Spark of Desire ; All for You

by Sheryl Lister

  He’d given every bit of himself to her. And it felt better than anything he’d ever felt. She was the missing beat of his heart. The thought of her betraying his trust made his stomach roil in pain. She was an artist, which made it all the more painful. She understood how important it was for artists to control their own work, to decide when they wanted it released to the public. He’d respected that about her work, and he’d thought she’d do the same for him.

  This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to end, with him unsure about her. When he was up onstage during the first set he couldn’t wait to get to her, to tell her how it felt to be there. He’d had plans for the night, after they left. He’d vowed to show her just how much she meant to him. The surprise he had in store for her was the ultimate grand gesture. Myles had looked forward to seeing her reaction, to celebrating with her all night. But now...

  “Myles?”

  He whirled around, blinking when he saw his father standing in the doorway. “Dad? What are you doing here?”

  “I heard you were playing. Figured I’d come check you out.”

  Myles eyed him warily. It was unlike his father to do anything on a whim. “How long have you been here?”

  “Since the beginning. I heard both sets.”

  “If you’re here to argue with me about the business or tell me to stop playing, don’t. I’m not in the mood.”

  Dr. Law walked into the room, scanning the small space. Pictures of jazz greats were spread over the walls. Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Nat King Cole, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd... All of them had played there. There was a wealth of music history within the walls of that place.

  His father tapped the picture of Miles Davis on the wall. “Davis. His recording of ‘Seven Steps to Heaven’ changed my life.”

  Myles’s eyes widened. “What?”

  A whisper of a smile stretched across his father’s mouth. “I can hear it in my head today as clearly as I heard it the first time I listened to it. After I heard that song, I knew I wanted to play the trumpet.”

  This was all news to Myles. He’d never known his father to play any instrument. “You played?”

  “I did.” His father sat down on one of the stools in the room. “I played until my lips were swollen. I had to ice them every night because I couldn’t stop.”

  Myles took the stool next to his father. “I didn’t know that.”

  “You wouldn’t. I never wanted you to.”

  “Why?”

  “I made choices, son. Choices that took me far away from that dream of being a musician, of traveling around the world with my trumpet in hand.”

  Myles thought about his childhood, tried to remember some hint that his father understood why music meant something to him. He couldn’t recall anything.

  “The day I told my father that I was moving to California to become a famous musician with my girlfriend and my best friend was the day my father told me that I was dead to him.”

  His grandparents had died before Myles was born. El had told them all horror stories about them, but Dr. Law had never talked about them. At all. Now he knew why.

  “Wow, that’s...”

  “Heartless,” Dr. Law said. “But I didn’t care. I left, with one suitcase, one hundred dollars and my horn.”

  “Was this before medical school?”

  Dr. Law nodded. “Before kids, before your mother, before everything.”

  “What happened?”

  “Not what I thought would happen. We drove to LA, rented a one-bedroom apartment and worked odd jobs around the city to make money. When we weren’t working, we were practicing.”

  “Did you write your own music?”

  “I did. I just knew someone would discover us. I met great people, though. Even met Miles Davis one day.”

  “Straight up?”

  “Yes. He was playing at this little jazz club in town. I begged my boss to let me off work early so I could see him. I barely made it. The house was packed, people everywhere. Standing room only. Davis was on stage playing ‘Blue in Green.’ The sound from his horn could not be duplicated. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

  “When he got offstage, I walked up to him and introduced myself. He didn’t smile, he didn’t shake my hand. He just told me to keep playing. And walked away.”

  Myles was blown away. He knew the song, ‘Blue in Green.’ He’d played it himself many times. The entire album, Kind of Blue, was one of his favorites. “Cool.”

  “That experience ranks up there with my most memorable. I rushed home to tell my girlfriend about it. When I walked in, I found her with my best friend, in my bed.”

  “Damn.” Myles hadn’t expected that plot twist. “Did you kill them?”

  Dr. Law snickered. “No. I left.”

  “You came home.”

  “Yeah. I walked away. From my dream. Because of a woman. I scraped up my last money and hopped on the road. It took a week to get back. I slept in my car at night and drove during the day.”

  “What did your father do when you got back?”

  “He told me I was a fool for leaving in the first place, but he let me come home. The next day, he paid for my tuition. I never looked back. Now, instead of a world-renowned musician, I’m a world-renowned surgeon.”

  “Do you regret it?”

  “Every day. I’m sorry, son.” Myles glanced at his father, noted the sincerity in his eyes. “When you were young, and you walked up to that piano and started playing, I didn’t know what to do. All I knew was my own experience. I only knew how it felt to leave everything behind for all the right reasons, only to end up with a broken heart and nothing to show for it.”

  “So you made the decision for me? Took away my freedom and my options?”

  “That’s exactly what I did. I know now it was the wrong choice.”

  “Why now?”

  “Because I listened to you. You have an amazing talent, one that I should have cultivated and not stamped down.”

  Speechless, Myles thought about all those years he’d had to play in secret. Even though it had hurt him, he couldn’t regret it. Because if his father had encouraged him to play, he might have never met Ms. Pennie. If his father had been supportive, he might have quit playing because he didn’t have to work as hard for it.

  “I haven’t been a good father to any of you,” Dr. Law admitted. “I’ve done unspeakable things in the name of control. But I want you to know that you’ve been a great son. You’ve never given me any trouble. You’ve worked hard all of your life. And I’m proud of you.”

  Tears burned Myles’s eyes, surprising him. He blinked several times.

  Dr. Law patted him on his back. “I’m proud of the man you’ve become.”

  “Dad, thank you.”

  “Thank Aria. She made me see the error of my ways.”

  Myles stared at his father. “Aria talked to you?”

  “She did.” He chuckled. “She let me have it.”

  “I said some things to her tonight that probably ruined everything,” Myles admitted.

  “What was that?”

  Myles told his father what happened with Avery and the CD and Aria. “I walked away from her without giving her the chance to explain. Still, she knew I didn’t want that CD to be shared with anyone.”

  “Listen, there are two things I learned about Aria in my little interaction with her. She loves you. I don’t believe she would do anything to hurt you. And she was right to encourage you to play. Because you’re a phenomenal musician. Better than most. Even that Martel guy you played with.”

  Myles laughed. “Dad.”

  “Hey, what can I say? He’s not as good as you.” Dr. Law stood. “You better go see about Aria.”

  “I will.” Myles hugged his father. “Thanks.”

  “About that meeting?” D
r. Law said. “Next week, we’ll discuss the role you’ll have with the business.”

  “The role of partner?” Myles asked.

  “Whatever role you want.”

  Myles smiled. “Sounds good.”

  He hurried out of the room, through the crowd to his family. He scanned the room, looking for Aria. She was nowhere in sight.

  “She left,” Mel said. “With Brent.”

  Myles pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. He saw the text she’d sent earlier and cursed himself for not checking his device before now. As he started to respond to that one, another text came through. From Aria.

  I decided to catch a ride with Brent. Since you walked away from me, I figured you would be okay with some time to deal with whatever is bugging you. Because I have no idea.

  Shit. He dialed her number and cursed when it went straight to voice mail. “I have to go.” He turned to Ian. “Will you drop Ms. Pennie off at home?”

  “Of course,” Ian said.

  Without another word, Myles ran out and jumped in his car. He made it Ann Arbor in record time. Letting himself into her home, he called out her name, walked through every inch of the house. She wasn’t there. Where the hell is she?

  He stretched his neck to relieve tension that had set in. He dialed her again. Voice mail. He plopped down on her sofa. What the hell did I just do?

  * * *

  Aria opened her door the next morning and dropped her keys on the table near the door.

  “Where have you been?” Myles walked into the living room from the kitchen, looking worse for the wear in black sweatpants and a hoodie.

  “I stayed at Brent’s last night. I didn’t want to sleep here by myself.” Because she was used to sleeping with him.

  “We need to talk.”

  “I think you said enough.” She brushed past him and headed for the refrigerator for a bottle of water. “Listen, I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but I didn’t deserve to be treated the way you treated me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Myles never fought fair. He didn’t hurl insults, throw tantrums or threaten to ruin her when they argued. He apologized if he was wrong. Every time.

  Her chin trembled. “What are you sorry for?”

  “Avery came to me and told me that she wanted one of my songs to be used for her show.”

  Aria couldn’t help but smile. “That’s great!” Then she remembered she was supposed to be angry, not excited for him. After that, she wondered how Avery knew about his songs. “Wait, how did Avery know about your music?”

  Myles bowed his head and sighed. “Not from you, obviously?”

  “Is that... You thought I told her?”

  “I did,” he admitted.

  “Why would I do that? You told me not to share it. I’m an artist. I respect other artists’ wishes.”

  “How else did she know about it?”

  Aria thought about his question and it came to her. “Oh, no. She came over for Tacos and Tequila and it was still playing. I never turned it off.”

  “And she took the CD. She told me.” Myles explained that after she didn’t come home, he’d called Avery and asked her where she’d heard his music. Avery had told him that she’d swiped the CD at Aria’s house and apologized for taking it. “When she heard it, she thought it would fit the vibe of the show. She said she meant to call and ask, but got so excited about it, she plowed ahead.”

  “Wow.”

  “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”

  “Right. You should have known me better than that.”

  “I do.” He stepped forward, but she retreated a step. “I reacted before I thought about it. But I know you. Even after I talked to you, I couldn’t reconcile what Avery said with the Aria I know.”

  “If that’s the case, why didn’t you come back? Why did you play the way you did? Why didn’t you look at me when you were onstage?” He’d hurt her. His action still stung in the light of day. “That’s not what we’re supposed to be about, Myles. You were supposed to talk to me, not shut me out.”

  “Aria, I’m sorry. I got wrapped up. My dad stopped in and... Aria, I never want to hurt you. I only want to love you.”

  “You’re... You’re an idiot.”

  “A big one,” he conceded. “I need you to forgive me, though.”

  Aria did forgive him. Last night, she’d had a long talk with Brent. Her bestie had surprised her when he didn’t jump on the pissed-at-Myles train. Of course, he’d listened to her intently, had even let her cry on his shoulder. But when she was done crying, he’d told her to give Myles a break, even going so far as to say she might have been too fast to leave without talking to Myles and hearing his side of the situation.

  “I already do,” she admitted. “You have Brent to thank for calming me down.”

  Myles smirked. “And my dad pointed out how much of an idiot I really am.”

  Aria frowned. “What?”

  “My dad told me he talked to you.”

  She groaned. “Yes. It wasn’t the most pleasant conversation.”

  “Well, it must have been okay because I think he likes you.”

  Laughing, Aria, shoved him. “Get out.”

  “I’m serious.”

  So, the formidable Dr. Lawrence Jackson does have a conscience. “I’m glad you two talked.”

  “I learned a lot about him last night. And I know that has everything to do with you.” He tugged her to him. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. Just don’t do it again.”

  He kissed her. “I promise to always talk to you first before flipping out.”

  Aria wrapped her arms around his neck. “Good.”

  Myles grinned. “Come on.”

  “Wait, I thought we were having makeup sex?”

  He laughed. “Later. Take a ride with me?”

  Aria took his hand and he led her to his car. Myles pulled out his phone and typed something quickly before he stuffed it back in his pocket. As they drove, she peppered him with questions, wanting to know where they were going, how long they were going to be there, and if their destination involved food because she was starving.

  Twenty-five minutes later, Myles pulled up at the school Aria had wanted to purchase. She glanced at the building, then back at Myles. “Why are we here?”

  “It’s a surprise. Come on.”

  He hopped out of the car and jogged to her side, opening her door for her. With her hand in his they approached the door. She expected it to be locked, but he pushed it open. Her song played on a tiny speaker to her right and there was a table in the center of the long hallway.

  “What’s this?” She inched toward the table. It had a dome-covered silver tray on it. “Are we eating here?”

  Myles shook his head. “No, woman.” He gripped her shoulders in his hands, turning her to face him. “Aria, I love you so much. You’re the perfect melody. You’ve touched my heart in a way even music hasn’t. I feel so much better with you in my life. And I wanted to give you something to show you just how much I care.”

  He handed her an envelope and his handkerchief so she could wipe her teary eyes. Eyeing him, she ripped open the envelope, and read the top few lines. She glanced up at him. “You bought this building?”

  “I did.”

  “You’re the one who put in a bid on it?”

  “No. Someone really did outbid you. I just outbid them.”

  Aria’s mouth fell open. “You didn’t.”

  “Oh, I did.”

  She jumped in his arms. “Oh, my God, Myles. You’re...” Enter the ugly cry. Aria sobbed with joy. And Myles rubbed her back and let her. When she pulled back, she said, “I can’t let you buy my building.”

  “Think of it as a partnership. I want to work with you to help this dream be
come a reality.”

  Aria licked her lips before she kissed him, long and hard. “I love you so much.”

  “Good.”

  Aria giggled, remembering the first time she’d told him how she felt. He’d said the same thing then. She twirled in the hallways, arms wide. “I can’t believe this.” Once she stopped dancing, her eyes dropped down to the covered tray. “What is this?”

  “Open it,” he told her, a sneaky gleam in his eyes.

  Slowly she lifted the lid off the tray. Sitting in the middle of it was a bowl of vanilla ice cream and a bag of chips. She squealed in delight. “Dessert for breakfast. You’re a keeper.” She dipped a finger in the ice cream and rubbed it on his lips. Leaning in, she licked the treat from his lips before she kissed him. “Ice cream melts. How did you pull this off?”

  “I had one of my interns hook it up.”

  “Was that the text you sent when we got in the car?”

  “Yes.”

  Aria sighed. “Well, can I just say that I’m glad it wasn’t a ring? I’m not ready to get married yet.”

  Myles laughed. “I know. I’m saving that for October.” With a raised brow, she met his gaze. She opened her mouth to speak, but he stuffed a chip inside. “Aria?”

  “Hmm?” She bit down on the chip.

  “Just stop talking. I love you.”

  “I love you more.”

  Epilogue

  One year later

  Aria and Myles strolled hand in hand up to the door. Today was the grand opening of the school they’d worked so hard to bring to life.

  The past year had flown by like a whirlwind. Both Myles and Aria had put their homes on the market and purchased Ms. Pennie’s house. In the end, it didn’t make sense for each of them to have a place. And Ms. Pennie didn’t want to sell to just anyone. They’d agreed to purchase the house from her if she would agree to stay with them—in a separate mother-in-law suite, of course. The older woman had agreed.

  Construction on two buildings at once had been a nightmare, but they’d made it work. Finally, they were settled into their home nicely.