All I Ask

by KT Webb

  Throughout the time she’d been involved in All I Ask, Aria finally found a lasting friendship. Christine invited her for dinner one night, and their friendship took off from there. As any true friend would do, Christine wasn’t shy with her feelings about Aria and Drew dating. On one particular night, the girls sat together on the couch in Aria’s apartment. They’d rented a few movies and purchased an obscene amount of junk food. It was Saturday night, so there would be no practice the following day, and they intended to take advantage of their day off.

  “Okay, so, tell me about Patrick Butler. Is there anything going on between you guys?”

  Christine blushed, “No, unfortunately not.”

  “Have you ever tried to pursue him?” Aria pushed.

  Her friend shook her head with a mouthful of ice cream. Aria loved to watch her friend interact with the director. Their relationship was complicated but stable; he relied on her for more than just the tasks that fell within her role as stage manager. It was evident that there were sparks between them. With as often as they’d worked together, Aria found it hard to believe they’d never explored the possibility of dating.

  “He’s a bit older than I am, I think he’s sworn off relationships after his ex-wife cheated on him.”

  “I mean, he can’t be that much older! You’re only twenty-five, right? It’s only about ten years difference,” Aria reminded her.

  “Be that as it may, I don’t think he looks at me like that. You, on the other hand, have Drew Overland ogling you every second he can.”

  Aria rolled her eyes, “I know he wants more, but I’m just not sure that’s what I want. There’s this guy that I really like, but it’s complicated. I’d like to see if that amounts to anything before I consider dating anyone else.”

  “Oooo! I like complicated, spill!”

  Aria sighed in response. The possibility that the man in question could hear their conversation made her wonder whether or not she should say anything more at all. What would it hurt to tell Christine some of the things that made it impossible to set aside her feelings?

  “I can’t tell you his name, and I don’t know much about him, honestly. He’s the reason I even gained the confidence to audition for All I Ask. He showed me how to feel the music the way he does, the way my father did. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know that no matter where I go, he’ll find a way to be there,” Aria took a deep breath and tried to choose her words carefully, “He makes me feel things, things no one else has ever made me feel. I can tell when he’s near me. It’s almost as though an invisible thread runs between us, and my body reacts to his presence.”

  “Whoa, what you’re saying sounds an awful lot like you might be in love with this guy,” Christine gushed, “What does he look like?”

  Aria paled, “I don’t know. I’ve never actually seen him. He sings to me in my sleep and speaks to me from the shadows.”

  It was Christine’s turn to turn pale, “I’m sorry, what? It sounds to me more like you have a stalker than a potential love interest.”

  Aria laughed at that, “I told you it was complicated. I can’t help the way I feel, though. I just wish he would show himself to me.”

  “Aria, if you have this other mysterious guy out there who makes you feel like this, why are you bothering with Drew? It’s obvious he wants to take your relationship further.”

  Aria never imagined so many people would take an interest in her love life. Drew was eating it all up. There was nothing between them, mostly because Aria wasn’t interested in dating anyone. The constant insistence that they were only friends just caused the rumors to grow.

  “I don’t know, honestly. I think it’s just because Drew is the first guy in the outside world to treat me like a normal woman rather than approaching me with kid gloves. Most guys see me as broken,” Aria explained as she took another bite of cookie dough.

  Christine sighed, “Girl, you’ve got your pick of the litter. Guys think you’re untouchable, Drew’s just the first one to reach out and try. Don’t settle for someone like him. He’s got a terrible track record. I think he’s on his best behavior right now because he wants you to return his interest.”

  “That may be so, but I don’t see him as anything other than one of the boys I knew as a child. He’s very different than Erik was. Drew is more forward, but Erik was always gentle and sweet. Our age difference was a much bigger concern back then because there was no way a boy of seventeen would or should look at a nine-year-old romantically.”

  “The age difference means nothing now. Just be careful, okay?”

  Aria knew Christine was simply looking out for her the way friends do, but she found it a tad annoying that so many people felt it was their job to keep her from making the wrong relationship choices. It was one of the reasons she and D’Angelo hadn’t spoken since she kissed him. He wanted Aria just as much as she wanted him, he just wasn’t willing to admit it. Whatever caused him to keep his face hidden made him believe Aria wouldn’t feel the same about him if she could see him. She wanted to tell him how preposterous that was. Drew Overland was the divine spitting image of the boy she’d harbored a crush for all those years ago, yet she was hesitant to date him because of her feelings for her mysterious tutor.

  Hours later, after Aria and Christine had fallen asleep, D’Angelo found himself sitting on the roof of Durant Theater, watching snowflakes gently drift to Earth. Of course, he’d overheard the conversation between the two young women. It seemed impossible, but he found himself questioning his reasons for keeping distance between himself and Aria. There were forces at work that had thrust Aria into danger. Telling her what she was up against would mean revealing secrets of his own that he’d worked hard to keep.

  Andrew Overland had skeletons in his closet. He, too, had worked hard to keep them buried behind the costumes he wore, but D’Angelo saw right through him. There were people who cared about Aria that D’Angelo could use to help him guide her away from Drew. To protect Aria, he would have to expose the man who threatened to take her away from him forever.

  For the first time in years, Madame Rossi received a note from the man known as D’Angelo. Of course, once the rumors began circling about Andrew Overland and Aria Durant, it was only a matter of time before he reached out to her. D’Angelo would not allow Andrew to get close enough to Aria to hurt her if he had anything to say about it. He knew Madame Rossi herself would be eager to help and knew her well enough to address her by her first name.

  Lena,

  As I’m sure you know, Andrew Overland has returned to New York. He has taken an interest in my dear friend and student, Aria Durant. I need your help. We must be vigilant in our watch over our beautiful young friend.

  I fear it may be time to show the world who he truly is.

  Your friend,

  D’Angelo

  She knew what the words meant, but she had no idea how he hoped to accomplish the task. Madame Rossi picked up her cell phone and quickly dialed her friend in London. He answered after a few rings.

  “Lena! I was going to call you today,” he sounded genuinely pleased to hear from her.

  “Well, then my timing is perfect, what do you have for me?”

  “I’m afraid it isn’t good news.”

  “I didn’t expect it would be, tell me what you’ve got.”

  “Other than the obvious stories of the typical philandering, the other stories don’t paint a pretty picture. The reason it took me so long to get back to you is that I had to do some fact-finding. As it turns out, he was involved in a rather shady situation that ended in the death of his competition.”

  Madame Rossi had expected as much, “I know a bit about this young man, enough to know he may be capable of something like that. Tell me everything.”

  “Obviously this was never charged as a crime; otherwise I’d have more detailed information, but the basic story is that Drew was passed up for a part, the actor who was given the role drowned shortly after. The role went to Overl
and in the aftermath.”

  “That seems a bit coincidental, what makes you think he had anything to do with it?”

  “The actor who died was an excellent swimmer. He’d won medals. There was no way he drowned without help,” he explained.

  “Oh, I see.”

  “That wasn’t the only story I was given about similar situations, though there were no other fatalities.”

  Madame Rossi thanked her friend. It was all the information she needed to help her make up her mind. She would help D’Angelo. Not only for Aria but for the others involved in the play.

  Aria sat on the stage in her theater. Drew would be coming to get her soon, and she was feeling a little guilty about inviting him into the home she technically shared with D’Angelo. Even though she hadn’t spoken to him in a month, she knew he was still there. When she woke each morning, she had the feeling he’d been there singing to her as she slept. It should have been terrifying, but it wasn’t. For Aria, it was comforting.

  A thought struck her before she dared accept it was there. If she went to the basement, she might find D’Angelo down there; she may actually get to see him. As soon as the thought had fully formed, Aria dismissed it from her mind. Part of the reason he hid himself away from her was that she’d crossed the lines he’d clearly drawn. If she sought him out, it would surely spell the end of any possibility that they would find a future together.

  The one thing she was reluctant to admit to herself was how much she missed him. He’d become so much a part of her life that being separated from him for so long had left a hole in her chest. Aria didn’t think anything could ever fill that void if she didn’t get to speak to him again. She stood up, tugging her shirt down as she did. Her cell phone began to ring in her pocket. When she saw who was calling, she picked up the phone without hesitation.

  “Hello?”

  “Aria! What’s up?” Christine’s cheerful voice sounded forced.

  “Just waiting for Drew to pick me up.”

  “Oh yeah? That must have been why he was in a hurry to leave. He and Karen just got into another argument. It was kind of hard to watch. Patrick had to step in-between them.”

  “That’s not good. Did it end okay, though?”

  “Yeah, I guess. Where are you and Drew going?”

  “Just out. I called him to see if he wanted to go over to Coney Island for the afternoon. I just need a little change of scenery.”

  “You know, you could call me for things like that. I don’t like you spending so much time with that man.”

  Aria sighed, “I know, Christine. But he’s just a friend, really.”

  “Maybe you should let him know that again.”

  When they hung up, Aria felt her stomach twist. They were just friends. She had told herself that on more than one occasion. It would never be anything more, she knew that with absolute conviction. Aria couldn’t imagine betraying D’Angelo like that. She shook her head. It bothered her just how much she allowed herself to be controlled by the idea that D’Angelo would be upset by her actions. Maybe he was the one she should be avoiding. The way he made her feel was intoxicating, but was it real?

  “I wish you’d stop punishing me,” she said to the idea of the man she hoped was listening.

  “I’m not punishing you,” the whisper was almost indecipherable.

  Aria felt her pulse quicken at the sound of his comforting whisper, “If this isn’t punishment, then what is it?”

  “I’m protecting you. Just because you don’t see me doesn’t mean I’m not there.”

  “I didn’t ask you to protect me. All I asked was for you to let me know you, let me l—” she was cut off by his desperate plea.

  “Don’t finish that sentence, Aria. Please. Not now.”

  “I don’t understand you! I don’t know what you want me to do,” Aria cried in frustration.

  “Be safe.”

  And just like that, he was gone. Nothing she could do could prepare her for the rollercoaster of emotions that came with loving a man who deemed himself unlovable. With a deep breath, Aria left the theater behind as she headed for her apartment. Drew would be there soon. She was tired of cryptic conversations and close encounters. Andrew Overland was available in the real world, maybe it was time she let him in. She could only hope D’Angelo would let her be happy with someone if he wasn’t going to allow her to be happy with him.

  Aria enjoyed spending time with Drew. He was a great guy despite the things D’Angelo and Christine had to say about him. Of course, she’d heard some of the girls whispering about his past. There were allegations that he had slept his way through London’s West End, he’d paid his way into more than one production, and someone had a mysterious accident after they were seen arguing with him. Then the warnings from Christine made her wonder if what everyone had to say had genuine merit. Aria always believed in basing her opinion on her own experience rather than taking other people’s word at face value. If she was going to stay true to herself, she was going to have to give Drew the benefit of the doubt. After all, had she not allowed her heart to be claimed by a man she’d never seen? How was she to know he wasn’t some crazed fan of her fathers’ who only wished to toy with her emotions. As far as she was concerned, she and Drew were great friends. He wanted to help her with her career, and she liked the way he treated her.

  It hadn’t escaped her attention that Drew not only loved the attention their relationship garnered, he also loved being seen in public with a beautiful woman on his arm. After a few outings that she refused to refer to as “dates”, it didn’t matter what either of them told anyone; as far as the outside world was concerned, the two young actors with tragic pasts were an item. For his part, Drew made sure they would be noticed by the paparazzi. All he had to do was leak the information about their outings to a couple of photographers, and suddenly they were all over the front pages of every tabloid.

  Drew Overland had his driver park in the alley behind Durant Theater. He couldn’t believe his luck. After weeks of pursuing her, she finally initiated a date. Of course, he wouldn’t tell her it was a date, or she would run for the hills. He’d asked several people about her and found that the life Aria led was one of solitude. Even when she was a student at the Webber Academy, she lived in a single room and didn’t associate with many of her fellow students. It must have been depressing. For some unknown reason, the girl had moved into the apartment she once occupied with her father above the decrepit theater. The place was dismal and depressing; it should have been condemned.

  He climbed out of the car holding a single red rose. Drew quickly typed the temporary access code into the keypad on the door. Aria told him how to find the apartment without wandering through the empty theater, so he took the most direct route. He knocked twice on the door and waited for her to answer. When the door opened, Aria smiled brightly, but her face fell when she noticed the rose in his hand. D’Angelo had come to her door with another letter. She looked at the floor in front of her, but there was nothing waiting for her.

  “Where did that come from?”

  Drew shrugged, “A florist?”

  “You bought it for me?” She asked, looking down the short hallway.

  “Um, yes. Is that okay?” Drew thought she would like the rose.

  Relief flooded her features, “Yes, that’s okay. I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little off today. I just need to grab my purse. I’ll be right there.”

  Drew stood in awkward silence at the threshold of her apartment, she hadn’t invited him in, so he wasn’t about to follow her. The last thing he wanted was to make her think he was going to be one of those guys who didn’t understand boundaries. He knew he was going to have to take things slow with Aria. She was the kind of girl who wanted to be romanced, not manhandled. Aria grabbed her purse and stepped into the hallway. He noticed she didn’t lock her apartment behind her.

  “You’re not going to lock it up?”

  Aria laughed, “No, anyone who may come in this theat
er would find a way to get in there anyway if the made it past the coded doors. Besides, the things I have aren’t things other people would probably steal.”

  He shook his head with a laugh, “You’re not really afraid of anything, are you?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “If I lived in this big old theater, I’d probably be terrified. It’s got to be weird to have so much building all to yourself,” Drew remarked.

  “It’s not as lonely as you might think,” Aria smiled to herself, wondering if D’Angelo knew Drew was inside the building.