Romancing Austin

by Riley Bancroft, Evelyn Berry, Cara Carnes, Jax Garren, Irene Preston, Rebecca Royce, Chandra Ryan

  Rehearsal went smoothly. It didn’t take long for Dallas and her to synchronize their movements and work together. To her, they moved in unison until they were almost dancing. He led and she followed, but with every beat she internalized the rhythm deeper until she started to anticipate his needs, and they started to move in harmony—as one being.

  He must have done well because the woman waving her arms in front of the choir—Dallas called her the Artistic Director, Christa Chron—came up to him when rehearsal was over and shook his hand with a wide smile on her face.

  “You’re Dallas Tanner? We’ve heard so many good things about you and your playing, of course.”

  “Thank you.”

  “The Board of Directors and our business manager are all looking forward to the concert on Thursday. We hope to make a decision about the job offer then.”

  “That’s quick.” Dallas raised his eyebrows in surprise.

  “We’re going to have a busy summer season, so the sooner we have a permanent accompanist, the better.” Christa moved in closer as singers crowded by, exiting the building. No one seemed to mind or care if the Artistic Director talked to a candidate, but Aurora was keenly interested in their conversation. She leaned in against his right arm and shoulder to listen in on their conversation.

  “According to your application, I see you have a degree in government.”

  “Yes,” he smile slipped. Why? What had upset him? The brief spark of joy in his eyes whenever he performed was suddenly extinguished.

  Aurora was astonished at the overwhelming urge to help him get it back. But how?

  6

  The next day’s rehearsal had ended for the morning, but Aurora was nice enough to spend some time with him going over a difficult section of the music.

  “Why isn’t this part working?” Dallas ran his fingers over the keys again and again, but there was some indefinable quality missing. After playing the four measures for about the fifteenth time, Aurora reached over and grabbed his right hand.

  “It’s not working, because you’ve interrupted the dance.” Her comment seemed like such a non sequitur, but at the same time, made perfect sense.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Come with me.” She pulled at his hand, dragging him off the bench to the front of the altar. Why was he following her when he should be practicing? The pressure to get the job made him both determined and irresolute. Determined because this was what he had been working toward for so many years—the chance to follow his dream and be a professional musician—his big break, but also irresolute. Did he really want this? Maybe Dad was right? If he didn’t have it down now, then how much more could he practice?

  She faced him and picked up his right hand, placing it on her waist, put her left hand on his shoulder, and then grasped his left hand in her right. That expensive bracelet she wore all the time had changed. He swore when they first met there had been only one black mica stone, but now there were three black stones and one pink. Odd.

  Holding her chased away all thought about practicing music. The softness of her skin drove him crazy with distraction. He blamed his constant state of arousal on his accidental abstinence, but deep down he recognized the real cause: Aurora. They moved so well during rehearsals he couldn’t help but think of how well they’d move together in bed. How could he think of anything beyond the sweet bow of lips and the flutter of her heart beat at the base of her neck? The sun-kissed glow of her skin was smooth and warm. Whatever she had in mind, he willingly took the break from practicing so he could hold her in his arms.

  “That song reminds me of a dance we do.” She started to hum a song he’d never heard before.

  “We? Are you a dancer?” Finally, a clue about her life. Curiosity about her flooded him with questions. The more time he spent with her, the more intrigued he became. What did she do when she wasn’t spending four days with him? Where did she grow up? Why did she have this aversion to shoes? How did she like to be kissed? Made love to? Did she sigh when she climaxed? Or did she scream?

  “Only sometimes.” Could she read his mind? If she did, he was in deep... She squeezed his hand yanking him to the present. “Now, pay attention,” she said in a sterner voice.

  She started humming again, leading for a few steps while he stumbled after her. She was singing a waltz. The one-two-three beat was familiar to him, and he took over leading. He started to sing the troublesome measures and found they did indeed resemble a waltz. He kept on dancing with her when they should have stopped and returned to practicing, but he didn’t want to let her go. She felt right in his arms; they were a perfect fit.

  —

  After the evening rehearsal, some singers exited the sanctuary through a large wooden panel disguised as part of the sanctuary wall, but was really a door. “I want to go to there,” Aurora pointed at the last singer secreting away behind the wall.

  “I don’t know what’s behind there,” he said. Just as he was going to take the same boring path out of the church, the route he’d taken for weeks now, she came along and introduced him to something new, a new adventure.

  Who knew what would happen?

  She opened the panel. Light from the sanctuary revealed bulky shadows of stage lights, a few music stands, and props from church celebrations. He expected something a little more exciting with her in the lead, but at least he knew what was there. They both walked into the side room behind the organ, and the paneled door whispered closed behind them.

  Darkness surrounded them. “Just a minute. I think I saw some stairs over here leading down and out to the seats.” Her feet pattered against the floor as she took a few hesitant steps forward. He reached out into the inky darkness with arms outstretched, making sure he didn’t run into anything. His fingertips found the soft, warm edge of her shirt and he extended his reach until he was able to cup her shoulder in his hand.

  “A few steps over…here.” The metallic clash signaled she bumped into something, followed by the loud whisper, “Ouch.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, but I’m beginning to realize some advantages of wearing shoes.”

  It was a small storage room and now that they’d moved several feet from the door, it was better if they kept moving forward to find the exit. He moved closer to her to protect her from hurting herself further, but suddenly she was close, too close. He was unprepared for how her close proximity disoriented him until he was lost in the sensation of Aurora. He cleared his throat, trying to push through the lust. “Here. Let me go ahead of you, and I’ll find the stairs.”

  He only meant to brush the tips of his fingers over her so he could keep the position of her body in perspective as he moved around her. His hands skimmed her waist until the beads from her dress tickled his palms, but then he felt the soft touch of her hands on his shoulders.

  Almost like they were in an embrace.

  Dallas froze.

  He fought the side of him wanting to pull her closer until they melted into one another. Sitting next to her for hours seemed easy compared to finally holding her in his arms. The other side of him wanted to push her away. He didn’t need distractions. He needed to focus on making the most of these last rehearsals before the concert of his life.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, the puff of warm air brushed against his lips and he was lost. The first touch of his mouth on hers sent a kaleidoscope of colors and vibrant sensations through him. A few delicate pecks to get her used to the idea. Her arms tightened around his shoulders until they encircled his neck. She arched, and her soft breasts rubbed against his chest, inviting his touch. He didn’t even know where to begin. He wanted her closer, as close as they could get while still wearing clothes. A flash of heat shot down to his groin, and he hardened instantly. Don’t think about us naked. But it was too late. An image of them in his bed, rolling in his sheets, the soft whisper of cloth interrupted by sighs and moans.

  He wanted her to moan his name. The taste of her had teased him since he’
d met her, and Dallas glided the tip of his tongue along her plump bottom lip. It was as sweet as he’d dreamed. Her mouth opened a small bit, and he slipped his tongue inside, coaxing her, tempting her to taste him.

  She stilled her tongue before rubbing it against his while she threaded her fingers through his hair. His arms tightened low around her waist, bringing her feminine heat in line with his hardness, wanting her to know what she did to him. The constant state of arousal he’d been living with since meeting her. She thrust her hips against his, and they both moaned. He slid his hands down to cup her ass, walking them both further into the shadows to find a wall where he could love her the way he wanted…

  Someone opened the exit door and a flood of light snapped them both out of their haze of desire. “Oops,” a woman’s voice exclaimed before giggling and shutting the door closed.

  The darkness returned but not the mood. Loosening his grip, he withdrew a step. Dallas glanced into the dark, searching for the exit and what to say.

  “I’ve been wanting to kiss you,” she whispered to him, stealing away any good sense remaining after that scorching kiss. Her bare feet shuffled across the floor until the door at the bottom of the stairs opened. He blinked, keeping her in his sights, but all he could see was her silhouette. Her blue hair absorbed the light creating an aura around her head. Her upturned nose and wide smile were pure joy like the sunlight in the small storage area. “Be careful coming down the stairs. There are a few hazards.”

  Yes, and he was looking at the biggest one.

  7

  The choir was on lunch break, but Dallas wanted to use the time to go over a few rough spots in the piece. A tenor agreed to pick up some tacos for all of them. After giving him their order, Dallas spent a few minutes reminding himself why the kiss he shared with Aurora yesterday shouldn’t have happened. He needed to focus…at least until the concert. But after the concert? A jolt of desire singed him, and he was grateful to be sitting. However, she acted like nothing happened while his entire world seemed to have been jerked from under him by one tall, blue-haired woman. If she could be so nonchalant about the hottest kiss he’d ever experienced, then so could he.

  “Can we go over this section again?” He pointed to the line of notes at the bottom of the page. “This is a hard part.”

  “Music is hard?” Her brow wrinkled, and confusion echoed in her question. Didn’t she realize how many hours he worked to get a piece right? “It takes a long time to learn all these notes.” He gestured to the music in front of them.

  She tilted her head to the side and quirked her lips up in a knowing smile. “You are teasing me. You already know these notes.”

  Sometimes she said the oddest things. “Why do you say that?”

  “You weren’t even looking at the black dots and lines when you were playing the keys.”

  “Oh, and what was I looking at?”

  “You were looking at me.” She gave him a smug smile.

  She was right. He had been looking at her. What was she doing to him? Aurora had only been with him for a few days, but he already anticipated her outshining the sun every morning. What was he going to do with himself after she left?

  Fern, slithering toward them with a gloating smile and clipboard in her arms, interrupted his bleak thought. “Are you going to the end of the season party?”

  “Why should I go?" he said at the same time Aurora squealed, "A party? Of course we're going."

  Fern raised an eyebrow. The mean-spirited production manager was about to deny Aurora, and he would not have it. Just because he didn't want to go to any party didn't mean she was going to be denied her fun.

  "Why do you think—" Fern started her protest, pinning a nasty glare in Aurora’s direction.

  "I meant to say, 'Of course I'm going.’” He kept his attention on Aurora and the gleam of sweet eagerness in her eyes. "And Aurora is my plus one, of course."

  "Of course," Fern grumbled and wrote down his information on her clipboard. She shot them both a pained smile and slunk away.

  He didn't wait until Fern had left before starting to rifle through his music again, already forgetting the episode, but not the slight toward Aurora.

  She leaned over and nudged his shoulder with hers. "Thank you, Dallas," she whispered.

  He kept his attention on the music. "What do you mean?"

  "You can try to fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. Thank you for the nice thing you did."

  He shrugged. "It's probably good for me to socialize with the potential donors and other musicians at the party. If I don't get this job, I'm going to need another gig very quick."

  She threw back her head and laughed. He couldn't help but take a peek at her then. The smooth line of her throat looked welcoming. She gave him a beaming smile and teased him with her eyes. "I know this party will be torturous for you, all those people, all talk, talk, talking, but don't worry." She curled her arm around his and hugged his arm with a gentle squeeze. "I'll be there to protect you."

  He smiled at her fierce confidence. "Thank you." Then looked at the keyboard again. After a few minutes he realized he meant it. Parties the Austin Choir threw were a necessary evil. Big time donors went to see and be seen, their photographs taken so they’d appear in the newspaper or on some website and to mingle with the artists who gratefully took their money.

  But for him, those parties reminded him of DC, the fakeness of it all made the gorge rise in the back of his throat and his stomach boil over. He would feel better if she came with him.

  8

  The concert was held in the same church as the rehearsals, but to Aurora the building appeared completely different. It seemed so foreign that people would pay to sit silently in the dark and listen to other people perform. Fairy performances were spontaneous, sparked by any occasion to celebrate, and required full participation from each fairy present. If someone didn’t play an instrument, then they were dancing or telling stories around the fire. And if they were extremely talented, they could do all three at the same time. The formality of the human concert almost dimmed the excitement thrumming through her…almost.

  Until she saw Dallas. He sat behind the organ, shuffling his music, and writing last minute notes to himself. He tried to appear the calm professional, she smiled to herself, but he had a lot riding on his performance. He was nervous.

  She strode up to the bench and then stopped as if she’d hit a tree. This performance was the last time she’d be here. The last time she’d sit next to him. In a few short hours, they’d be going to the fundraiser party, she’d meet Dexter Bryce Reed and use her one wish ensorcelled on her bracelet to transport them both to the forest…and to Aunt Titania. Each stone on her bracelet had turned to black mica. Four days gone. She pushed those dark imaginings to the back of her mind. She really wanted to concentrate on being with him and spending her last day with the human man she’d grown to…

  “You ready?” He asked. He bent and re-tied his shoes. This was the third time he’d tied those things. Dallas was so tall, he raised the organ bench high which left her legs dangling above the pedals. She looked down at her bare feet and wiggled them back and forth.

  “I’m ready if you are,” she responded. The other two candidates had performed their pieces, and she had to admit they were good, but there was something about Dallas that made him the best. Some inner fire he kept bottled up, a passion for life, beauty he had learned to hide over the years. Hiding away his true self under a guise of a professional man until forced to confront his future with his father’s death. Whatever the reason for his passion, it shined through every time he put his fingers to a keyboard. It surprised and flattered her that he studied her with the same intensity he watched the conductor, but she didn’t want to give him cues.

  She wanted something she could never have.

  While she waited with Dallas behind the organ, the choir members lined up and walked on stage to thunderous applause. The audience got to their feet when the conductor ente
red last. She bowed to the audience with a smile and quirk of her head, then swirled to raise her baton. The choir stilled in anticipation and the audience quickly quieted and returned to their seats.

  The conductor tipped her baton and the musicians and Dallas entered on cue. Aurora imagined the music as waves of liquid sound while she rode up and down the crescendos. The future and past faded away to nothing. All the mistakes she’d done with the folk—all the worries she built up over Aunt Titania—all melted away with him sitting next to her. He seemed to quiet the impetuous storm raging through her with his music.

  She was truly happy. She sighed, amazed at how inner joy lit a body from within like the first lightening bug in the evening. Dallas’ playing had done that to her. Being able to affect people with his music was what he’d been searching for when he worked in the other town, DC.

  The rest of the concert passed in a blur. The conductor lowered her baton, and the audience cheered again. Dallas started collecting his music, taking off his organ shoes, and packing everything in his bag.

  “That was inspiring, Dallas.” The Artistic Director came over and shook his hand, then reached over and put her hand out for Aurora to shake. She put out a tentative hand and tried to smile, but couldn’t get over the twist of happiness and nervous energy bubbling up inside her.

  This is it.

  The director certainly didn’t want to waste any time announcing Dallas’ fate. Aurora wanted to spend a few minutes basking in the beauty of the concert, but perhaps it was best to get the news before she left.

  9

  Staying seated behind the organ, Dallas stilled and tried to keep a professional appearance in front of Christa. He hadn’t expected her to tell him so quickly after the concert. He’d immersed himself in the music, escaping the reality of his future and worry about bills, taxes, and keeping his parents’ house to those few moments where it was him and Aurora sitting next to each other, making music.