Music of the Heart (7 page)

              I can feel him staring at me.  I turn my head and find Cross glaring at Keith and myself and he does not look happy. 

“Why is Cross Hamilton staring us down?  Is something going on between y’all?”

              “Keith, seriously?  I just met the guy an hour ago.  Besides, he seems a little intense for me.  I know he’s best friends with all of my friends but there’s just something about him that I can’t figure out.”

              “Well, I’ve known him for most of my life.  We’re definitely not friends but we are cordial to each other.  Intense is a good word.  He lives to work just like you.  I definitely don’t think he’s someone you want to get involved with though.  He doesn’t seem like your type.”

              I laugh at that.  My type?  What the hell is my type?  I am pretty sure my girl friends would tell you my type is any guy alive and walking right now.  One day I’ll find someone… one day.

CROSS

              I just need dinner to be over now.  I’ve had to sit across the table from her for the past hour and I just need to get away for a minute.  She’s so fucking beautiful and I find myself staring at her constantly but having these kinds of feelings is not me.  I don’t date seriously.  I use women when I need a date for a function or an event and for sex.  I admit it.  I have never wanted to settle down and get married.  So why is it every single time I look at Ashleigh, those are the first thoughts that come into my head.

              I’m sitting at this table with fifteen other people.  Besides our friends and my brothers, Merritt made sure to seat one guy and one girl that Ashleigh and I were friends with next to us so it looked like we had a date.  I have no clue why.  She could have sat Ashleigh and I together and added another couple to the table.  Unfortunately, she sat Keith Rivers next to Ashleigh who I have noticed are quite chummy with each other.  And of all the people, she put Haley Gray next to me.  The same Haley whose condo I darted out of a few weeks after going a round with her. Now, she’s all over me because she thinks I want her here.

              Everyone is finishing up their entrées and thankfully my mom and Merritt had the right idea of making dessert be a buffet throughout the rest of the night.  I’m not sure how much more I can take of sitting by Haley and watching Ashleigh and Keith act all cozy.

              Merritt’s assistant, Peyton, walks up to Ashleigh and whispers in her ear.  Whatever she said, it got Ashleigh to quickly finish her dinner and excuse herself from the table but not before Keith gave her a kiss on the cheek.  She glanced at me as she stood up and I had this pissed off look on my face.  I shouldn’t.  I have no reason to be pissed at her but I hate fucking Keith Rivers.  We’ve never gotten along.

              Dixon, who’s sitting next to me, starts laughing.  “Dude, if you stare at Ashleigh or Keith any harder, with that pissed off glare, you may burn a hole in them.  What is wrong with you?”

              “Nothing man.  I just don’t like Rivers.”

              “Seriously, do y’all still have problems with each other since our high school days?  That’s just stupid as shit Cross.  We’re 31 years old.  Maybe it’s time we all grow up a little bit.”

              “Whatever man.  I’ve got to get some air.  I’ll be back in a little while if anyone asks.”

              With that, I get up as Haley tries to tag along.  I tell her I’ll be back in a little while with a promise to dance with her.  If it takes a dance to get her to leave me alone right now, I’ll do it. 

              I walk outside on the large patio and just stare out into the sky.  I have so much on my mind these days.  Between work, traveling, trying to be here for my family and now these crazy thoughts consumed of Ashleigh, I don’t know what in the hell is going on anymore. 

              I hear the sounds of high heels clicking on the patio floor.  “So, you want to tell me what’s going on or would you like to hear what I think it is?”

              Turning, I see Merritt standing there with her arms crossed.  “Nothing’s going on Merritt.  I just have a lot on my mind and then you had to go and invite Haley of all damn people to sit by me.  I can’t stand that girl and now I have to go fucking dance with her.”

              Merritt is laughing.  She’s fucking laughing at me. 

              “Cross, seriously?  You screwed her a few weeks ago and now you hate her?  Suck it up buddy.  If you don’t want certain women around you, quit fucking them and then leaving them high and dry.  You know for a fact every woman wants you and will do what it takes to get you.  And you know you’re only dancing with Haley to make Ashleigh jealous.”

              What the hell?  Why would Merritt say that?  Ashleigh and I didn’t exactly hit it off tonight.  Damn it, what if she’s right?  Maybe I should go and try to make Ashleigh jealous.  But why?  I don’t need a girl in my life, especially not one who works and travels as much as I do.  We would never see each other.

              “You’re fucking crazy Merritt.  I’m not trying to make anyone jealous, especially not Ashleigh.  You can’t make someone jealous who you don’t even really like.”

              “Okay.  You keep telling yourself that and we’ll just see what happens.  I know you and I know my best friend.  And I’m never wrong about this stuff.  Now get your ass in there and dance.  I put a lot of work into tonight for your mom and you’re not going to sit outside and sulk the rest of the night like a big ass baby.”

              With that, Merritt walks off and I sit there just staring at her dumbfounded.  How in the hell does she know everything?  You can’t ever lie to Merritt.  She has this crazy way of knowing the truth.

              I walk back inside and Haley is actually waiting by the door for me like a puppy dog waiting on their owner to come home. 

              “There you are.  Let’s go dance.  You promised me.”

              I want to say no but I did promise and maybe it will be fun to sit there and make Ashleigh jealous.  I just need to find where she is now.

Chapter Eight

ASHLEIGH

              After I rush to finish dinner, Merritt’s assistant, Peyton comes to get me so I could go and warm up my voice.  The band was about to kick things off and get the crowd dancing.   Merritt had just asked me to sing two or three songs because of my voice but I was prepared to sing five songs. 

              As I was getting ready, Laken came back to where I was warming up. 

              She handed me a bottle of water.  “I just wanted to check on you.  Are you feeling okay?  Is your voice feeling well enough to sing tonight?”

              Merritt and I had told Ava, Laken and Ellis about my voice and what the doctor said over lunch a few days ago.  Of course, my four friends are worried about me and are being overprotective but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  It’s how we are.  We watch out for each other.

              “I’m good Laken.  Thank you for checking and thanks for the water.  Now get out there and find Reed and have fun on the dance floor.”

              At that moment, Peyton comes up.  “Hey Ashleigh, Elizabeth is on stage about to introduce you.  Are you ready?”

              I give Laken a quick hug and head out to wait to go on the stage.  As I am standing off to the side, I catch the end of Elizabeth’s introduction…

              “…She has become a very dear person to me over the past few weeks and I am so happy she agreed to sing tonight.  Ladies and gentleman, please welcome the beautiful and talented Ashleigh Kennedy!”

              I walk out on the stage and give Elizabeth a big hug.  Before I speak to the crowd, I double check everything with the band and they’re all ready to go.

              I had picked five of my favorite songs to sing – three slow ones and two fast ones.  The moment I begin to sing I can feel someone watching me.  I know what you’re thinking.  There are hundreds of people looking at me while I sing but in the short two hours of being here, I have learned there is only one person who makes me feel the way I am feeling right now.

              I don’t try to find him.  I’m not sure what my reaction would be if I saw him just staring at me.  Hell, I would probably mess up my words.  Instead, I sing my heart out and don’t even pay much attention to the crowd.  After two slow songs, I move on to a fun fast one.  It’s time again for my most favorite and romantic slow song called Pieces of Me.

              “Thank you so much again.  I’ve got two more songs I want to sing for you tonight before we kick off the silent auction event for the evening.  This next song is one of my favorites.  If you’ve ever seen my show live, you know I’ve been known to sing this song more than once in a show much to the fans requests.  It’s a slow one so grab that special someone and enjoy as I sing ‘Pieces of Me.’”

              I begin to sing and instantly I am drawn to look at the back of the dance floor.  I come face to face with Cross dancing with that girl he was sitting with but I can’t remember her name.  He’s making quite the show of dancing with her even though he can’t stop looking at me.  I tear my gaze away from them and finish my song. 

              “Again, thank you so much.  For my last song, I wanted to sing something that had meaning to why we are here tonight.  Obviously, every one of us is here to support the cause of Breast Cancer Awareness tonight.  I have a song that just feels perfect to honor all of the women out there that are dealing with this illness, have survived this illness as well as those we have lost.  I will be needing some help tonight.  So, Elizabeth, Victoria, Merritt, Laken, Ava, Ellis, Katie and Brooke, come up here and help me sing this song!  Ladies and gentleman, this is ‘For the Girls.’”

              This is a fast and upbeat song that gets everyone dancing.  I make all of my girls dance and sing on stage with me and the crowd is having a blast.  I happen to glance to the back of the room and see an actual smile on Cross Hamilton’s face.  I also happen to notice his dance partner has disappeared.

              When the song ends, I thank the crowd once more and walk off the stage.  The band takes a fifteen-minute break as well.  Peyton is waiting on the side of the stage with a bottle of water and it’s just what I need.  I tell Merritt I’ll be over to our table in just a few minutes and just take some time to catch my breath.  My throat is a bit scratchy too but I don’t want to let on to any of the girls that it’s bothering me and I don’t want Elizabeth to hear anything.  I’m afraid she’s feel bad if she knew what was going on.

              I’m getting ready to walk back to the table when I feel him.  “That was amazing Ashleigh.  Your singing – wow, just wow.”

              “Oh, thank you.   Look, I’ve got to get back to the table.”

              He grabs my arm before I can walk away.  “Wait.  Will you dance with me?  Please?”

              “Cross, look, I just want to go back to the table and have a drink and dessert with my friends.”

“One dance.  That’s all I’m asking for is one dance.”  With those words, he doesn’t wait for an answer.  He takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor. 

              By the time we get out there, the band is coming back from their break.  They begin playing a slow song and he pulls me in to dance.  I’m not sure what to think about the close contact between us.  I don’t want to admit how nice this feels and how well we fit together.  Our bodies fit perfectly with each other.  Cross decides to break the silence between us.

              “So, you and Keith Rivers… are y'all a couple or something?  The two of you looked pretty close at dinner.”

              I try to hide my giggle.  “Lord no.  Why, were you jealous?  Keith is one of my closest friends.  I have a lot of friends that play for the Falcons and the Americans.  It’s part of the job.  Besides, Keith has a serious girlfriend who lives in Florida.  She’s moving up here after the season is over.”