Hearts in Harmony (10 page)

Looking back, Celeste didn't know, on the million-to-one chance that it might have happened, what she would have done if Zac really had asked her to marry him. In the back of her mind she'd always told herself that even if she did marry Zac, she could still leave him anytime. That she hadn't really considered truly committing herself to Zac told her that all along she'd known the situation was less than ideal.

Since she'd been spending so much time with Adrian, she'd begun to see how good a relationship between a man and a woman could be. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, she'd done the right thing in leaving Zac and everything that went with him, in order to make a new start, especially with Adrian showing her the way.

Before meeting Adrian, she couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed just for fun and not at someone's expense. The difference was Adrian in her life. Everything he did was respectable, honest, and honorable.

Until six short months ago, Celeste hadn't been any of those things. She'd laughed at people like Adrian, consid
ering them fools in trying to do the right thing, when there was nothing in it for them.

Somehow, God had broken through her thick skull, and she had discovered that God's ways were right all along. However, she knew nothing of that kind of life, or the people who lived that way. Now that Adrian had dangled the
C
-word in front of her, knowing that for Adrian, forever really meant forever, the concept scared her to death.

Suddenly, she realized that conversation had stopped, and a couple of the ladies were staring at her.

“Sorry,” Celeste muttered as she wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I guess I was thinking about something else. What were you saying?”

Kaitlyn smiled brightly. “I said, since it's payday we're all going to run to the bank before we go back to work. Do you want to come? The waiter was fast today, so we've got extra time. This way we can beat the traffic going home.”

Celeste checked her watch. She usually did her banking in her own neighborhood in the evening at the drive-through machine, but if she hadn't missed it, she wanted to hear the end of the story about the time one of the women, Susan, forgot her husband's birthday.

At the thought of birthdays, her stomach clenched and the nice lunch she really couldn't afford threatened to surface.

It would be Adrian's birthday before too long. Not that she expected any sort of romantic date with him—that was exactly what she was trying to avoid. She wasn't the kind of woman Adrian could have a future with. Still, regardless of what she wanted, she loved him deeply. But her background meant she couldn't allow anything more than simple friendship. He was the best friend she had, so she
wanted to give him a special present for his birthday, something she'd made herself.

The lady at the craft store had loaned her a pattern that was a personal favorite, then given her a discount on the supplies, so Celeste had been hard at work making Adrian a cover for his computer's mouse which would, she hoped, resemble a real mouse made out of plush, and the cover for the keyboard was supposed to look like a large piece of cheese.

She had started the project before she lost her head and kissed him, but what was done was done. Even if she had to stop seeing him so often, she wouldn't love him any less. In fact, his innocent reaction made her realize just how special he was, and she only loved him more. She would still give him his gift, and then probably turn and run like the coward she was.

“Celeste? Are you okay?”

Celeste cleared her throat and focused her attention back to where it should have been in the first place. “Sorry, I got distracted again. Yes, I need to go to the bank, too.”

Celeste walked down the sidewalk in silence, listening to the story of how Susan was planning to cook a special dinner for her husband, then tell him that the reason she forgot his birthday was that she had just discovered she was pregnant.

Celeste nearly stumbled at the news. While all the other women oohed and aahed and congratulated Susan, Celeste stepped back.

Some days Celeste wanted marriage and a baby so badly it hurt, but when she thought about it properly, she knew she couldn't do it. She'd tried to keep a tank of goldfish
once. The disgusting process of changing the water far outweighed the joy of watching the fish swimming around. Then they'd all died when she kept forgetting to feed them. In hindsight, even though it was upsetting, it was a good lesson. If she couldn't even keep a few fish alive, she knew she could never care for a baby, regardless of the improvements she'd tried to make in her life.

Still, Celeste was jealous. Which was a sin.

Knowing everyone was concentrating on Susan, while they waited for the light to turn at the crosswalk Celeste briefly closed her eyes and apologized to God for being such a failure.

Fortunately the conversation changed when they entered the bank and took their places in the mercifully short line.

Celeste had just finished her transaction when a familiar voice came from behind her, chilling her to the core of her bones.

“It's been a long time, hasn't it, Celeste?”

She barely choked the words out as she spun around. “Zac… What are you doing here?”

Nothing had changed. He still dressed entirely in black, which was meant to contrast with the highlights of his almost white blond hair. He still wore his jeans so tight she didn't know how he did them up without hurting himself. She noticed that he'd got another piercing, this time his nose, which he had been talking about the last time she'd seen him.

Probably because she'd been away from him for so long, the thing that stood out the most about Zac, besides the earring in his nose, were his glazed, unfocused eyes. Because it was only lunch time, she didn't smell the sickly
sweet smell of alcohol on his breath, but the odor of smoke around him nearly gagged her. Anyone nearby would be able to tell he was already high on something.

One corner of his mouth curled up. “I'm doing the same thing that you are. Banking.” He glanced down at her purse, then back up to her face. “Although you seem to be doing better than me. After you took off, we had trouble getting bookings. I came downtown to the social services office, telling them I needed money but they wouldn't give it to me. Can you believe they consider me self-employed, and won't give me anything between gigs?”

Celeste knew Zac didn't declare most of his income on his taxes, so he didn't pay for the unemployment insurance he now wanted to collect from. The world didn't owe Zac anything, despite Zac's inflated opinion of his own worth and what he figured he deserved.

She stole a quick glance at the door, where everyone stood waiting for her. Celeste considered this a good thing. Nothing would happen with people watching.

“That's too bad,” she muttered. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go.”

She took one step, meaning to break out into a run the second she cleared the door, but Zac grabbed her arm. “Not so fast. I've been looking for you. Why did you leave me like that?”

“It was all in my note.”

She tried to wrench her arm away, but he only tightened his grip. “You didn't give me a chance. I've changed. I want you back.”

Between his appearance and his attitude, Celeste could see he hadn't changed. The only thing that had changed was
her—she was no longer falling for Zac's lies, or his intimidation. God had helped her discover what was right, and there was nothing right about Zac or the lifestyle she had been leading, so she'd fled. Through God's help and guidance, she was turning her life around before it was too late.

She tried to pull her arm loose. “You're hurting me,” she said from between clenched teeth. “Let go. People are watching. I'll scream.”

He loosened his grip, but didn't release her. “Don't go. I want to make it up to you.”

“You'll never make it up to me. Let me go.”

“That's pretty un-Christian of you to say that. After you got religion, didn't you keep telling me that Christians always forgive? You've got to at least listen to what I have to say.” Zac pressed his free hand over his heart. “Especially after all we've done together.”

Celeste froze. If she hadn't felt like throwing up her lunch before, she felt like it, now. It was just like Zac to rub her face in something, especially when he was right. She probably
was
supposed to forgive Zac, maybe even give him a second chance, even though she knew he was lying about being a changed man. That was Zac's style. He always made promises he never intended to keep, just to get what he wanted.

Because he knew her as well as he did, Celeste could see from Zac's expression the second he knew he'd won this round. His eyes narrowed and he grinned, gloating. “We can get together tonight, since I've got nothing else to do. We'll talk.”

She jerked her arm, and this time he released her. “That's too bad, because unlike you, I do have something
else to do. If you want to get together we can meet…” Her voice trailed off as she thought about what she'd nearly said. She'd nearly told him that she'd meet him after her night-school classes for that evening.

Just because Zac ran into her at the bank in the middle of the busy downtown core didn't mean he knew anything else about what she was doing with her life. Even if he did find out where she worked, she didn't want him to find out where she attended classes, or, worse, where she lived.

If she were careful, she could meet him a few times, make it plain things were over, and then never see him again.

“We can meet for lunch tomorrow at the taco joint across the street from here.”

“Lunch? I was thinking we could go to your new apartment. We can have a few beers and talk.”

His words eased her fears, or at least some of them. That he thought she lived in an apartment rather than her humble duplex confirmed that Zac didn't know where she lived. Yet she knew Zac didn't do his banking downtown, so she didn't know if this meeting was just coincidence, or something more. Either way, if she was careful, he would never find her at home. Perhaps if she met him to talk a few times, she could convince him she was never going back to him, or to that kind of life, ever.

“It's lunch, at the taco joint, or nothing. Now if you'll excuse me.”

“Okay. Lunch. And you better be there.” This time, he let her walk away.

As she joined her workmates and walked back to the office, she realized that Zac would be watching. She almost asked the women deliberately to walk into the wrong build
ing, but if she asked such a thing, she knew the request would only pique their curiosity and invite questions that she didn't want to answer.

She cringed as she walked into her employer's building.

He wouldn't know exactly what floor, but now Zac knew her building. She couldn't let him find out where she lived.

Zac was intimately familiar with her car. She didn't know how familiar he was with her mother's car, but she was sure he'd seen it in the course of the years they'd been together. Anyone else she'd known from before, wouldn't be familiar with it, but she couldn't take the chance with Zac. He was devious enough to be watching the exit to the parking lot so he could follow her home. She couldn't let that happen.

Celeste picked up her phone, and dialed Kaitlyn's extension. She tried to sound casual as she spoke. “Kaitlyn? I need a favor. Can you give me a ride to the dry cleaners after work? I'm going to meet someone there, so I'm going to leave my car here in the underground parking overnight and pick it up after work tomorrow.”

At Kaitlyn's positive reply, Celeste hung up the phone.

She didn't like being sneaky, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She couldn't tell anyone about the reappearance of Zac into her life. One look at him would reveal everything about the life she'd led not long ago. Everything she didn't want anyone ever to find out. Especially Adrian. The only ones who knew were Pastor Ron and God. And Celeste wanted to keep it that way until she could convince Zac that everything was over, and it was going to stay over, and that he should leave her alone forever. She couldn't risk him hurting her friends.

Now was the time to put into effect everything she'd learned about evasive maneuvers, because she had a feeling she was going to need them.

She could easily take the bus to work in the morning. Zac would never see her because he never got out of bed that early. Her biggest problem would be leaving the building at the end of the day. She could solve that by leaving in someone else's car and bending down to pretend to look for something as they drove out of the exit, where Zac might be waiting for her. But once she was safely away from the underground parking, Celeste had no idea where to go from there. She could take the bus from the dry cleaners to the school, but she would never make it on time for her class in which there was a test tonight. Even if she could be on time taking the bus, she didn't want to be out alone at night, knowing Zac might still be looking for her.

She needed help.

Randy worked at the mall, and he stayed until closing on Tuesdays, which was too late for her to be on time for her class.

Bob ran his auto repair shop, and she knew he had to lock up, so he had to be the last one out. He couldn't leave early.

She'd heard Paul complaining that today was parent-teacher day at the school, and he had meetings until 9:00 p.m.

With a shaking hand, Celeste phoned the only person she had left to ask.

“Hi, Adrian? I hate to do this, but I need a favor…”

A
drian watched Celeste drop a pile of books and her purse in front of her on the floor of the car. “Let's go, I'm kind of in a hurry,” she mumbled as she fiddled with the pile. As they started moving out of the dry cleaners' parking lot, Celeste hunched her shoulders and looked out the car window, only straightening when they started moving.

“Is that a new coat? I don't remember seeing it before.”

“It's not mine. I, uh, had to take my sweater to the dry cleaner, and it was getting cool outside so Kaitlyn loaned me her coat to go home.”

Adrian almost started to tease her about her favorite sweater, but stopped himself. Celeste didn't look as if she was in a teasing mood.

He'd been very surprised, first that she'd called him at work, and second, that she'd called him at all, considering the way they'd last parted.

He'd left her home Friday night hoping and praying that all she needed was a little time to think about his dec
laration that he was ready to take their relationship to the next level.

Sunday at church she'd been pleasant but distant. She hadn't invited him back to her house after the evening service. It hurt, but he told himself that she simply needed more time.

Monday she'd been the same way at the Bible study meeting, not cool, but not overtly friendly, either.

He didn't know what to think of her behavior today. Not that he expected Celeste to fawn and fall all over him. She simply wasn't that way, but he would be a fool if he couldn't tell something was wrong.

He found it very odd to be picking her up from the dry cleaner instead of the office. He knew she was attached to the sweater, so he could almost see her taking it to the dry cleaner immediately after she'd spilled something on it, but nothing explained why she didn't have her car. Unless there was something wrong with the car, too. Whatever was wrong, he wanted to help, although he knew she would never accept money from him, not even a loan. The only thing he could do for her at the moment was to provide transportation.

He reached up and wiggled the knot on his tie. “Is there something wrong with your car?”

She turned to him and smiled weakly. “I haven't got a clue, although I did get another e-mail from my mother. She didn't mention the car, so it must be fine. However, I'm sure there is something seriously wrong with my mother's car, although it isn't running any worse than usual.”

A joke. A bad joke, but it was a joke. Adrian chose to take it as a good sign.

“How's your mother doing?”

“Fine. I'm still stunned that after being so happy to retire, she would take a part-time job like that.”

“I guess your mother and her sister must be enjoying their time together if they can work together during the day and live in the same house at night.”

“I suppose. I'm sure the extra money is nice on top of her pension.”

When Celeste's mother had decided to extend her visit, it had been decided that, rather than leave the house empty, her neighbor's adult son would move into the house at a reduced rent in exchange for caring for the lawn and doing normal maintenance until she returned.

Since Celeste was struggling for money, Adrian had suggested that instead she should move into the house, but she had said she wanted to stay in her rented duplex. He didn't understand her decision, but he had purely selfish reasons for doing nothing to attempt to convince her that it was more practical for her to move back into her mother's house. He liked Celeste living where he could always be close to her.

“Did she have any idea when she's coming back?”

“Not really. Since Margie's son is paying rent, that actually gives my mother more motive to stay away. Mom's only expense is to help my auntie pay for the groceries. She's living rent-free, plus she's getting money for renting out her own house and the part-time job. Between having a dependable car for once and living with my auntie, she's having a blast.”

It wasn't the way Adrian would want to live, but he realized that different people lived different ways for different reasons.

Adrian pulled up to the drop-off zone in front of the school. “Are you prepared for your test today?”

“Yes. Thanks so much for the ride. I appreciate it.”

“How are you getting to work in the morning?”

“I'm not sure. I think I'll just take the bus.”

“I have a little bit of work to catch up on. I can leave early and drop you off if you want.”

Adrian didn't think the answer would be difficult, but Celeste didn't reply immediately. She unfastened her seat-belt, bent over to pick up her books and her purse, then sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking. “You know, that would work out really well for me. You could even drop me off at the corner, and I'll walk in.”

“I could go into the underground parking and let you off from there. I don't mind going a few extra blocks.”

She smiled and ran her hand down the front of the borrowed coat. “No, I don't mind walking. I could probably even use the exercise.”

Adrian frowned. “Are you sure? I think there's rain in the forecast.”

“Really. I don't mind the short walk, even if it does rain.” She turned to him and smiled wider. “I don't know where I'd be without you, Adrian. You're really a special guy.”

Before he realized what she was doing, Celeste leaned over the stick shift and brushed a kiss on his cheek. “Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning.”

She was already out the door before he could collect his thoughts. “Wait! How are you getting home from here?”

“I was just going to take the bus. Or maybe a cab. I have to see how much money I have.”

“I can pick you up when classes are over.”

“You would do that?”

“Of course.” He would do anything for her, especially if it would get them talking again, the way they had before the kiss that shook their world apart.

She glanced from side to side. “As long as it's no trouble.”

“No trouble at all. See you later.”

Celeste nodded and dashed into the building.

Adrian smiled. He wouldn't push her. He would even stick to neutral topics. When the time was right, Celeste would open up further, but until then, all he could do was be there for her, just as he had been on the first day they'd met. Celeste would see that they were meant to be together.

 

As soon as the familiar black car appeared around the corner, Celeste pulled up the collar of the raincoat, made sure the strap of the yellow vinyl bonnet was tied firmly beneath her chin, and ran from the shelter of the awning. The second the car pulled into the bus-stop zone she hustled inside. They were mobile so fast she wondered if the car had even come to a complete stop.

She wiped a spray of moisture from her face, not caring that it probably smeared her mascara. She'd never been so thankful for a rainy day.

“Thanks for the ride, Adrian. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Glad to help.”

She waited until they were a block away before removing the wet bonnet, which had hidden her face admirably. She hadn't seen Zac waiting for her, but then she'd run so quickly, she hadn't really had time to look.

 

But that also meant that Zac wouldn't have been able to look for her, especially since she'd been wearing Deb
bie's husband's rain gear that Debbie had loaned her since it was still in her car's trunk after his last fishing trip.

Her lunchtime meeting with Zac had gone as expected. As important as Zac had said it was to meet, he was late, and then angry with her when she left before he finished eating, so she could be back to work on time. Of course, he was already angry because she refused to quit her job and go crawling back to him just because he said the band needed her.

For the first time, she hadn't let Zac's anger affect her. After spending most of her time with Adrian, Randy, Bob and Paul, she had learned how normal people behaved, and how good people treated other people. She had learned mutual respect and had seen real friendships in action. She'd seen how friends helped each other, even when there was nothing in it for them.

Zac's reappearance into her life came at exactly the wrong time. For the first time in her life, she was genuinely happy. She was finally moving forward, instead of wallowing in self-pity from day to day. She had given up her dream of being a professional musician, but in doing so, she'd realized an even greater dream, which was having good friends.

Adrian's deep voice broke into her thoughts. “How about getting something at the drive-through, and we can eat at my house. Then we'll have lots of time to relax before the guys get there for practice.”

“You're only doing this so you can pay for my meal. I'll only agree if you let me buy the donuts, and don't argue.”

He opened his mouth, paused, closed it without speaking, and broke into a grin. “You win. This time. Let's go.”

Traffic was heavier than usual due to the inclement weather, so they arrived at Adrian's home later than expected.

“This is bad enough when it's warm,” Adrian mumbled after he took his first bite of the take-out burger. “Fortunately, I'm so hungry, I'll eat anything right now.”

Celeste nodded, but said nothing as she nibbled on her fries.

Adrian took another bite, chewed it slowly, then laid his burger on the wrapper. “You seem distracted. Do you want to talk about it?”

Celeste looked up in surprise and cleared her throat. She watched Adrian's face. He'd been so kind and so understanding of her changing moods she knew she owed him an explanation, although she didn't know what to say.

It was probably best to tell him the truth, within limitations. “I ran into…an old friend the other day. I guess I've been doing a lot of thinking.”

Adrian's face paled. “Would it happen to be the old boyfriend?”

“Actually, yes, it was.”

“Oh.” He paused and looked down to concentrate on swirling a fry just so into the blob of ketchup. “How did it go?”

“I'm not sure yet. He hasn't changed, that's for sure.”

“Do you want him to change?”

Celeste tilted her head, watching Adrian very closely as she spoke. “Yes, of course I do.” The more she settled into a good neighborhood and her church, the more she saw what happened when people started to trust God. She wanted the same for Zac, regardless of how she felt about him personally.

Adrian raised his head, cleared his throat, stiffened then
stared into her eyes so intently she forgot to chew. “Do you want to reconcile with him?”

“Reconcile? No. It's over.” She never wanted to see Zac again, which was why she had run away and changed her entire life to hide from him. Not only did she not want to see him, Zac actually frightened her.

At first, she'd only been ashamed of the life she'd led. After spending considerable time away from Zac and all he represented, now that she'd seen him again she found him disgusting and creepy, what many people she now knew would have called a ‘low-life.' Not long ago, she was no different. More than ever, she didn't want Adrian to know the lifestyle she'd been living when she was with Zac. She didn't want Adrian to consider that side of her, it disgusted her so much.

“I think you know how I feel about you. Knowing it's officially over between you and your previous boyfriend, I'd like to make it official and take you out for dinner, to someplace nice. I'm talking about the kind of place I've been wanting to take you for a long time, and you would never go. I think the usual line is for me to say we should get to know each other better, but that's so overused. Consider this an opportunity to talk, away from other distractions. How about it?”

“I don't know. What you're talking about sounds like you're asking me out on a date.”

“What if I am?”

“I don't know.”

Adrian leaned back, crossed his arms and quirked one eyebrow. “If you don't say you'll go, then you'll force me to act like Randy and beg you.”

Celeste instantly remembered the day Adrian was referring to. It was the first time she'd met Randy, and he had begged her to stay and play one song with them. That day was the catalyst to her joining the worship team. That one day had changed her life more than Adrian would ever know.

“I—”

Her words were cut off by the sound of the doorbell, followed by the sound of someone coming in the front door without waiting for an answer.

“Man, it's pouring out there. Hey, I smell food! Adrian? Where are you?”

Celeste bit back a giggle. “Speaking of Randy…”

Adrian pushed his half eaten burger to the center of the table and stood. “I'm in the kitchen!” he called out to Randy, then lowered his voice as he turned to Celeste and quickly checked his watch. “I haven't even started the coffee yet. What's your answer?”

Celeste glanced to the doorway, knowing Randy would be there in seconds.

She gulped. “Yes,” she muttered, not knowing if she was doing the right thing, but she didn't know what else to do.

Randy appeared in the doorway. “Where's the donuts? You guys didn't eat them all, did you?”

Celeste covered her half-eaten burger with the wrapper, and tucked it into the fridge. “Didn't have time. Let's get everything set up while Adrian makes the coffee. Paul and Bob will be here any minute.”

Immediately upon entering the den, Celeste and Randy sorted through the patch cords and started to plug everything in.

“I didn't see your car in the driveway. How did you get here? You didn't walk on a day like this, did you?”

“I left the car at work. Adrian gave me a ride.”

Randy froze, one of the jacks in his hand, aimed at the input plug-in. “What's wrong with your car?”

She couldn't tell Randy she'd been leaving the car in the underground parking at work so Zac wouldn't see it and follow her home.