REBEL

Chapter Thirteen

Rebel felt himself tense up even more as soon as Dom left the room. Even Rafe picked up on the tension and woke up to nuzzle up to Rebel's leg. He patted the animal's head.

Dom came back soon after with a small glass of cranberry juice and a perplexed look. Handing the glass to Rebel he watched as the man took several tentative sips. Rebel hated to eat or drink outside of his usual schedule. He admitted it felt good going down.

" Mind telling me why a Rock God has damn near bare cupboards in his kitchen. And a half empty refrigerator. No wonder you're bony as hell. "

Rebel flushed. He put the glass on the coffee table. " I have food."

Dom made a face at him. " A bunch of puny veggies and fruit do not qualify as food. How many meals do you eat a day? "

Rebel leaned back on the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table. Strangely he was feeling quite relaxed again with Dom back. " Enough. I'm on a perfectly appropriate for my height and weight dietary schedule. I don't eat breakfast because it makes me sick to my tummy that early. I eat a very lean lunch. And a small sensible dinner. No snacking. "

He was amused by the incredulous look on Dom's face. " That's not a dietary schedule. That's torture. They eat better in prison. I know. My cousin Sid went up for that store he robbed when he was eighteen. He said he learned all types of ways to cook with Ramen in there. Became a damn good cook. When he got out my Pop hired him as a line cook at his restaurant. Pop runs the Soul Delight in Central Harlem. It's been on the Food Channel. People call him the Soul Food King. Whole family came over to watch that episode on Food Channel. Uncle Bruno got a little tipsy though and almost knocked over the TV. Aunt Bettina tried to beat him up with a broom for it. I was an uniform then and was afraid I'd have to lock her up for assault. Then my Ma and Auntie Bettina would kill me. Those ladies are mean. "

Rebel looked at him in amazed wonder. And he called him insane? This man..... That family...... He laughed wildly. " Does that enchanting story have a point? "

" Of course. All my stories have a point. The point is that is not a healthy way to eat. "

Rebel shrugged. He was used to this discussion. He had it with Bailey. He had it with his doctor who dared to call him underweight. Underweight. He had been People's Sexiest Man three years running. He even had it with Bev who always tried to share her McDonald's lunch with him when she came over. Nobody understood that he needed to stay as young and trim as possible. There were too many young really talented people waiting in the wings to replace him. Hell half the performers under contract with Imagine took diet pills. At least he didn't do that.

" Since I'm going to be here for a while tomorrow my sister in law will stop by with proper groceries. Meat. Fruit. Real Vegs. The whole motherlode. I'm a big boy and I require more than rabbit food to survive. I was trained by Pop so I cook way too much so there will be leftovers. You are welcome to eat my cooking. In fact you will eat my cooking. Under penalty of your bodyguard. "

Rebel stubbornly stared back. " You are one bossy son of a bitch. "

" It comes naturally. Wait till you meet my mother. "