A Love Melody

by Grace Roberts

  “I’m sorry. It was silly of me to say those things.”

  Ryan shrugged. “It’s okay; it’s what they all think. It looks like a perfect life from the outside, but it’s a tough one inside.”

  “Ryan—”

  He stood up abruptly and turned toward the pool. “Let’s take a swim. I’m roasting.”

  And before she could say anything else, he dived, putting an end to the conversation. She watched as he emerged in the middle of the pool, and waved at her to join him. Even though his smile still didn’t look completely genuine and his words had left a sour taste in her mouth, she shrugged it off and jumped into the cool, clear water with a big splash.

  After a couple of hours at the spa, a wonderful lunch in the hotel restaurant, and a whole afternoon lying by the pool, Valerie was starting to feel human again. She knew it was only a little break before having to go back to her old life, but it had really done her good. And, since her flight was at two in the afternoon, she’d still have a few hours left the following day to enjoy her short vacation.

  She would have loved to visit Miami, but after the treatments at the spa, she’d felt too tired and in need of relaxing. The swimming pool had looked so inviting that she hadn’t felt like getting dressed and checking out the city. Besides, Ryan had looked in desperate need of a bit of relaxing too, although he’d tried to hide it, and she’d known this would probably be the only time he’d be able to take a break, at least until he was back in Boston. She’d wanted him to take a break from his hectic life too, especially after he’d told her it was hard for him to go around the cities he was staying in without being assaulted by fans or stopped by reporters.

  So after sunbathing, swimming, and a long, warm shower in the amazing bathroom in their suite, Valerie felt renewed and ready to enjoy his show from a front row seat.

  They ordered room service and enjoyed an early dinner in their bathrobes, just like people do in movies. They never stopped talking or laughing, just like they used to do when they were younger and life was drama-free.

  Ryan had seemed tired and distant during the past couple of weeks, and she’d been scared that his job—and most of all, being a celebrity—was slowly taking him away from her. Although she’d prepared herself to lose him to show-biz, her heart broke a little more every time she considered the possibility. Ryan had always been there for her—he’d always supported her, cared for her, and protected her; she wasn’t sure she was ready to lose him or that she’d be able to go on living without him.

  But after the relaxing day they’d just had, everything seemed to have gone back to normal. She shouldn’t worry anymore about it: Ryan hadn’t changed at all, no matter how much money he made now. He was back to the old Ryan, totally different from the tired and distant guy he had been in the past weeks.

  When it was time for the show, the same car they’d been in earlier that day picked them up just outside the hotel. Ryan’s manager was already in it and, as soon as introductions were over, he started giving Ryan updates on the things they’d be doing the following day. When Ryan tried to object and asked to have the morning off, the man glared at him.

  “You’ve already had a whole day off, Ryan. We’ll be flying to Atlanta tomorrow night, and you can’t leave Miami without going to the local radio station. You know the drill.”

  “It’s always the same things they ask—people don’t care about it anymore. I’ve been on ten different networks, and I doubt this would be much different from the previous interviews.”

  Ryan leaned back against the seat and his slumped shoulders gave him a tired, almost defeated look. For the first time since he’d become a celebrity, Valerie wondered if this was really what he wanted. Lately it seemed as if he didn’t put as much passion into it as he used to. Even when he used to play at the jazz club in Boston, he’d seemed more passionate about it than he did now. Maybe this might have become too big a burden to carry, and she wished she could do something to help.

  His manager went on talking about where they would go and what they would do the following day, but Ryan simply stared out of the dark windows at the city lights passing by, purposely ignoring him.

  Chapter 9

  “Are you all right?” Valerie asked, once they were alone in his dressing room. He’d been quiet ever since the conversation with his manager, and he knew she’d understood he was upset. She knew him better than anyone else and could identify all of his mood swings or the emotions he was feeling in a heartbeat.

  He shrugged and slumped down on an armchair, fidgeting with his watch.

  “You see how I never have a say in anything? He decides, and I have to do it. That’s it.” He sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment, leaning back. “It’s my life, but I can never make a single decision.”

  “I know the feeling. I never get to have a say most of the time either.” She sat on the armrest and took his hand, holding it in both of hers. When he opened his eyes, she was smiling at him. “I know it sucks, but it’s just the way it is. You just can’t let it spoil the good parts of your job, you know, like writing your own music and playing it.”

  “I just wanted to spend some time with you tomorrow; I don’t want to have another stupid interview.” He sounded like a whiny child, but he didn’t care. She put her arm around him, and he relaxed into her. He’d felt so alone during the past couple of weeks; feeling the familiar warmth of her embrace was the best cure for homesickness.

  “Don’t talk like a spoiled child, now,” she scolded, giving him a squeeze. “I didn’t feel like working double shifts either, but it’s my job and I had to do it. And so do you now. We can spend some time together when you come back next week. It’s not such a big deal.”

  “Gee, you sound like my mother now. It’s creepy!” Ryan laughed and gave her a bear hug, feeling a little better. A moment later he stood up and reached for his suit in the small closet on the right. “I think you’d better go now; I’ll be out there in a minute.”

  She nodded and gave him one last hug, then she gave him a good luck kiss on his cheek. When she left, he put on his suit and looked at his reflection in the mirror, trying to focus only on the good things about his job, like Valerie had said. Playing his music was one of them, so he straightened his shoulders and walked out, ready to start.

  Valerie went outside and was shocked by the crowd waiting for her best friend to come on stage. It was still hard for her to come to terms with the fact that he was a celebrity, that there were hundreds, actually thousands of people in the US and in Europe who loved him and his music. She didn’t like the thought of sharing him with other people, but she had to get used to it.

  She got to hang out with him whenever she wanted to, and when he was abroad, she could call him and talk to him whenever she missed him. When he was in town, she could go to his apartment and watch a movie, snuggled up on the couch next to him. These were normal things she’d always been doing with him and, now that he was famous, it didn’t really feel any different than before. To her he was still the same, although now he could afford a beautiful apartment in downtown Boston and to buy her nice gifts.

  However, in spite of all the nice and expensive gifts he’d bought her after he’d become famous, the thing she loved the most was still the ring they’d bought in Dublin when they were teenagers. It was a simple sterling silver ring with a Celtic design they’d bought in the St. Stephen’s Green shopping center a few days before his departure, and they’d appointed it as the symbol of their friendship. She couldn’t wear it at work, so she always kept it on a silver chain around her neck when she was at the hospital and put it on only when she was off. He always wore his too, and she’d never seen him without it. This meant everything to her because, even though he was a star, it proved that their friendship was still as important to him as it was back then.

  Now, as she took her seat next to some over-excited girls, Valerie realized how lucky she was: half of the girls in there would kill to be in her shoes. She was the clos
est person to America’s Jazz Star, and she hadn’t even worked hard to get there. They’d met by chance and had become inseparable without much effort on either side. It felt weird to be the most envied girl in the United States, but it also made her feel special to know that, even though he could have all the girls he wanted, she was still the one he wanted to be with whenever he had some free time.

  When the venue fell into the dark and a beacon of white light danced across the stage, the crowd went hysterical. A knot of anticipation formed in her stomach, as if it were she who’d have to play in front of such a big crowd. The first few notes of a Sinatra song boomed through the speakers, and she was back at the Club in Dublin, when things were easier and nobody cared whether they were holding hands or spending time with each other. It was much more difficult now, with his fans chasing him everywhere and paparazzi ready to snap pictures of him with a woman, no matter who she was.

  Ryan walked out after a couple of beats, and the screams became deafening. Valerie thought the girl next to her was going to pass out any minute, but she could understand the feeling. She was so excited she could barely remain seated, and she had to admit that Ryan looked pretty handsome in that black suit and tie, with the bright spotlight shining on his face. He waved at the crowd, and when he sang the first lyrics of the song, he turned from her best friend Ryan into Jazz Star Ryan Wyler.

  He spent most of the time at the piano, either supported by the band or playing solo, and she noticed he’d become much more confident on stage than the last time she’d seen him in Boston. There was no denying he’d turned into a real music star.

  His first album had been mostly composed of covers of their musical heroes—Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett, among others, but in his second and third albums he’d been allowed to include his own music and songs, and he’d quickly become not only a famous jazz performer, but a renowned young composer as well.

  The first notes of My Lucky Charm echoed in the venue, and her heart leaped. This was the song he’d written for her only a few months before, thinking of their special friendship and how important she was to him. Nobody really knew she was the person he was referring to in the lyrics. He’d always been very protective of her and had never wanted paparazzi to start digging into her past, follow her around, or interfere with her life and career.

  She thought of the first time she’d listened to it, when he’d played it on his grand piano in his apartment. He’d just finished writing it, and she’d been the very first person to listen to it. She’d loved every single note, every single word, and while he’d played it, she’d let a couple of tears fall freely and had felt special and loved.

  The last part was the one she loved the most, because it was where Ryan had poured out his heart to her and had thanked her for being there for him for all those years. He often joked about Valerie being his lucky charm, and she just shook her head, feeling self-conscious, and said that he’d achieved all that because he was talented and had worked hard to be successful. But Ryan didn’t agree, and he’d written the song to show his appreciation and love, knowing she’d understand it was dedicated to her just by its title.

  Now, as Ryan’s soft voice echoed in the venue and people sang along, probably thinking of their special someone, she felt flattered to have such a beautiful song dedicated to her. She also felt extremely, undeniably lucky to have him in her life.

  Years have gone by, things have changed,

  But I still feel the same way I did back then.

  You’re my shining star in the darkest sky;

  You’re the sun my life revolves around;

  You’re a melody, a song I love to sing;

  You’re the place I can always call home;

  You’re my strength, my hope,

  When things around me get crazy.

  I’ll always be thankful for having you in my life,

  Everything I have, girl, I owe it to you

  Because I know you were, you are, you’ll always be

  My lucky charm.

  Ryan turned to look at her, his fingers flowing on the keyboard just like they used to when they were in the Club in Dublin. He winked and gave her a sweet smile, which made the girl next to her shriek, thinking he had winked at her.

  Tears welled in her eyes, but she smiled back, knowing they didn’t need words to say how much they cared for each other; they simply knew it, they felt it in the way they were complete when they were together and how they always managed to think alike, almost finishing each other’s sentences. There was nothing Valerie didn’t know about him, and he knew her better than anyone else in the world. Their friendship had lasted the distance, her crazy shifts, and his sudden success, and it had only got stronger. She was sure nothing would ever come between them, and this filled her heart with more joy than she’d ever thought possible.

  She closed her eyes and leaned back on her seat, enjoying the last few notes of her special song. While the people around her screamed and sang along, she felt as if there was nobody there but Ryan and her, just like on her twenty-first birthday when he’d played the piano only for her.

  Chapter 10

  *** Eight years earlier ***

  “Happy twenty-first birthday, Val.”

  Ryan had called her earlier that day and invited her over to his school. They were alone in his room, sitting on his bed, and he was wearing the sweetest smile as he handed her a thin square package wrapped in silver paper with a red ribbon on top. She stared at him with her mouth open and wide eyes.

  His gifts had always been the most important and the most meaningful to her. She smiled and took the nicely wrapped present, holding it in her hands for a moment. She couldn’t believe how fast the last three years had flown; it seemed like only yesterday she’d left her hometown in Ireland, and here she was now, celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Boston with her best friend by her side.

  “Are you gonna open it before your next birthday?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow and his lopsided grin. She chuckled, removing the tape carefully, not wanting to tear the nice silver paper. When she took out the CD case, she gasped. The title read “Music for my best friend–by Ryan Wyler”. She smiled as she flipped it over to read the back cover.

  “Valerie’s theme?” She looked up at him after she read the title of the first song, her head tilted to the side.

  “I composed it for you,” he said, smiling a little sheepishly. “I thought it would be a nice birthday present. You know, to give you something that would be yours only; that nobody else would ever have.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal, as if this wasn’t the best present she’d ever received. “Besides, I couldn’t afford to buy you a special, expensive present for your twenty-first, so I thought I’d give you something that would always remind you of me, something that comes straight from my heart.”

  She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, hoping it would convey how much she loved that present.

  “Even if you had all the money in the world, you could’ve never bought me something half as special as this CD.” She blinked to fight the tears welling in her eyes. Now wasn’t the time for acting like a weepy girl. “I feel so special to have a song composed for me, my song!”

  “The rest are just some oldies, played by me. It’s nothing special, really, but I thought it’d be boring to have only one song on a CD, so I chose some of the songs I know you like.” He shrugged again and lay down on his bed, leaning on his elbows.

  “It’s a wonderful present,” she said, holding the CD case close to her heart as if it were some precious relic. “Would you play the song for me?”

  “Now?” He frowned.

  She clasped her hands in front of her face and batted her eyelashes, in her best pleading expression. “Pleeease!”

  He chuckled and sat up, shaking his head in mock exasperation. Then he opened the top drawer of his bedside table and took out some sheets of paper.

  “Okay. Let’s go to see if the piano is free now.”<
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  Valerie was glad to discover that the piano room, as the students called it, was empty. She didn’t want anyone else to hear her special song. Ryan sat at the piano, close to the window, and put the sheets on the music stand, while she sat on the windowsill, hugging her knees.

  She’d always loved listening to Ryan playing the piano, but this time it was her song he’d be playing, the song he’d composed especially for her. She closed her eyes as the beautiful notes filled the room, and felt like she was being lifted off the ground and was floating above the clouds. She was so entranced in the wonderful melody, she didn’t even notice when the first tears wet her cheeks.

  When the music stopped, she slowly opened her eyes as if she were waking up from a beautiful dream she never wanted to end. Ryan was standing in front of her, a crooked smile on his face.

  “I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

  “I got a little emotional.” She sniffled and got off the windowsill. “It was amazing, Ryan, I just love it. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything more beautiful. And it’s so me!”

  “Yeah, I know,” he smiled and poked a finger in her ribs. “It’s a bit saucy, just like you.”

  “I’m not saucy, you eejit!” She stuck out her tongue at him and folded her arms across her chest. Ryan chuckled, and took her hand, pulling her close to him so he could wrap his arms around her.

  “No, you’re not,” he said, his tone soft and caring. “You’re the sweetest girl I’ve ever met. And this is why I chose only the good notes to write your song.”

  Valerie smiled even as tears veiled her eyes again. Ryan could be the funniest guy one moment and the sweetest a second later. He was the best friend one could ever wish for, and she was the luckiest person on Earth to have him in her life.