Prelude to Love

by Anne Barwell

  “I’m still trying to figure out where the holidays went,” Joel said, changing the subject. “Seems like only yesterday it was Easter and I had two weeks of no school to look forward to.” He sighed. “Back to work on Monday, and there’s only six weeks until the concert.”

  “You’re not regretting saying yes to doing it, are you?” Marcus had been concerned about how hard Joel worked through the holidays. While he knew teachers didn’t get a real break between terms, Joel had taken the Easter weekend off and then dived straight back into work. Marcus had gone around to Joel’s a few times and cooked for him to make sure he ate properly.

  “The concert’s fine and under control.” Joel waved his hand, gesturing to Marcus not to worry about it. “I’m planning to sit down and get a decent practice session of my own in this afternoon.” He grimaced. “I used to be able to play that piece, but there are a couple of bars that are giving me trouble. I used to enjoy performing, but perhaps it’s been too long. Conducting is different.”

  “It sounded great that first time you played it for me.” Marcus smiled at the memory of the glimpse he’d seen of Joel as a musician. It had blown him away. “I’m sure it will on the night of the concert too.”

  “Yeah, well.” Joel shrugged. “There’s always room for improvement, right? I can’t back down now and still expect the kids to perform. It reeks of double standards.”

  “As long as you don’t push yourself too hard and you take care of yourself. I’ve heard you tell your students that mistakes happen and not to beat themselves up over it. If you make a mistake, I doubt anyone but you will know you have.” Marcus didn’t want to come straight-out and tell Joel he was worried about how hard he was working, but if Joel kept up this pace, he would. “Anyway,” he said, “do you mind if I mow your lawns and do a bit of weeding this afternoon? I can come another day if the noise will be too distracting.”

  “Sounds good, and thank you.” Joel leaned in and whispered, “You know it won’t be the noise that distracts me, right?”

  “Umm.” Marcus thought he’d better come clean. “That was sort of the plan, yeah, and you’ll need a break, right? I don’t mind providing one.”

  Joel grinned. “Good, because I’m going to hold you to that.” He kissed Marcus on the cheek. Although it was chaste, the way Joel ran his hand up Marcus’s leg under the table definitely wasn’t. “Later,” he murmured, his breath hot against Marcus’s cheek.

  “Hell, yes.” Marcus’s heart sped up, and he felt himself harden. He took a few deep breaths and reminded himself they were in a public place.

  Joel kissed Marcus again, this time on the lips in a way that promised much more, but broke the kiss quickly when someone called his name from the café door.

  “Joel!”

  Marcus recognized Bernadette’s voice immediately. He wouldn’t have picked her as Joel’s sister from a distance. While Joel was tall, Bernadette was petite, her blonde hair contrasting with his much darker shade. An older woman followed her, glancing around the café until her gaze settled on Joel, and she smiled.

  “Over here!” Joel waved to them.

  As they came closer, Marcus could see the resemblance more easily. Bernadette had the same twinkle in her eyes that he’d seen in Joel’s. Their mother, while of a similar build to her daughter, seemed far more reserved than either of her children. Joel must have taken after his father in looks, while Bernadette reminded Marcus of her mother, except for her eyes, which were a darker blue.

  Joel stood as his mother approached, and Marcus followed his lead. “Mum,” Joel said, “this is Marcus. Marcus, this is my mum, Jill. You’ve spoken to my sister before.” He gave Bernadette a pointed look. “A couple of times, actually.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Ashcroft.” Marcus shook her hand. “And to finally meet you in person, Bernadette.”

  “You too, Marcus.” Jill sat, and then her children did too. “And please call me Jill. Mrs. Ashcroft is far too formal, don’t you think?”

  “Okay… Jill.” Marcus smiled. He liked her already and appreciated her attempt to put him at ease.

  “Nice to finally meet you properly, Marcus,” Bernadette said. “I’m surprised you guys are sitting inside. There are plenty of tables free outside. Are you changing your habits? You grabbed an inside table last time too.”

  “I wanted to show Marcus the mural, and we kind of settled here,” Joel said. “Do you want to shift outside? It’s no problem if you do.”

  “I think this table is just fine,” Jill said. She caught the eye of the waitress. “Wendy, we’d like to order now, please. I’ll have the usual. Bernadette?”

  “The usual, and we’ll share a pot of tea, thanks.”

  Joel studied the menu. “A ham and mushroom omelet for me today.”

  “I’ll have a ham and cheese toasted sandwich, please.” Marcus turned to Joel. “Do you want a refill on your coffee?”

  “Sounds good.” Joel returned his menu to Wendy.

  “Thanks. Won’t be long.” Wendy smiled. “Enjoy your conversation.”

  “So… you’re not planning to skip lunch today, Joel?” Bernadette said. “I told you Marcus was good for him,” she told her mother.

  “I have lunch most days,” Joel said. “This is brunch, in case you’ve forgotten. That meal that combines both breakfast and lunch.”

  “Ah, yes, I’ve vaguely heard of that.” Bernadette grinned and looked smug.

  Jill sighed. “Don’t mind them, dear,” she told Marcus. “Five minutes in the same room together and they can’t resist teasing each other.”

  “It’s fine,” Marcus said. “I’m quite enjoying it, actually, and Joel does have a tendency to skip meals at times.”

  “Traitor,” muttered Joel, although he had a twinkle in his eye. He slid his hand under the table and took hold of Marcus’s hand.

  “So, Bernadette tells me you’re Ella’s brother,” Jill said. “Lovely girl. I can see the family resemblance.”

  “Yes, that’s right, although I hadn’t realized the two of you had met.” Marcus hadn’t expected her to start with the questions so soon, although Joel had warned him she probably would. “I moved up here from Hokitika in February. I’m staying with my sister and her family until I find a place of my own.”

  He was spending more time at Joel’s than at Ella’s at present, but he wasn’t about to tell Joel’s mother that.

  “It’s important to get used to a place first.” Jill looked up and gave Wendy a nod when she delivered the tea. “Thank you, dear. Bernadette, would you mind pouring? I always manage to dribble some of the tea onto the tablecloth. You have a much steadier hand than I do.”

  “Of course not, Mum.” Bernadette poured the tea and handed Jill a cup. “So you think you’ll stay in Wellington, Marcus?”

  “I’m planning to.” Marcus took a sip of his coffee. “There’s a lot to keep me here, and business is growing, so having enough work isn’t going to be an issue either.”

  “You mow lawns for a living?” Jill phrased it as a question, although Marcus knew Joel had already told her.

  “Yes, that’s right, and some gardening.” He felt Joel caress his hand with his thumb, and couldn’t help but smile. “I’m hoping to expand it to include a few other things. With so many people working long hours now, there’s more of a demand for someone who can do the odd jobs they don’t have time to do themselves.”

  “Yes, I imagine there would be.” Jill sounded thoughtful. “You’ve never thought about doing anything else?”

  “No. I enjoy what I do. It’s very satisfying seeing a job well done.”

  Jill smiled. “I’ve heard my husband Claude say the same thing when he’s finished a project. He built his business up from nothing, you know. He’s always worked hard. I hear the same pride in your voice as I hear in his. It’s important to love what you do. I know a lot of people don’t, but it’s good if you can.” She turned to Bernadette. “Don’t you think so, dear?”

  “Y
es, Mum,” Bernadette mumbled.

  Marcus raised an eyebrow, but Joel shook his head with a warning not to pursue that comment further.

  “How is Dad?” Joel asked. “He’s still doing okay since that last incident a month ago, right?”

  “Oh yes.” Jill took another sip of tea and waited for Wendy to set their meals on the table. After the waitress had left, she continued slowly. “The doctors say he could be fine for a long time, but if it happens again, they’ll have to consider an operation to put a stent in. It’s fairly straightforward from what I gather, but your father isn’t—”

  “He’s ignoring the situation and hoping it will go away so he doesn’t have to deal with it,” Bernadette said.

  “Nothing new there,” Joel said.

  “He used to listen to you, Joel,” Jill said. “I did hope you two might put your differences behind you and work things out. It would mean a great deal to him. He does miss you.”

  Joel tensed. “Sure he does,” he said. “Dad hasn’t listened to my opinion in nearly twenty years. Not since I told him I was gay, and that isn’t going to change.” He placed his and Marcus’s joined hands on the table and edged closer to Marcus. “You really think he’d listen to me when he’s not okay with the fact I have a boyfriend?”

  “You father is a stubborn man, Joel,” Jill said. “You both are. That is what worries me. I do wish you’d talk to each other again. This has gone on long enough.”

  Marcus glanced between Jill and Joel. He put an arm around Joel, showing his support for him, although he wasn’t about to butt in to a very personal conversation.

  “Mum,” whispered Bernadette, “I don’t think this is the place to bring all this up, do you? And in front of Joel’s boyfriend?”

  “Marcus already knows all about it, and anything you say to me, you can say in front of him,” Joel said evenly. “But yeah. Why bring this up now when you’ve spent years avoiding it?”

  Jill put down her fork and wiped the side of her mouth with her napkin although she hadn’t begun her meal. “Seeing Claude ill and in hospital last month wasn’t… pleasant. I realized that if something happened, he could die without ever mending his relationship with you. I love both of you, Joel, and I don’t want that to happen.” She gave Marcus a nod. “I’m sorry to bring this up here, but I saw the two of you together, and it’s very obvious you care for each other. I’m not sure there ever will be a right time to talk about this, so I thought I’d take the bull by the horns and dive straight in.”

  “You never said anything when I left. You never spoke to me for years.”

  “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” Jill cleared her throat. “I didn’t want to take sides, but I guess I did anyway. I never thought it would go as far or as long as it has.”

  “I don’t want to discuss this now, and in public,” Joel said hoarsely.

  “I’m sorry,” Jill said again. She picked up her fork and started eating her omelet, clearly embarrassed by the whole conversation.

  Joel had told Marcus that his mother rarely stated her opinions on anything but instead went along with everything his father did. It reminded Marcus of what Joel had told him about how he’d reacted when he’d been with Reed, but Marcus hadn’t thought it a good idea to tell Joel that. Bringing up the already sensitive subject of Claude and Joel’s relationship wouldn’t have been done without a lot of soul-searching on her part. Marcus couldn’t help but admire her.

  Unfortunately he had no clue how to fix the awkward silence that now hung across the table like a heavy fog. He glanced at Bernadette, hoping she’d have the answer he lacked.

  “How are the rehearsals for your concert coming along?” Bernadette changed the subject less than subtly, but there was no other way to do it.

  Joel took a long swig of coffee. When he spoke again, he sounded more like himself. “Still some work to do, but the kids are doing great.”

  “Are you coming to the concert, Marcus?” Bernadette asked.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  “We’ll look forward to seeing you there.” Jill topped up her tea, ignoring the dribbles of brown liquid that showered the table. “Have you heard Joel play piano? He used to be very good. I loved listening to him practice.”

  “He’s still very good,” Marcus told her. “I’ve sat in on a couple of rehearsals too, and I think he’s doing an amazing job with the kids. He’s a very gifted teacher.”

  Joel flushed. “I think you might be a little biased.”

  “I’m allowed to be, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the truth.” Marcus let go of Joel but kept close, their legs brushing together under the table. He picked up his sandwich and started to eat. “The food here is very good.”

  “The service is good too.” Jill watched Joel and Marcus together and gave Marcus a smile. The way her eyes twinkled reminded him of Joel. “I’m glad Joel’s found you, Marcus, and I hope we’ll see more of you at these brunches.” She turned to Bernadette. “Perhaps you could ask a friend to watch the boys so Keith could join us sometime. I’m sure he’d like to meet Marcus too.”

  “Thanks. I’d like that.” Marcus took another swig of coffee. “The brunches and meeting Keith, I mean.”

  “Are you enjoying your stay in Wellington?” Jill asked. She stirred her tea although she hadn’t added any sugar. “I hope Joel has shown you some of the sights.”

  “Marcus is living here now, Mum,” Joel said. “There’s plenty of time for that.”

  “It’s never too soon,” Jill said, “and besides, you can’t work all the time.” She gave him a look Marcus recognized—the one he and Ella used to call the patented Mum look. It wasn’t disapproval exactly, but more thoughtful concern with a healthy helping of how many times have I told you that?

  “You should take the cable car up to Kelburn if you haven’t already,” Bernadette added. “Keith and I used to do that before we were married. We’d walk down through the botanical gardens. The rose gardens are very pretty.”

  “I’m really busy at the moment,” Joel murmured.

  “Sounds lovely,” Marcus said at the same time.

  Joel ducked his head. “I…. Are you guys trying to hint that I’m working too hard? If you are, it’s not very subtle.”

  “You? Work too hard?” Bernadette snorted. “Whatever would have given us that idea?” She chuckled at Joel’s incredulous look. “Of course we’re hinting you should take a break. You’re just like Dad in that. Even after the doctor told him to slow down, he’s only at the office Mondays, Fridays, and the occasional Saturdays. I’m sure being out on-site the rest of the week isn’t good for him. Marcus, I’m sure you’ve already noticed how hard Joel works. Right?”

  Marcus glanced at Jill, hoping she’d come to his rescue, but she’d picked up her handbag and was looking inside for something. “Umm… maybe?”

  Joel dug him in the ribs. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

  “I am.” Marcus took a breath and blew it out. “But your sister has a point. You do work too hard. I’m allowed to be concerned.” Although Joel had told him he tended to get caught up in work, Marcus hadn’t really believed it until a few weeks ago. Given Bernadette’s comment, it wasn’t a new thing either.

  “Fine,” Joel said. He held up his hands in surrender. “I promise to be a good boy and take an afternoon off here and there, okay?”

  Bernadette put her hand up to high-five Marcus across the table. “At last! Someone he’ll actually listen to.”

  “Hey,” Marcus protested. “Leave me out of this. I never said….” The last thing he wanted was to side with Joel’s family against him about anything. “If I’m concerned about something, I’ll say something.” He glanced at Joel. “To Joel.”

  Bernadette lowered her hand. “Fair enough, I guess.”

  Jill took a small card from her handbag and slipped it under Marcus’s plate. “In case you need to contact me, dear.”

  “Bernadette already has his number,” Joel said.
/>
  “Ella gave me his business card.” Bernadette shrugged. She poked out her tongue at her brother.

  “Whatever,” Joel retorted.

  Jill chuckled. “Welcome to our family, Marcus. It’s lovely to have you here.”

  Chapter Ten

  “DO you mind driving?” Joel asked Marcus when they reached the car. Jill had talked to him for a few minutes while Marcus and Bernadette had gone up to the counter to settle the bill.

  “Sure, no problem.” Marcus took the keys and slid into the driver’s seat. “Everything okay? Did your mum say something to you?”

  “Yeah. I’m just a bit distracted, I guess.” Joel fastened his seat belt and reached for Marcus’s hand, then held it for a moment before letting go when Marcus started the engine. “You know how to get onto the motorway from here, right?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ve been into town a few times with Darin over the past couple of months, and I know my way around.” Marcus didn’t ask any more questions, although he gave Joel a kiss on the cheek before he pulled out into traffic.

  It was busy for a Saturday afternoon, and it took a while for them to get from Cuba Street to Waterloo Quay. Children played at Frank Kitts Park on their right, and one of the Picton ferries slowly made its way across the harbor. Joel snuggled into his seat, half closing his eyes, half taking in the scenery as Marcus drove toward the stadium and the motorway.

  Joel hated it when his mother was right. Although he was relieved she’d finally decided to have an opinion about his relationship with his father, now she had, she wasn’t leaving the subject alone. She’d tried to get Claude to contact Joel, but he was just as stubborn as ever.

  Damn it.

  He’d thought they’d left that can of worms behind when the conversation had changed tack. Joel’s father aside, Marcus fitted into their family dynamics well, and both Jill and Bernadette liked him. Joel had worried for a moment that Bernadette had convinced Marcus to join her on the dark side in her quest to get Joel to work less.