by Lacey Legend
Brad walked up the marble steps to what he called a house and others would call a mansion. When he crossed the door, the butler hurried to him to see if he required any service. Brad cheerfully waved him away and went into his study to flop into his favorite chair and finish his call with Art. Art had continued talking about something and Brad lost the thread of the conversation. He tried to re-engage but his mind kept wandering to the morning’s meeting with Aliyah. He hadn’t expected to be so taken with her.
Finally, Art’s words caught his attention. “Man, you’ve got to watch yourself. It’s one thing to see her at the coffee shop, but meeting her again? It seems like a bad idea to me.”
Brad did his best to wrap up the call without sounding like he was blowing off the advice of a good friend. He sat in the chair. This was his favorite room in his magnificent house. After his parents were killed in a plane crash, the vast family fortune went to him, including the family home. This had been his father’s room and it was filled with fond memories. Thanks to the crispness of the autumn air, the windows were open on this day and a slight breeze eased over his forehead. He closed his eyes and laid his head back on the chair. He thought again of the sweet interlude with Aliyah that very morning and of the warning from Art.
His eyes turned to the framed picture on the table at his side. He ran his fingers over the glass and looked at the eyes of the beautiful, young woman smiling at him from the photograph. The look of aching love was etched into his face as if the deepness of this love had been carving this very look for years. His look of longing was profound. Once again he considered Art’s warning, but he quickly shook it off and reminded himself that it was just a brief meeting to see a play and maybe a bite to eat afterwards. He would follow through with his plans to see Aliyah.
Brad stood up abruptly and left his study. His housekeeper, Mary, was busying herself sorting mail. Brad went to her and gave her an unexpected hug. “Oh, goodness!” Mary’s plump chest heaved a bit and she laughed breathlessly. “What was that for, my boy?”
“I just needed to hug my Mary.” Brad’s boyish grin reminded her of the days when he would run through the house, tracking in mud and bringing in all kinds of awful prizes like worms and rocks and frogs.
She knew that losing his parents had been difficult for Brad, even if he was an adult. Not only was he, as an only child, without a nuclear family but he was suddenly saddled with the entire responsibility of running the family business and the estate. She was proud that he had risen to the challenge. She had loved this boy since his head first rested on her shoulder as a baby, and now she had protective feelings about this young man who had been through so much pain.
“You’ve always got your Mary to hug, my boy. Do you know what we’re having for dinner tonight?” She hoped to brighten his mood with thoughts of a good dinner.
“I can smell it already!” He drew in his breath and then looked down fondly at his stout little housekeeper. “If the cook is making it, she used your recipe. I would know the scent of your pot roast anywhere!” He kissed her cheek and headed to his room to allow his face to fall into confusion without being analyzed by Mary or anyone else on the household staff.
Since Brad’s parents had passed away, she had run his home as if it were her own. In all practicality, it was. She knew that they were like family and she would have a job there for life. Brad had even assured her of a place to stay in her elderly years and let her know that her financial needs would be met for the rest of her life.
Mary would have taken care of him without all of these assurances, but it rested her heart to know that she had a home and could settle in contentedly. She looked forward to the day when Brad would start smiling more like he used to do. At least his heart had healed enough to start hanging out with his friends again. The men had known each other since they were boys, playing in the pool at the country club. She was relieved when Brad’s closest friends, Rob and Max, started coming around again. She always made sure that there were refreshments by the pool and that the pool house was clean and inviting so that the boys could take advantage of the summer days. She would grin to herself if she walked by the billiard room and hear them laughing at a lucky shot or making fun of each other for a missed shot.
She walked through the grand entrance and marveled again at the beauty of the place; the Tudor style mansion was built by Brad’s parents. His mother lovingly chose each element of the home and somehow imparted both grace and warmth in spite of the vast proportions of the home. She wanted people to walk in and feel as if they were in a real home and not walking into a mall or court building. She didn’t like the ostentatious homes of their friends, although she understood that each person had a right to their own style. Mr. and Mrs. Case were favorites in their social set. Their death had come as such a tragic shock, that Mary had removed every photograph of them from the home. She carefully packed them away to give them all a chance to heal from the stabbing pain of their loss.
She moved through the gracious house. One thing that remained completely the same since Mrs. Case had died was the placement of flowers throughout the mansion. For some reason, this little reminder of her love of beauty had become a part of the house itself. Even the bathrooms had deliveries of fresh flowers and candles on a regular basis. Their household had a conservatory, but many of the flowers came from a local florist. Mary didn’t know it, but their patronage had put the florist’s two children through years of camp and eventually college.
Mary decided to clean up Brad’s study while he wasn’t using it. She straightened the papers on his desk and began to dust. She carefully picked up one of the many pictures of the lovely young woman around the room. She looked into the face and sighed. She dusted it and moved on to finish her work for the day.
Chapter2
Aliyah was excited and nervous when the day of the play arrived. She really liked this man and she hoped that it would go well. She had dated before and since her amazing recovery, many men had approached her. Even the doctors in the hospital were interested in Aliyah. This man was different and she wanted to make a good impression. Before leaving for work, she looked through her closet. She wanted to look well but she didn’t want to try to hard when the outing would be at the college. She didn’t want to overdress for this event, especially since she would be helping out before he arrived.
She loved helping with the sets and had a gift for fixing costumes and doing the stage makeup before a play. Invariably, an actor would panic because of a rip in their costume or a problem with a wig. Aliyah’s calm demeanor and deft fingers were always on the spot to fix the problem and release the tension that brew backstage.
She chose a pair of black pants that hugged her hips. She was going for a look that would work in a lot of different settings in case they decided to go somewhere after the play. She had a red top that brought out the new color in her cheeks. She loved wearing red when she needed more confidence. Somehow, she felt that she was putting on a robe of confidence when she slipped into her red cashmere sweater. This one was light enough that she could even wear it dancing. She put her hoop earrings on her dresser and chose her favorite rings. She liked the look of white gold against her skin tone, but she could only afford silver or white gold plated jewelry at this stage of her life. She was grateful for everything she had, but she would have loved to buy a few nice pieces of jewelry. Next she set out her shoes. It was great to go out with such a tall man. She didn’t have to worry about making him uncomfortable when she wore her favorite high heels. She looked over the outfit she had chosen and was glad to know that she had everything in order for when she got home from work.
The workday flew. Barb was being released from New Hope that day and Aliyah was very happy for her. They organized a party with balloons, streamers, and Barb’s favorite cake. They often had informal parties for the guests. Living away from home could become tiresome and all of their patients worked so hard. Physical therapy alone with demanding and they wanted to brighten the
days of these people who had survived difficulty injuries or illnesses.
Aliyah’s selflessness blinded her to the fact that she, too, was just such a survivor as she went about the party preparations. Barb’s teenage daughters flitted around excitedly, decorating with the streamers and talking about all of the nice things they had prepared to make their mother’s homecoming more successful. They had grown up a lot during this difficult time, but today they were like little girls who wanted nothing but their mother.
Aliyah spent the day encouraging, helping, and taking care of every need of the patients. Before she left for the day, she spent a few moments by the bedside of the patients in comas. She had a special place in her heart for these dear souls who, with the help of modern equipment, breathed through the day with no responsiveness.
She knew that someone might be waiting for the organs that were being housed in these sad bodies and yet she hoped that a miracle could bring these people back to them. She watched for the flutter of an eyelid or the movement of a finger and prayed that they would return to their families. She ached for the people who came from these rooms with red, swollen eyes and defeated postures. She often wondered about the person who lost their life so that she could get a new heart. Every night she prayed for the family of her heart donor and thanked the angel whose heart she now carried in her own breast.
She quietly left the last room of the day and sped to the nurse’s station. “Amber, you’re still going, right?”
Amber playfully smiled. “What? Miss seeing this man among men? Nevaaaahh!” She drew out the word in an exaggerated way and Aliyah gave her a withering glance.
“I got my mom to watch Jenna, but I’ll have to be back early.” Amber was getting papers in order after taking notes on the patients. “I’ll go to the play and then I’ve got to get right home. Mom doesn’t like to stay up late. Besides, Jenna has been playing all kinds of tricks at bedtime and I’m afraid Mom will be pulling her own hair out by the time I get back!”
“All right! I’ll see you there. I’ll be backstage before the play in case you get there early.” Aliyah gave her friend a peck on the cheek and swung out of the room to get ready for the evening.
Aliyah stood in front of the full-length mirror. Sometimes she could barely believe that it was her. She was so used to seeing a skinny person with a poor complexion and gaunt cheeks. Now that she had filled out, she liked to stare at herself in the mirror. She felt a little odd about this because it seemed self-indulgent, but it was so nice to see the healthy little girl she once was shining through the woman in the mirror.
The red sweater hung perfectly on her and the jewelry set it off. It was casual enough to work backstage but she could wear it out if they chose to take the evening to a coffee shop or even a club. She gave herself a little wink, turned around and grabbed her bag of makeup and accessories that could be invaluable backstage.
The chaos backstage was exhilarating. She went from one overwrought actor to another, fixing whatever little problem was creating drama backstage. One of the girls had ripped her zipper on a gown that was obviously at least a size too small for her. Aliyah grinned to herself. She was about the same age as these college girls, but they seemed so silly at times. Her fight for her life had given her a maturity far beyond her years.
She cocked her eyes at the girl. “I think you know what this means! Stand still while I sew you into this get-up.” The girl put on her best look of distress, but Aliyah could see that she was eating up the attention and would love to have a story to tell at cast parties for years to come. She would say, “Remember the time I had to be sewn into the dress before the play? Oh, my God… That was crazy. Can you even believe I was able to go on and perform?” Aliyah didn’t mind that the girls were so self-absorbed. They were at an age when their own development was the focus of their school and their family. She knew that they would be forced to face hardships soon enough and, as if she were an older aunt or mother, she reveled in their frivolity.
She had just finished the last stitch when the backstage door opened. One of the young actors came in with Brad trailing in his wake. “Hey, Aliyah. Look what I found.” On his break, he had noticed the handsome young man pacing in the hallway. He had hoped that Brad was someone who might be interested in him, but soon found out that he was there to meet Aliyah.
Brad handed Aliyah a single rose. “I know that the flowers are usually for the performers, but it looks like you’ve earned one yourself before the curtains opened.”
She looked at the flawless, red rose. It was the same shade as her sweater and when she held it to her nose, it brought even more color to her lovely cheeks. Or was it the rose that had her flushed? She thanked him for the rose and after a few, slight adjustments to costumes and quick hugs from the actors, they went out the back door and around to the hall.
He was dressed in well-cut khakis and a light green shirt that brought out the green in his eyes. She didn’t know much about jewelry or else she would have known that the watch on his wrist was worth more than her entire apartment building.
They found a seat in the auditorium. The play was entertaining and the number of mistakes was held to a minimum. The audience was filled with parents, teachers, and friends as well as interested community members. It was a supportive place for the young people to begin their careers on the stage.
At the first lull in the play, the ushers allowed the stragglers in and Amber swiftly took her seat next to Aliyah. Hushed introductions were performed as the set was changed and Amber offered her apologies for her tardiness. “I’m so sorry! Mom was late and Jenna seems to have a mind of her own lately. She’s growing up to be a handful!”
Aliyah gave her a sidelong glance and said, “She is your daughter, after all.” Brad watched this comfortable interchange between friends and felt grateful to be allowed to share in their warm companionship. He couldn’t help but view Aliyah’s profile while she exchanged pleasantries with Amber. She was exquisite. His heart ached and he felt a combination of desire and guilt as he watched her warm, open eyes take in her friend’s flurried state.
Before the lights on the stage came back up, Amber covertly gestured to Brad and mouthed, “He’s goooorgeeooous!”
Aliyah’s smile was genuine. For some reason, she felt very comfortable with this man. He seemed like he had been through a lot in life just like she had. He seemed to be able to see into her soul when they spoke to each other even though they had only just met.
After the play, Amber had to hurry back to her baby. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope I’ll see you around. I’m having a little party for my baby, Jenna, on Saturday. I hope you’ll come!” She flashed him a smile and gave Aliyah a quick hug before she practically flew out of the door.
“Is she always in such a hurry?” asked Brad
Aliyah chuckled a bit. “No, she used to be the opposite, but single parenting a feisty little girl is a bit of a challenge!”
They left the building and walked slowly to the parking lot. Brad was grateful for the lack of parking on campus that offered him an opportunity to walk with her in the crisp autumn air. He used to complain about the lack of close parking for Case Hall and now he said a little thanks inside of his own head.
When they got to Aliyah’s car, he became suddenly tongue-tied. It reminded Aliyah of the conversation they had in the coffee shop when she had to take the lead and ask him out. Once again, she noticed the feeling behind his gaze. She wondered if it was sadness as she first guessed, or if it was something more difficult to deal with like an anger that was kept hidden? He seemed to be holding back some kind of intense emotion every time he looked into her eyes – that wasn’t normal this early in a relationship. She decided that she was overthinking things again and shook off her premonition. “Would you like to go out for a drink?” she asked.
His relief was obvious and he agreed. Since they were near her car, they decided to take it to a quiet bar nearby. Besides, she felt better being in her own c
ar in case this date didn’t work out.
The bar wasn’t your typical campus bar with beer spilled on the floor and a loud band. It seemed to have been standing from another time entirely. It was tucked between a bookstore and a restaurant selling ice cream and cookies to students until three o’clock in the morning. The heavy wooden door opened into a time-worn, clean room with individual tables draped with linen and votive candles.
Brad ordered from the wine menu and Aliyah didn’t see the huge price next to the selection. He also ordered some light appetizers and they sat happily, sipping the wine and nibbling on homemade chips and sliced fruit with a sensual, sweet dip. They were surprised to find that they shared favorite actors and movies. They each laughed out loud when they said the name of their favorite author at the same time. Brad hadn’t expected to be so attracted to this young woman. He was interested in what she had to say, but also interested in the way her full lips moved over the rim of her glass and how her delicate fingers stroked the stem of her wine glass.
He tried to keep his mind on her words, but she was so supple and beautiful that he wanted to touch her. Aliyah was dealing with her own struggle on the other side of the table. Even his forearms seemed strong and alluring. She watched the green of his eyes sparkle as the candle flickered between them. He was a beautiful man and she wanted to rest her head on his strong chest and hear his heart beat.
Half of the food was left on the plates since neither Brad nor Aliyah had much of an appetite. They were both distracted by the pulsing desire that was building between them. Brad paid the waiter before Aliyah had a chance to protest. She thanked him and he helped her from her seat. Even though she could move around easily these days, it was a nice gesture and it made her feel special to have this man go out of his way to help her to her feet.