Be Mine (8 page)

Calling the billboard company, he gave specific instructions on the time and date the new board was to be set. He’d had the artwork uploaded and was waiting to hear of any snags in his plan to have it up and finalized for February the fourteenth – Valentine’s Day.

Lexi took extra care as she dressed for the university benefit where Tom would be playing tonight. She knew her ticket would be waiting for her as promised, and she wanted to make a statement when Tom saw her after the show.

Hoping to turn not only Tom’s head but attract the attention of every heterosexual man in the building, Lexi chose a red bandage dress she’d never had the nerve to wear. Clingy to say the least, it hugged the curves on her small frame and set her girls up on a pedestal. She wanted Tom to really notice her – especially if Blondie was there.

She pulled her hair in a ponytail, exposing the open back of the dress and chose a set of sparkly stud earrings. As she slipped into the tall, sling back nude heels, she lost the nervous knots she’d had earlier in the day thinking about the evening. It was time to give Blondie a run for her money.

The walk to the school auditorium was quick but extremely cold and Lexi was thankful she’d worn her rugged heavy coat, even if it didn’t go perfectly with her sexy dress.

Feeling a little like a golden age movie star, she walked through the main doors with confidence and promptly dropped her coat off her shoulders and into her hands at her waist, whisking it around and laying it almost without a sound on the coat check counter. With a smile and a tip, she exchanged her heavy coat for a red plastic chip.

She walked to the Will Call window and pulled her campus ID from her small sparkly bag, carefully slipping it under the glass window separating her from the ticket office.

“Lexi Scott,” she said with a smile.

The older man took her ID and held it up to the name on the envelope to ensure it was a match without giving Lexi a second glance, and casually passed them both to her as she felt her phone buzz in her purse.

TOM: Meet me after the show.

LEXI: OK

The lights flashed on and off, signaling for everyone to take their seats. The recital hall was a little more crowded than usual as the concert was on the main stage and not in the small atrium where she first watched Tom perform.

As she walked to her seat, she immediately spied the assertive blonde several rows ahead. Lexi took her seat on the aisle and settled in, trying not to watch Blondie toss her hair and chat with everyone around her. It was difficult, since she was right in her line of sight to Tom.

Lexi could see Tom clearly on the stage and she couldn’t tell if he was looking for her or not as he scanned the audience. He smiled and gave a nod and Lexi beamed. Then she noticed Blondie blowing a kiss in Tom’s direction and quickly looked away.

As the lights dimmed, her heart sank. Lexi asked herself why was she allowing this girl to ruin her evening. Maybe the smile
was
for her.

Silence fell in the concert hall and the conductor took the stage. Lexi glanced at her program and saw that they would be playing Chopin’s Symphony Fantastique. As the flutes began soft and low, Lexi watched Tom intently. He was so incredibly handsome in his tuxedo. His dark wavy hair moved as he rocked his head back and forth with the shifting of his body. It was beautiful and full of passion and Lexi realized in that moment that Tom was made for this.

Tom Brooks belonged on stage. Watching and listening to him play was proof that God had made a direct line from Lexi’s ears to her heart. With each stroke of his bow to the strings, each bob of his head, she was falling. He was handsome, talented, smart and funny. She wasn’t going to hold back her feelings any longer. Lexi always said she didn’t believe in destiny, but she believed in the unavoidable. Tonight after the concert, she would kiss him and tell him how she really felt. It was unavoidable.

Ellen tossed the keys to her apartment on the table as she picked up the brown paper package she’d tripped over at her door front. It’d been a long grueling day of client presentations, and she was weary from the inside out. Her body was tired and her brain was mush.

On days this like, Mike was the one who would be uptight, but somehow his newfound love of life gave him a more laissez-faire attitude toward work and Ellen had taken the lead at both client meetings. He didn’t seem to take any of it too seriously anymore.

Ellen walked to the kitchen where she put down her briefcase and a paper bag that was beginning to leak wonton soup from the bottom. She’d stopped at her favorite Chinese restaurant on the way home knowing she wouldn’t cook–she rarely did.

After fixing her soup, grabbing a bottle of water and settling in on the couch, she began to eat and sort through the mail starting with the package. The art department sometimes sent ideas over if they missed her in the office and she assumed this to be the same. It was one of the ways Mike kept everyone “engaged” in their projects.

She opened it revealing a black and white DVD. On the cover, a couple embraced, their lips only a moment away from ecstasy.

She knew in an instant. Tonight was the film festival and she smiled recalling Penn’s French kiss comment.

It was a copy of
Les Enfants du Paradis
– the famous French love story – and a note was stuck to the front:
If you won’t go to France with me, I’ll bring it to you. I’m not giving up. – Penn.

She smiled through the tears pooled in her eyes and whispered aloud, “Don’t give up.”

Ellen hadn’t seen the 1945 film since college, and was anxious to experience it again. She knew it centered around the undying love shared by Baptiste and Garance. To complicate matters, Garance is loved by three other men. The two are separated for years and both become involved in loveless, complicated relationships. Years later, they meet again and are at last together – but only for one night. The story ends as they are separated – neither understanding their fate or the future of their love.

After the three-hour journey, Ellen found herself sniffling as Baptiste is lost and wandering through the crowd and Garance has fled in her carriage unaware she is free from the loveless relationship she’s chained herself to.

Ellen blotted the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do. Tomorrow Ellen Temple would start again. Tomorrow she would open her heart to love.

As she went to bed that evening she repeated Penn’s words aloud. “It’s never too late to live happily ever after.”

As the Chopin concert came to a close, Lexi had fallen more deeply for Tom. His talent was such a sexy turn on for her. She now understood why even the ugliest of rock stars ended up with models. Their appeal was their talent and not their physical appearance. Luckily, Tom was a ten in both of those categories. He was perfect.

“Bravo!” Lexi shouted as the maestro turned and recognized his symphony. She clapped as loud as she could and watched Tom take his bow as he’d done the very first night their eyes met. He flashed a smile, and Lexi knew it was for her. The excitement made her giddy and she trembled from the rush she felt in her body.

He gave her a funny
whassup
nod and a nervous shoulder shrug. Lexi’s instinct was to blow him a kiss, but she thought better of it and instead she gave him a single wave and a sexy smile.

Tom picked up his cello and quickly exited the stage. Lexi couldn’t wait to tell him how wonderful the concert was – how wonderful in fact, he was.

Her thoughts were quickly jolted back into reality when Blondie began her incessant hair tossing and eyelash batting. She’d weaseled her way out and into the aisle as Tom came from the front to the back where Lexi was waiting in anticipation of a big kiss for her adorable, talented boy.

Tom Brooks had played for thousands of people over the years, but he’d never been as nervous as he was tonight knowing Lexi would be in the audience just for him.

After the performance, he worried how he might react when he finally got to her. The red dress had been a total distraction to him on stage. He’d never been so thankful to have his cello covering the crotch of his tuxedo pants as he was tonight. He couldn’t wait to take her in his arms and kiss her. He’d even cleaned his dorm room, bought a bottle of wine and found a candle in the hope she would join him there after the show.

Tom nervously rubbed his forehead as he walked toward Lexi. He was so proud that the beautiful girl in the red dress was there to see him.

“Tom!” Blondie squealed as she threw her arms around him and held on for dear life. “You were so amazing. Like, we all thought so. We’ve been like, whispering about you all night.”

“Thank you,” Tom said, trying without success to pull her arms from his neck.

“I want you to meet some people, Tom. This is Chancellor Gains and his wife Patricia.”

Tom was anxious to get away, but knew he couldn’t be rude. Chancellor Gains controlled the money that came into and out of the music department. “Yes. Very nice to see you again Chancellor – Mrs. Gains,” he said, politely acknowledging them while straining to see Lexi’s face.

“Tom,” continued Blondie. “Come to the chancellor’s home for a drink. My parents and I are going. Please come. You were like too amazing for words tonight,” she gushed as she wrangled him in for yet another hug.

“I’m sorry. I really can’t,” Tom said giving his attention back to the chancellor and his wife. “I—.”

As Tom looked back down the aisle where Lexi had been waiting for him, he saw nothing. The aisle was clear and the one person he wanted to see was gone.

“Son, we won’t take no for an answer,” bellowed the chancellor.

“Will you excuse me, sir, for just a moment?” Tom politely asked as he raced through the concert hall in search of Lexi.

As he rushed into the lobby, he scanned the room frantically, looking for the red dress somewhere in the crowd.

“Shit,” Tom said aloud as he walked back into the concert hall.

“Won’t you join us, Tom?” Blondie pleaded.

“I’m very sorry. I have somewhere I must be tonight,” Tom explained. “But thank you so much for coming.”

Tom rushed backstage to pick up his coat, cello and most importantly, his phone.

As he called Lexi, he had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t going to answer. He saw the hurt look on her face during the entire exchange and it made him feel sick to his stomach.

He called again and voicemail picked up. On the fourth attempt he left her a message. “Lexi, where’d you go? I didn’t want to see anyone else but you after the show. I’m sorry I got stopped. I tried to end it quickly and get to you. Please call me back. Please.”

He paused leaving an empty space in his message and breathed. “I’m sorry, Lex. You were the most beautiful girl in the theatre tonight. You
are
the most beautiful girl. Anywhere.”

S
arah found her way to the Starbucks earlier than usual the next day. She walked all the way to the counter before anyone noticed she was there.