* * *
After a quick stop at her apartment, Tara had her hired car drive her to Philadelphia. Her car was still at the Four Seasons in Pennsylvania. During the drive to the hotel, she tried to think of ways to tell Aaron the truth and how Marcus would react. She was tired of waiting for Marcus to give clearance.
Her phone vibrated, reminding her she had turned off the volume during the meeting at Spin Records.
“Hey, Blue,” Quinton said when Tara answered. He yawned and then, laughing, said, “Sorry about that. How are you?”
“Hey, stranger, how are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m okay; just a little tired. What’s going on with you?”
“Everything seems good so far. I just left a meeting with Spin in New York, and now I’m heading down to Philadelphia. I think I’ll be much better in a few hours once I see Aaron again. I just dropped him off at home the other day, yet I miss him as if I haven’t seen him in months,” she replied. “What are you doing up? Isn’t it around two in the morning over there?”
“You know it always takes me a minute to adjust to the new time and day thing. I just called to see how the meeting went.”
“Exactly how you said it would go,” she replied. “At least I have a legal green light to proceed as we want to. I worked on some stuff back in L.A. after you left. I’m suddenly inspired to write, and I can’t wait for you to check it out. Maybe it’ll be something you can help me turn into album material.”
“If it’s from the heart, then I’m sure we can do it.” He yawned again.
She followed suit. “Will you please stop with the yawning? You’re making me sleepy,” she said. “Anyway, Quin, why don’t you go get some sleep and call me later. Call me on the cell or at the Four Seasons in Philadelphia.”
“Okay, Blue, I will,” he promised. “Hold on a sec; let me get this.” He took the call, sounding displeased when he returned. “Blue, I need to take care of something, but I’ll call you when I wake up in a few hours.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Goodnight, Quin.”
Tara ended the call to place another one.
“Marcus Grant.”
“Hey, Marc, it’s Tara. I just wanted to make sure we’re still on for dinner tonight. If we don’t tell him tonight—”
Marcus cut her off, saying, “He knows. Stephanie slipped and said something earlier this morning, and it’s not going well.”
“I’m less than an hour away. Where is he?”
“Right here with me, but I don’t know if tonight is such a good idea. How about I call you and discuss a better time for you to come over?”
“No! My son needs me, and I will be there for him. I’ll meet you at your house. It’s about time he heard how I feel.”
* * *
Tara sat across from Aaron at Marcus’s kitchen table, feeling just as upset as the child. “Aaron, baby, talk to me. Tell me something, anything.”
Aaron just sat with his head hanging low. Tara looked up at Marcus, who was leaning against a nearby wall, his arms crossed.
“Tara, I think we should give him time to digest it all. He feels betrayed, and who can blame him?”
“Marcus, I’ve had enough of your suggestions. If we had handled this as I wanted to weeks ago, Aaron wouldn’t be like this!”
“If you didn’t leave to pursue your career, he would have both a mother and a father in his house, and none of this would happen in the first place!”
The bickering continued until Aaron abruptly stood up, accidentally knocking his chair to the floor when he did. As he ran from the room, he yelled, “Stop it! Both of you! Just leave me alone!”
Aaron ran to his bedroom, and the sound of a slamming door reverberated through the house. Tara rose to go after him, but Marcus stopped her.
“Tara, I think the best thing we can do right now is to give him time. He probably needs to be alone so he can absorb this. This is a lot for a little kid to handle all at once.”
Tara nodded in agreement. “I wish there was something I could do to ease this for him. I never wanted to hurt him; I just wanted to see my son.”
To her surprise, Marcus took Tara into his arms, and she didn’t resist, needing comfort, too. “Go get some rest, and tomorrow we’ll sit down with him until he talks to us. Aaron can’t be silent forever,” Marcus said, trying to reassure her. He gave her a peck on the forehead and walked her to the door.
* * *
Tara still wasn’t answering.
Quinton set the phone on the edge of the console and tried to get his mind back into the mixing he was doing. He thought again, picking the phone up to call Tara’s assistant.
“Sydney, how is everything?”
Her pause before answering was too long for it to be good news. “Hard to say. What can I do for you?”
He frowned, noting the sterile tone in her voice, a version he only witnessed she shared with people outside of their circle. “I’ve been trying to call Tara for a minute. She’s not picking up on the cell or at the hotel after she told me to call her, but now I’m worried because she’s not answering anywhere. Is she okay? What’s going on?”
“Um . . . she’s dealing with some stuff right now,” Sydney vaguely replied.
“Okay, Sydney, you know I’m not just anyone. Tell me what’s going on. I already know she was headed to Philadelphia and why. What happened?” Quinton asked sternly, becoming annoyed with Sydney for playing “keeper of the gate,” all of a sudden.
“It’s about Aaron. Tara kind of wants to be alone right now.”
Quinton sat straight up in his chair in the empty studio and yelled, “What did Marcus do to her?”
“I don’t think Marcus did anything to her … but maybe you are just what she needs right now. I can’t go into it. Tara will probably tell you herself. Call her in her room. She’s expecting a call from me shortly and will answer, but I need to warn you . . . she’s distraught right now.”
“Thank you, Sydney.”
“No prob.”
Quinton looked to one of the more recent numbers he called and asked for the room booked under her alias. Instantly they connected him, and he took a deep breath while waiting for Tara to pick up.
* * *
“Hello?”
“Baby girl, talk to me,” Quinton implored.
Tara’s chest suddenly started rising and falling as she struggled for words, but none came.
“Calm down, sweetheart. Take a deep breath and relax. I’m not going anywhere,” he said. When he heard her breathing ease, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“He knows. Aaron knows,” she said sadly.
“Knows what, sweetheart?” Quinton asked, although he realized what she was talking about.
“Quin, somehow, Aaron found out I am his mother before Marcus or I could tell him, and now he hates me.”
“Tara, Aaron does not hate you; he’s just upset.”
“How do you know? You didn’t see his face.”
“Aaron has too much love in his heart to hate anyone. He’s a good kid, and this was likely just a shock to him. What exactly did he say?”
“Nothing. He refuses to talk to me. He just sat there this afternoon with this look that shot straight through my heart. Quinton, what have I done? What if I found him too late?”
He blew out a frustrated sigh and tried to remain calm. “You’ve done nothing wrong, baby. It will be okay. What about Marcus? What did he have to say?”
“He told me to give Aaron some time. I agreed and told him I would come by the house tomorrow.”
“Listen to me, sweetheart, it will get better. The kid has a good head on his shoulders, and I know he will come around. When he does, he’ll warmly welcome his mother into his life.”
“Quin, I just hope you’re right.”
They were silent for a few moments, and then Quinton asked, “Baby, are you going to be okay? I will fly all night to be with you if you need me.”
“That’s unnecessary;
I’ll be okay. I think I’m all cried out now.”
“I’m serious, Blue, I can jump on the next flight out and be there with you if you want me to,” he again offered. “You don’t have to go through this on your own.”
“No, Quin, that won’t be necessary. Thanks, anyway, and please don’t surprise me the way you did last time. I have to handle this myself.”
“Okay. Cheer up, Blue.”
“I started to once I heard your voice. You honestly are my best friend.”
There was an awkward silence that followed until Quinton spoke again in a low, tired voice. “Whenever you need me, Tara. Please don’t forget.”
“What happened between us won’t change that will it? Now that the ‘for now’ fun we had is over, right?” she reminded him of their pact, nervous he’d lost interest in her completely.
He paused before answering, making her nervous. “Of course. You know you got me, Blue. I ain’t going nowhere.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I’ll never let that day come. Night. Go close those eyes for me and get some rest.” After she said goodbye, she did.
* * *
The snow flurries drifting past her hotel window fascinated Tara. Having spent most of her life in San Antonio, she still looked at the snow with almost childlike wonderment. Sydney sat across from her at the table, reviewing e-mails. She was periodically glancing at Tara. The flowers in the middle of the table lifted her spirits since their arrival first thing that morning.
The card which Tara pulled out from time to time for a peek, tucked away in the back pocket of her jeans.
Always here. Friends first, Q.
Tara stopped looking at the snow and shifted her eyes to the floral arrangement. She leaned close to touch the petals on the magnificent arrangement. How he managed to have the tropical Hawaiian flowers, including a variety of heliconia, ginger, costus, and calathea on such short notice considering the logistics of both his and her locations made the gesture even more special than the significance of the variety.
“I need to know how many seats you want for the Music Awards,” Sydney said without looking up from her laptop. “Oh, and the realtor called. She has a listing of homes in this area available for short-term leasing. Are you still interested?”
She smiled, knowing Quinton’s thoughtfulness was helping her to get through the day. Aaron was still at school, and Tara was waiting anxiously for Marcus to call her, letting her know their son was home. “I’m not sure about the AMAs yet and see if the agent can send the listings over.”
Sydney passed the realtor’s detailed listing featuring six homes, and Tara studied them one at a time. When Tara issued an approving response, Sydney stopped working on her laptop.
“Hmmm. I like this one.”
“Which one? The one with six bedrooms, a basketball court, and an indoor pool?” Sydney asked. When Tara nodded, she said, “Yeah, I like it, too. It belongs to an athlete and his ex-girlfriend, but they traded him a while back. She wants to sell it because she has no use for it now, and he agrees so they can cut that tie. But if she’s desperate, I think the price is a little too steep. She just asked the realtor to look into renting it out to cover the expense of maintaining it.”
“See if we can look at it this afternoon,” Tara said, looking up. “Syd, there’s one other thing I want to discuss with you, and I’ve meant to do it for a while.”
Sydney closed her laptop and gave Tara her undivided attention.
“I don’t know if I’ve said this enough, but I’m more than pleased with your work,” Tara began. “I have never had anyone on my team as thorough as you.”
“I apologize for these past few weeks,” Sydney interjected. “Most of my personal business is now straight, and I’m trying not to let it interfere with my work here. It’s just that I planned it all around my time off and—”
But Tara’s mind was on something else. “I want to involve you more in management decisions. I think you have great ideas and I think we make a good team. As you know, lately, I’ve been fielding offers from different managers. Still except for my late father, I have never been comfortable with anyone making decisions about my career other than myself and those I trust.” Tara took a sip of water before continuing. “So if you are willing, and I promise you won’t regret it, I want to expand your role within the organization. That means you should start interviewing a few people to be your assistant . . . Maybe you’ll need two . . . someone to travel with you sometimes.”
Expecting a response besides Sydney’s open-mouthed amazement, Tara asked, “So what are your thoughts?”
* * *
The real estate agent stood with Tara and Sydney in the expansive great room of the house. She beamed, sensing a huge commission winding its way to her bank account.
“If you can get me in here before Christmas Eve, I’ll take it for the next three months, possibly longer,” Tara said straightforwardly.
The agent looked at her organizer and calculated the time frame. “Miss Russell, that’s less than two weeks away.”
“And?”
“Miss Russell, I’ll try, but I can’t promise you anything.”
“Did I mention there would be a bonus in it for you?”
The woman’s eyes lit up. “I’ll get right on it and will contact Sydney in a day or two. I can’t see why the owner would refuse.”
Tara excused herself to answer her phone. “Quinton, you’re such a night owl.”
“Blue, I thought Spin agreed to wait on releasing anything.”
“They did,” she replied. “Why?”
“On the way back to my room, I saw a few billboards with your face, name, and a coming-soon date that is fast approaching.”
“What!” Tara exclaimed. “I can’t believe they reneged on their word. Eugene told me not to trust them.”
“Call your boy right away and see what he can find out,” Quinton suggested.
“I will. Oh, by the way, thank you for the pep talk last night and especially for the flowers this morning. They’re beautiful and remind me of our trip to Hawaii.”
“You know you’re special to me. It wasn’t a problem at all. I couldn’t have my baby ‘blue’ while I’m away.”
Tara giggled at his lighthearted play on words.
“Where are you right now? I hear an incredible echo.”
“Oh, I’m checking out a house in Philadelphia.” Looking at Sydney and the agent, she added, “If the agent can get me in before Christmas, I’ll take it.”
“You’re buying another house? So soon?”
“Leasing it,” she replied. “As nice and as plush as the Four Seasons is, it’s still a hotel, and I can’t take that style of living much more. Besides, I want my own place so I can be near Aaron.”
“I understand. Have you talked to him yet?”
“I’m having dinner with them tonight.”
“Blue, have patience, and he’ll come around. Just make sure you’re open and available when he’s ready.”
“Thank you. You always seem to know what to say.”
“Blue, I’ve gotta go. We’ll speak soon.”
“Okay, Quinton, be careful, and I’ll talk to you later.”
* * *
“How was school?” Tara asked, passing a bowl of peas to Marcus. Hillary made them along with meatloaf and mashed potatoes for their dinner.
Aaron ignored the question. Instead, he focused on pushing food around his plate.
Tara looked down. She was trying to keep herself in check before attempting another question or comment. “I found a house today that I might lease for a few months. It’s not too far from here, and I can move in before Christmas.”
Again, Aaron ignored her, looking up at his father and asking, “May I please be excused?”
Marcus blew out a deep breath and scratched his head. “Sure, son. I’ll be up to check your homework shortly.”
When Aaron was out of view, Marcus shrugged helpl
essly and said, “Tara, this isn’t working.”
“I’m not giving up,” she said softly.
“May I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Why didn’t you consult with me first about the house?”
Tara frowned. “I didn’t know I had to run everything by you.”
“It would have been nice to know your intentions before you brought them up in front of Aaron,” Marcus said.
“Excuse me?”
“You really should have discussed your living arrangements with me before announcing them tonight.”
“Marcus, go to hell. You know my intentions and have known them all along. I want to be a part of my son’s life; therefore, I plan to spend as much time as I can with him until I have to go back on the road to promote the new album, and even then, I still want to be there for him.”
“Tara, being a parent is not that simple.”
“I never said it was simple, but it seems as if you’re trying to make it difficult for me,” Tara snarled, pushing herself away from the table. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to say goodnight to my son.”
* * *
Tara stood outside Aaron’s closed bedroom door, searching for a way to make things better. He did not respond to her knock on the door, so Tara quietly pushed it open and asked, “May I come in?”
Aaron continued reading from an open textbook. Tara sat down beside him on the bed and asked,
“What are you reading?” He failed to answer, so she continued. “Aaron, I want you to know that I love you. I’ll be here for you whenever you’re ready to talk to me. I wish I were the one to tell you everything, and I wish I could take away all your pain, but I know I can’t change what has happened. We will have to work through it.”
Aaron put the book down and moved over to his pillow, curling up his body away from her. She reached over and rubbed his back gently. “Aaron, now that I found you, I promise never to leave you again.”
Several minutes later, Tara looked at Aaron’s face. He was asleep. She rose from the bed and covered him with a blanket. Kissing his cheek, she murmured, “Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you.”
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