Every Beat of My Heart Read online

  In the parking deck, he retrieved his truck and got on the road toward home. The meeting had left a sense of sadness hanging over him like a dark cloud. He could still see the look of disappointment on Rick Havens’s face. What was the world coming to when even an excellent employee like Rick had no job security?

  To break up the burden of gloom sitting on his shoulder, he used the Bluetooth in his truck to call Lina. He didn’t know if she was still at work this late, but he felt a strange, yet compelling need to hear her voice.

  “Hello?”

  The moment her sultry voice filled the cabin of his truck, he felt some of the tightness in his upper body melt away. “Hi, baby. I hope you’re not busy.”

  “I’m home. I’m just about to throw on a stir-fry for dinner. What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

  There was a moment of silence on the line, except for the sounds of her banging around in her kitchen. “Really?”

  “Yes. It was a rough day at the office. I had to fire one of our oldest and best employees due to these asinine budget cuts.”

  “Oh, no. I’m sorry, Rashad.”

  The sympathy in her tone went a long way toward soothing his frustrations. “I appreciate that.”

  “Hmm.” The sound she made came over the speakers, making him think she was contemplating something.

  “What is it?”

  “Isn’t there anything you can do for the man? Maybe there’s still a way you can save his job and keep your office on budget.”

  He spun the steering wheel as he made the right turn into his neighborhood. Her words got him thinking, and there was only one solution he could come up with. Remembering his promise to Rick, he made up his mind. “You’re right, Lina. I think there is something I can do.”

  She responded with an upbeat tone. “Great. Let me know how it turns out.”

  What he planned to do for Rick had a very high probability of saving the older man’s job; still, he had no idea how people would react to his actions. Regardless of that unknown, he would do it anyway. As a man of his word and as a grateful employer, he owed it to Rick.

  “Why don’t you come by the Blue Lounge for the Gents show Friday night? It’s been a while since you’ve heard us play.”

  “I do love live jazz. Sure, I’ll swing by.”

  “Great. Then I’ll see you there, baby. Thanks for listening.”

  She chuckled. “You’re welcome.”

  He disconnected the call, and his satellite radio began to play again. Oddly enough, Monk’s original version of “’Round Midnight” vibrated through his car speakers on the all-jazz station the radio was set to.

  Hearing Monk’s signature composition brought back thoughts of the priceless baby grand locked up in Cleveland and Wendell. There were now only a few days left until the rescheduled auction would take place. Honestly, Lina’s glossy lips and dangerous curves had occupied his thoughts so much lately that he hadn’t spent that much time plotting to get his hands on the piano. The song served as a reminder of all the things he’d need to set into motion to make sure he’d win the bidding.

  He wanted that piano, but she seemed to want it just as badly, and he had a feeling that no matter who won the bidding, there would likely be some degree of drama between them. That was why he’d invited her to the Gents show—he’d spend that evening wooing her in hopes of cutting down on hard feelings once he took home the prized piano.

  He hummed along to the song as he pulled into his garage. After he cut the engine and made sure the garage door was closed, he entered the house through the side door.

  The next several days were bound to be interesting.

  Chapter 8

  As Lina entered Bar 10 Thursday evening for the monthly meeting of her book club, she saw most of the members were already present. Eve, Ophelia and Denise were all lounging in the overstuffed cream-colored armchairs in the back corner of the space. Every month they sat in those same seats, away from the entrance and the main common area of the establishment. The chairs were arranged in a semicircle around a short-legged coffee table, allowing the ladies optimum positioning for their lively conversations.

  Lina crossed the room and slipped into an empty seat, setting her camel leather tote on the floor next to the chair. “Hey, girls.”

  The women exchanged greetings and pleasantries for a few moments, catching up with each other on the happenings of the past four weeks. Lina fetched a glass and served herself from the open bottle of Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon on the table. Large bowls of popcorn, pretzels and sweet and salty trail mix accompanied the wine, as was the usual fare for their meetings.

  “Eve, you’re still glowing with happiness, girl.” Ophelia sipped from her wineglass as she made the observation.

  In response, Eve’s already wide grin brightened even more. “We had such a wonderful time in the islands. This private beach, the personal butler and that cozy little villa right on the water...” Her voice trailed off as her eyes took on a dreamy, faraway look.

  Lina couldn’t help smiling. She and Eve had been best friends for years, and she was genuinely happy for her. This was the first time she’d seen Eve since she returned from her seven-week island honeymoon, and she knew there would be more steamy details to come. Lina wondered if she’d ever get to that place of bliss with Rashad. She didn’t realize she’d sighed out loud until Denise called her on it.

  Between bites of popcorn, Denise asked, “Lina, what’s up with you, girl?”

  Three sets of curious eyes landed squarely on Lina’s face.

  She closed her eyes briefly to prepare for the onslaught of questions she knew were coming.

  Then she got a brief reprieve, in the form of the last member’s arrival.

  “Sorry I’m late, girls.” Fiona dropped her small clutch on the coffee table and eased down into the last empty armchair. “What’d I miss?”

  Ophelia smirked. “A little taste of Eve’s honeymoon, but you’re just in time to hear all about what’s going on with Lina and Rashad.”

  Fiona’s hazel eyes widened then swung to Lina. “Girl! You and Rashad are back together?”

  Lina nodded, chuckling. “Sorry I didn’t tell you, but I know how busy you are with grad school. Plus I just assumed the Mouth of the South over there would tell you.” She gestured to Denise, who had the decency to look sheepish.

  Eve waved a French manicured hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. We all know you’re back together. Now tell us what’s happening!”

  Crossing her legs and settling back into her chair, Lina began. “We’ve only been back together for a hot minute, it hasn’t even been two whole weeks. So far, everything is going pretty well.”

  “How did y’all end up getting back together, anyway?” Denise said as she munched on popcorn and leaned forward in her chair as if she were watching a movie.

  The question made Lina think about the object that had brought them together in the first place: Monk’s piano. “We both showed up at an auction to bid on a piano once owned by Thelonious Monk. The bidding was interrupted, and I guess one thing led to another.”

  “What happened with the piano?” Eve asked.

  “The auction house has been shut down, since the owner and the auctioneer were injured in a car wreck. Right now, no one has purchased it.”

  “Enough about the piano.” Fiona chuckled. “Come on now, Lina. You know we want details. Have you given up the cookie yet?”

  Draining her wineglass, Eve hit Fiona with a mean side-eye. “Girl, that’s just uncouth.”

  “Whatever. Just spill the beans,” Denise encouraged.

  Lina shook her head. “No, I haven’t slept with him yet. This thing is still pretty new.”

  “No, it isn’t. You got with him when you dated before, and as I
recall, he could swing the D with the best of them.” Eve winked.

  With a dramatic roll of her eyes, Lina groaned. “Can y’all find your way out of my business so we can discuss the book? We are a book club, right?”

  Denise nodded in agreement. “As president I must agree with Lina. Let’s get to the book discussion. How many of you finished it?” She reached into her bag and held up her copy of Brenda Jackson’s latest novel.

  Lina raised her hand, and noted that everyone else had finished the book with the exception of Eve.

  Wearing the soft smile of a satisfied woman, Eve admitted, “I’m only halfway through it. Darius has been keeping me very...busy.”

  The group of women exchanged knowing glances.

  As the conversation finally turned to the book, Lina felt a modicum of relief. She loved the girls in her book club, even though they were nosy as hell. Things were going well with Rashad, but as she’d said, it was all very new. She wasn’t really in the mood or position to have long discussions with her girls about him, since she wasn’t quite sure where things were heading this time around.

  There was one thing she was sure of. Rashad was about as sexy as a man could be, and it had been a long time since she’d been properly pleasured. Every time he crossed her mind, she remembered what it had been like to be with him, all those months ago when they’d first attempted a relationship. Despite all the time that had passed, she could still easily recall his prowess in the bedroom. He was the knight and she was the dragon, he slayed her. Every. Single. Time.

  She remembered the first time they’d made love. He’d fixed her a romantic candlelight dinner on fine china at his house. After they’d eaten, he’d taken her out on the balcony. The moon that night had been full, the sky filled with stars sparkling like diamonds. It wasn’t long before he’d skillfully coaxed her dress up around her waist. She could still feel his hands, his lips. He’d taken his time getting her ready. Only after she’d succumbed to orgasm did he give her what she had been begging for. He’d made slow, sweet love to her while she was draped over his balcony railing...

  “Lina. Lina!”

  The sound of Fiona snapping her fingers jerked Lina out of her fantasy world and back to reality.

  Fiona quipped, “Fantasize much?”

  Lina rolled her eyes. “Hush. Stop teasing me. What did you say?”

  Eve giggled. “She asked you what you thought of the sex...”

  “Dang it, y’all—”

  “...in the book. She was talking about the sex in the book, girl.” At this point, Eve could barely keep a straight face.

  Swallowing hard, Lina dropped her head. She had been thinking about sex, but it certainly wasn’t the sex in the book, and everybody knew it. Not knowing what else to say, she fell back on the line often used by her clients when they were approached by the press. “No comment.”

  The rest of the girls erupted into peals of laughter.

  * * *

  Drawing back the heavy blue velvet curtain just a bit, Rashad peeked out of the small opening. The house lights in the Blue Lounge were still up as people arrived for the night’s performance. From the looks of it, the Gents would be playing to another sold-out house. Ticket sales were usually very high on Friday nights, and tonight was no exception. He let his eyes scan the crowd, looking for Lina.

  It wasn’t long before he spotted her. She was seated near the front, just left of center stage. Her chair was turned sideways from the table, toward the stage, and as he took in the sight of her, he felt his body temperature rising. She had her curls pinned up, and wore a sexy little black tube dress. The cut of the dress revealed the curve of her shoulders, the tempting tops of her breasts, and the long honey-brown legs he’d love to have wrapped around his waist. On her feet were a pair of black stilettos that revealed just the tips of her shimmery red toenails.

  He swallowed hard, knowing he should be setting up his keyboard and mic stand. He could stare at her fine ass all night long. She looked gorgeous, and he just hoped he could get through the show without pouncing on her like a hungry tiger.

  A firm tap on his shoulder jarred him out of his erotic fantasies. He turned his head and saw Ken, the drummer, staring at him.

  “Dude, what are you doing? Get your shit together for the show.” Ken’s expression belied his amusement.

  “Sorry, I’m coming.”

  Ken slid past him and got a look at the crowd. “Oh, I see your problem. Lina’s out there, and dressed to kill.” He paused, made a whistling sound. “Try to get it together, man.”

  Rashad threw a fake punch at his friend to reward him for his chiding. “Scram, Ken.”

  As Ken walked away, Rashad released the curtain and let it fall back into place again. He really did need to get ready at this point. He made his way to center stage, and spent a few minutes setting up his keyboard and the mic stand. Then adjusted everything to its proper positioning. Around him, his bandmates did the same. Ken adjusted the various components of his drum set. Darius set up the support stand for his upright bass. Marco looped the strap of his saxophone around his neck and played a few notes, tuning the instrument.

  After setting the tall stool he used during shows behind the keyboard, Rashad drew a deep breath. He and his bandmates had been at this so long, he was well past preshow jitters. Still, knowing Lina was sitting right in the front row had him feeling a whole new kind of trepidation. Just like the first night she’d come to the Blue all those months ago, he wanted to impress her. Now the stakes were even higher. She was giving their relationship a second chance, and the last thing he wanted to do was blow it.

  She’d made it clear that she didn’t care for the band’s female fans, who were often stuck to him because he was the main vocalist. She’d called them “groupies,” as he recalled. That word had some pretty negative connotations, and he preferred to just call them fans. After all, the Gents weren’t some band of teenage rockers, trawling the concert circuit for booze and loose women. They were a jazz quartet, and they were all much too mature for those kinds of shenanigans.

  He straightened his bright red tie and adjusted his fedora. He could hear the night’s emcee introducing them, and he glanced around to his three friends. They were all poised in position as he was, knowing the curtain would rise at any second.

  As the blue velvet curtain ascended, revealing the band to the waiting audience, Rashad stepped into the red-tinged spotlight, the mic in his hand. “Evening, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s get this thing started, shall we?”

  Boisterous applause met his greeting, and as the sound died down, he fixed his eyes on Lina. He could only see an outline of her, due to the stage lights, but that was inspiration enough. He kept his eyes on her as he plied the keys of his keyboard, playing the opening notes of the night’s first song, George and Ira Gershwin’s “Embraceable You.” The band joined in, one instrument at a time, until they all were playing. Opening his mouth, he tilted his head back and belted the verse.

  The lighting made it impossible to make out her facial expression, but he could see her swaying to the music. That was good enough for him, and he gave the performance his all. The song ended to thunderous applause, and more than a few appreciative female shouts.

  As the show went on, moving into a few instrumental numbers so Rashad could rest his voice, a number of female fans left their seats to lean over the front edge of the stage. The Blue was an intimate venue, meaning that only mere inches separated his wing tips from the extended hands of some of the women. He eased back a bit, hoping to avoid stepping on anyone’s fingers, while offering the ladies a convivial smile.

  When he swung his eyes in Lina’s direction again, he noticed that she’d stopped swaying, and was now perched stiffly in her chair. Something told him that the change in her demeanor might be due to the swarm of fans at his feet. But at the moment, there wasn�
�t much he could do about it. He decided that if Lina was indeed perturbed by the fans’ behavior, he would give her something that would assure her, once and for all, that he only had eyes for her.

  The set finally drew to a close, and Rashad caught a last glimpse of a sullen-looking Lina as the house lights were turned on and the curtain dropped. Determined that he would settle this “groupie” thing with her, he packed up his instrument and equipment at lightning speed.

  He was on his way through the backstage area toward the lounge when Darius called after him.

  “Wanna go to the Bull with us for drinks?”

  Rashad didn’t stop walking and barely turned his head as he called back, “Rain check.”

  With the large case holding his keyboard and stand in one hand, he pushed through the door into the main area of the lounge, just in time to catch a glimpse of Lina’s back as she headed out the side door. He picked up his pace, taking long strides until he caught up with her just outside the club.

  “Lina.” He placed a gentle hand on her arm.

  She turned her honey-gold eyes on him, and he could see she was upset. “What is it, Rashad?”

  “Where are you rushing off to?”

  “Home. I don’t really have any desire to see you flirting with the groupies tonight.”

  He sighed, set the heavy case down by his feet. “Baby, we talked about this. They’re not groupies. Who do you think I am, some swell-headed youngin’ out here chasing tail?”

  She frowned, folding her arms across her chest. “No, but you don’t have to look like you’re enjoying the attention so much.”

  He pressed a hand to his temple. “Really? Would you rather I scowl at them, Lina?”

  She turned her head, looking away from him, but said nothing.