Page 2 of The Matchmaker's Melody
“Haveyou known Emma for a long time?” Taylor swirled the deep amber beer around in the tall glass. The large television set in the corner of the pub flashed images of some sporting event, but Gordon’s focus was on his friend, not the game.
“Forever, it seems.” He contemplated his own drink, a stout from a local brewery, and took an appreciative sip. “We grew up together, in a way, but I hadn’t had much to do with her recently, until she joined the choir.”
They were waiting for Randall after that first night’s rehearsal, in a pub on the main street near the arts centre where the Eglinton Echoes rehearsed. Once the season got started, The Fife and Fiddle would probably be host to a group of singers each Thursday night when their practice was over, but today they were the only ones here from the choir—for now, at least. A few others might come along with Randall in a while.
Gordon’s hand wavered over the plate of French fries on the table between them, then picked at one that seemed particularly appetising and dipped the end in the ceramic bowl of ketchup. “I’ve known Emma since she was five, and I was fourteen. Our fathers were—are—business partners.”
“Has she always been so confident?” Taylor gave a chuckle. “Perhaps that’s the most delicate word. I love the lass, and would hate to call her arrogant…”
“If the designer stiletto shoe fits,” Gordon answered with a chortle of his own. “She is a gem, and always has been. Well, perhaps a spoiled gem. She came along several years after her sister, and she was the golden child, especially with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She was one of those adorable, precocious little kids, and she had every adult wrapped around her baby finger. She was raised to think she ruled the world. Those manicured fingers are in every pie. Or, they were.”
“A cute and engaging kid grew into an attractive and engaging woman. She certainly likes herself. So, you’re close, then?” Taylor asked.
Gordon took another sip of his beer. “Not as much as we once were. I was the designated babysitter when we had family-slash-business events growing up. Honestly, I enjoyed it more than I admitted. She was a lovely kid, despite never having heard the wordno. She’s got a good heart.”
Taylor grabbed his own handful of fries. “Randall will have to order more, if he ever arrives. You won’t hear anything bad about Emma from me. She’s incandescent. She is also quite proud of how she introduced us. I think she considers herself quite the matchmaker.”
His dark eyes went dreamy for a moment, and Gordon couldn’t hide his grin. In this case, Emma had been right. Taylor and Randall were a perfect couple. But really, it was just a lucky guess on Emma’s part. Randall and Taylor moved in similar circles and had many interests in common. They were bound to meet at some point. The worlds of music and literature often overlapped.
Oblivious to Gordon’s musings, Taylor kept talking. “She was my student once. Her hand was always up. She always had an answer. Sometimes even the right one!” He laughed again. “There’s a sort of certainty in her you don’t often encounter. But you were saying? About knowing her as a kid? She’s a fascinating young woman. I think I’ll never completely understand her.”
“Nor I. We drifted apart a bit, after a few years. I went off to university, and then she did. We still see each other often, at these family-slash-business weekends our parents arrange, but it’s different than when we were together all the time as kids. Now it’s more like friends of the family, casual acquaintances, rather than anything closer. Now, my brother and her sister know each other better. They’re the ones who will be taking over the company when our parents retire. So, I suspect Emma and I will be waving at each other across the living room for many Christmas parties to come. It took a long time before I stopped thinking of her as a child. I think I still don’t really know the woman she’s become. Perhaps I’d like to.”
Taylor’s eyebrows rose. “You fancy her?”
Gordon almost spit out his beer. “What? Emma? She’s… she’s like a sister. Sort of.”
“She’s very attractive. Even I can see that.”
That was true. Gordon couldn’t deny it. Tall and slim, with just the right curves, and those pouty lips, perfect for kissing… He mentally slapped himself.
“Yes, she is. But, well, she’s Emma, and we’ve known each other for far too long.”
“Stranger things have happened. She’s certainly got character to spare.” Taylor raised his glass. “To Emma.”
“To Emma!”
CHAPTER2
HALLI
Emma clicked the ‘Stop’button on her computer and pushed the microphone away. She took in a long breath and smiled with satisfaction. Another video for her YouTube channel, Just Ask Emma, was done. She would spend a few minutes responding to earlier comments, then edit her video later and upload it in the morning, ready for when her faithful viewers expected it. They were such great fans and relied on her so much for their information. It wasn’t just about the products she recommended, but all those little tips on life, and, of course, the letters she replied to in her videos and on her social media platforms. Her fans needed her, and she was not going to let them down.
But someone else needed her as well. All she could think of was poor Halli, so solitary and shy at the rehearsal, trying to melt into the walls. She didn’t speak to a soul, that Emma had seen, other than a brief word of hello and goodbye to Randall, and that conversation with Gordon. Which Emma had arranged. Halli, with her pretty face and sweet nature, really ought to be surrounded by friends. She just needed a bit of help.
Luckily, that was exactly what Emma could do. She made her living giving good advice. And she was an influencer, after all. How better to use her powers than for good? But first, she needed to know a bit more about this new member of the choir. Where was she from? What did she do for fun? She must like something other than engineering. So boring! Who’d want to be an engineer? After all, Gordon was an engineer, and he was hardly the life of the party.
But the two of them had talked for a few minutes. Halli must have told him something other than her professors’ names. And so, on Sunday afternoon, just as the sun was thinking about setting, Emma did the unthinkable and picked up her phone to make an actual call.
“Emma?” Gordon answered, his voice laden with surprise and concern. “Why are you calling? You never call. Is everything okay? Your dad…?”
They were family friends, not personal friends, and until now, Emma had never contacted him, other than in a group email or the occasional text. To which he never responded. Hence the phone call.
“No, no,” she assured, “everyone’s fine. But I wanted to talk about the choir. About Halli, the new soprano. What do you know about her?”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then a voice that sounded exactly like the disapproving older brother she was glad she didn’t have replied. “Emma? Why are you asking me? If you want to know more about Halli, ask her.”
Spoilsport.
