by Mika Lane
She pointed toward her bike. “I don’t have a car. This is my mode of transportation.”
“Ah-ha,” he said with a smile. “But how’re you getting home in that pretty dress?”
“Easy. I do it all the time.” She demonstrated bunching her dress up and stuffing it between her legs to sit on it. “Not pretty but it works well.”
“I see. It does.”
After she’d unlocked her bike, she displayed her helmet, rapping her knuckles on the hard plastic. “This little friend saved me today. I crashed on my bike, thanks to some jerk driver.”
“Whoa. What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. A driver swerved to miss another car and got too close to me. Their bumper hit my front tire. I went over the handlebars but just landed in some bushes. ”
“Holy shit.”
“It scared me.” She gestured down her body with her hands. “But clearly, I’m just fine. I got lucky.”
“Actually, I’m lucky.” He took her helmet. With his hand on her chin, turned her face toward his. “I got to see you twice in one day. A kiss good night?”
“Why not?” In all the evening’s excitement, she’d not learned much about him and had nearly forgotten her attraction to him. But in the quiet, dark evening, it all came rushing back and revealed itself in the goosebumps dancing across her forearms.
His lips first brushed hers, back and forth, and his tongue tickled her in a slow tease. With this soft contact, she tasted him, and he was just as yummy as she knew he’d be.
His hand slid behind her neck to pull her closer as he finished his teasing, and his lips pressed firmly, devouring hers. By turns, he flicked and nibbled her lips with his teeth.
Thank goodness she had the bike rack to lean on. Hale’s kisses had her head spinning and her heart pounding. She couldn’t remember ever having been being kissed like this. Especially not by the guys back home. Her sex throbbed to prove it.
If he keeps this up…
He abruptly stepped back.
Her eyes flew open, and she found his gaze traveling over her face. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No. I just wanted to look at you.”
Oh. My. God.
If she didn’t get out of there right then, she never would. She’d just take off her clothes right there and beg him…
But she was leaving. She really was. “Thank you for the champagne.”
“Let’s do it again, beautiful.”
She snapped her helmet closed. Climbing on the bike, she gathered the extra fabric from her dress and sat on it.
He nodded with approval. “You do have a system, don’t you?” He flicked on her bike’s head and taillights, and pressed his lips to hers one last time. “Be careful on that thing.”
“I always am.” She rolled over the sidewalk toward the street.
He called after her, “Hey, can I see you again?”
“Sure! Call me at the spa,” she yelled over her shoulder. “Good night!”
Pedaling away, she felt his gaze on her. She turned the first corner she could, both tantalized and confused. She suddenly itched to be out of his sight, desperate for the opportunity to clear her head of the long day and overwhelming night.
Chapter 5
The sun had not completely risen when Aurora stumbled about the partial darkness of her bedroom in search of some shoes. Dad popped up on her buzzing phone screen, even though it was not yet six a.m.
As part of her parents’ denial that she might be living a fulfilling life in California, they generally phoned her whenever they felt like it with no consideration for time zones. If her mother was up at seven a.m. Eastern, whether reading the paper or heading to tennis, she wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Never mind that it was four a.m. in California. And at that hour, chances were high that Aurora was sound asleep. Extremely high.
“Hi Dad.”
“You’re up early!” His voice was cheerful.
She stifled a yawn. “You’re right. This is early for me. Really early. I have a busy day today and I’m just getting ready to head out.” Her voice was testy.
Don’t be a bitch to Dad.
“Oh really? What’s on the agenda?”
His genuine curiosity about her day made her regret her snippy tone. While he hadn’t supported her new life with great enthusiasm, her dad deserved some slack. He wasn’t in the same camp as her mom and seemed to want to support her in his own way. But he stifled his words when her mom was around. Aurora didn’t know whether to feel betrayed that he didn’t speak up for her, or to feel for him that his bitchy wife had managed to silence him.
“I got some good news the other day, Dad, and that’s one of the reasons I’m up so early.” She left the phone on speaker while she pulled on a flowered dress and buckled up her Hasbeens clogs. “When I was singing karaoke, a guy who books talent for some local clubs asked me for a demo tape.”
“Gee. Does that mean he thinks you’re good enough to sing in a nightclub?”
She dug through a pile of clothing for her down puffer. It wasn’t going to be warm on a bike at that time of the morning. “It means he thinks I’m good enough to hear more of. So, I’m up early to get to a recording session. Then I head over to work.”
“My goodness, that’s fantastic.”
“And Dad?” Her heart sped up.
“Yes, Aurora?”
She gulped. “Don’t tell Mom.”
The phone was silent for a moment. “Really? Why not?”
A stab of regret swept through her. She didn’t mean to insult her dad or put him in a difficult position. “Dad, you know she doesn’t like my singing in public. She doesn’t take it seriously. I don’t want her to put a damper on it.”
“You know how your mother is, Aurora. But I’ll keep it to myself. For now…” His voice trailed off.
Yes, Aurora knew how her mother was. “Gotta get going, Dad. Anything new with you?”
“Your mother and I would love it if you came home for Thanksgiving.”
The sound of hope in her father’s voice choked her. “We’ll see. I’ll have to let you know; it’s still several months away. I have work and all.”
“Yes, of course. Just keep up posted. And sweetie?”
“Yes?”
“Do you need any money?”
Aurora’s eyes filled with tears. “No. I’m good.” Her voice cracked. “I love you.”
She swiped her phone closed and sat on the edge of her bed. For a moment, regret paralyzed her. But this was not the day for a pity party. She’d push through that crap. This was an important day, and she needed to be in top form.
Time to sing.
The early morning bike ride was both dark and nippy, but the quiet and solitude were spectacular. With her headlight leading the way, Aurora pedaled along, happy to share the road with the few cars and bikes going places before dawn.
She approached the old shipbuilding town of Sausalito, perched on the San Francisco Bay just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. With the manufacturing of World War II long gone, many of the town’s industrial spaces along the waterfront had sat vacant and neglected for decades. In recent years, some smart people had invested in the area. The old massive spaces were now full of restaurants, studios, and small businesses.
Aurora found the spruced-up results of this activity utterly fascinating. Remnants of an industrial past had been preserved—high ceilings, soaring casement windows, and warped wide-plank floors. It was the perfect setting for the voice lessons that could open doors to another chapter in her life.
Shivering from the wind, she locked her bike and sprinted to the doorway of building number nine. The crunching of the landscaping gravel under her feet was the only sound as the sun silently came up over the San Francisco Bay.
She heaved open the heavy iron door and dashed in, letting it clang behind her. Rubbing together chilled hands, she called to her vocals coach. “Morning, Stan!”
A rumpled, white-haired
man emerged from the back, coffee in hand. He looked more like a mad scientist than a voice teacher. “You made it. I wondered if this early hour would work for you.”
Aurora peeled off her jacket, laughing. “I don’t know if I’d say this hour worked for me since it was the only available option. But thank you for fitting me in.”
“’Course. Always happy to help a committed student. You excited?”
Maybe the shivering’s not from the chilly morning.
“I’m nervous. Never heard a recording of myself.” She giggled.
Damn nerves.
“Actually, no one’s ever heard a recording of me, now that I think of it. I have to admit, I have no idea what I’m doing. I have no idea where this will go.”
“Sheesh, the booker wouldn’t have approached you if he didn’t hear something he liked. Keep an open mind.” He put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “You’re gonna do great. We’ll take it nice and slow, give you time to warm up, and then go at your pace.”
She looked up and nodded. “Thank you, Stan.”
“Let’s go.”
She followed him to the small recording room at the back of the studios, where they got down to work.
Two hours later, Aurora was getting ready for her final take in the “singer’s station” a tiny, soundproof room where she’d gotten close and personal with two mics, a music stand, headphones, and several bottles of water.
“Tell us a story,” Stan said through a microphone on the other side of the glass.
She furrowed her brow. “What? What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to hear you just sing a song. I want to hear you sing a story. Something you feel. Something from deep inside.”
She nodded. “Okay. Okay, I can do that.” She had a few stories to tell. Some pretty good ones, in fact…
Eyes closed…
Music surged through the headphones to provide the perfect support for Aurora’s vocals. The sound that spilled forth was bright and clear, and with little effort, the melodies flowed through her like a breeze. Remembering all that Stan had taught her about breath and resonance, she followed his cues through the control room’s glass windows. She’d dreamt of a moment like this so many times and couldn’t remember why she’d ever stopped singing.
Is this really happening?
“Wow, good job, Aurora, really good,” he told her through the intercom, as he gestured two thumbs up. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone nail something so fast.”
Her heart was soaring as she gathered her things.
“Thank you so much, Stan,” she said breathlessly. “It was amazing! I can’t believe how great this feels.”
When she exited the singer’s station, she dropped her things to the floor. She leaned her head against the wall, eyes closed, and took a deep breath.
A whoosh of air snapped her out of her reverie, and her eyes flew open.
The redhead from karaoke night stood right in front of her. “Aurora. You’re here early.”
“Oh, hey. I was just relaxing for a sec. Clearing my head after my recording session.”
“You were recording?”
“Yeah. Just giving it a shot. Someone from a local club approached me the other night after karaoke.”
“Oh. I didn’t know there was anyone there scouting. What’s his name?”
“Hmmm, not sure.” Aurora dug through her bag. “Let me see if I can find his card. I know it’s in here somewhere.”
“Never mind. I was just wondering.”
She continued rummaging. “Are you sure? I think it’s right here—”
“Does he know how new you are to singing?”
“I’m not really new to it. I’ve been singing all my—“
But before Aurora could finish, the redhead snapped her wrist in front of her face to look at her watch. With a dramatic flourish, she gasped. “I’ve got to get going. I have my lesson now. See ya.” She click-clacked down the hallway.
Okay...
Shaking off the odd encounter, Aurora got moving to her next stop of the day—work. But as she passed through the reception area on the way out, she heard her name.
“Aurora!” The redhead rushed toward her. “You forgot your bike helmet. Stan asked me to bring it to you.”
“Oh, wow, thank you.” Aurora made a mental note to learn the woman’s name.
The redhead stood in front of her. Did she have something more to say?
“How did you like recording? Was it your first time?”
“Yeah, first time, and it was great. Really great.”
Unbelievably great.
“Well.” There was something hard in the redhead’s eyes. “See ya later.”
She turned to head back down the hallway, mumbling something under her breath.
What was up with that creepy woman? Aurora shook the discomfort off her shoulders and walked out of the studio into the bright sunlight. She wore a huge smile as she recapped the recording session while she pedaled to work.
“Look who it is!” Isabella cried as Aurora arrived at the spa.
Her fellow masseuses gathered around her in reception. She couldn’t contain her ear-to-ear grin, listening to the chorus of her fellow masseuses as they overwhelmed her with questions.
“How’d it go?”
“Did you make a record?”
“What did you sing?”
“When can we hear it?”
Her excitement burst out. Jumping up and down, she squealed, “It was amazing! I loved every second of it. Oh my god, you guys would just not believe how I’m feeling right now.”
Her friends erupted into cheers and applause amid hugs and high-fives. Aurora’s heart melted. The girls, especially Isabella, had become some of the best friends she’d ever had.
“Ladies!” Devi emerged from the back room with her usual gruff. But even the boss couldn’t put a damper on the girls’ revelry.
“Devi, did you hear Aurora just made a recording?”
“She’s gonna be a star!”
“Okay, okay,” Devi said. “That is truly wonderful. But before Aurora or anyone else becomes a star, we have work to do here. Let’s get going, people. Our first clients of the day will be here in minutes. Everyone to their battle stations!”
The girls fell over in laughter Devi’s old adage, leaving her to tap her foot and roll her eyes at her staff. They scattered in different directions to finish the task of opening the spa for the day. Aurora did her part by setting essential oils to warm so their scents would fill the air. Her coworkers lit votive candles and watered thirsty bamboo plantings. When they were done, Aurora headed to the staff room with Isabella at her side.
“Hey, you have a message. Almost forgot to give it to you.” Isabella handed over a piece of paper—after reading it, first. “It’s from that cute guy, Hale.”
“I can see that, miss nosy body.” Aurora glanced at it, then stuffed it in her bag. Throwing her clothes in a locker, she pulled on her kimono robe.
“Don’t you like him?” Isabella asked, as she dug through her own locker.
“He’s nice.”
“What? Just nice? He looks like a freaking movie star, was nice enough to buy us champagne, and is clearly smitten with you.” Isabella stood staring, impatient hands on her hips.
Aurora sighed loudly as she stood in front of the large vanity mirror, wrestling a her wild curls into a springy clip. “He is great. Really great. I just don’t know, though.”
“Look,” Isabella said. “That asshole ex of yours and his new baby mama have moved on. It’s time you did, too.”
Ouch.
Her eyes filled with tears as the words that slapped across her face. But even more painful was that her friend was probably right.
“Oh shit. I didn’t mean it like that.” Putting an arm around her shoulder, Isabella passed her a tissue.
Aurora blew her nose. “It’s okay. I know you’re trying to help. It’s just that I’m still so…I don’t know. Fuc
ked up about the whole thing.”
Why did no one understand how long it would take to get back on her feet after the betrayal of a lifetime? Was she supposed to just shake it off? Who could do that?
“I’ll be fine.” Aurora sniffed. “This is a good day. A very good day.” She pushed her thoughts back to her moments in the singer’s station.
“I hate to see you suffer, especially at the hands of those fuckers back East.”
“I know. I hate it, too. But I’m working on it.” Shaking the negativity away, she put her hands on her hips, hamming up a super model pose. “How do I look?” She pursed her lips like a teenybopper taking a selfie.
“Very classy.” Isabella laughed.
“Why thank you.” She waved her friend on. “I’ll be out in a minute. Go on ahead.”
“Okay,” Isabella said. “But hurry, or you’ll be in big trouble with Devi.” She dashed out of the room.
Screw those jerks at home. Isabella was right.
Time to leave the uglies behind. She dialed the number scrawled on the paper.
“Hello?” a deep, voice answered, causing her heart to thud against her chest.
I can do this.
“Hey. It’s Aurora…”
Chapter 6
Hale’s pickup truck, reading Sonoma Motorsports on the side, navigated up the foggy twists and turns of Mount Tam. Aurora was working toward a new outlook after Isabella’s tough love words, and was determined to leave the East Coast on the East Coast. Who better to do it with than the adorable and sexy Hale Saxon? And where better to begin, than with a hike on one of her favorite places in the world?
After thirty minutes of driving twists and turns through the mid-mountain fog, the truck broke through the clouds into the bright sun just a few hundred feet from the peak of the mountain.
“God, I love it here.” Aurora pulled on her sunglasses and opened her window to smell the scrubby Manzanita and sprawling cypress. “It doesn’t get much better. Those crazy New Yorkers at home have no idea what they’re missing.”
Hale nodded and glanced out the truck windows at the expansive views. The downtown high rises of San Francisco dotted the skyline in one direction, and in the other, dairy cows grazed on open farmland.