Love Notes ((Book Two of the Heartbeat Series)) (21 page)

I suddenly got up and announced, “I need a drink.”

With that Cecile said “Me too!” We walked out on the street and the guys followed us only to wave a limo they had waiting to take us wherever with them.

Thomas suggested, “Come on girls. Let’s all just have a friendly drink.”

Thomas was trying to win us over, but it was when Connor took Cecile’s hand lightly into his and said, “Avery, please just so I can be near you for a little while.” I melted with her.

His words ripped through me. She looked to me for help and I said, “Okay, just a drink.” Cecile smiled. I knew she wanted to see him and talk to him as much as she tried not to. I felt so conflicted. I wanted Cecile and Connor to talk to gain closure, but I didn’t want to have to hang with Thomas. And I felt sorry this was playing out behind Kent’s back. And that Rand didn’t know Thomas was in New York with us. It was all beginning to become a mess or a secret that someone would leak one day in conversation.

We took their gracious but totally planned limo ride around the city viewing the night scenery. The vehicle was very large and comfortable inside. I was seated quite a distance from Thomas but Connor was right up next to Cecile. He hadn’t let go of her hand from the moment he helped her into the limo. I remember hearing the pop of the champagne. I remember taking a glass and nursing it for a long time. Cecile and Connor were definitely engaged in a low voice conversation.

Thomas said, “Cheers to you Madison. Connor told me this trip was for you to meet your publisher and editor. I am so proud of you.” That was really nice coming from him, don’t get me wrong he is not a bad person, just he doesn’t hold a single flame to the man I am going to marry. I was sure that Rand would be flipping out if he knew I was in the limo with Thomas even as innocent as it really was. I also thought of Kent and he would be pissed off. First, he had no clue of everything going on around him, and he thought Connor was his good friend.

The limo pulled up to our hotel. We decided to have one drink at the bar with them and head to sleep. They were heading out early. Thomas tipped the limo driver nicely and placed his hand gently in the center of my back as we walked into the main lobby of the hotel to the bar area. Once seated, I started to yawn. It really was a long day for me and I wanted to head up to sleep. Thomas ordered a round of drinks. As we sat there I felt awkward in the entire scenario. A few times Thomas reached over to lightly touch his fingers along my hand. I pulled my hand back quickly. At one point Thomas leaned in to me and said, “Madison don’t you feel it? We still have this chemistry between us.”

“No, Thomas I don’t feel anything but exhausted.” With that, I downed my drink, and I whispered to Cecile to stay with Connor and figure this all out. I stood up, “Thank you, Thomas for the drink. Take care, I am heading to bed.” I knew it wasn’t that easy, but I had hoped.

Thomas jumped up and leaned in to whisper into my ear, “Are you sure you want to head to your room alone?” I had to laugh. After all this time he still didn’t get it or he did and he would never stop trying.

“Thomas I am more than sure. Goodnight.” As I slid my key card into our hotel room I noticed immediately a large vase of roses. The card read –

Love, I wish I was with you as you got such great news. Another story to be published! I am so proud of you and I love you more every moment of every day.

I hit the fluffy hotel pillow and sent a quick text to Rand.

The flowers are beautiful, you are wonderful, and I am so entirely lucky…to have you. xo

At first I stirred in my sheets so I decided to pass the time and write out a love note on my notepad to Rand. I finally drifted off and I must have slept very soundly as I never heard when Cecile made it back in to our room. As I sat up with the sun shining through the large windows to see that her hotel bed was still completely made and that nothing showed me that she ever returned. There was no scattered clothing or shoes, she had never come back. I typed out a text to her, but before I could send it the door beeped open from her key card access. I could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were red and her makeup smeared.

“Cecile, are you okay? What happened?” I knew Connor would never hurt her but she looked destroyed.

“We stayed up all night. I don’t want to talk about it. I can’t even think straight. I need time away from him to figure this all out,” she said as she climbed in my bed and hugged me so tightly. I rocked her back and forth and then she lay down and I covered her. As she slept, I wondered how this was going to play out. I really should be writing their love story not the one the publisher liked.

When Cecile finally did wake up midday there was one place that I wanted to take her that I knew would certainly make her smile and forget her aching heart for awhile. We got a cab and when we pulled up in front of a tiny place that had a bench out front and looked packed with too many people she still was not sure where we were. There was a small waiting line standing to get inside. We had arrived at the famous Serendipity. If ever in New York, a must is their frozen hot chocolate. Our wait to get in went quickly and after several sips of pure sweetness, Cecile seemed to be back to her old self.

We had a nice lunch there and then hit a few shops before heading back. I wanted to buy Rand some books to write his music in for the holidays and there was a great music store that had many. I also found a vintage store that had great clothing selections and I found a lovely short, sleeveless crème turtleneck dress that was done in a spectacular shimmering fabric that made it look like a modern day wedding dress. It caught my eye as we walked past the store and once I slipped into it and it fit like a second skin, it was Cecile’s response that sold me.

“Madison that looks awesome on you! That’s the perfect wedding dress. So appropriate for marrying a singer.” I had to get it and before I left the store I made an additional purchase as there were these high leather boots that completed the look that were calling out my name to buy them.

Chapter Twelve – Save the Date

S
ometimes the best plans are those you throw together in an instant. I heard my phone ring and when I saw who was calling I paused and took a deep breath before answering. Thomas had not contacted me at all since we ran into him and Connor in New York that weekend. I had heard of a few things he was doing through my friendship with Connor. He mentioned that Thomas had started to date another younger girl at their office. Rand and I received a holiday card from him and I was happy that he was moving on with his life. I never did mention to Rand that Thomas and Connor were in New York. I didn’t exactly lie to him, I just didn’t want to give him that news as it would surely upset him and nothing happened at least where Thomas and I were concerned. As for Cecile and Connor, I was not quite sure where all those hours together took them. I know they talked and I know she was still a virgin but she was gone for about nine hours, which is a long, long time to be with the love of your life. I meant to press her on what they talked about but since she didn’t offer, I just let it lay for now.

As I think back, the holidays were a blur. Rand and I had kept the holiday season low key this year. He still did a party for the band and staff before Christmas but we had gone through two near misses with me and my head and he wanted a quiet holiday for us to share in the gift of one another. We did invite my mother and uncle and Maxwell over for a Christmas day brunch, but other than seeing them, we spent most of the day after they left unwrapping each other like presents.

“Hello Thomas, I’m surprised you’re calling. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah Maddy, I was just hanging here at the condo and thinking and wanted reach out and see how you are and if your holidays were good.”

I was remembering that our New Years Eve that just passed was a repeat celebration of Rand and me and we recreated the very first time he made love to me, again and again. I had forgotten the conversation Thomas and I were having. I kept letting my thoughts go to the holidays again and this year Rand passed on throwing a huge party. Instead, he lined the stairway and hallway toward our bed with a path of rose petals. There were so many, the floor was completely covered. He had bought me a short, shimmering red halter dress that hung on the doorjamb of the closet as I walked into the foyer of our home. It had a note attached that read:

Madison –

Please dress in this for me as we approach another new year together. I want to take hold of you and make love to you and slide this dress up over your beautiful nipples and watch the coolness of the silk bring them to peaks. I want to lay you gently in our bed this year and take every inch of you the entire night until the next year comes. Happy New Year my Love, I am already waiting upstairs for you…

Pausing a moment to lick my lips, I shifted my thoughts back to my current conversation with Thomas, “I’m good and our holidays were nice.” If only I could let him really know just how nice they were. “Rand and I are both really good. We are going to circle a late spring date to get married so that will be in just a few months. How are you? I heard through the rumor mill that you are dating.”

“Maddy, I’ve started dating someone, but nothing compares to you. You know you keep putting that wedding date off and it may never come.”

“Don’t say that. We have all been very busy and now it’s the middle of the winter.”

“Just saying, I will believe it when I see it happen.”

“Well let’s change topics. What else is new with you?”

“Business is doing well at the firm and I heard you and Connor have a nice friendship going on. Too bad there are no females in the band you can fix him up with.”

“Not to be a cliché but Connor really is a nice guy; I think he feels like I am like a sister to him as he always asks for my advice.”

“Yeah, he had Cecile a long time ago but from what I heard he really messed that up. Just like I did with you. I am not sure if his efforts worked with her in New York because he hasn’t mentioned her name. But I know he will forever be carrying a torch for her.”

“Yeah, he’s shared with me that he messed that relationship up. He has a lot to work through. I’m just glad that you and I can talk nicely to one another,” and that we did. We remained on the phone for quite some time. I didn’t let Thomas know that Cecile was really confused about Connor and Kent and which way to go. I didn’t think it was any of his business and apparently Connor hadn’t offered to share what he and Cecile talked about in New York with Thomas either.

I told Thomas some more stories of the band’s travels, and the new writing project I have decided to start since I got a publishing offer. He praised me again on my release of
Rock Notes
and told me that he read the story twice. I listened as he spoke of the new girl he had started dating but he just didn’t sound happy. I knew he still thought that Rand and I would break up, but something clicked in my head on the last phrase Thomas told me before we hung up.

“Maddy, don’t wait too long be with Rand if he is who you really want to be with. Sometimes I am stubborn to think we would get back together, but I wish you well and think you should move on to getting this young guy to the altar.” Even though his tone was sarcastic I knew he was right. This past year had brought us some doubt, injury and a surprise return of his father. I needed to move forward and commit myself to this great guy. He was really going to be my guy, forever.

“Wow, Thomas thank you for the advice. I will surely take action.”

We said goodbye and I knew it would be even longer before we would speak again. As I looked out my window, the sky swirled with white and gray and tiny snowflakes were dancing down. I knew in this moment what I wanted our wedding to be like and who I needed to help me pull it together. I made two phone calls. The first was to Joy. Most everyone else called her Killjoy, but to me, off the stage, she was Joy. The second was to Maxwell, who luckily was able to speak to me without Rand and the band around.

I was watching the weather so closely as this weekend I was to join Rand and the band in Vermont. They were scheduled to play at a winter festival and I planned on heading there Friday. The daily weather report was not looking favorable. It was showing a sizeable Nor’easter storm heading into Pennsylvania and through New Jersey and New York beginning tomorrow. That would surely halt my driving plans. I wanted to be with him so badly on his birthday. I thought I would at least prepare him that I may not be able to get up there. I wasn’t sure if he may be in a practice so I decided to send him a text.