Love’s Serenade

by Sheryl Lister

  “Mine. That way if we lose track of time, we only need to go downstairs.” The last time they’d written a song together, six hours had passed before either of them realized it. “Do you think Percy left town?”

  “If he had any sense, he did.”

  If he had any sense, he wouldn’t have come in the first place in Leigh’s mind. She hadn’t seen him and Liz confirmed that he didn’t come to the club last night. “Let’s hope so.” She planned to write her parents again and tell them about the incident in the hallway. Surely her father wouldn’t condone such behavior. Back in her apartment, Leigh hung up her dress. She found Miles seated at the kitchen table with the music in front of him. “You want something to drink?”

  “No, thanks.” Miles lit a cigarette.

  She placed an ashtray in front of him and sat.

  He pushed the sheets and a pen her way. “What were you thinking about changing?”

  Leigh studied the lyrics. They went back and forth for a time discussing some of the modifications. “And then some phrases on the lines I’ll sing, like right here.” She pointed. “I want to say, with each touch you set my soul on fire, and I love when you kiss me in that special way I desire.” She glanced up to see Miles staring at her strangely. “What?”

  Miles exhaled smoke and set the cigarette on the ashtray. “Is that what you feel when I touch and kiss you?”

  “Yes,” she said, softer than intended.

  He covered her hand with his. “And every day when the sun rises, your voice is the first thing on my mind. It’s the music of my heart, a rare and precious find.”

  Part of the lyrics he’d sang to her that day, the words moved her even more today. She felt herself being drawn into his sensual spell. He stroked the back of her hand, brought it to his lips and placed a lingering kiss there. Leigh’s pulse skipped.

  “That’s what I feel about you, Leigh. You are a rare and precious find, and I’m glad you’re mine.”

  Leigh melted against the chair. “Miles—“

  “I know, sweetheart. We’ll save it for later.” He sat back. “Anything else you want to change?”

  “Just one more thing.” Instead of speaking the words out loud, she wrote them on the paper. He read what she wrote and desire flared in his eyes.

  “So, my loving takes your breath away? I’ve a confession. Yours takes mine away, too.”

  Oh, mercy! “Um…did you decide on a title?”

  “Love’s Serenade.”

  That summed it up perfectly. Leigh pushed away from the table. “I think it’s time to go. We don’t want to be late.”

  Miles chuckled knowingly and stood. “No, we don’t.”

  “I want to freshen up a bit. Can I meet you downstairs?”

  “Sure thing.”

  She waited until he closed the door and scrubbed a hand across her forehead. “That man makes me lose myself.”

  When she went downstairs, she spotted Miles at a table on the far side of the restaurant. “Hello, Belinda.”

  Belinda eyed her. “Leigh. I assume you want a table.”

  “I’ll be joining Miles.”

  “Is that so? He told me he’s waiting for a Mr. Adams. It’s a little rude of you to interrupt, but I’m sure that’s nothing new.”

  Leigh raised an eyebrow. The woman had been dancing on Leigh’s last nerve ever since she found out she and Miles were seeing each other. “Not if I’ve been invited.” She spun on her heel and strode over to the table. She heard Belinda mutter something, but she didn’t care. Miles stood at Leigh’s approach and seated her. “Thanks. Did you order yet?”

  “No. I thought I’d wait until Mr. Adams arrives.”

  They didn’t have to wait long.

  Belinda escorted him over and placed a menu on the table. “Welcome to The Magnolia. I’ll be back in a moment to take your order.”

  Mr. Adams removed his hat and nodded. He turned to Miles and extended his hand. “Mr. Cooper, nice to see you again.”

  Miles rose and shook his hand. “Same here. I’d like you to meet Miss Leigh Jones.”

  Mr. Adams smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Miss Jones.” He took the chair opposite Leigh.

  “It’s nice to meet you, as well, Mr. Adams.” He was of average height, had dark skin and a razor-thin mustache that added an air of danger to his handsome face.

  “I have to admit, I’ve been looking forward to hearing you sing. I caught the last few bars of your performance over at the Winston’s rent party a few months ago. I’d hoped to be able to hear more.”

  “That’s very kind of you to say,” she said.

  Belinda came and took Mr. Adams’s and Miles’s order. “Oh, Leigh, you don’t have a menu?”

  Leigh wanted to smack her. She had purposely not given Leigh a menu. “Don’t worry about it, Belinda. I already know what I want,” she said sweetly. “I’ll have the fried filet of sole, tartar sauce and potatoes, and tea.”

  Belinda shot Leigh a hostile glare and walked off.

  “So, Miles, you mentioned a song. How long will it take for it to be ready?”

  Miles shared a look with Leigh. “Is tomorrow good? Music starts here at nine.”

  A wide grin covered Mr. Adams’s face. “I’ll be here. If it’s as good as you say, we’ll see about getting you two in the studio. We want to strike while the iron is hot, and right now the race records are selling well.”

  Leigh tried to contain her excitement. She glanced at Miles and he winked.

  “Sounds good.” Miles faced Leigh. “Is that okay with you, Miss Jones?”

  “Yes.” And she knew just what dress to wear.

  *

  Miles couldn’t believe he was finally close to realizing his dream. Since Liz only opened on Saturdays for dinner, he and Leigh had plenty of time to practice and still allow her to rest her voice. He dug out his pocket watch. He was due to meet Leigh at one, but wanted to get there a few minutes early. He started toward his bedroom, but stopped upon hearing a knock. Miles reversed his course, opened the door and all hell broke loose. Two men grabbed him and shoved him inside. Because Miles was taller than both, he used it to his advantage. He elbowed the one closest to him and when he staggered back, Miles punched his partner, who was out cold before he hit the floor. The first man rushed Miles and they fell onto the sofa. The blow momentarily knocked the wind out of Miles, but he came up swinging and when the dust settled, his opponent lay writhing on the floor. Breathing heavily, Miles stalked over and grabbed his colt from the drawer. He dragged the man up and tossed him none to gently into the chair. There was only one person who could be responsible. “Did Percy send you?”

  “Go to hell,” the man spat.

  Miles calmly shot him in the knee. “The next one’s going to send you to reserve my seat.”

  “Ow! You shot me,” he screamed, grabbing his knee and sliding to the floor.

  His partner stirred and sat up wide-eyed. The gun in Miles’s hand must have scared him because he started scooting away. “My temper’s not real good right now, so you’ve got one chance to answer my question. Where did Percy take Leigh?” When he didn’t answer fast enough, Miles strode over, snatched him up and stuck the gun in his face.

  The man’s eyes widened. “The train station, the train station,” he squealed. “Please don’t shoot me again.”

  “What time is the train scheduled to leave?”

  “Two o’clock.”

  Miles tossed the still whimpering man aside. “Be gone when I get back or I’m going to send you and your friend to the undertaker.” He snatched the door open. “And don’t bleed all over Mrs. Davis’s nice furniture and floor.”

  He took off down the stairs, jumped into his car and roared off. Mindful of what happened the other night and not wanting to have another run-in with the police, he eased off the pedal. The train wouldn’t leave for another forty-five minutes, so he had plenty of time to get there. He’d promised Leigh he wouldn’t do anything to get in trouble, but al
l bets were off.

  Miles barely stopped the car before he was out and striding to the front of the train station. Pulling his hat down to partially hide his face, he snaked his way through the crowd of people milling about, took up a spot against the side of the building and scanned the area. The whistle blew, signaling the train’s arrival. More than likely, Percy would try to board as quickly as possible. Miles peered through the window, but didn’t see them. His apprehension went up a notch. What if they’d left on an earlier train? He left his position to check the schedule and went still. Leigh. Relief flooded him. He scrutinized her face to see if she’d been hurt, but couldn’t tell from this distance.

  Miles ducked inside the depot, exited through the opposite door and eased close to them. The glint of Percy’s knife caught his attention and it took all he had to stick with his plan.

  “Miles is going to hunt you down like the rabid dog you are, Percy,” he heard Leigh say, still moving closer.

  Percy laughed. “If you’re waiting for pretty boy to rescue you, you’ll be waiting a long time. He’s going to be busy for quite a while.”

  Miles pressed his colt in Percy’s back. “Actually, my schedule just opened up.”

  “Miles.” Tears filled Leigh’s eyes.

  “You okay, Leigh?”

  “Yes.”

  “Leigh, step away and Percy, hand me that knife real slow. I don’t want to have to shoot you right here.” Grumbling, Percy did as asked. “Let’s go.”

  Leigh placed a hand on Mile’s arm. “Where are you taking him?”

  “To talk.” He nudged Percy and marched him behind the station. “What part of our last conversation did you not understand, the part about me not liking to repeat myself or you getting out of town for your good health?”

  Percy puffed up. “You’re not going to shoot me?”

  He smiled coldly. “You sure about that? I don’t think your friend will agree with you.”

  “Wha…what are you talking about?”

  “I thought that would get your attention. The only thing keeping me from leaving your carcass to rot, is my promise to Leigh.” He holstered the gun and, without warning, crashed his fist into Percy’s face. He followed the man down, landing blow after blow.

  “Miles!”

  Miles felt someone pulling him and finally Leigh’s voice filtered through his rage.

  “Miles, please stop. Please.”

  He hoisted Percy to his feet and searched his pockets. He found the train tickets. “Hold these,” he said to Leigh. Miles continued his search and relieved Percy of every penny in his pockets.

  “Hey! You can’t take my money,” Percy wailed.

  “This is payment for stealing Leigh’s sculpture.” He half dragged, half walked Percy to the front. “You have a train to catch.” He took the tickets from Leigh, gave her the money and escorted Percy to where the passengers were boarding. The conductor eyed Percy critically. Miles said nothing and handed him the ticket. He leaned close to Percy’s ear. “If you ever step foot in Harlem again, I will shoot you on sight.”

  Percy turned his malevolent glare on Leigh.

  Leigh smiled “Have a nice trip, Percy.”

  Miles chuckled and hauled Leigh into his arms. “Are you sure you’re okay? I was so worried.” He lightly ran his hands up and down her arm and searched her for any bruises or scrapes. “Did he hurt you?” He was so relieved to have her in his arms again

  “No, no. Thank you for getting here when you did.”

  He brushed his lips across hers. “Let’s go home, baby.”

  “Gladly.” They headed toward the car. “Do you think we can stop at the telegraph office first?”

  “Okay.” He drove the short distance to the office. “Who are you sending a wire to?”

  “My parents. I want them to know about Percy’s lies and him trying to kidnap me at knifepoint,” she said angrily.

  When Leigh wrote what she wanted to send, the telegraph officer read it. “You sure you want to send this?”

  “Yes. If there’s a reply, you can send it here.” Leigh scribbled her address on a piece of paper. That done, she and Miles returned to the car. She blew out a long breath. “At least that’s over.”

  Miles reached for her hand. “You’ve been through a lot today. Do you want me to get word to Mr. Adams to postpone his visit tonight?”

  “No. I’m fine. I hope we can still squeeze in a little time to rehearse before Liz opens up.”

  Miles could care less about a recording contract right now, he wanted to wrap Leigh in his arms and never let go. “Baby, maybe you should just rest tonight. I’m sure the audience will be fine for one night.”

  Leigh placed her hand against his cheek. “Miles, you are such an amazing man and I know you’re concerned. I really am fine. How can I not be when I have you as my knight in shining armor?”

  He slanted her a glance. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She rubbed her hands together with glee. “Let’s give Mr. Adams a show he’ll never forget.”

  “Whatever my baby wants.” Miles smiled. This settling down thing might not be so bad after all.

  Chapter 11

  Leigh could hardly contain her excitement. Eight hours ago, she believed she’d be on her way back to a life of misery, but thanks to Miles she never had to worry about Percy again. He’d told her about the two men Percy sent. She shuddered at the thought of them hurting Miles. Although she wasn’t a fan of him carrying a gun, today she’d been grateful to have it protecting her. In fact, if she’d had one she would have shot Percy herself. Percy had deserved that beating. Her anger rose again. She wondered if her parents would respond or if they would lay the blame at her doorstep. Leigh shook her head and pushed her speculations aside. Tonight, she would only concentrate on singing her best.

  She and Miles agreed to keep the song a surprise until the end. Leigh hadn’t even shared the information with Liz for fear of getting her hopes up for nothing. She decided to wait until they actually signed the contract. She heard the music, took a deep breath and surveyed her look in the mirror. The dress flowed seamlessly over her curves and the necklace complimented it perfectly. “Show time.”

  On stage, she and Miles shared a secret smile. He looked quite handsome in his black pants, white shirt, bow tie, suspenders and black fedora. When it came time for their new duet, butterflies started dancing in her stomach. Miles rose from the piano and walked the few steps to the center of the stage, as he did at the end of every show and the audience applauded.

  Miles held up his hand and waited for them to quiet. “Miss Leigh and I have a special treat that we hope you’ll enjoy. It’s called Love’s Serenade.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

  Sam, Willie and Loyce stared on in confused. Leigh saw Miles speak to them for a brief moment. The men smiled and nodded. Miles slid onto the piano bench. The moment the music started, every emotion she felt for Miles bubbled to the surface and with every word she sang, she tried to communicate exactly that to him. They’d sung many songs together, but only this one told of their own love story. Liz always kept a vase of flowers on the piano. Tonight after the song ended, Miles withdrew one of the white roses, presented it to her and placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand. Leigh looked out over the room. Some of the women had handkerchiefs out, dabbing at the corners of their eyes. Miles helped her down the steps and Leigh went over to the bar.

  Without asking, Liz placed a glass of water in front of Leigh. “You and I need to talk. I can’t believe you’re keeping secrets,” she groused.

  She laughed. “Yes, we do.” As she brought the glass to her lips, she saw Miles talking to Mr. Adams. Both men smiled and shook hands. Mr. Adams tipped his hat Leigh’s way and exited.

  “Who is that man and what was that all about?”

  Leigh just smiled and sipped.

  “Some friend you are.”

  “I’ll tell you as soon as I can. I promise.” She wanted to blurt
out everything, but held back. First she needed to talk to Miles. She hoped those smiles meant something good. In the crowd of people, it took him almost ten minutes to make it over to the bar. Leigh was fairly bursting at the seams, and it took all her control not to pounce on him the moment he sat next to her. She waited for him to say something and, after a couple of minutes, prompted, “Well?”

  “Monday morning at nine, contracts and then he’ll schedule us for the studio.”

  Leigh launched herself at him and squealed with delight.

  Laughing, Miles said, “You’re giving folks a lot to talk about.”

  She didn’t care. “Oh, my goodness! I can’t believe it.” She brought her hands to her mouth. Her dream was close to becoming reality.

  “Believe it, sweetheart.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you, Miles.” Had he not come back into her life, she might have never had this opportunity.

  “I didn’t do anything. You did all the work. The world deserves to hear your beautiful voice.” Miles stood. “May I walk you home?”

  “I’d love for you to walk me home.” Typically, Leigh had always been careful to keep their interactions businesslike in public. This time she wanted to shout to world how much she loved him.

  *

  Monday morning, Leigh sat nervously listening to Mr. Adams going over the contract details. She had no idea about what was acceptable, but Miles appeared to be very knowledgeable on the subject. Where she would have been satisfied with the promised pay to make the record, he demanded and got Mr. Adams to agree to also compensate them for songwriting and a portion for every record sold.

  “Now, Mr. Adams, we’re not going to have to worry about hearing our song on another record label under a false name, right?”

  She turned her stunned gaze to Miles. She’d heard about singers and musicians being cheated, especially members of the race. Did record companies really do that?

  “Of course not,” Mr. Adams said. Though he seemed a bit uncomfortable.

  Miles leaned back and folded his arms. “Good to know. Just didn’t want to worry about what happened over at Gennett Records happening here.”