Won't You Love Me?

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Names: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

Year: 1950

Ages: 33 and 24

Dean lets himself loosen up as he hops up the stairs of the stage leading up to the makeshift throne, sitting slouched with arms and legs nonchalantly hanging over the sides. Finally he says, making no effort to conceal his less than educated accent, "Pops, look at me! I'm sittin' on de throne!"

The actor who plays his dad in the scene bursts out laughing, having only seen the more composed side of Dean, and so do some of the behind the scenes crew. Dean himself even cracks a grin. But one person in that rehearsal does not find it so funny. Well, he does think Dean's funny, but he just wishes the laughs were directed at him.

Gritting his teeth, as much as Jerry hates the person inside of him who's desperate, so desperate he'd do anything to take the attention away from Dean, or if he can't, make all the rest of them suffer for it, he gives in.

"Ahh!" Jerry groans, clutching at his head and making it seem as if he can barely stand. His little charade quickly does its job, for many of the crew rush up to him and help him sit down, trying to figure out what's wrong with him. A migraine, the doctor there says to everyone, and the whole affair makes Jerry feel better, but barely.

Why? Because the entire time everyone swarms around Jerry, Dean stands back from the crowd, head tilted slightly as he stares at him with the strangest expression on his face. In the one moment their eyes meet, Jerry knows what that expression means and wishes he didn't.

Dean knows what he's doing. He knows and he hates Jerry for it. But not as much as Jerry hates himself for it.

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Names: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

Year: 1951

Ages: 34 and 25

"I'm getting out of this, it's like wearing a board." Jerry mutters as he unbuckles his seatbelt and begins to unbutton the jacket of his tux. Dean nods eagerly in agreement before doing the same. They've got enough of a car ride to the Hudson that they have no hesitation before taking off their jackets and pants, but when they catch sight of the driver in the rearview mirror peeking at them with a quizzical, somewhat concerned, expression.

Dean and Jerry look at each other and begin to giggle at the hilarity of the situation, or because they're so exhausted they can no longer control themselves, and those giggles turn into breath-catching laughter.

Thirty minutes later Dean and Jerry find themselves in a sticky situation, and the driver quickly pulls out of the jammed line of cars to the side of the road. Having expected to have to just hide behind a bush somewhere or something, they are relieved when they spot a convenience store.

Jumping out of the car, Jerry and Dean enter the store. Jerry in leather boots, shorts, and a shirt. Dean in patent-leather loafers, shorts, and a shirt. Jerry feels a little self-conscious as other customers in the store stop with strange looks on their face, but is able to play it off as a joke given everyone in the store obviously knows who they are. Dean couldn't give a crap.

There are about seven other people there in all, and they all want autographs. That's fine, despite the hurry and the situation. When someone steps up asking for a photograph, Dean and Jerry look at each other and promptly say together, "No, thank you."

When they've finished up in the store, they head back to the limo, only to be stopped by two highway patrol officers who are not only big enough to easily take them out, but mad enough to. Despite the quickening of his heart and the nervousness that floods through him almost instinctively, Dean just says with a completely straight face, "Please, Officer, give us a break. I'm his lawyer and he's on parole. This could go very badly for him."

It's exactly what they need to catch a break, and the officers laugh, all troubles forgotten as they shake hands with Dean and Jerry and ask for autographs.