by Liwen Y. Ho
Things that hadn’t bothered her before now affected her in a big way. Every time a sentimental commercial came on, she had to change the channel. She’d even unfollowed the news on her social media feeds because they made her tear up. She supposed that’s why she liked hearing and talking about celebrities. Their stories were usually fluffy and silly, unlike real life.
The professor’s remarks pricked her soul. She had no clue what it was, but something had happened to the guy to make him so hopeless. She knew the sadness in his voice, the kind that ached with loneliness and regret. That was exactly what she’d tried not to sound like after her ex had cheated on her. Her efforts, however, had pushed her completely in the opposite direction. She’d gotten angry and vengeful. It was safer to sound strong than vulnerable, especially when thousands of people were listening to her.
She sighed. Now she not only felt guilty, she was down, too. She’d obviously stirred up some bad memories for the guy and pushed him into a corner with an audience listening. Fighting didn’t seem so fun or effective anymore. That’s the one thing she didn’t understand about Jesus. How He had restrained Himself from fighting back at all the people who mistreated Him. He was God, yet He chose to humble Himself and die on the cross. The thought caused a lump in her throat. She swiped at her eyes with her sleeve. She sure could use a lesson—or a hundred—on humility.
She swiped open the messages on her phone again. Dreading what she needed to do, she began typing out a few texts, beginning with one to her sister.
Hey Em. You might not want to mention me to Evan. I’ll explain later. Can’t wait to see the pics.
Next, she sent a message to her best friend, Danica, the one person she always counted on to support her. They’d been roommates in college, and despite their contrasting personalities, Danica had always accepted her. She was the calm, level-headed one who’d stayed home to study when Abby partied all night long. And the one who had given Abby a Bible for her birthday and taught her how to pray.
Can you pray for me? I need to do something hard right now, but I know it’s the right thing to do. Thanks.
Her phone immediately vibrated with an incoming call. Relief washed over her as she answered it. “Hey Dannie.”
“What’s going on, Abby? Are you okay?”
“You didn’t happen to listen to my show earlier, did you?”
“Nope, sorry, not today. We’re trying out a classical station. We had a customer complain that pop music was not conducive to reading. The point of a bookstore is to buy books, not read them in the store.” She clucked her tongue in disapproval. “Anyway, did something happen on the show? Your ex didn’t call in again, did he?”
“No, thank God.” She rolled her eyes, remembering all the drama that had caused. “He didn’t call, but someone else did. Remember the professor I told you about?”
“The one who texted you by accident?”
“Yeah. I might’ve made him cry on the air.”
“What? You made a grown man cry?”
“I’m not certain he was crying, but he sounded really sad, which is making me feel really bad.” Abby groaned. “You never told me becoming a Christian would make me so emotional!”
Danica chuckled. “It’s a good thing. You’re learning to have compassion toward others. Not that you weren’t compassionate before, but now it’s like a regular thing.”
“Argh. The only thing I like having regularly is my coffee, thank you very much.” Abby shook her head, then pushed her glasses back up when they slid down the ridge of her nose. “I think I need to apologize to him.”
“The professor?”
“Yes,” she squeezed out through gritted teeth. “I should probably text him back and apologize for being so pushy.”
“Why don’t you call him? Texting’s so impersonal.”
“What?! Calling’s too personal.”
“But it’s more meaningful, right?”
Abby grunted.
“I didn’t hear you,” Danica teased.
“Yes, fine, I’ll call him.”
“You go, girl! I’ll be praying for you.” Her voice grew muffled for a second before she came back on the line. “After I ring up this customer. Gotta run. Love you, girl!”
“Thanks. Love you, too.”
Abby lowered the phone and took a deep breath. She said a quick prayer herself and proceeded to dial Professor Spark’s number. God help her, because she was going to need His divine intervention.
Chapter Seven
Aiden
Aiden smoothed the front of his light blue dress shirt as he glanced around the candlelit restaurant. Several well-dressed couples occupied the tables around him. Why had he let Brandon talk him into making reservations at one of the city’s most romantic restaurants? Because, according to his romance author brother, he was supposed to make a good impression on his blind date. He released a long breath as he checked his watch. He’d rather be anywhere but here, especially after the morning he’d had.
His shoulders tensed just thinking about his conversation with that deejay. How had she ever gotten a job on the radio anyway? Other than the fact that she had a nice speaking voice, everything about her screamed obnoxious. He bet she picked a fight with everyone she met. People like her had to get the last word in. Well, not him. He’d chosen to back down rather than stoop to her level.
Fine. He hadn’t acted that nobly. The truth was, he’d ended the conversation because he didn’t want to fight. Thinking about the past—his mistakes and regrets—sucked the life out of him. He didn’t want to get trapped in the vicious cycle of grief again. He had work responsibilities to keep up with, bills to pay … and this date to get over with. He owed it to Brandon after all he’d done for him. Plus, he needed to get Candy off his back.
He glanced around, wondering if his date had arrived. As he looked toward the front of the Italian restaurant, he saw a tall blonde woman walking to his table. Despite the nervous smile on her face, she gave him a quick wave. He rose to his feet and extended his hand as she neared. “Danica?”
She clasped his hand, staring at him with wide eyes. “Uh, yeah, that’s me. Zachary, is it? It’s nice to meet you. Brandon told me a lot about you … but he may have left out some important details.”
Aiden quirked his brow. Uh-oh. He had a feeling Danica may have been a Heartland fan back in the day. They were about the same age, after all. So much for asking Brandon to keep his identity a secret. He returned to his seat and tried to keep his expression neutral. “He told me some things about you, too. So, you own a bookstore?”
Her face brightened at his question. “Yes, I do. It’s my pride and joy. I like offering people an alternative to online shopping. It’s perfect for those who love to browse before they buy.”
“That’s great. Reading is a great form of entertainment.”
She nodded. “The same way music is. Speaking of, we play a wide variety of music in the store. Sometimes I even put on oldie boy band songs from a decade ago,” she added with a knowing smile.
“Oldie boy band songs?” Aiden didn’t know whether to be offended or amused. He seemed to feel this way a lot lately. “I wouldn’t call stuff from ten years ago old.”
Danica laughed. “It is to the young people listening to it. I personally like the old stuff more. These days, it’s more about an artist’s crazy wardrobe or lifestyle than their music.”
“I know what you mean.” Aiden smiled. Maybe this date wouldn’t be so bad after all. Danica seemed like a nice person, polite and courteous … unlike some people he’d talked to recently. He shook his head. Why was he thinking about the deejay again? She wasn’t worth his time. Opening his menu, he directed his attention to the day’s special. Strangely enough, his appetite, which had been poor all day, had returned. “So, what would you like to eat? I heard the shrimp scampi is good. A friend of mine’s a food critic and she highly recommended it.”
“That sounds great. I’ll get that and a salad, too.”
Aiden waved their server over and placed their order. Soon after, their salads arrived, and he gestured for Danica to start eating.
She hesitated for a second before asking, “Do you want to say grace for us?”
“I, uh …” He swallowed hard. It was a simple request, but praying required faith, something he had little of since Mandy passed. He didn’t want to fake a prayer though; he feared God too much to do that. He met her gaze and was surprised to see compassion, not judgment, in her eyes. “I’m not much of a praying person these days. Do you mind doing it?”
“Not at all,” she agreed amicably. “Heavenly Father, thank you for arranging this opportunity for Zachary and me to meet. Please bless the food to our bodies and our conversation, too, that we would have an encouraging evening.”
Aiden echoed her amen, mumbling it under his breath. He opened his eyes, suddenly feeling ashamed and out of his element. He was obviously not the right man for Danica … or for any woman, for that matter. He wasn’t in a good place spiritually. The man was supposed to be the leader of the family; his father had taught and demonstrated this to him and his brothers. At this point in his life, he admitted he wasn’t ready for a relationship. He wasn’t sure he ever would be. He picked up his fork and began eating, wishing the meal would be over soon.
They ate in silence for a while until Danica put her fork down. “You’re not really what I expected.”
“Huh?” He swallowed his mouthful of salad and asked, “What do you mean?”
“I expected pop stars to be full of themselves, but you’re a regular guy. It’s kind of refreshing.”
“Oh. So, you do know who I am.”
“Of course I do. I was a huge Heartland fan. I had your poster on my bedroom wall. You look the same, except for the facial hair and glasses.”
He rubbed his goatee and offered her a grateful smile. “Thanks for following our music. As for the part about me being a regular guy, that’s who I’ve tried to be since the band broke up. I’m not a pop star anymore, and I don’t ever want to be one again. I’ll be the first to admit I was pretty obnoxious when I was younger.”
“Well, you’re not obnoxious now. You’re nothing like Brandon either, looks or personality-wise. That’s probably why I never made the connection between you guys, even though you’re both Sparks. Plus, he told me your name was Zachary. Is that like a stage name?”
“It’s my middle name. It’s what I go by now. Only my family calls me Aiden. I wanted to leave that part of my life behind me.”
Danica’s expression turned serious. “I understand. It seemed hard for you when the band broke up.”
She had no idea. Even though the paparazzi had tailed him almost every waking moment, he’d managed to keep his relationship with Mandy out of the headlines. No one outside of his family knew her passing was the cause of his reckless behavior. “Yeah, it was rough.”
They both grew silent until the server came by to deliver their main courses. Danica dug in to her pasta and exclaimed, “This is delicious! Your friend was right.”
“Yeah, my girlfriend’s sister has high standards when it comes to food.”
Danica’s eyes grew wide. “Your girlfriend? I thought Brandon said you were single.”
“No, I meant my old girlfriend. I still keep in touch with her sister.”
“Oh!” She smiled in relief. “Of course. That makes sense. I didn’t think Brandon would set me up with someone already taken.”
“Ah, no, he wouldn’t. He writes romance, not drama. Although, I heard his latest book has some suspense in it.”
“It does, and the storyline’s so good.” Danica’s long earrings dangled as she nodded enthusiastically. “You know, I was so surprised when I met him for the first time. I always wonder if an author’s like the characters he writes, so I thought he’d be this really deep and passionate person, but he’s so down-to-earth, like the boy next door.”
Aiden busted out in laughter, nearly spewing the food in his mouth. “Sorry, no offense to my brother, but he is the last person I’d call deep and passionate. I’ve never read his books, so I wouldn’t know how he comes across in them. He has a good following though, so he must be doing something right.”
“He’s popular because most romance readers are women. You should’ve seen him at his book signing. He had all these lipstick stains on his face from the women kissing him! I had to use two face wipes to get them off.”
“That’s crazy. When Brandon was younger, he was so quiet and shy, he never even went to prom. He didn’t have the courage to talk to a girl until his sophomore year in college. And that was only because she talked to him first.”
Danica’s eyes lit up in amusement. “That is so adorable. You can still see that part of him, especially when he’s in front of a crowd. I practically had to beg him to read an excerpt from his book. He was so nervous, but he did great. He has such a nice, warm voice. I loved how he acted out the parts with so much conviction.” She dropped her gaze as her cheeks flushed. “Anyway … what were we talking about?”
Aiden bit back a grin. If he didn’t know better, he’d say Danica liked his brother. Why in the world was she on a date with him then? “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you agree to go out with me tonight?”
She winced. “Honestly? I wanted to help Brandon out. He’s been pretty worried about you. He said it’s been a while since you went out with anyone, and he thought I’d be a safe person for you to practice with. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I see.” Funny how his introverted, play-it-safe brother was trying to help him out with his social life. “I guess I have been out of practice when it comes to dating.”
“It’s okay,” Danica reassured him, “it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Life happens and we all get busy. Not to mention, it’s hard to meet people these days.”
“Yeah, I’m not really into the whole online dating scene.”
“I get it. I tried a dating site once and it was like information overload. Who knows if half of what people say about themselves in their profiles is even true. I think meeting someone through mutual friends is the best way to go about it.” She paused, then shot up in her chair with a big grin on her face. “You know what? I have a friend I’d love to set you up with. She was a big Heartland groupie back in the day and lives and breathes pop music. I’m sure you guys would get along.” She grabbed her purse that was hanging on her seat back and took out her cell phone. “I can text her right now and ask if she’s free this weekend.”
Aiden held up his hand in protest. “I appreciate the thought, but I’m going to pass. I’m not ready to date right now. I-I think I need to get myself back on track first.”
“Back on track?” She pursed her lips as she studied him. “Oh, you mean the praying thing?”
“Huh, you’re quite perceptive.”
She smiled. “It’s one of my strengths. But back to you. I’m glad you want to build up your relationship with God, but the thing is, sometimes it takes other people’s influence on our lives to help us grow. We need others to push and challenge us. It’s like what Proverbs says about iron sharpening iron.”
A faint memory came to him of hearing a sermon once on that Bible verse. Something about people helping each other, much like the way rubbing two iron blades together made the blades more effective. While it sounded like an interesting concept, it also seemed like a lot of work. “Yeah, but I really don’t have much time to date these days.”
“But you do need to eat, right?”
He almost rolled his eyes. Did all women use the same lines? He gave her a curt nod, knowing his fate was already sealed.
“Great!” Danica beamed. “I’ll set up a dinner date for you. I promise you’ll have a good time with Gail.”
Aiden wondered if there was some kind of conspiracy going on against him. By the end of the evening, he had a date scheduled for Sunday, his second one in a week’s time. He sure was getting a lot of practice at dating, whether he
wanted it or not.
Chapter Eight
Abby
Drat! Abby cried out in pain as she accidentally skimmed the barrel of her curling iron against her hand. She dropped her arms and groaned. The reflection in her bathroom mirror was a hot mess despite her efforts for the past thirty minutes. She lifted her glasses with her palm and narrowed her eyes. Why did she bother anyway? She couldn’t change what God had given her, even with the best beauty products.
She unplugged the curling iron and dropped it on the counter. Staring at herself, she ran through a mental checklist. Make-up done? If lip gloss and mascara counted, then yes. Hair curled? Kind of. Changed into something presentable? Most definitely yes. At least she’d gotten one out of three right. She smiled, admiring the blue dress she’d bought yesterday. The simple sleeveless dress showed off her curves and didn’t clash with her complexion. The silver cross necklace she wore completed the look, helping her look more prim and proper than she felt. Gentleness was not her forte, but maybe if she looked the part, she’d soon act the part as well.
Ever since she heard that morning’s sermon from the book of James, she’d been convicted. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Boy, oh boy, was that a message made for her. She’d be the first to admit that her mouth got her in trouble way too often. She had never cared about the consequences of her words, but lately, it was all she thought about.
Guilt certainly played a factor in her change of heart, but it was more than that. Living for Christ meant giving up her old ways and doing something better with her life. She wanted to be a blessing to others like Danica had been to her. If only kindness and compassion flowed out of her more naturally. Right now, it was a constant battle between choosing which shoulder angel to listen to. She still regretted that she’d listened to the bad one on Friday and hadn’t gone through with apologizing to the professor. It wasn’t her fault he hadn’t picked up the phone, right? Um, yeah ...