Page 19 of The Second Ending
You’d like Elise. She’s got a sensible head on her shoulders, and she sings fabulous jazz. Have you ever been to a jazz club? We never went, did we? Maybe, if we can find a suitable time and place, we can see about making plans…
Was this an invitation? Hope sprung up in Marcus’ breast.
There’s a new baritone in the choir, from Montreal. He’ll be with us for the rest of the year while he’s working in town. He and Emma—the blonde soprano who acts like she owns the place—have a flirtation going that has the rest of us munching on the popcorn…
Slowly, incrementally, the old Ashleigh was emerging from the crust she’d become, like a butterfly from its cocoon. Her humour slipped back into her emails, and some of her comments were almost teasing. Just like before.
And there wasn’t a single mention of a partner, or even a casual romantic interest. Did he have a chance, after all?
It was, of course, only fair for Marcus to respond likewise, and give her insights into his life as it was now.
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a jazz club. They don't make you sing, do they? It’s not like karaoke or anything? That would be awful. Honestly, I’m pretty quiet. Work takes a lot of my energy, and most of my friends have families, so we don’t get together as much as we used to. And no, before you ask, there’s no one special in my life. But hey, let’s not get maudlin. Do you know of any good jazz places? I think I’d like to find out what they’re all about….
What he didn’t write was that there hadn’t been anyone special in his life since that awful, horrible day, eight years ago, when her damned horrible family got their claws in and ripped apart the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Unwelcome flecksof wet snow dripped from a slate-grey sky, leaving their ugly tracks down the coffee shop window, as Ashleigh and Liora tried most desperately to ignore them.
“Nope, it’s not snowing. It’s only December 3rd. I won’t allow it. I’ll sue!” Liora laughed at her joke.
“I don’t see any snow. And I’ll help with the case. Ugh, it’s awful out there. I think I need another cup of tea. My treat this time, really.”
She went to make her order and returned shortly with a laden tray.
“So,” Liora levelled her eyes at her over the steaming cups, “you’ve been writing to him? What is this? A historical romance? Are you afraid your father will find out and forbid the relationship?”
Ouch. That hit a bit close to home. But it wasn’t Liora’s fault; she didn’t know the whole story. No one did.
“Something like that,” Ashleigh mumbled. “But really, it’s been good. When you’re not staring at each other and remembering all the things that went wrong, you can get past some of the bitterness. He was pretty cold when we first saw each other again, but I get the feeling he’s really trying to be nice. He’s a good guy. It’s a pity…”
“A pity? What?” Liora’s brows rose.
“No, nothing. Just a pity we didn’t work out.” Ashleigh paused. “I get the feeling he hasn’t had another serious relationship since we broke up.”
“And you have?”
Ashleigh muttered something else into her tea. “I’ve been busy. Work, and choir, and my time in South America…”
“What about this new guy you’ve mentioned? Sebastian, right? I still need to ask my friend about him. I keep forgetting.”
Ashleigh brushed the idea away with a sweep of her hand. “No, don’t worry about it. I’m sure there’s nothing he can tell methat I don’t know. Sebastian is a lot of fun. We’ve only managed to get together a couple of times, but he’s so interesting. It turns out we know some people in common, from my connections with the university where I took that course.”
Liora looked even more interested. “And the two of you…?” She waggled those expressive brows.
“No! Nothing of the sort. At least, not so far. Every time we make plans, something seems to come up for one of us. I’ve had a lot of work come across my desk recently, and he’s had his own obligations. Some conferences he’s been planning, or something. As I said, we’ve both been too busy to really spend a lot of time together and get to know each other. And then…”
“And then there’s Marcus, right?” Liora always was far too perceptive for anyone’s good. “There’s something you’re not telling. One of these days, you need to spill the whole story about the two of you. You’ve given me the point form version, but I know there’s stuff you’re keeping. Hey, it’s okay, Ash. These things can hurt. Even after all this time. But when you’re ready, you know I’m here. I’ll even supply the chocolate.”
She forced a grin. “Yeah, I know. One day. It’s funny. Now that Marcus and I are talking again, even just through these emails, it’s a bit easier to think about what happened. I don’t need to keep it all locked away anymore. Just give me a bit more time. And I’m holding you to that promise about chocolate.”
Liora raised her mug in a mock toast. “I’ve got you, girlfriend!”
CHAPTER 11
HALLELUJAH
With the endof the year came the inevitable Christmas concerts. The Eglinton Echoes performed their first seasonal program of carols and other music suitable for the year’s end, and the next week, sang two performances of ‘Messiah’. The first of these was out of town, with a full orchestra and a quartet of professional soloists, followed the next night by a repeat performance in Toronto.
And, of course, after this concert came the expected Christmas party. Ordinarily, Ashleigh enjoyed a bit of socialising with her fellow singers, but she knew she needed to make an early exit this time. Emma, the self-appointed social committee for the choir, had planned a gift exchange, and while this sort of enforced frivolity appealed to a lot of people, Ashleigh was not one of them.
