Aileen's Song (4 page)

Siobhan giggled. “Tell me something I don't know. The cavalry's set to charge. See you in twenty.”

“Perfect.” After ending the call, Aileen dashed back to Cuppa Café and retrieved a trio of lattes for her comrades. She had ulterior motives. The caffeine treat wasn't just a reward for helping her settle—she figured the offering just might entice the girls to listen to Liam's proposal and give this performance opportunity a level of serious consideration.

Back at the townhouse, she didn't change from her capris-length exercise pants and oversized t-shirt. What would be the sense? She intended to work hard over the coming hours. While she waited, she gathered her hair into a loose ponytail and secured it with an elastic holder. Wandering her space, she plotted what needed to be done and the best way to utilize the help her friends offered. Painters and wood-finishers had completed their work yesterday, thank goodness. The results were pure magic. Aileen felt at home already—except for the barren look of the space and its walls. Hence, today's gathering.

When the doorbell rang, she welcomed her work crew with hugs and pointed the way to the kitchen where the coffee waited.

Maeve's eyes glossed over with joy. “You're a lifesaver. I didn't roll out of bed until an hour ago, and I had no time to properly nourish my nervous system.” She swept thick, red strands of hair from her eyes and issued a huge yawn.

Aileen struck a playful pose and flashed the girls a wink. “Who knows her besties?”

“Saint Aileen, that's who.” Maeve yawned again, and sipped long from her cup.

“Since you're properly stationed, Maeve, why don't you take care of unpacking the dishes and silverware? The boxes are marked and on the counter right next to you.”

“Got it.”

Aileen continued. “The floors are cleaned and restored. The painting is all finished—”

“And I love the buttery color of the walls.” Kassidy studied the great room with approval. “Those nature canvases over there will really pop once they're hung on the walls.”

Aileen fished through a stack of supplies tucked into a far corner of the room. In seconds, she returned to Kassidy bearing a hammer and nails. “That's precisely why I'm recruiting you to put them in place, KC. Feel free to make use of your artistic eye.”

“Are you charming me because you mean it, or because you need to fill empty space?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“Well played,” Siobhan murmured in passing. She began to sink into a chair.

“Not so fast, dancing queen.” Aileen snagged Siobhan's arm and spun her in the direction of a rolled area rug presently propped against the wall. “See that? You and I are taking care of placement so the furniture can be moved.”

Siobhan gave a mocking pout. “I thought I was delegating.”

“You are, my darling. You're going to delegate that rug into place right here in the middle of the great room.”

“Dancing Queen. Abba. I crave music.” Inspired, Kassidy swung toward Aileen's portable stereo unit and plugged it in. While Aileen and Siobhan hauled the rug to the middle of the room, Kassidy connected her phone and pulled in selections from her playlist. Before long, the Abba classic filled the air and they started to sing and dance as they worked.

The moment became Aileen's perfect segue.

“You know…umm…Liam has a plan. Did I happen to mention?”

Siobhan straightened from a crouch now that the intricately woven Oriental rug was properly positioned. Her arched brow and slow-motion movements warned Aileen her every word was now being deeply scrutinized for meaning and intent. Curse the pixie.

“Put that look away, Siobhan. This has to do with a quartet, not a romantic duo. He wants the four of us to perform at the Catholic school tuition fundraiser.”

“Well, I can dream about the two of you getting together, can't I?” Siobhan sighed.

Aileen forced herself to ignore that idea. “I'm serious, and so is he. Do you all think we could pull together a couple musical selections for the gala?”

“Sure, we could.” Maeve's reply was somewhat muffled since she was half-hidden by an open cupboard door. Dishes made a subtle rattle as she settled them inside.

“Besides, can you blame me for wanting to share the stage with my friends one last time before life calls us to more practical pursuits? I think it would be great fun, a lark, a fond tip of the cap to our friendship and how much we enjoy performing.” Aileen aligned shimmery white sheers across a long, thick curtain rod. Soon the curtains would hang perfectly across the width of the floor-to-ceiling window that stretched stem-to-stern. From one story below came a lively view of the civic park where people walked and lounged. Trees were lit with autumn's fire and highlighted by grass of deep green. A block of sunlight poured into the room, warming Aileen's face. “The show will be a blast. We'll scout resale shops and pick up some fabulous gowns on the cheap. Siobhan will work out the stage presence, we'll choose a couple songs to sing and enjoy the opportunity to sing, dance, and have some fun.”

Siobhan paused from arranging throw pillows on the couch. “We can position the end tables now. By the way? I'm beginning to think my brother just might be insane.”

Aileen smirked at Siobhan. “At first, I thought so, too.”

Kassidy and Maeve exchanged looks. “So…like…you really want to do this, Ailee?”

Aileen hauled in a deep breath, knowing her answer to Maeve's question would most likely seal the deal. It only took a second for her to break through restraint. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

The switch flipped. Doubt morphed in to action. Siobhan cocked her hip, lips pursed while she pondered. “I can host rehearsals at the dance studio as long as you don't mind practicing a bit later in the evening. We could block out the dimensions of the stage and build a performance from there.”

“And I spotted a wonderful selection of special occasion dresses in the shop window at Regeneration Ally.” Kassidy tossed in that comment. “Let's plan a re-sale shopping trip.”

“Does Liam think they can actually fill the theater?” Maeve paused from stocking non-perishables in Aileen's pantry.

“Yes. The way he explained it to me makes perfect sense. Westerville is a community of Irish immigrants. Lots of folks support Catholic education and want to participate in activities like this. The fundraiser is being held in conjunction with two other churches in the area, and the proceeds will be evenly divided between the three local schools. He's confident.”

“I'm glad to hear it. Professionally speaking, he needs a passion infusion.”

Maeve's gaze bounced to Siobhan. “Did you just make that up?”

“I did!” Siobhan preened. “Isn't it fabulous?”

Not if Liam was hurting. Aileen's radar hiked up and started to blip. “What do you mean? Passion infusion?”

“He's been frustrated by his job, but hasn't said much beyond that. He's couching things, the way he always does. Zion's Peak is a great label; they treat him well. He loves what he's doing, but says he's frustrated. I think it's the culture of the media more than the job itself. Maybe this will help.”

So, that was Liam's purpose in sponsoring and recruiting for the fundraiser. A professional quest. Aileen didn't blame him in the least. In fact, she could relate to the longing he probably felt to find his footing and move forward with impact and discover what should come next in life.

Nevertheless, Aileen experienced a painful twitch. Obviously, that was the reason why Liam had regarded her with such focus and intent during Mass at Holy Spirit and the family gathering afterward. He had been quietly and expertly formulating a friendly ambush. The realization left her with mixed emotions—delight that he had considered the idea with such resolve, and disappointment that his interest stemmed from professional interest rather than romance. Didn't that just figure?

“Change in perception starts young. Altering culture starts young. That's the reason I intend to teach voice and drama.” Maeve joined them in the great room, returning Aileen's focus to the present. “Lovely work, ladies! The room is taking shape now that the furniture is placed. Anyway, I'm too jaded from my time in the theaters of New York to ever again be wide-eyed and innocent about entertainment. It's sad, really.”

Aileen nodded. “Agreed. That's my plan, too. All of you know how much I wanted to be a performer, but I think God can use us as teachers to help transform perspectives just like Maeve said.”

“Or, are we afraid of taking a risk? A true leap of faith?”

Kassidy, ever the challenger, ever the one to take life by the tail and hang on for the ride, issued that question, and her answer was silence and the undivided attention of three startled women.

“KC, you make a great point.” Aileen watched Kassidy shrug and go shy and soft. So typical of this strong-minded, but gentle-hearted lady. Aileen adored the way Kassidy had flourished over the years.

“Still, what are we talking about, really?” Kassidy dusted her hands against her jeans. “This is strictly for fun. It's not like we're going to become billion-dollar rock stars or anything!”

A chorus of howling laughter accompanied that comment which prompted Aileen to pose the final question. “Well, then—are we in? Shall we do it?”

In a symbolic display of unity, four hands came together in the center of the circle they had created while they chatted. “We're in.”

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Siobhan and Maeve shared a mysterious, knowing look. They came together, slung their arms around each other and addressed Aileen. “Surprise!”

“OK…” Baffled, Aileen waited, and spread her arms in question.

“Liam and Maeve's brother Doug are here!” Siobhan moved toward the entrance of the apartment.

“Wh...wha…they…what?” Aileen's pulse hitched. Her breathing went staggered.

“They stopped by your mom and dad's. They disassembled your bed, loaded it into Doug's truck and…” Siobhan shrugged and smiled brightly, “here they are!”

The doorbell rang again, adding more prickles to the nerve endings beneath Aileen's skin. Meanwhile, Maeve caught Aileen's hands and took her on a brief spin. “As of now, you get to live here for good! You're officially home! They're going to haul it in and set it up for you! Aren't you thrilled?”

Thrilled? The descriptive didn't precisely cut it. Aileen didn't think her eyes could widen any farther. She released an involuntary, gurgling sound that stilled conversation at once. At that point, use of the doorbell was surrendered in favor of urgent knocking and the unmistakable sound of Liam's deep, low voice.

“C'mon. Open up. We know you're in there.”

“It's the big bad wolves,” Doug chimed in. “Let us in, or we'll huff, and we'll puff—”

“Ah...sure…hang on a sec.” Aileen called out the stalling words—was her voice really that high and squeaky? She went on a nervous rampage, grabbing her cavernous leather purse, slipping on oversized sunglasses. She bolted for the exit as fast as she could.

“Aileen, what's wrong with you?” Siobhan stepped right into her path, a small but undeniable road block.

“Siobhan, I'm a mess!” Aileen hissed the words, terrified of facing Liam in her present state. “I'm wearing ugly workout clothes, I don't have a lick of makeup on, my hair's a scraggly mess, I've spent an hour at Zumba, a few more hours with you guys sweating and wilting like a flower in a dust storm…I…I…can't face him!”

Siobhan stared while Maeve stepped up. The two women exchanged a wordless look before Maeve's brows shot clear to her hairline, and she mouthed, “Wow.”

Aileen forced herself away from their antics and ran to the door. She yanked it open, not daring to make eye contact with either man—but most especially Liam. “Hi there! Thanks so much for your help!” She waggled her fingertips, passing in a hurry, fast, bright and breezy. “Be right back, I need to get you both some gourmet coffee as a thank you present! Ask the girls—it's already a moving-in tradition.”

She took the stairs two at a time. She'd stop at Cuppa, ditch the sunglasses, throw on a dash of lipstick, freshen up her face a bit, release her hair and give it a thorough brushing, then she'd make her return—slightly improved in appearance—or so she hoped. Oh, yeah, and she'd get them some coffee, too. Best not forget that detail…

When she cast a quick glance over her shoulder, Aileen registered Liam's startled glance. Although her vision was distorted a bit by the darkness of her eye wear, there was also no mistaking the fact that both men already held cardboard insulated cups that featured the steaming coffee cup insignia of the Cuppa Café.

Pretending she didn't notice, Aileen stuck to plan. Inwardly she groaned, thinking of how Maeve and Siobhan had reacted to her exit.

Wow, indeed.

 

 

 

 

4

 

Sly and cagey, Aileen Brewer had steadfastly refused to let Liam in on any aspect of their performance tonight. Ditto for Siobhan. They wanted to drive him nuts. He was sure of it. The only thing Aileen had revealed was the title of their two songs. Sisters in Spirit would be covering the Christian classics, Breath of Heaven and Emanuel. They were great choices. The first was soft and ethereal, the second a bit more beat driven and energetic.

Anticipation skimmed through Liam's body as he claimed his seat in the front row along with fellow committee members and a couple representatives of the Zion's Peak record label. Midway through the event, he felt pleased by the quality of the production. The show was engaging and presented a variety of local talent. The highlight of the evening so far had been a shadow act that danced and formed shapes behind a white screen in a wonderful interpretation of lyrics and music.