“Fantastic. Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome. Oh, Christine.” Aria flagged down her coworker. “Would you be so kind as to ring up these gentleman, please? And, throw in a free set of strings for them.”
“I’d be happy to.” Christine walked behind the counter.
“If you’ll excuse me”—Aria threw a pleasant smile at father and son—“I think it’s time for me to go home for the day. Merry Christmas.”
Dex followed as Aria turned toward the back of the store.
The kid’s father patted his sleeve as he passed by. “You’re with her?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Man, lucky you.”
Aria was already putting on her coat when Dex walked into the office. He yanked her scarf off the coatrack, looped it behind her neck, and pulled her in for a kiss. “You’re quite the saleswoman. Not a bad kisser, either.”
She smiled. “I could hardly wait to finish up with them once you came in.”
“You hid your impatience well, then. I got a kick out of watching you make the sale. Good job.”
“I have good news. I’ve got all of next week off.”
“Great. I look forward to having you all to myself.”
“Let me get my purse out of the locker.” She spun the dial of the combination lock. “How’d it go with Pop’s muffler? Or was it more than just his muffler?”
“Oh, about that. Turns out one of the exhaust pipes they ordered for the truck was defective. They’ll have another one by tomorrow, but—”
“You need my car again tomorrow?” Purse in hand, Aria shut the locker door. “No problem. But you might have to ply me with more pancakes in the morning to seal the deal.”
“Consider yourself plied. How about dinner and a movie tonight? I watched the trailer to that sci-fi you were talking about the other day. Looks interesting.”
“Sounds good to me. Do I have time to go home and change?”
“Sure.” Dex left the store with Aria and drove toward her house.
“The professor called and asked if I could meet him next Thursday night at seven so we could talk about what music we want to choose for the audition and maybe play a piece or two. He said we’d only be an hour, maybe hour and a half. Do you have any plans for us that would conflict with it?”
“No conflict that I can think of. Haven’t planned that far in advance. Where does he want to meet?”
“Let’s see.” Aria flipped on her smartphone. “He left a text with an address on Google maps. Somewhere in Newburgh. Half hour from here, depending on traffic.”
Muscles in Dex’s shoulders tightened. He moved his head side to side to loosen them. Happy as he was about Aria’s chance to make it into Bianchi’s new orchestra, he couldn’t shake the strange sense of foreboding that settled in his gut every time she mentioned it.
Overnice. The unit often used the term to describe outsiders in a hot zone who came off as a little too friendly. It gave them the creeps and put them on high alert. The same word popped into his mind whenever the professor came up in conversation, and he’d never even met the man.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Aria tucked her leg under herself, turned, and faced him as he drove. “You’ll never in a million years guess who came into the store today.”
“Seriously, you want me to guess?” He couldn’t think of a game he hated worse.
“Yes, humor me, because the punch line is going to wow you.” She laughed.
“The Pope?”
“No.”
Dex stopped as a traffic light turned red. “Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie asking about kazoo lessons?”
Aria laughed. “Good one, but no.”
“Then who?” Game over. She wasn’t getting another guess out of him.
“Jasmine.”
“What? The girl doesn’t have an ounce of musical talent in her skinny body. Even her singing made me want to cry, and not in the good way.” Dex gripped the steering wheel hard. “What business could she possibly have in the music store?”
“None.” Aria leaned closer. “But her policeman boyfriend did.”
“She’s going out with a cop?”
Aria nodded, her smile broad and eyes sparkling. “Yup, uniform and all.”
It took a moment for the visual to sink in.
Dex threw back his head and laughed.
Chapter 17
Aria unlocked the door to the music store, entered, and relocked it. It would be another half hour before they’d open for the day. On the street side of the parking lot, her car’s brake lights illuminated while Dex waited with the right blinker flashing. She watched through the plate glass window until he pulled onto the street and drove away.
“Good morning, everyone.” Aria laughed at herself. Everyone included Uncle Angelo, who stood filling the till for the day, and Christine, who’d agreed to come in early to help with the holiday rush. Barry, a seasonal employee, wouldn’t clock in until noon.
Uncle Angelo counted a stack of money, his lips moving slightly with each passing bill. When finished, he beamed his typical, cheery smile. “Hello, Ari. You’re looking mighty chipper this morning.”
It came as no surprise that her internal happiness was showing on the outside. “It’s going to be a glorious day. I can feel it in my bones. Christine, thanks for pinch-hitting for me with that last sale yesterday. It was already ten past five, and I didn’t want to keep Dex waiting.”
“You’re welcome. You’ve done the same for me more times than I can count.”
Christine’s crazy college schedule often made for abrupt goodbyes at the end of her shifts. Uncle Angelo didn’t seem to mind and accommodated her as best he could. Christine’s excellent people skills made her a favorite with the customers.
“Let me go put my coat away, and I’ll help you fill those empty pegs.”
Aria put her coat and scarf on the coat tree in Uncle Angelo’s office and secured her purse in the locker. She went to the ladies’ room and took a turn in front of the mirror. Not bad for a girl who didn’t go to bed until almost two in the morning. She should be tired, but thoughts of Dex and the time they’d shared yesterday evening energized her.
* * * *
A steady flow of customers made the morning pass quickly. Aria glimpsed the clock on the wall behind the register. “Christine, I have to make a call for my uncle. If you get swamped in the next few minutes, come get me. I won’t be long though.”
“No problem. Looks like we’ve hit a pre-lunch lull. Angelo and I will be fine. Go.”
“Thanks.”
Aria went into the office and made the call. She hung up the phone and rose from the desk chair just as her uncle walked into the room. “I put in the order for pizza delivery like you asked. Should be here in thirty minutes.” A kind man, Uncle Angelo often treated his employees to pizza pie, as he called it.
“Good.” He nodded approvingly. “A friend of yours is waiting by the register. Says she has something to give you. Want me to send her back here?”
“Who is it?” She wasn’t expecting anyone, and any local friend would have called to let Aria know she was coming.
“I dunno. Never saw her before. All I know is she’s a real looker.” He double-flicked his eyebrows and smiled.
“Okay, send her back, please.”
Uncle Angelo left and returned moments later. He stepped aside at the door and Jasmine walked in holding a twelve-inch-square cardboard box.
“I’ll leave you two to chat.” Uncle Angelo left and pulled the door closed behind him.
“Hello, Aria.” Jasmine’s pseudo-friendly lilt matched her unconvincing smile.
“What do you want?” Whatever it was, Aria was sure she wanted no part of it. She had no intention of indulging in any game Jasmine came to play.
“Dex left a few things at my
apartment that I didn’t get a chance to return.” Jasmine set the box on the desk. Her French-manicured fingertips caressed the box top as if she were tenderly stroking Dex himself. “Would you mind seeing that he gets it?”
“Fine. I’ll pass it on when I see him tonight.”
“Ah, so he’s home on leave then? Mmm.” She purred like an amorous alley cat. “Lucky you.”
Aria strode around the desk and opened the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
“I’m sure you do.” Jasmine grazed the box with a casual glance and pursed her mouth in a self-satisfied smirk. She left the room but stopped just outside the doorway and looked back over her shoulder. “Tell Dex I said hello.”
Aria squashed the urge to shout, “Get out and stay out.” But she would never cause her uncle shame by throwing someone out of the store in such an undignified manner over a personal affair.
Following at a discreet distance, Aria made sure Jasmine had left the store before she returned to the office. The box Jasmine had delivered sat on the desk with a single strand of packing tape sealing the top. Aria pushed the box full circle. A brand of cookies she’d never heard of was pictured on all four sides.
Used box, loose tape. She could open it, take a peek, and reseal it with no problem. The voice of reason begged her not to open it. She was the middleman, not the giver or receiver of the package. Whatever it contained was none of her business. None whatsoever. Still, Dex would never be the wiser, and her curiosity would be satisfied.
Heart pounding, Aria closed and locked the office door then shut the blinds on the door’s rectangular window.
* * * *
Dex locked the car and entered Greco’s Music Center. Aria didn’t seem to be anywhere on the sales floor.
“Looking for Aria?” A cherub-faced blonde came down an aisle toward him.
“Christine, right?” Dex shook her hand. “I heard Aria call you by name yesterday. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Dex.”
“Pleased to meet you. Aria’s been working in the office for the last hour or so. I think she’s trying to track down some items that didn’t show up in this morning’s shipment.”
“Thanks.” He walked through the store and stopped at the partially open office door.
Aria stood in front of a file cabinet with the phone wedged between her ear and shoulder. She dropped a manila folder into a hanging file and pushed the drawer closed. “So, you’re going to overnight us the missing strings, bridge pins, and capos? Great. Thanks, Bob. No need to apologize. Everyone makes mistakes. Merry Christmas to you too.”
While not totally flat and lifeless, her tone lacked the exuberance of the girl he dropped off at the store first thing this morning.
He pushed the door farther open and stepped inside. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Aria came around the desk and walked into his embrace. Her less-than-enthusiastic response to his kiss came as a surprise. “What’s wrong?”
She rubbed her forehead and grimaced. “I have a bad headache.”
“Anything I can do for you? Get you some water, maybe? Dehydration can cause killer headaches, you know.”
“Thanks. I’ll be fine.” Aria pushed the cardboard box that had been sitting on the side of the desktop toward him a few inches. “Jasmine brought this to me this afternoon. She said it was stuff you’d left at her apartment and asked me to give it to you.”
No wonder Aria had a headache. “Did you open it?”
She looked away. “No.”
A crinkled wad of tape with shreds of brown paper lying in the wastepaper basket contradicted her statement. Dex pulled the balled-up tape from the trash.
Aria glanced at it and cringed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have violated your privacy. I have no excuse.”
“It’s okay. I don’t care that you looked. Knowing how Jasmine operates, I have no doubt that she baited you into opening it. Let’s see what kind of emotional IED the evil queen buried in here to upset you.” Dex ripped the tape off the box and opened the flaps. A five-by-seven photo of Jasmine and him kissing lay facing him. Several smaller photos of them poked out from underneath. Dex scooped the pictures into a pile and set them on the desk. “No secrets there. We had a relationship, but it’s over.”
He lifted several pairs of men’s underwear and dangled one of them from a hooked finger. “Tighty-whities. Haven’t worn those since I was twelve.” He set them aside then lifted his shirt and pulled the waistband of his underwear up from his pants. “Boxer briefs. Charcoal gray today, my personal favorite.”
Aria blushed.
“What other surprises did she put in here?” Dex reached into the box. “Oh, nice, a Purple Heart. That was a clever addition since I did get one after being shot in the leg in Afghanistan earlier this year. But mine is at my house in North Carolina. Some poor soldier out there is missing a medal, but it ain’t me.”
Dex rummaged through the remaining things. “Cologne, half a package of disposable razors, nudie magazines.”
Aria turned her back to him, her head held low, and arms crossed in a self-comforting stance.
No use digging any further. Dex put everything back into the box. “Aria.”
She didn’t budge.
Dex moved closer and stroked her shoulders, then turned her to him. “None of those things belong to me.”
“Then why would she do this?”
“I don’t know. Some people aren’t happy unless they’re making someone else unhappy. It’s clear she wanted you to see what was in that box, and maybe feel angry or hurt over the fact that I had a prior relationship with her.”
A glistening tear clung to Aria’s lower lashes and fell to her cheek when she blinked.
“I see her arrow hit the mark.” Dex pulled Aria into his arms. “There’s only one woman I care about, and that’s you.” He tightened his hold on her. “Let that sink in, and don’t ever doubt it.”
If he’d been the one who’d opened the package, the contents wouldn’t have had the desired effect. Jasmine’s in-your-face show of contempt was definitely meant for Aria, and stoked by pure meanness.
* * * *
A metallic squeal echoed between the buildings as Aria pushed the dumpster’s front panel open. She stood aside while Dex reared back and hurled Jasmine’s package into it. The box hit the backside of the dumpster with a force that popped the top flaps open. Pictures fluttered into the trash below.
Dex took Aria’s hand and led her to the car. “Is your headache any better?”
“Not much.” She’d hoped it would go away when Dex trashed the box, but the pain that felt like a skewer through the temples persisted. “Maybe you’re right about dehydration. It’s easy to think about drinking water when the weather’s hot, but not so much during winter.”
Dex started the engine and drove down the block to a convenience store. “Be right back.” He went inside and came out with a bottle of water. “Here you go, princess. See if that helps.”
“Thank you.” She sipped the water and finished the last drop as they pulled in next to the truck at Pop’s place. “The exhaust system is all fixed?”
“Yup. We got the call that it was ready when we were out having lunch. Perfect timing.” Dex got out of the car, jogged around, and helped her out. “Feeling any better?”
“A little.” Not as much as she’d hoped.
“Let’s go in the house and get out of this wind.” Dex took her arm and led her inside. “Pop, we’re home.”
“Hello, young lady,” Pop said, coming out of the kitchen. “How are you?”
“She’s got a headache.” Dex took Aria’s coat and scarf and hung them in the closet.
“Sorry to hear that. Stressful day?” Pop couldn’t look more compassionate.
“Somewhat. I’ll be fine though.” Her mouth gaped with a yawn. She
barely had time to cover it. “Sorry, that one snuck up on me.”
Dex rubbed her back. “I think I’ve been keeping you up too late at night. Sleep deprivation is another biggie when it comes to headaches. Tell you what,” Dex said, taking her hand. “You could take a short nap while I make dinner if you’d like.”
Pop nodded and his face brightened. “Great idea. Take it from a professional napper. It’ll do you some good.”
How easy it was to submit to two men who were trying their best to take care of her when all she had was a bad headache brought on by the stress of opening Pandora’s box. She couldn’t very well refuse either of them. “All right. Lead the way.”
Upstairs, Dex turned down the comforter and top sheet. When she sat, he pulled off her ankle boots then gently took the springy clip out of her hair and put it on the nightstand. “I’m sure this would be uncomfortable to sleep on.”
“Thanks.” Aria lay on the bed and let Dex pull the covers up over her. “I’m sorry I opened the box, and I apologize again for eavesdropping on you in Middleton’s Market that day.”
“Forget about it.” He straddled her with his arms and kissed her. “You sure look beautiful with your curls spread out all over my pillow.”
“Dex,” Aria said, as he walked to the door and turned off the light. “Don’t let me sleep too long, okay?”
“I’ll wake you in thirty minutes.”
Aria turned onto her side and snuggled her cheek into the pillow. How was she supposed to fall asleep in Dex’s bed when his scent surrounded and riled her feminine senses?
She closed her eyes. If she couldn’t sleep, she could at least rest for half an hour.
* * * *
“Aria.” Her name echoed from another realm. Her body swayed in a surreal mist as if floating on a cloud. Such peace. Tranquility. Total relaxation.
“Aria.”
Her eyes popped open.
Dex was shaking her hip, beaming with amusement. “Were you asleep or unconscious?”
Aria pushed herself to a sitting position and arched her back with a stretch. “You were just rowing us across a beautiful pond in a wooden rowboat. I was sitting at the stern, leaning back on my hands with my feet hanging overboard, dragging my toes in the water.”
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