Be Mine (5 page)

And sex? For Sarah, great sex was like a unicorn, a Louis Vuitton sale or February thirtieth. It didn’t exist. When the occasion did arise, she had to remind herself to fake a good orgasm, choosing loud vowel sounds like aye, eee, oh and the popular ooh.

“Are you going to find out who sent them?”

“How would I do that?”

Tom examined the card carefully looking for the florist’s name. “Nothing on the card. Maybe someone saw who delivered them. Ask Ben. He loves you. In fact, they could be from him.”

“I highly doubt the security guard is sending me roses,” Sarah replied, thinking of the man who’d always been a good friend and treated her more like a little sister. “I’m not going to that much trouble to figure it out, Tom. Anyway, I’ll leave them here tonight and get them Monday when I come back for rehearsal.”

“I’m just saying you should find out who this guy is.”

“Why do you care so much?”

“I care because I worry about my dizzy blonde sister who has tons of talent and no common sense…and no boyfriend.”

“Wow,” Sarah cried. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“But was it true?”

“Get out, Tom,” she laughed pushing her little brother away then pulling him in for a tight hug. “Thanks for coming.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it. You played the shit out of Tchaikovsky.”

“Thank you. No one can deliver a compliment quite like you. Now go. It’s still Saturday night. Go have fun.”

“Oh, by the way, have you seen the billboard outside the concert hall?” Tom asked with a huge grin.

“No,” she replied. “Why?”

“Well, I’d tell you not to get a big head, but I think it’s too late.”

“Huh?”

Tom kissed his sister on the cheek. “There’s no way your head could be any bigger than they made it on that billboard.”

“Get out,” Sarah laughed as the door closed behind him.

The roses filled the air with a sweet smell and she breathed in deeply as she reached behind to unzip her gown and go home. Before dropping the dress to the floor, she paused, placing her hands on the table, releasing the tension in her shoulders along with the air in her lungs.

“Bravo, Sarah,” she breathed to her reflection. “Alone. Again.”

L
exi pulled the early Monday morning shift, as was her usual. She’d had an interesting weekend consisting of one party with her roommates and three very sweet and funny texts from Tom Brooks. She’d decided it was going to become increasingly hard to turn down his requests for her time and attention.

“Good morning, Lex,” Mike sang as he rushed through the front door. “How was
your
weekend?”

“Good morning, Mike.” Lexi shook her head at the man’s usual gruff attitude turned blissful. “What can I get started for you?”

“A new life. Today I’m starting a new life.”

“Does the new life include your usual café breve?”

Lexi picked up a cup and began to write Mike’s order on the outside with her Sharpie as he stood smiling like a kid on Christmas.

“Are you gonna fill me in on this new lease you have on life?”

Mike paused at Lexi’s question, almost bursting inside to tell her about his weekend. He paced the floor of the coffee shop going over the newest plans he’d made for Sarah. This morning, his courier would be delivering to the rehearsal hall another purple rose, along with his note – his very classical note.

Mike didn’t know much about music but he had a favorite classical composer – Beethoven. He was passionate and Mike hoped aligning himself with the virtuoso who’d written many musical pieces and letters in honor of the women he loved, would peak Sarah’s interest – at least until he had the nerve to come forward.

“Mike?” Lexi asked, breaking his train of thought. “Are you gonna fill me in?”

“Not today,” Mike replied.

“Does this have anything to do with Sarah Brooks?”

Mike’s mouth turned up, forming a sneaky grin that in turn lit up his face.

“You’re really surprising, you know?”

“Am I?”

“Here’s your coffee, Mr. Montgomery. Mr. Sneaky Montgomery,” she smiled. “You know, you could just wait for her. Speak with her. She just might come in this morning.”

“I’m not ready.”

“Okay then. You better be on your way. Have a good one,” Lexi laughed.

Mike nodded and took a deep breath, knowing he was continuing down a slightly scary path with his heart – at least for him. He took his coffee from the pick up counter and walked to the door, giving Lexi a nod as he went outside into the cold. All he could do now was pray.

“Mike, you left your gloves!” Lexi shouted after him.

But he couldn’t hear her, and more than that, he could’ve cared less about the cold. He was fired up on the inside.

Sarah Brooks woke early. The room was filled with the amazing scent of purple roses now gracing the large dresser in her bedroom. Ben the security manager had sent the flowers to her apartment late Saturday evening without asking. She was happy to have all three dozen home with her. Still a little giddy from her secret admirer’s gesture, she rolled over with a smile on her face and began to plan her Monday.

If she got up now, she’d have time to get coffee before making her way to rehearsal. It was time for her to begin work on a new concert and the symphony had made sure everyone knew she would be performing this season by plastering a huge billboard of her face near the concert hall.

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major Op. 61 was next on the calendar. It was a difficult piece, but one of her favorites and definitely her favorite composer. Beethoven spoke to her heart like no other – always had.

She showered, dressed and donned her heavy winter coat. It was seven a.m. and she knew if she hurried she could stop at Starbucks and still have plenty of time to spare.

As she strolled the streets from her downtown apartment, the sun was thinking of joining her and she loved the colors painted in the sky. When Sarah walked through the doors of Starbucks, she was met with a smiling face. She was oblivious to the fact she was being watched from across the street.

“Good morning,” Lexi chimed.

“Good morning,” Sarah returned her grin. “Tall non fat, no foam latte please.”

“Coming right up.”

Sarah quickly pulled her iPhone from her coat pocket and scanned her Starbucks app.

“How are you this morning, Miss Brooks?”

“Please, call me Sarah. I’m fine. A little cold but fine. How are you?”

“I’m great. Your coffee will be ready in just a sec.”

Sarah nodded, thinking Lexi was adorable.

“Wait,” Lexi stopped.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. I just want to ask you something.”

“Go for it.”

“Are you by any chance related to Tom Brooks?”

“Witty, handsome cello player?” Sarah asked with a wink, recalling her Saturday evening conversation with her little brother.

“That would be the one,” Lexi replied, dropping her head in embarrassment.

“Don’t break my little brother’s heart,” Sarah warned with a grin as she pulled her ringing phone from her pocket. “You’re just his type.”

Sarah walked to the end of the counter, silently thanking the barista as she picked up her coffee and chatted on the phone. She took a seat in the corner to concentrate on her conversation.

Mike Montgomery never thought of himself as a stalker. But as he stood across the street from Starbucks in the cold watching every move Sarah Brooks made, he began to reevaluate that notion.

He took a deep breath, tossed his fresh coffee order in the trash and decided it was time to get his balls out of the imaginary candy-ass purse he carried when it came to Sarah. At long last he would make an outward move to demonstrate his inward longing.

Catching the ring of the bell on the front door, Sarah looked up as she ended her call. A tall, dark, handsome man walked by, giving her a glance and a smile as he went to the counter.

Curious, she watched as the man spoke in hushed tones with Lexi as he ordered his coffee. A little hurt he didn’t give her a second look as he turned to pick up his order, Sarah couldn’t help but notice they were the only two patrons in the quiet Starbucks.

As he walked to the door he stopped and Sarah looked up at him slowly, starting at his polished black dress shoes all the way up his tailored suit and into his brown eyes.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she replied with a smile.

“Non-fat, no foam latte. Right?”

“Yes.”

“We met a couple of weeks ago.”

“Yes,” Sarah stuttered as she awkwardly stood, knocking the chair under her feet to the ground. “I remember. Café breve?”

He nodded and gave her a big smile. Sarah thought he was striking in a quiet sort of way. A man who didn’t know how handsome he was.

“Allow me,” he crooned as he hurried to pick the chair up from the floor.

“Thank you. I’m Sarah, by the way,” she said as she twisted her body to meet his face. “Sarah Brooks.”

“Nice to meet you again, Sarah,” he nodded and extended his hand. “I’m Mike Montgomery.”

L
exi pulled her buzzing phone from her back pocket – she only had fifteen minutes left on her shift and then she was off to her ten o’clock class.

TOM: Good morning. It’s your favorite adorable asshole. Just thinking about you. Actually thinking about how I can convince you to go to dinner with me.

She smiled. After meeting his sister yesterday morning at the coffee shop she liked Tom even more. He was totally hot but a little unconventional. Lexi had to admit she liked his casual awkwardness as it made him believable. So when she received the text saying, ‘I’m thinking about you’, Lexi knew he really
was
thinking about her. That made her smile and her stomach turn in nervous knots. Well that and now she knew, at least according to his sister, she was his type.

Lexi: How do you propose to convince me to go to dinner with you?

Tom: I can think of a myriad of ways to woo you. The question is which one will work?

Lexi: Haha. Gotta run. Need to change before class.

Tom: Which class?

Lex paused, wondering what he could be thinking.

Tom: Just wondering how you did on your music classics paper. That’s all.

Lexi: A

Tom: Way to go beautiful. Let’s go out and celebrate. What night are you available?

Lexi: Thursday.

Lexi waited for his immediate response. When it didn’t come, she became irritated.

Tom: I can’t do Thursday. I have a thing.

Lexi: No problem. Guess it’s not meant to be.

Tom: Pick another night. Any other night.

Lexi: That was the night I had free.

Tom: How late will you stay out? Do you have to work early Friday?

Lexi: Yup.

Tom: Please pick another night. I have to perform for the music department benefit. It’s not something I can get out of.

Lexi: I’ll come see you play.

Tom: You want to?

Lexi: Would I say that if I didn’t want to?

Tom: I’ll leave a ticket for you at Will Call.

Lexi: :)

Lexi smiled as she thought of Tom on her way to class. Once again she’d get the opportunity to watch him hold his cello and make sweet music.

Tom wasn’t a lot of things. He wasn’t cool or smooth. He wasn’t popular or a big man on campus. But he was talented and he was handsome, and he made her heart beat just a little bit faster when he was around. She just hoped she could keep her feelings at bay and wouldn’t get hurt. After watching her father walk out on her and her brother, she had no time for that kind of thing.

She was almost to her 10 a.m. class when she saw him. Her first instinct was to shout his name and wave. But just as she began, a blonde ran behind Tom and grabbed him around the shoulders, screaming with delight.