Love in E Flat (11 page)

“Brian disconnected from everyone and everything for two years. Lou helped him through it.”

“How so?” Agata took the offered binoculars from Mike and found Lou. Agata watched as Lou knelt next to this young man and put her hand on his knee; he covered her hand with his own. When neither man answered, she looked at them.

“You don’t know?” Tom asked, glancing at Mike. “Agata, I think Lou should tell you. But I’ll just say, she could think on his level, knew what he was going through, that’s all.”

Agata looked from Tom to Mike, knowing they were protecting Lou; they were loyal to a friendship, or perhaps a professional code between writers. Agata didn’t know which but respected both men, for whatever reason. It was private, and if Agata wanted to know, she would have to ask Lou. The question was—did she want to be intrusive in Lou’s life? After all, she was leaving in a few days, and she had so much to contend with until then. However, there was something about Lou Preston. Agata inwardly smiled; what it was, she wasn’t sure. But, she thought, there was so much she had to do while in Chicago. “I understand. Thank you,” she said and looked back at the field through the glasses.

She watched, almost feeling the intrusion she wanted to avoid, as Lou wiped her eyes and smiled. The young man leaned forward in the wheelchair and pulled Lou into a monstrous hug. Agata could see Lou as she tightly shut her eyes and clutched the back of his jacket. She saw Lou say something and could almost hear her say, “It will get better, I promise.” Lou pulled back then and kissed the man on his forehead, then said something else and laughed. The man playfully ran his wheelchair in her direction as she scooted out of the way.

Agata took the glasses away from her face, not wanting to intrude any longer. She felt Tom and Mike watching her. She smiled and handed the glasses back to Mike. “Thank you.”

Mike took the glasses and cocked his head. “How long are you staying in Chicago?”

“A few more days.” Agata looked down at the field. “Perhaps longer.”

“And spending them with Lou?” Tom asked quickly, not hiding his hopeful grin.

Agata raised an eyebrow. “For the interview, yes.” She folded her arms across her chest and waited.

“Oh, sure,” Tom said, blushing clear to the top of his head. “Sure, of course, what else?” He looked to Mike for help.

“Right, for the interview,” Mike said, nodding and shrugging. “What…um…else…right?”

Agata heard the helpless tone and stared at both men with what she hoped was intimidation. By the way Tom absently pulled at the collar of his sweater, it worked.

They turned when Lou came back into the press box. “Man, it’s getting cold. I—” She stopped and looked from Tom to Mike to the smug Russian. “Okay, what happened?”

“Happened?” Mike asked. “Nothing happened, what could happen?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking,” Lou said cautiously. “Boys? Have you been talking out of school?”

Agata laughed then. “They have not. We’ve been talking about my stay in Chicago.” She looked at her wristwatch. “Is the game almost over?”

“All the important stuff, yeah,” Lou said, slipping her laptop back into the bag. “Don’t know why I bring this with me. I never use it much.”

“That’s because you’re some kind of freak,” Tom said with a wide grin. “How do you write without taking notes?”

“I wrote a little.” Lou shrugged, once again amazed at how quickly two grown out-of-shape men could move when Agata picked up her coat.

“Thank you,” Agata said to both. “It was very nice meeting you. And I am serious about the concert, Mike. Bring the CD. I would be honored to sign it.” She looked at Tom. “Should I leave tickets at the door for you?”

Tom blinked. “Uh…”

Agata patted him on the shoulder. “I understand. Some nights, I feel the same,” she said kindly.

Tom again blushed to his roots, looking visibly relieved. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Agata.”

As Lou opened the door and Agata walked out, Tom grabbed Lou by the shoulder of her jacket and jerked her back. “Take care of her, Lou. She seems like a good woman.”

Lou frowned. “I am, I am. Sheesh. You’re strangling me, Tom.”

“Oh.” Tom let go and smoothed the shoulder of her coat and chuckled. “Sorry.”

Lou looked at both men. “What the hell did you tell her?”

“Nothing,” both men said and pushed her out the door.

Chapter 9

Just as Agata and Lou walked out on the lot, Nick honked and pulled up. Agata shook her head as Nick, all smiles, rushed around to open the door.

“Have fun?” he asked.

“A riot,” Lou said.

Agata entered the cab and laughed. She honestly couldn’t remember a time when she had laughed as much as she had in the past twenty-four hours. Lou Preston did have a way about her; she was lighthearted and very amusing, wasting no time to get to know her. Even if it was only for the interview, Agata enjoyed it. It had been too long for her, going without the companionship of a friend.

Agata was usually surrounded by dour conductors and musicians who were far too serious. Laughing and joking were not the rule of her day. She smiled sadly as she looked out the window—more than that, it was not the rule of her life. But then she remembered her grandmother and the times she spent laughing with her. Truth be told, Baba was very much like Lou Preston: young at heart.

Although there was another side to Louisa Preston, which intrigued her: the situation with the young man in the wheelchair and Lou not owning or driving a car, not that that was unusual for a city dweller. But there was something she couldn’t put her finger on about Lou. She suddenly felt a warm hand on hers and looked up.

“You okay?” Lou asked, looking concerned.

Agata blinked. “Of course. Why do you ask?” She couldn’t help her heart as it beat quicker when she felt Lou’s hand. She felt flushed and looked out the window, slowly pulling her hand away from Lou.

“I was just talking to you and you didn’t answer.” Lou sat back and pulled her hand away.

“My mind wandered. I am sorry. What did you ask?”

“I wanted to know what you’re doing for the rest of the day. I—”

Agata’s cell phone went off. She retrieved it from her purse and looked at the number. “I am sorry. I need to take this.”

“Sure,” Lou said.

“This is Agata.”

“Madam Karetnikov, could we rearrange our meeting for this afternoon? There are a few things we need to discuss. Would four o’clock be convenient?” the woman asked.

Agata looked at her watch. “Certainly. I will be there. Thank you.” She snapped the phone shut and looked at Lou. “I am sorry. But I have an appointment changed to four o’clock today.”

“No problem. Nick can take you. Would you like me to wait or…”

“No.” Agata realized she said this too quickly. “I don’t want to bother you, and I’m not sure how long it will be.” She looked at Nick. “If you could bring me back to the hotel, Nick?”

“Sure thing,” he said over his shoulder, weaving in and out of traffic.

She glanced at Lou, noticing the curious look. She said nothing as she looked out the window.

“Can I call you later? Perhaps dinner?” Lou asked. “For the interview.”

Agata heard the tentative but hopeful tone in her voice. She wanted to say yes and forget everything she had to contend with, but she needed… Fully intending to tell her no, she looked at Lou and saw the eager smile. “Yes,” she said against her will, “that would be fine.”

“About seven?” Lou asked.

Agata looked out the window, trying not to feel as happy as Lou sounded. “That would be acceptable.”

Lou sat back and smiled. “Acceptable is good. Not the best answer, of course, but good.”

“It will have to do,” Agata said softly. “For now.”

“You’re a mystery, Aggie.” Lou regarded her curiously.

Agata felt her gaze and tried to ignore the war between her heart and her head. Feelings stirred within her; feelings, until now, she had been able to deflect and avoid most of her life. Why now? she thought. She shifted irritably next to Lou. Why now, when she had so much to do?

The cab stopped in front of the hotel, and as usual, Nick jumped out and opened her door. “Delivered in one piece,” he said with a wink.

As Agata moved to exit the cab, she turned to Lou. “Thank you for the day, Lou. I will see you at seven?”

Lou smiled slightly and nodded. “Seven. And the pleasure today was all mine, Aggie.”

Agata laughed. “You and nicknames.”

Lou watched while Agata thanked Nick and walked through the revolving door to the hotel.

“So where to, Lou?” Nick asked.

For a moment, Lou hesitated. “I wonder where she’s going.”

“I dunno.” Nick laughed. “Wanna wait and follow her?”

Lou shot him a devilish grin. “Should we?”

“I was joking,” Nick said, clearly not joking now. “Why would ya follow her?”

Lou sat back. “I’m not sure.” She scratched the back of her neck and checked the time. “I just feel compelled.”

Nick put the cab in gear. “That’s just your reporter instincts taking over.”

Lou pulled out her cell and called Edie and explained what she thought of doing. “So?”

“You’re going to follow her?” Edie asked tentatively.

“Well, yeah. No?” She knew Edie mulled this over—if the silence was any indication. Her impatience set in as she looked at the clock on Nick’s dashboard again. Lou had a clear vision of Edie pacing and biting at her bottom lip. “Today, Edie,” she said sarcastically.

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking,” Edie said. “Okay, pick me up first. You have plenty of time.”

Lou snapped her phone shut and looked at Nick, who watched her in the rearview mirror. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m curious.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “I hope you know what you’re doing, and she doesn’t see you.”

Reaching forward, Lou patted him on the shoulder. “That’s where your expertise as a cabbie comes in.”

“This is not good.”

“Don’t be a pessimist. It doesn’t suit you.”

She gave him Edie’s address, and they were off—in more ways than one.

Nick honked once he pulled in front of Edie’s brownstone. As she flew down the steps, Lou laughed. “We’re on a stakeout, and she’s in high-heel leather boots.”

Nick laughed along. “But she looks good. My wife loves her column. So does our neighbor. They talk about it all the time. Look forward to readin’ it. But it’s girl stuff.”

“Yeah, not like manly sports stuff,” Lou said, “written by a girl.”

“I see your point.”

Right behind Edie was John, looking just as eager as he bounded down the stairs. He too was impeccably dressed. “At least he’s not wearing a tie,” Lou said, shaking her head. “Are we all gonna fit in this cab?”

“That is one big man.” Nick laughed and jumped out to open the door.

“Well, thank you,” Edie said breathlessly.

“I’m Nick. I’ve be chauffeuring Lou and her Russian beauty around.”
 

“You poor man. I’m Edie and this is my husband, John.”

“Nice to meet ya.” Nick shook the offered hand.

“Same here. So we’re tailing the Russian beauty, eh?” he asked.

“Get in the cab, John,” Lou called out while glaring at her laughing colleague. “What are you doing?”

“John was home. I couldn’t very well leave him out of this,” Edie whispered. “He gave me those big doe eyes. What could I do?”

“Hi, Lou.” John slid in the backseat.

Lou grunted painfully as Edie scooted over. They were crammed like sardines. John was no lightweight. But he was a good dresser, Lou thought. He was tall, too tall, and big, too big, for this cab. A former football player at Illinois, John now was a real estate and carpenter guru. He made a good penny buying up old rundown buildings, renovating them, and renting them to lower-income families. Big business hated him because he was so successful—making big money by investing in the little guy. Lou smiled, thinking how John Trent was a good soul but a lousy middle linebacker.

“Hi, John. Slow day?” Lou asked.

John laughed, trying to get comfortable in the confined seating. “Ya don’t mind me tagging along?”

“Mind? Why would I mind? Let’s just get going before my legs start to cramp.”

Edie slapped at her knee. “Oh, don’t be such a downer. This will be fun. I hope we don’t wind up in jail. We’ll go out for a little Christmas cheer afterward. Our treat.”

“It will be your treat.”

Nick started the cab and looked at Edie over his shoulder. “My wife loves your column.”

“She does?”

“Don’t sound so stupefied, honey,” John said. “It’s bad form.” He gently sniffed the air. “God, you smell good.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” Edie took off her leather gloves and ran her fingers through her hair; Lou noticed the perfectly manicured nails. “So tell me again why we’re doing this. I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

“I know it ain’t,” Nick said over his shoulder.

Edie cocked her head. “I like him…”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Lou said. “I’m just curious. She looked a little sad while she talked on the phone.”

“Who was it?” Edie checked her lipstick. She looked at John. “How’s my makeup? I was rushed.”

John smiled and winked. “Beautiful.”

“I’m gonna be sick.” Lou groaned. “Anyway, I don’t know who Aggie was talking to…”

“Aggie?” John and Edie asked with raised eyebrows.

Lou ignored them and continued, “All I heard her say was her appointment was changed to four o’clock. And when Nick offered to drive her, she said no far too quickly.”

Edie looked at Nick, who nodded. “I think she did, too.”

“Well, the woman has a private life, Lou.”

“I know. But she’s in Chicago for her concerts. This sounded…” Lou shrugged. “I dunno. It sounded…”

“Private, you dope.”

Nick grunted his agreement from the front seat.

“Well, let’s stop and get coffee or something, I’m freezing. Though I don’t know why with all the hot air back here. Then we just wait and see,” Lou said.

After Nick left the drive-thru at Starbucks, they sat across the street from the Four Seasons Hotel. Nick doled out the coffee and hot chocolate, which Lou asked for. They sat in silence as they watched the front entrance of the hotel.

“Here she is,” Lou said. Agata walked out of the hotel. “She looks so sexy.” Lou suddenly realized she said this for all to hear; she glanced at Edie’s incredulous look, then concentrated on Agata, watching her as she hailed a cab.

Edie eagerly sat forward. “Follow that cab!” She looked at Lou, while John laughed. “What? Tell me you haven’t wanted that chance.”

Nick laughed as he followed the Yellow Cab onto Michigan Avenue.

“Don’t let them see you, Nick.”

“Lou.” Nick looked in the rearview mirror. “There are a dozen taxis on Michigan Avenue. I think we’ll blend.”

After a few minutes of downtown traffic, Agata’s cab pulled over on Clark Street. Lou read the address of 230 South Clark Street. In a moment, Agata stepped out and walked into the building.