sleeping hunched over most of the night, Janet and Raj had tried to get him to go home. Telling him there wasn’t anything he could do. He wouldn’t hear it, he said he would call if anything changed but that they could go back to his apartment he would meet them later. That meant he was going to have to leave Donnella at some point. It was just that now was not that moment. He took a deep breath of the cold morning air as he went back into the sterile hospital, not seeing the limousine or the television crew setting up camp just outside the front entrance.

14

“I told you what I do with my personal time is my business. I walked in there, I’d have walked out if not for this fucking infection!”

Matthew heard Donnella’s voice from down the hall, and dropped the coffee’s taking to a run, only to be stopped by Cordell and three other large men in black suits. “What’s going on?” He questioned seeing an older man in the room arguing with her.

“You need to leave Mister Mayfield. Miss Stone is no longer seeing visitors.” Cordell answered strainingly. “Per Mister Stone’s orders.”

Matthew pushed harder, and one of the other men pulled him aside wrapping his arm behind him putting his face against the glass.

“Matthew!” Donnella screamed. “Let him go! You’re hurting him!” She turned to her father. “Daddy please!”

The man, who stood some six feet tall in a crisp blue suit nodded and they released him, but did not let him pass.

“You are not coming in here young man. She needs rest. Go
home
.” Mister Stone demanded without moving from his position at the foot of Donnella’s bed.

“I want to hear her tell me that she doesn’t need me here.”

The man looked at her, and she dropped her head like an obedient child. “Go.” She choked. “Please. I’ll call you in a few days.”

“Perhaps.” Mister Stone added.

Conquered, Matthew sighed looking at her, she didn’t look up as he stormed away. Going through the front of the hospital the reporters took little notice of him. He wasn’t anybody after all.

***

Arriving at his apartment Matthew let himself in to find Janet grabbing him into a hard hug. “Are you alright?”

He collapsed into the couch. “They threw me out.”

“What? Why?” She sat down next to him.

“She’s going to be fine, physically… At least they think so. But I don’t know. There’s something more going on. Her
father
showed up and they just threw me out.”

“Her father, you mean
Harmon Stone
is actually
here
?”

“Yeah? What’s the big deal?”

“Dude. That’s like the Pope coming to town! Or finding Jimmy Hoffa’s body for New York.” She sat back into the couch. “I mean
wow
. They must have really thought she was in trouble if they called him and he came home…”

Matthew put his head between his knees. “I don’t know how much more stress I can take.” He scratched at he cast on his left hand. “This thing is making me crazy.” He looked at Janet who was in jeans and a
Grateful Dead
T-Shirt. “When did you go home?”

“Oh hours ago, but I came back, wanted to be here when you came up for air, besides I have some stuff for you to look at. If you’re up for it?” She smiled halfheartedly.

“Anything to get my mind off everything else… Where’s Pepper?”

“Oh the walker came to take her about ten minutes before you showed up. Should be back in a little while said she was going to take her to the run over in one of the parks.”

“Must have been June… They’ll be gone for a few hours. She’s good about getting Pepper her exercise.” Matthew took the portfolio as Janet sat back down handing it to him.

“You did say thirteen models.”

“I did…”

“Well I may have found a few more than that. I expanded the search a bit. Went out of the parameters some. Based on what you were saying about last we talked.”

Matthew flipped through the head shots. “These are good. These will mesh well with my new concepts.”

“New concepts?”

“Yeah, it’s not going to be about the political statement anymore. These
women
, the soldiers, the mothers, sisters. They aren’t just wounded, they are survivors. They are warriors, and these marks, the scars are their stripes. They’re not broken, they’re tigers.”

“That’s beautiful man.”

“I know. I just hope other people see it too. Their lives are beautiful.” He pulled at the cast again. “I fucking hate this thing.” With a huff he got up, running upstairs. Janet could hear him grunting and fumbling with things tossing them about. Curious of what he was getting up to she followed the sounds. Finding him rummaging through his tool box.

“What are you after?”

“A hacksaw, or something to get this off with! What does it look like?”

“Looks to me like you’ve lost it man. But I know what’ll help…” She flipped out from her pocket a bag of marijuana. Opening it up pulling out a large fluffy green bud with little yellow and purple hairs sticking out of it. “What do you say? For old time’s sake?”

“As soon as we get this off, don’t want to cut my hand off, Donnella would never forgive us… Ah ha! Snips! These will do it!” He handed the metal snips to Janet who took them after putting the massive bud back into the bag and putting the bag back in her pocket. “Now what?” She asked. Matthew put his hand on the credenza.

“Slip the snips along my hand and over the cast, and cut the damned thing off for Christ’s sakes!”

Janet slid the snip into the opening at his fingers, slowly. “So are you going to tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

She felt that the snips wouldn’t go any further, she closed her eyes took both handles in her hands and cut. “That Mcloughlin is your father?”

***

“How long do you intend to keep me a prisoner?” Donnella roared. Stomping around the penthouse of The Stone Tower. It had been weeks since they had released her from the hospital and her father had not left. In fact he had not made even the slightest inclination toward the idea that leaving was in his interest.

“Ella, my child. Have you seen the media circus out there? Someone tipped them off at the hospital that you were there and they found out I was here as well. Coming here was the only safe option.”

“It’s not even about being here…”

“Is this about that gigolo I sent away? One of your many mistakes? You need to forget that. His face is all over the tabloids. They think he’s your lover already. Do not add to that.”

“He is my lover, father! I’m thirty-three years old for fucks sake I’m allowed to have them!”

He shook his head. “Do you not realize these men latch on to you only to further their pointless careers? They don’t care about you.”

“Uggh.” She tore at her hair. This wasn’t getting her anywhere. “You don’t get it. I’ve worked that out, a long time ago. I know that! But this
one
… It’s not about
that
.”

Her father turned from his place at the fire. In all of her temper tantrums he had not really taken his eyes off of it. Only now as her voice softened did he bother to
actually
look at his daughter. His precious child. He loved her dearly and only wished to keep her protected and that often meant protecting her from herself.

“Not another one… What did this one promise? The moon? The stars?”

“Nothing. He’s made no promises. No declarations. But when push came to shove, he’s shoved back and met me move for move, daddy. I deserve a chance to at least explore what this could be, don’t I.”

“Is it possible? That someone has chiseled through that heart of stone?”

Donnella went to her father, kneeling beside him. “I think…
Maybe
. I don’t know that I love him. But I know that I
want
him, and
need
him. Isn’t that enough? For a start?”

Harmon put up his hand. “I don’t know that I understand the love of this time. When I was young we loved and made love to only those we married. You… You have…”

“I know.” She sat with her back to the side of his chair, holding his hand in hers. “I don’t want to discuss some of the deals I’ve made with this body. But it’s cashed a few too many checks as of late.”

“So I’ve heard… Harold is the one who called me after all.”

“I figured it was him or Cordell.” She kissed his palm. “I have missed having you here these ten years, Father. How long will you stay?”

“I have to see my Doctors.” He stood up and she followed his lead.

“Doctors? Is everything okay?” She eyed him looking for some sign of deficiency.

“Just routine exams. Been a few years you know. I will be in country for a while if you have need of me.”

“You’re my Daddy, I’ll always be in need of you.” She hugged him gently and he kissed her on the top of her head.

***

Matthew couldn’t sleep, and his eating had been sporadic at best. Leaving the apartment wasn’t easy when paparazzi were at the door. He didn’t know how it happened. One moment he was walking down the street grabbing a coffee walking Pepper and the next he had a reporter asking him what the nature of his relationship with Donnella Stone was. Of course Pepper went nuts and the reporter was quickly rethinking his approach as he ran off, his brown leather jacket in tatters. Matthew had managed to get back to The Stone Tower, before another could ambush him. But now they seemed to be everywhere. Pictures of him from his balcony, running in central park. All with questions of who he was and what he was to Donnella that he spent the night in the hospital with her. Speculations on everything from drunken debauchery to miscarriages splashed the papers. All with their names on them. He didn’t know what to do. He tried calling her but her phone number had been disconnected and Harold was unreachable as well. Holed up as he was he dove into his work. The models who Janet had found for him could move from The Tower reasonably easily as they didn’t look like models. Besides once they were past the front doors Xavier took good care of them, knowing who they were and what they were there for, Matthew came to relay well on the man.

Having gotten rid of the cast he was able to paint again. There was some pain but the OxyContin Xavier was keeping him supplied in was helping and doing wonders for his creative streak. While he was not seeing or hearing from Donnella, he was still receiving his ten thousand stipend and keeping up with Janet, and paying Xavier was high on the list of things that needed his attention. He missed his girl, but the pills made him feel mighty fine too. Tossing and smearing paint across the canvas he heard Pepper whining at the front door. Following her sounds he grabbed a rag and his hammer. If those fucking reporters were gonna come knocking at two in the morning he was going to knock back.

He swung the door open, the hammer up in the air.

“Matthew!” Donnella shouted, her hands in the air.

He stopped mid-swing, the hammer falling to the ground as he stared at her, the doorknob still in his other hand.

“Can I come in?” She asked quietly, staring up into his glassy deep blue eyes.

He pushed the door open far enough to let her pass by him. She stepped inside, looking around. The apartment was in shambles. There were tarps and paint covered canvases strewn all over. Food containers on the kitchen counters and clothes here and there. From the looks of it some of them may have not been Matthew’s.

“You’ve been busy…” She whispered delicately, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. Not sure if she should have come down now or not. She was sure he would have been happy to see her. Would have kissed her, been holding her by now. That they would be in each other’s arms. Not like this. Two strangers in the dark.

“You’ve been gone.” His voice was broken, barely audible as he stared almost as though he didn’t see her.

“How have you been?” She shuffled in her space, afraid to get any closer to him, as Pepper stood attentive, but not aggressively at his side.

He let out an exasperated laugh. “Seriously?”

She chucked a little as well. “Stupid question.” She pushed her hair which seemed longer to him, back from her makeup free face. “I’m sorry for all of this. I don’t know what else to say.”

“Guess I should be careful what I wish for huh?” He answered back sarcastically.

She raised an eyebrow at him in question.

“Well I wanted you to help me get my name and face known…”

“I suppose that has happened… Why are we…?” She stopped herself and he looked up, his fists in tight balls at his sides.

“I.” He sighed heavily. Taking a step toward her, just as she took one toward him. “I was angry, when I couldn’t reach you. Worried that your father took you out of the country or something. Then to find out you were just upstirs and I still couldn’t…”

They were a breath from touching. He could feel her heat against his skin. She could feel the tension of his muscles, smell the linger of his cologne on his bare chest. She reached out first. His body yielded, and his arms were around her, his knees buckled and he put his shoulder into the wall to hold them up. He slid down kissing her, on his knees she bent to keep their mouths entwined. Running her hands through his lengthening hair, as he ran his hands up her spine, grabbing her by the shoulder blades pulling her head back so he could kiss her neck.

Apologies were left to the wayside. They said all that was needed to be said for the time being, their bodies needed to get to know each other again. Every caress seemed like something new. A heightened experienced. He took her to bed and they took their time. Kissing and rubbing their bodies together, until neither could take the excruciating teasing any longer. Only then did they undress and take to each other like hungry animals until both of their hearts raced and their bodies were spent.