by Tara Rose
Chapter Fourteen
Gary was back at Jake’s house in less than forty-five minutes, his hair still damp from the shower, but he didn’t care. He and Jake needed to have a little talk before Ava returned. Once he was inside, Jake led him to a study upstairs where an impressive computer system had been set up.
“Have a seat. You want something to drink? I’ve been doing a bit of surfing.”
Jake’s hair was damp, too, and the man looked like he’d had the most restful night of his life. How did he do that? Gary felt like someone had run over his groin with a dump truck, and he’d frowned at the dark circles under his eyes that he’d glimpsed in the mirror at home earlier. He’d just had the most erotic, decadent night of his life so he really didn’t mind feeling tired, but Jake didn’t look as though he’d exerted any effort at all.
“Surfing?” Gary pulled over a chair and frowned when he saw what Jake was researching. “She’s not going to like this.”
“She won’t see it.” Jake clicked a few more images and links. He had about a dozen windows open, and as he clicked back and forth on them, the same man’s face came up on most of them. He looked to be in his sixties, but with the fit, trim confidence of a much younger man. His hair was salt-and-pepper, and his dark eyes were hard and cold. Gary shuddered as he imagined Ava fucking this man.
“She asked us not to out him.”
“I’m not outing him.”
“Yes you are because you used his scene name to find him. Which Ava gave us.”
“I doubt she’s the only one who has it.”
“He’ll know it was her.”
“Last night you were all gung ho to hold him accountable. What the hell changed?”
“Nothing. But she asked us not to do this. We can’t break that trust.”
Jake sighed and turned in his chair to face him. “Did I hallucinate all night or did we both make love to her? How can you let this asshole get away with what he did to her?”
“I don’t want him to get away with it any more than you do, but you’re playing with fire here. What if someone ripped off that mask you wear at Maddox’s club? How would you feel about that?”
Jake’s eyes grew dark and threatening. “That’s not even close to the same thing.”
“Yes it is. This guy hides behind his scene name because he doesn’t want anyone finding out who he is. You wear a mask for the same reason.”
Jake averted his gaze. “Newsflash. Most people know it’s me under the mask.”
“Not the point. Ava asked us to leave this alone.”
“I can’t do that. He needs to be held accountable.”
“Then we have to find another way to do that.”
Jake threw up his hands in a gesture of frustration. “How? How do you suggest we do that?”
“I don’t know.”
They stared at each other for a few minutes, and to Gary’s complete surprise, guilt spread over Jake’s face. “Fine. But at least look at what I found because his name might come up soon. His real name, I mean.”
“I don’t want Ava upset that we’re looking for him. It must have taken her a lot of courage to tell us that story.”
“I know it did.”
Gary moved closer and read over Jake’s shoulder. Dimitri Gianopoulos had been born in Chicago sixty-two years ago, which made him twenty-six years older than Ava, just like she’d said, twenty-seven years older than Jake, and twenty-five years Gary’s senior. He could understand why a college freshman had been mesmerized by this man. When Ava was nineteen, he would have been forty-five. But Gary was betting Leo had been an impressive man at that age, and had come across as vibrant and much younger.
“He’s worked with every major orchestra in the Midwest, and he’s guest conducted on both coasts and in Europe,” said Jake. “All by the time he turned thirty-five. No wonder she was star-struck.”
“Is he a musician himself?”
“Horn player, like she said.”
Gary nodded. “Brass players are a different animal. How did you find him using only his scene name?”
Jake smiled, but the emotion didn’t reach his eyes. He clicked open a window and pointed. “Read this.”
Gary read an article in the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music college newspaper dated over forty years ago that chronicled the day-to-day lives of several music majors, including one named Dimitri Gianopoulos, who went by the nickname of “The Lion.” The picture of a brass quintet accompanying the article was grainy, but the young man seated on the far left holding the euphonium on his lap could easily be a younger Leo.
“I’m impressed, Jake. I really am. How did you dig this up?”
“Easy. His bio states where he did his undergrad, so I went snooping.”
“But how did you know it was Dimitri to begin with?”
“I didn’t. I looked up which guest conductors were hanging around Berklee seventeen years ago, and his name came up more than once. He’s one of five I had it narrowed down to, based on age and proximity to the places where Ava said she’s lived. There aren’t that many as prominent as Leo, and she did say he was quite famous.”
Gary nodded several times. “I have to tip my hat to your research skills.”
“It’s something we learned in school. No biggie.”
Jake took so much of life for granted. Gary didn’t really expect him to acknowledge this skill. “So, you’ve found him. But what do we do with the information?”
Jake frowned as he brought up another page. “We might not have to do anything. Unless of course she doesn’t want to go to Indy with us and hear Tchaikovsky.”
Gary read the page, and then he read it again. “Fuck,” he whispered. “Do you think she knows about this?” Leo was going to be a guest conductor in three weeks with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for a charity event, at which he would conduct Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony.
“I don’t know. Let’s ask her.”
“Ask her. Just like that. You do that and she’ll know we’ve been snooping.”
“Not if you bring it up. Tell her you saw it in a newsletter or something that you get.”
“If I get notice of something like this, chances are she does as well.”
“Then ask if she’s seen it, and ask if she wants to go with us.”
“She’ll think we’re setting her up.”
“But why would we ask her to do something that would hurt her? It’s the perfect chance for her to put this behind her. We’ll be with her. And you know that nothing is going to happen to her. That prick wouldn’t dare. Not with two guys escorting her.”
Gary watched Jake’s face for a few seconds, and the realization of just how far under his skin Ava had already crawled hit him in the gut, the same as if Jake had just punched him. This was nuts. How could he compete with Jake? Did he even want to try?
Yes. Yes, he did. Because now that he’d make love to Ava, there was no way he could let her go. He wanted her. All of her. Did Jake feel the same way?
Gary’s musings were cut short by the voice of Vince, Jake’s valet, announcing that Ava had arrived and he’d shown her to the front downstairs parlor, as instructed.
Jake shut all the windows and turned off his monitor. “Come on. Let’s enjoy this day with her. We can figure this out later.”
That made it sound like they were conspiring together, and Gary wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He didn’t want to hurt Ava, but going to Indy with them was one surefire way of confronting her past—literally and figuratively. But would she be ready for that in less than a month? Would she ever be ready for that? And more importantly, would they both still be seeing her by then?
* * * *
Ava couldn’t believe some of the manuscripts Jake had in his library. She was afraid to touch them. “Why aren’t they behind glass?”
“This room has special ductwork. They’re protected.”
“It’s like being in a museum.”
“The whole house is l
ike being in a museum,” said Gary, glancing around.
Jake walked past the display cases, explaining each text, and a quick glance at Gary told Ava how bored he was by all this. But she was enjoying it, simply for the historic value of some of the works. “Thank you for showing these to me.”
“You’re welcome. What would you like to see now?”
She smiled. “I don’t know, actually. I’m a bit hungry. Should we get takeout from Nan’s and watch movies?”
Jake shook his head. “I can’t eat that stuff. And I don’t want to go into town today.”
“Why not?”
Gary leaned close and whispered. “Budget meeting. All three schools. Today.”
Ava stared at him, and then glanced toward Jake. “Oh. I didn’t realize that was today. I mean, I was told it was in March, but I didn’t pay attention to the date. Why aren’t you two there?”
Jake snorted. “No way. I’d lose every ally I have on the board if I showed up.”
“Same here,” said Gary. “It’s too nerve-racking. None of them are teachers, and they do that on purpose. Too much at stake.”
“Do any of the teachers show up?”
“Yes, but it’s a circus,” said Gary. “I stopped attending them years ago. We’ll get calls when it’s all over.”
“What about Leticia, Patrick, and Mary? Don’t they sit in on it?”
“Yes. But can you imagine what that’s like?”
Ava had been so caught up in her shop and what had happened last night, she hadn’t thought about next year’s school budget and how it might affect both of them. “Then we’ll stay here. Can your chef whip us up something for lunch, and then we can watch James Bond movies while we eat?”
Gary clapped Jake on the back. “You just died and went to heaven.”
Jake laughed but gave Ava a wary look. “You’re not serious. You really don’t want to sit here with us all afternoon and watch movies.”
“Yes, I do.” She moved closer to him, taking his hand, and then took one of Gary’s as well. “I have to say this before I lose my nerve. Last night was…it was the most fun I’ve ever had in bed. Without question. But it was more than that. You two are…kind, generous with your time, charming, funny, and easy to be with. These are new experiences for me. I can relate to you both on levels I never could with…never could before. I don’t know where this is going, but right now I don’t need to know that. Right now, I just want to spend time with you both. I don’t care what we do, as long as I’m with you.”
Gary gave her hand a squeeze, and Jake stared at her for a long time. Ava couldn’t read his expression. Finally he pulled her close and just held her for a few moments. When he released the embrace, his voice was gruff, as though he had to clear his throat. “I’ll go and see what Dane can put together for lunch.”
As soon as he left, Gary pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her neck. “You just made his day.”
She held him close, inhaling his fresh scent. No cologne this afternoon. He was all soap and shampoo, and it make her want to lick his entire body. “I hope I made yours, too.”
“You did indeed. I had such a wonderful time last night.”
“I did, too.”
When Jake returned, he told them lunch would be ready in half an hour, and then he took out every James Bond movie he had, which make Ava laugh. It was no surprise that he had all of them, beginning with Dr. No.
“We have to watch them in order,” she said.
Gary groaned. “Why did I know you’d say that?”
Jake pumped his fist in the air and Ava laughed again. “Oh come on,” she said. “You can’t watch them out of order. It’s so much fun to see the progression.”
“Even the Timothy Dalton ones? Do we have to watch those?”
“Dude, it’ll take all day to get to those. Do you know how many were made before he played Bond?”
“No, but I’m sure you do.”
Ava shook her head and smiled. She had female siblings, so she hadn’t had many chances to watch two guys argue good-naturedly over things like James Bond movies.
“It’s settled,” said Jake. “We start with Dr. No.”
Gary sat on the sofa while Jake got the movie ready, and when Ava took her seat next to him, he put an arm around her shoulder. She gazed into his face, happier than she’d ever been, and tucked her legs underneath her body so she could snuggle against his warmth.
When Jake joined them, he frowned at the pair. “How come you get to cozy up next to her?”
“You get to cuddle with her the second half,” said Gary, not taking his eyes off the screen as the movie began.
“It’s my house.”
“I touched her first.”
Ava chuckled. “Stop this or I’ll sit somewhere else.”
“No you won’t,” said Jake, giving her an intense gaze full of dominance and lust. “You’re staying right here with us.”
“Oh, really? You make it sound like I have no choice.”
When he leaned over and kissed her left nipple through her sweater, Ava gasped.
“You have a choice. But I’m going to make sure you don’t want to be anywhere else.”
As he brushed a thumb along her breast, she sighed. “You don’t play fair.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” He started to move his hand down her abdomen and Gary snorted.
“Dude, you’re missing your movie.”
“I don’t care. I’ve seen it a million times.”
Two cell phones rang at the same time and neither of them were hers. Jake straightened up, and the look on his face sent a sharp sliver of fear racing through Ava. At the same time, Gary took his arm from around her and stood. He walked over to where he’d left his phone on a table and picked it up. Jake stopped the Blu-ray player and picked his up as well, with a glance toward Gary that nearly brought tears to Ava’s eyes. He looked utterly defeated, as if he already knew what news he’d receive.
“Is it someone from the school board?” she asked.
Jake nodded as he answered his phone.
Chapter Fifteen
Ava watched Jake and Gary speak to the people on the other end of their phone calls, glancing from one to the other like she was watching a Ping-Pong match. She wished with all her heart that there was something she could do. Even if she had the kind of money she knew they’d need to keep all the programs going, it would only be a temporary fix. Every public school in the country faced the same kinds of cuts. This had been coming for years now.
The men answered in monosyllables, but she didn’t need to hear the conversations on the other end to know it wasn’t good news that either of them received right now. When they each disconnected the calls, the questions she had were cut short by the arrival of lunch. Jake and Gary simply stared at the cart after Vince left, until Ava’s stomach growled. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“No,” said Jake. “Don’t be silly. We should eat.”
They did, but both men had clearly received bad news and weren’t interested in food. She had to say something. “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t get good news just now. Do you want to talk about it?”
“It’s over,” said Jake. “Track and field are gone. Wrestling is gone. No girls’ sports left at all. No music of any kind…” He cut his gaze toward Gary. “Except for marching band, of course. Football wasn’t touched.”
“Is that really a surprise?” Gary’s voice was soft but filled with a harshness Ava had never heard before. “You know how it is in this state. Football is everything.”
“But at least you still have that.”
“They cut concert and symphonic bands, too. The marching band is now the only music left for these kids, and that’s only in high school.”
“We don’t need a band to win football games.”
“No, we don’t. But our marching band competes and they win. This past year they raised all the money to do that themselves. Last year the school board cut what little they used to
contribute toward those competitions remember? Those wins give this hick town high school bragging rights. They aren’t going to take that away, as long as the parents of the kids keep raising the money.”
Jake stood. “If they had put the kind of money into track that they’ve poured into the band all these years, we’d have gone to State. That would have given them bragging rights, too.”
Gary stood up as well. “Even if they had, no one in this state gives a shit about track and field. I can’t change that. It’s tradition. You’re lucky they kept it as long as they did. Why are you angry with me for a decision that I had nothing to do with?”
“Because I have to be angry at someone, and you’re here.” Jake stalked away and punched the door, then rubbed his hand with the opposite one. Ava was pretty sure the doors in this home were solid wood, and she hoped he hadn’t broken anything.
She stood and crossed the room, placing a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help.”
Jake glared at her, and for a few seconds, Ava thought he was angry with her as well, but then his gaze finally softened. “It looks like I got all up in your face last week for nothing. You won’t be teaching music at any of the schools now.”
“I’m not worried about me. Is your hand okay?”
“Yeah. It’s fine.”
She took it and felt the bones on the side. “I’ll take your word for that. But you might want to put some ice on it. You already have a bruise coming up.” Ava glanced at Gary, who was watching them with unmistakable jealousy on his face. He didn’t even try to hide it as she made eye contact. What the hell had she gotten herself into here? How was this ever going to work, especially now?
“Do you both still want to watch the movie?” asked Gary. “Or would you like me to leave?”
Ava crossed the room and stood next to him. “I’m sorry for what they had to cut, but I’m happy you still have marching band.”
“I know you are. Thank you.”
The expression on his face and the tone of his voice didn’t match his words. He looked hurt, and she struggled for something to say. “But this also means you’ll have time to teach lessons in my shop.”