Page 35 of Shape Of My Heart
She really hit hard for a girl, and it was commendable that he could feel it through the solid muscle onhisabs.
“Yes, damn you, Josh. Stop it. I can actually see you. I’m not one of your strippers or groupies. I’m not one of them, sostopit!”
He infuriated her further bylaughing.
“What’s so damn funny? You are such apervert.”
“I am who I am, baby. It’s all that raw Italian blood running through myveins.”
“I don’t care if pig’s blood runs through you. Stop looking at me like that. Argh, you are soweird.”
Him? Weird? This was normal. Abnormal was a man who didn’t react in the presence of a beautiful woman. Granted, his sex drive was over the top, but still, he wasn’tweird.
She turned on the radio and switched it to the classical music channel. “Don’t you dare say anything about my music. I need calm right now if I’m going to continue to workwithyou.”
He wasn’t going to say anything about the music. In fact, it was ironic that she should say that as both he and Clarissa used to listen to classical music to get their calm before a big game and a bigperformance.
It was actually Clarissa’s thing. He’d just joined in on it because he agreed it was soothing. This piece that played right now on the radio was one of herfavorites.
It was the “Thais Meditation” by Jules Massenet. It played in their home in San Francisco every day for as long as he could remember. This was a piece he could recall in his dreams and knew by heart, note by note of the powerful, spellbinding violinmusic.
He rested his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes, listening as the music flowed through the car around the space of tension between himandAmy.
In his mind he saw Clarissa doing her pirouettes across the living room. He remembered when she started learning to dance. She was only five years old. Their mother was hosting a charity event and had gotten the Russian Ballet group to take part. Elena Mancini was always looking at new ideas and ways to raise interest to bring money in to whatever charity she represented. This would be one that would define Clarissa for the rest of hershortlife.
Tatiana Vodschova was the star of the show and she captured Clarissa’s heart withonestep.
His sister became obsessed with dancing from that day onwards, and by the time she was ten she was already starring in a number of national shows. Just like him with football, ballet was her life. She was invited to go to Julliard without the need for audition. He didn’t know anyone else that had happened to. Not even Josh with his sports talent had had such an honor from scouts or anyone like that. He’d always had to do something to prove himself. When she finished at Julliard the number of dance companies that competed for her talent wasastounding.
She was so happy, so very happy and beautiful in every way. And, because of him, she was no longeralive.
The cold, dead image of her face filled his mind and his heart broke all over again. All that life, talent, and beauty gone. Justlikethat.
“Josh, wake up.” Amy was shaking his shoulder. They were back at his house and had parked in the driveway. He didn’t even realize that he’d fallen asleep. “Are you okay?” Concern softened her features, contrasting her prioranger.
A tear ran down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly, startled by its emergence. Shit, he was crying in front of her. He turned away and got out ofthecar.
Hilda and another lady were waiting on the porch. They attempted to speak to him but he just steppedstraightpast.
He needed a drink, and he wanted to bealone.
* * *
Amy waitedfor a few seconds in the car before getting out. Those were tears she just saw. Right? She was sure those were tears she saw running down Josh’scheek.
Resting her hand on the steering wheel, she took a moment to think. As she did, shame gripped at herinsides.
Desperation could make you do all sorts of things. Even someone like her, who was normallycompassionate.
Josh seriously got on her nerves; he irked her to no end. He was creepy, a complete pervert who she’d allowed herself to fall prey to, and a first-classjerk.
But, he was still a person. And money made her behave the way she did today. Money made her lose her mind because she knew he had the power to give her what she wanted to save hermother.
Before she left the studio Zelda told her that the money was already deposited in her account. Twenty thousand dollars. The rest would follow in a few months aspromised.
It sounded wonderful and paved the way for her mother’s surgery. Now the doctors could arrange a plan with the deposit and she could pay the balance when she got the rest of themoney.
It was wonderful. So why did she feelsobad?
