When Sparks Fly (35 page)

“Anybody home?”

Renee pushed open the heavy oak door. She’d have entered through the garage but the doors were closed. That meant either her parents were gone or they hadn’t left the house today.

“Hi, baby girl,” Tony Manelli greeted his daughter with a hug.

“Hi Dad. Where’s Mom?”

The words barely out of her mouth, Renee’s mom appeared in the foyer. She hugged her daughter and looked in Blake’s direction.

“Mom, Dad, this is Blake McIntyre, my public relations director.”

Blake shook hands with the couple standing in front of him.

“It’s very nice meeting you Mr. and Mrs. Manelli.”

“Please, it’s Tony and Ann. C’mon in. I just made some fresh lemonade. Can I get you some?”

Ann looked from her daughter to the handsome man standing beside her. She knew there was something more than a working relationship between these two. Just looking at them and how they reacted to each other…yes, something was going on.

“Sounds great, Mom. Thanks.”

Tony led them through the kitchen out to the patio.

The back yard was immaculately landscaped. The emerald green grass trimmed so evenly it looked fake. The full bloom rhododendron bushes splashed their bright pinks and oranges between the other mid-summer perennials. A small stone fountain emptied into a koi pond in the corner and offered a beautiful white noise as it did.

Six chairs with green and tan bamboo patterned cushions were arranged around a glass topped umbrella table. They sat just to the left of the door that led into the kitchen. To the right was a double rack stainless steel hooded griller.

“What a lovely backyard,” Blake offered.

“Thanks, Blake. It took a number of years for it to get it like this. I didn’t think things were ever going to grow and bloom. I was constantly digging up plants and replacing them. I think I finally found the right combination,” Tony offered.

“Don’t let him kid you,” Ann stated. “He’s spent hours on this hobby…and thousands of dollars, too.”

“I hope we aren’t interrupting anything, Mom. We just wanted to stop by for a while.”

“No, actually your dad was going to grill some steaks for dinner. Can you stay?”

“Thank you, we’d love to.”

Blake’s reply surprised Renee. She figured he’d want to just stay for a few minutes and leave after the bomb was dropped.

“How can we help?” Blake asked.

Man, he really wants to make brownie points.

Renee smiled. This was something she wasn’t used to. The guys she usually dated left her after one date. None of them had gotten this far. She wondered what her mom and dad were thinking.

“Daddy, we came here to tell you guys that we’re not just business associates. I wanted you to meet Blake. I’m hopelessly, completely in love with this man.”

Tony Manelli hugged his daughter and kissed her cheek. He walked over to Blake and patted him on the shoulder.

“Congratulations. If you hurt my daughter, you’ll be mulch for my garden.”

“Dad!”

“Blake, you know I’m teasing…sort of. Can I get you a beer?”

The older man walked into the kitchen and reappeared holding two open bottles and handed one to Blake.

“Mom, what can I do to help?”

Renee hoped her mom would whisk her away from this testosterone filled space. She knew her dad meant well, but those words stung her.

Ann picked up on what Renee was wanting.

“How ’bout we get the rest of the meal together. We’ll leave the meat to the men.”

Renee put her arm around her mom and they walked into the kitchen. She set her lemonade on the island in the middle of the room and sat on one of the stools.

“Honey, are you okay?” Ann asked.

“Mom, I am so in love with this man it scare me!”

“Aw, Renee, I’m so excited for you. He seems really nice. Tell me about Blake McIntyre.”

Renee told her mom the circumstances around their meeting and how their relationship had grown at break neck speed into what it is today. She voiced her concern at how quickly things progressed.

“Renee, look at your dad and me. We knew each other two months before we were married. Your Grandma Manelli was furious! She thought we should have a huge wedding. If we weren’t married in the church, it wouldn’t be legal.”

Ann washed the salad ingredients in the colander and handed it, the cutting board, and a knife to Renee. While her daughter prepared the salad, Ann cut potatoes and placed them on a foil lined cookie sheet. She drizzled olive oil over them and then sprinkled a variety of spices on them before putting the tray in the oven.

Renee poured more lemonade for her and her mom.

“There’s nothing for you to fear, Renee. I know you’ve dated before and you’ve not been happy. You’ve not brought any of these men to meet us. This Blake, I like him. So long as he treats you well and loves only you, I’m all for it. You are happy, right?”

“Oh, Mom, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I can’t believe how much Blake has affected my life. He’s tremendous at getting me gigs. Every weekend is booked until the end of June.”

“Honey! That’s fabulous! Let us know your schedule and we’ll come see you.”

The women continue talking and laughing until the rest of the food was prepared. Renee’s mom was a fabulous cook. She whipped up a dessert while they continued talking about Blake and where their relationship was going.

“Annie, the steaks are about ready. Are we eating out here or inside?” Tony yelled through the sliding patio doors.

“We’ll bring the food out there, dear.”

The conversation went long into the night ending with mandarin orange pie and coffee in the den.

“We need to get going. Thanks for dinner and for allowing me to love your daughter.”

Tony and Blake exchanged handshakes and a brief man-hug while Renee and her mom hugged. Blake embraced Ann, assuring her that they’d be back. Tony held his daughter close.

“Baby girl, I really like your man. Don’t let this one go.”

“I won’t, Daddy. I love him too much to let him go. Besides, the Manelli stubbornness won’t allow it.”

Renee kissed her parents and she followed Blake out the door.

‡
Chapter Eight

The doors of 10A and 10B were open most of the time allowing Blake and Renee to wander from one apartment to the other without the formality of knocking.

“Honey, c’mere,” Blake yelled across the hall.

Renee made her way across the hall and found Blake sitting at the island in the kitchen staring at the computer screen. She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his temple.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Look at this. I know it probably means nothing to you. This is a weekly report I get with statistics of new independent artists. At the moment,” he pointed to the screen, “you, my lovely lady hold the #120 spot.”

Renee was shocked. She had no recordings out there, so to even be on the radar of this report was incredible. She was only doing weekend events at fairs and city parks in the area. Of course, she was still a regular at Dante’s. In fact she needed to get ready for her performance tonight.

“See, I told you. It’s all coming together. Before the end of summer, sweetheart, you will have an EP out. I promise.”

Blake stood up, picked up Renee and twirled a couple times. He kept his arms around her and kissed her lips.

“Hmmmm, sweetheart, you always taste so good.”

Blake kissed Renee again and again and again. She giggled and squirmed to get free from his embrace.

“Blake, as much as I’d love to ravage your body, I can’t. I have to get ready for the show at Dante’s.”

Blake didn’t let go. In holding Renee, he held a lifeline. He believed it to be the lifeline to his sanity. He couldn’t remember his life without her. She allowed him to be who he was, she never wanted to change him, and she loved him in spite of his flaws.

He took in every inch of his beautiful woman. Renee Manelli had Blake’s heart, not just for a few moments, but for a few millennia. He still couldn’t believe how lucky he was to get the initial call from Ben about the job. That was the day that changed everything.

“You go get ready. We really need to sit down and figure out this housing thing soon.”

*

“Yes, the performance is at 8 pm. Yes. Renee will perform for 45 minutes, take a break, and do the final set. Yes. Usually. Yes. That’s great. Thanks. I appreciate it. I owe you.”

Blake put his cell phone in the left inside pocket of his jacket. That was the second phone call he’d had since Renee left an hour ago. The first was from Frankie.

Frankie was less than amused when she found out about their outside-of-work relationship.

Ann Manelli phoned Frankie directly after Blake and Renee left. She couldn’t say enough good things about Blake.

Frankie knew Blake was a good man. She knew he’d wind up falling for Renee. That was her ultimate plan. She thought of Renee as family. She’d always wanted the best for her and that included finding a man who was going to love and appreciate her, but also kick her ass when she needed it. People gave Frankie less credit than was due.

Frankie would be attending the performance at Dante’s. Tom Milligan would be there also. Blake wondered how Frankie would react to that. Tom had a recording company and had signed many of Blake’s clients. Hopefully he would offer a contract to Renee tonight.

“Sweetheart, we need to…”

As Blake made his way out of his apartment, he ran into Renee in the hallway. They laughed and shared a quick kiss. It happened more times than not lately. One of them was always running into the other.

“As I started to say, we need to get a move on. I got a call from Frankie. She’s coming to the performance tonight.”

“Wonderful! Mom and Dad will be there, too. Maybe we all can go for dinner after the gig.”

“Maybe. Do you have all your stuff?”

“Yup.”

Blake locked his apartment door, picked up Renee’s guitar, and waited for her to lock the door to her place. He ushered her toward the elevator.

It was a short drive to the venue. Upon entering, Renee saw that Dante’s was filling up fast. Her parents sat at one of the tables closest to the stage. Frankie evidently hadn’t arrived yet.