Reach for a Star

by Kathryn Freeman

  ‘Sure. Have you played before?’ Luke shook his head. ‘Then why don’t I show you how to hold the cue?’

  While he showed Luke what to do, Jessie fluttered her eyelashes playfully up at him. ‘I’m seriously impressed. Where did you learn to play?’

  ‘I spent my youth in dodgy clubs – singing, before your mind makes a leap in the wrong direction. Most of them had pool tables.’

  ‘Ah.’ She glanced over to where the boys were trying, and failing, to pot a ball. ‘Well I definitely think you gained a few cool points.’

  He grinned back, though inside he was less confident. It took more than an ability to knock a pool ball into a hole to impress kids; to gain their friendship. As he hadn’t been able to do it when he’d been a kid himself, what chance did he have as an introverted, reserved, socially inept adult?

  Jessie felt a squeeze on her heart when Michael reached for her hand as they walked back along the Seine. She angled her head to gaze up at him. It felt like a dream. Paris. Her children happily playing ahead of her. Holding hands with this dishy man who made her heart both race and ache.

  He caught her staring. ‘What?’

  ‘I like the glasses.’

  He tugged self-consciously at the tortoiseshell frames. ‘Apparently I don’t look like me when I wear them.’

  ‘Perhaps not.’ She knew he’d donned them as a disguise, not because he needed them. ‘You look like a handsome professor.’ He frowned down at her. ‘A young, handsome professor,’ she added hastily.

  A small smile, reaching deep into his eyes. ‘Better.’

  Luke yawned as they walked inside the apartment. ‘It’s time you two went to bed,’ Jessie started to say, but Jack wasn’t listening. He’d walked into the living room and was staring at the gleaming black piano that sat at the far end.

  ‘Can I have a go?’ Jack looked up at Michael, but he must have caught her out of the corner of his eye because he added, ‘Please?’

  ‘Of course.’ Michael threw his glasses onto the side and walked over to the piano, pulling out the stool. ‘Are you having lessons?’

  ‘Sort of.’ He cast a sheepish look in her direction. ‘I have lessons but don’t practice much. Mum says she’s wasting her money.’

  ‘Ah, I see.’ Michael gave Jack one of his small smiles. ‘I guess you have to want to play.’

  ‘Did you?’

  Michael nodded. ‘I did. Very much.’

  ‘My mates think it’s dumb.’

  A flash of sadness crossed Michael’s face and Jessie knew he was thinking of his own childhood. ‘Mine did, too. But I loved to play and sing too much to give it up. I figured if they were real friends they would accept me for who I was.’

  Jessie recalled the cigarette burns on Michael’s side. He’d found out the painful way that his only real friend had been Robert. Children could be so cruel. Unconsciously she put her arm around Luke, who was standing beside her, and gave him a squeeze. Please God her children wouldn’t experience any of the nasty bullying that Michael had suffered.

  ‘Is that why you sing those weird songs?’ Luke finally found his voice. ‘Because you like it?’

  As Jessie shot him a look of apology, Michael laughed softly. ‘When I’m singing on stage… it’s hard to explain. I feel like a different person. Confident, strong, fearless.’ A slight flush crept over his cheeks and this time his laugh was strained. ‘Sorry. To answer your question, Luke. Yes, I sing because I like it. I don’t really mind what I’m singing, but my voice suits the more classic songs, so that’s what I focus on.’ He gave Jack a small nudge. ‘Sit down, have a go. See if you like the piano.’

  ‘You might even sound good on that,’ Jessie interrupted, ruffling Jack’s hair to take the sting from her words. She didn’t want to put Jack down, but she could see Michael wasn’t finding this easy. A joke, even a poor one, would hopefully help him relax.

  ‘You’ve got good hands,’ Michael remarked when Jack had navigated his way through a piece from memory. ‘The rest is just practice.’

  ‘Can you play us something?’ Luke asked, looking up at Michael.

  ‘Of course.’ Jack moved off and Michael slipped into his place. ‘What would you like?’

  Luke looked at Jack, who shrugged. ‘None of the weird stuff. Can you do any of Playit Kool’s songs? We met him at the show. He’s awesome.’

  Her heart shifted as Michael sadly shook his head. ‘Sorry, no. I can’t do rap.’ Tension radiated off him and she wished she could tell him to stop worrying, stop trying so hard. Her sons would like him because he was a good, kind man. Not because of what tunes he could play.

  Jessie walked up behind him and touched him lightly on his shoulder. ‘Do you know any Queen?’

  Michael darted her a look over his shoulder, his eyes swimming in gratitude.

  A heartbeat later, his elegant long fingers began to fly across the piano keys. He started with ‘We Are the Champions’, slipping easily into ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. Jessie grinned at the boys bug-eyed expressions and as they began to laugh, Michael’s shoulders relaxed. And he began to sing.

  ‘Why do you bother with those dumb songs when you can sing decent ones?’ Luke asked when Michael stopped.

  Michael let out a rare bark of laughter. ‘That’s a question I need to ask my manager. Could be I’ve been going in the wrong direction all these years.’

  Luke beamed, and Jessie felt the pull of her heart. In that moment, it was easy to look into the future and see Michael as part of it.

  And by God, that was such a stupid, dangerous thing to do.

  ‘Come on you two.’ Pushing away her thoughts, Jessie draped an arm around her sons. ‘You’ve successfully managed to squeeze another forty minutes out of the day, but it really is time you were going to bed now.’

  ‘I can’t believe we’re in Paris,’ Luke whispered ten minutes later as she helped him into bed. ‘Have we really got all day tomorrow as well?’

  ‘Yes, and part of Sunday too.’ Jessie kissed his forehead, and then went to say goodnight to Jack who was snuggled into the bed next to Luke.

  ‘How much do you think I need to practice to play like Michael?’

  She smiled. ‘Maybe you should ask him that tomorrow.’

  ‘Maybe I will. I was scared of him at first, but he’s alright, isn’t he?’

  Emotion balled in her throat and she had to swallow before she could answer. ‘I think so, yes.’

  After saying goodnight to them she went to find Michael. He was in the kitchen, pouring whiskey into a glass. He looked up when he heard her and gave her a half smile. ‘Whiskey, wine, coffee?’

  ‘Wine, thank you.’ She nodded over to the whiskey. ‘Has it been that stressful for you, having us here?’

  He looked puzzled for a moment, then shook his head. ‘No, not stressful. I’m just… relieved the evening ended better than I’d hoped. At least I think it did.’ Some of the laughter left his face. ‘Please tell me they enjoyed themselves.’

  She walked over to him and touched a hand to his face, her heart fluttering as he leaned into her. ‘Stop worrying. They like you. How could they not? They’re my children. They have excellent taste.’

  He bent his head to kiss her. ‘I don’t know about that, but they do have an excellent mother.’ His lips drifted over hers, caressing, teasing for a moment until he drew back. ‘They’re lovely boys, Jessie. You should be proud.’

  ‘I am.’

  He pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge and poured her a glass. ‘And thank you for Queen.’ He handed her the glass with a wry smile. ‘It saved my evening.’

  She rolled her eyes. ‘You were doing fine, stop putting yourself down.’ After taking a sip she studied him. ‘You know I was interested in what you said to Jack, about being a different man on stage.’

  He pulled a face and swirled the whiskey around in his glass. ‘Yes, sorry. I didn’t mean to say all that.’

  ‘But I want to understand.’ She tapped his face, makin
g him look at her. ‘Tell me how you feel when you’re performing?’

  ‘Truly? I feel invincible. I don’t mean to sound boastful,’ he added quickly. ‘But I know I’m good at what I do. When I get on a stage and start to sing, the crap that muddles up my head disappears and I’m the man I want to be.’

  ‘And who’s that?’ she asked softly, feeling his angst, his frustration with himself.

  His eyes fell back to the whiskey he was holding. ‘A man capable of holding the interest of a pretty, sparky, vivacious woman with curves that make his body ache. And a laugh that goes straight to his heart.’

  Her hands trembled as she put down her glass. She was so close to telling him he held more than her interest, but she was afraid of rushing in too soon. This was early days, only their second weekend together, and he still had a very long tour ahead of him.

  So instead of saying anything, she took the whiskey tumbler out of his hands, placed her arms around his neck. And told him everything she was feeling in her kiss.

  He groaned, deepening the contact, his hand lifting up her thigh to wrap it round his hips, bringing his hard core right to where she needed him most.

  ‘Come to bed with me,’ he murmured, trailing hot kisses down her neck. ‘I’ll make sure you’re in your own bed before the boys wake up.’

  He lifted her up and she wrapped both legs around him as he walked them to his room. As he placed her carefully on the centre of his huge wooden bed, Jessie smiled up at him. ‘In case I forget later. Thank you.’

  Midway through unbuttoning his shirt, he smirked over at her. ‘For taking you to bed? Trust me, the pleasure will be mine, though I intend to make sure you get your fair share, too.’ His eyes fell to her blouse. ‘You need to get undressed.’

  ‘Do I?’ At his fierce, hungry look, her hands immediately began undoing her buttons. ‘I meant, thank you for inviting the boys here. I love it when it’s the two of us, but I’m always wondering how they are. Tonight, I feel complete.’

  He shrugged off his shirt and for a moment she became completely distracted by his naked chest. ‘Jack and Luke are part of you, Jessie.’ Clearly clueless to the effect he was having on her, Michael drew down his trousers, revealing his black boxer briefs. ‘They’re as easy to fall for as you are.’

  Stunned, her eyes flew to his face but he wasn’t looking at her. He was focussed on pulling off his trousers.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat wouldn’t work.

  He was falling for her?

  As his words permeated her shocked, overwhelmed mind, he joined her on the bed. And no further thoughts were possible.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Michael woke feeling unusually relaxed. It was true he was alone, but he knew where there was a warm, sexy body. One he’d cuddled until dawn, when he’d made love to her once more before carrying her to the next-door bedroom.

  From the chatter of young male voices, it looked like Jack and Luke were already awake.

  Today he was less terrified about talking to them. Last night had felt like a break through. When Luke had asked him to play that tosser Kool’s music, Michael had thought his chance of ever redeeming himself from his godawful start had perished. Then Jessie had thrown him a lifeline.

  Freddie Mercury, his unlikely saviour.

  Sadly his optimism was soon, if not crushed, then severely dented as they spent Saturday morning walking round Paris.

  Trudging was a better word for it. As Luke stared longingly at an advert for an amusement park, Michael kicked himself. Since when did kids like walking round city sights?

  ‘I should have arranged to do something else,’ he muttered to Jessie as she tried to encourage Luke to pick up his feet.

  ‘No, this is fine,’ she reassured, but some of the tension she’d arrived with yesterday was back on her face. ‘You can’t come to Paris and not do the tourist attractions.’

  He was sure he heard Jack mutter something along the lines of yeah but you don’t have to walk to them all.

  ‘How much further?’ Luke complained.

  The boy looked pleadingly at him and Michael sighed. ‘How about some lunch?’

  He avoided the tourist places and found a quiet café in a backstreet. The sunglasses and baseball cap usually worked, but Michael didn’t want to take any chances at being recognised, not now the boys were with them. He ordered them all a round of cheese and ham croissants which the boys attacked – seems he’d finally got one thing right today. Actually… Michael thought back to the earlier advert and wondered if he could muster a second. After excusing himself, he walked away and dug out his phone.

  A short while later he strode back to the table. ‘I’m afraid I’ll need to be leaving soon.’

  Luke looked up from his plate. ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘I’m performing later, so I have to go and rehearse.’

  Luke chewed for a few more moments before asking, ‘Can we come and watch you tonight?’

  A dart of pleasure flashed through him. He knew it was a child’s natural fascination for something he hadn’t seen before, but Michael couldn’t begin to explain how those words made him feel. ‘I’m not singing Queen,’ he warned.

  He felt Jessie’s eyes on him and she gave him a questioning look, silently asking him if he minded. He tried to convey with a look that of course he didn’t mind. He’d love to have them there. To have her there. But he was terrified they’d hate it and it would wipe out any of the cool points he’d mustered last night.

  She must have read his fears. ‘It will be the same music you both complain about when I put it on at home.’

  Michael spluttered out a laugh, grateful for the easy way she handled it. ‘Consider my ego officially squashed.’

  Her wink made every part of him tingle and tighten. ‘Jack,’ she turned to her eldest son. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I guess I can put up with it, if you want to go.’

  It wasn’t the most encouraging reply. ‘Maybe it’s best if you don’t go,’ Michael started to say, because hell, he’d dragged these guys round Paris all morning. The last thing he wanted to do was drag them out to listen to him sing.

  But Luke spoke over him. ‘Can we take our iPads for the boring bits?’

  And just like that, another laugh shot out of him. ‘Will the battery last that long?’

  Jack and Luke exchanged looks of surprise – they clearly didn’t think he possessed a sense of humour – but then they started to snigger. Michael didn’t care that the joke was at his expense.

  When his gaze fell on Jessie she smiled and he had a sudden, desperate urge to hug her. To kiss those full lips, tangle his fingers in her glorious curls.

  Quickly he glanced away before his body betrayed his desire, but there was nothing he could do to protect his heart. He’d blurted out his feelings last night, yet he’d been too much of a coward to look up and see the affect his admission had on her. He could only pray she was falling along with him, or it was going to be a messy, lonely landing.

  Regretfully he stared at his watch and stood up. ‘I’ve got go. I’ll leave three tickets for you at the box office so you can decide later. If you don’t turn up, I won’t hold it against you.’ His eyes drifted to Jessie and as he bent to kiss her cheek, he whispered, in case there was any doubt, ‘I’d love to sing to you.’

  ‘I’d like that, too.’ Her voice was soft and husky. ‘Very much.’

  He’d taken a step away when he remembered his earlier phone call. ‘Oh and I’ve also left three tickets for you at Disneyland, if you want to go there this afternoon.’

  As he watched Jack and Luke’s jaws drop, and their faces light up, he felt a rush of intense relief. ‘For real?’

  ‘For real.’ He nodded to where the chauffeur was parking up alongside them. ‘If you want to go, Charles will return and take you there when he’s dropped me off.’

  ‘Wicked.’ They both chorused.

  Their obvious delight boosted his confidenc
e but it was the look he received from Jessie that really cemented his morning. Not just gratitude, not just joy. He was sure he saw a spark of something deeper. Something that had him smiling all the way to the Casino de Paris.

  As it came into view his phone buzzed with a message from Robert: Are the boys and Jessie still talking to you?

  He tapped out: Oh ye of little faith.

  Robert: It was you who lacked faith. I knew they’d find something to like about you if they searched hard enough. Have you made peace with Georgina?

  Michael: I sent her flowers. She came round to thank me. Jessie opened the door.

  Robert: Guess she’s clear where your interest lies now. Maybe her skirt hems will come down a few inches.

  Michael winced. He didn’t want to think about whether Georgina really was that interested in him. I won’t be looking, he typed back.

  Robert: What are Jessie and the boys doing tonight while you sing for your supper?

  Michael smirked: They might be watching me.

  Robert: Better make sure you don’t make an arse of yourself then.

  Georgina met him in the rehearsal room. The short skirt and plunging neckline had been dialled down a notch and she wore what he supposed was her weekend casual; tight black trousers and a slim fitting jumper that emphasised every curve.

  ‘I went to your apartment to thank you for the flowers and saw Jessie. I hadn’t realised you were seeing her this weekend.’

  Michael shifted on his feet. She was his PA, but surely that didn’t mean he needed to tell her everything? Robert was right though, he couldn’t afford to piss her off, not in the middle of a tour. ‘As Jessie travelled by train and is staying with me, the arrangements were so simple even I could make them.’

  She smiled, touching his arm in a manner that was just short of being too familiar. ‘But it’s my role to sort the details out for you. You need to focus on your singing.’ Another smile. ‘I did appreciate the flowers though, it was very kind of you. It’s been a long time since a man gave me flowers.’

  Michael felt a flush creep up his neck. Surely she didn’t think they’d meant anything more than a thank you? ‘I wanted you to know how much I appreciate all you do,’ he began, his mind stumbling over what to say. ‘I’m not sure I could manage without you…’ He tailed off, blowing out a breath. ‘I mean without your organisation skills.’