Resilient (2) (37 page)

Never gets old!
 

She snickered. “Hey David,” she said, opening the door.

Mouth open…deer in a head light.

“It’s later…I think I know what you wanted to say, but please talk to me first, let me expl—” Katrine put her hand to his mouth, silencing him. His eyes were pleading and his mouth grim, tie crooked. She grabbed his hand and led him into her hallway.

“Katrine, please.” The expression on his face was breaking her heart.
 

“Shhhh, It’s going to be okay, I promise.” They walked to the living room. She stopped and slowly turned towards him. This was it and it was big.

“I’ve been thinking and I think, no, I know it’s time…Oh, I’m messing this up…Xander, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

He looked at her strangely, like she’d spoken in a foreign language. But maybe it was the look you got when someone pulls the trigger and there’s no bullet in the chamber.
 

She smiled and walked into the kitchen, Xander following close behind with a bewildered look on his face. Teddy glanced up from the chopping board and cocked his head to the side.

“We have a guest,” Katrine announced. Teddy wiped off his hands and took a few careful steps towards his mom. “Teddy, this is Xander. Xander, this is my son, Teddy.” Teddy shot her a look. Xander, showing no signs of his previous distress, approached Teddy with confidence and a warm smile. With the respect he’d give any CEO, he shook his hand firmly. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you, Ted.”

Teddy was sizing him up and didn’t say anything right away, but shook his hand. Katrine watched as the two most important men in her life met for the first time. It was surreal, nerve-wracking, and wonderful all at the same time.

“So you’re the guy from New York, huh?”

“That’s me. So you’re the biggest Yankee fan in Texas, huh?”

“Yup.”

“So whatdya think of that double play to win the game last night?”
 

Teddy’s face lit up. “It was awesome! I can’t believe they held ‘em, I was going crazy!” Katrine grinned. She stood by the island, reveling in the love she was feeling.

“Can you really get tickets to a
ny
game?” Teddy asked. His voice sounding both leery and anxious.

Xander nodded.

“You stayin’ for dinner?” Teddy asked, looking at Xander, then at his mom.

“I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather eat.” He gave Katrine a kiss on the cheek and took his jacket off, followed by his tie.
 

“Hope you like pasta with meat sauce. My mom’s is awesome. She makes the best lasagna, too. Oh, and her chicken parmesan is killer.”

Xander laughed out loud. “I see you love food as much as your mom does.”

Teddy blanched a bit, but then smiled and agreed. “Yeah, we eat a lot. And Italian’s my favorite, right, Mom?”

“Right. But don’t worry. Xander, here, loves to eat, too.” She nudged Xander with her hip.

“The first time I went out to eat with your mom, we ate at an Italian restaurant. She made me order like four appetizers,” Xander teased.
 

Teddy laughed and said, “Did she eat your dinner? She always wants to eat my food.”

“Oh no! She does that to you, too? That’s horrible, Katrine, stealing a kid’s food.” He shook his head with disapproval.

“Hey! It was two appetizers, by the way,” she said, pointing at Xander. “And I take a bite,
a-bite
. So no one’s going hungry, I assure you…Well, boys, if you’ve had enough fun teasing me, come have a seat. I’m starving to death.” She shooed them towards the table.
 

“Better do what she says. Mom gets feisty when she’s hungry.”
 

Xander laughed again. “Don’t I know it.”
 

The guys sat down by each other. Xander started to ask Teddy about school and the sports he played. Katrine shook her head, filling the large bowls with steaming thin pasta.

Guys. The only thing they need in common is sports.

But, for the guys at this table, their love for Katrine was the real tie that binds.

“Your ex seemed like a decent guy. He’s good looking, too. I was almost intimidated.” They were laying on the couch, her head on his chest. The television was on, but it was more background noise than anything.

“I guess he has his moments,” she shrugged. “And he’s okay if you like blondes. I’m kind of in a golden brown hair phase myself.”

“Phase, huh?”

“Don’t worry, I don’t see this phase ending anytime soon.” She raised her head to kiss his cheek.

“Better…You were right. Teddy is a great kid.”

“Yeah, he gets that from me.”

Chapter 38

She walked slowly, yet the clicking of her shoes still boomed with the stellar acoustics. The ceiling
was
a hundred feet high. The last time Katrine walked on these white marbled floors she was in a flowing yellow gown, anxious and uncertain. She smiled, remembering her nerves that night, what a roller coaster it had been. Running into Ian and David, meeting the other woman for the first time. And of course there was her cranky boss. She’d seen a softer side of Xander Abbot that night. Up until that point he’d acted cold and mildly condescending, maybe more than mildly, something she still teased him about. He’d confessed to her later that the events of that night turned the tides for him. He’d been fighting his attraction to her for few weeks and to see her in tears and to hold her in his arms…he was a goner. Katrine, of course, had no idea he was attracted to her, he’d hid it very well. The love came a little later, but the heat between them was instant after that night. Once they’d given themselves permission to go there, there was no turning back. Tonight she again felt anxious but for completely different reasons.

The place was silent. No one was about. She looked down at the cream square card in her hand once more.

 
 
Meet me at the Dallas Opera House 7:00 sharp

       
Sit Anywhere

She was in the right place. She just hadn’t expected the place to be deserted.
 

What is he up to?

If she’d known there would be no one here, she wouldn’t have taken so long to pick her outfit. Five dresses and an hour later, she’d chosen classic black. It had a fitted wrap bodice and fell in loose fabric just above her knees. It was sleeveless with a plunging v-neck. Simple drop black pearl earrings and a silver braided link pearl bracelet. Hair down with a light curl. Strappy black high heeled sandals. It may have taken some time to choose, but the end result was worth it. Whatever he had up his sleeve, she was glad she looked good. He was the only one she wanted to impress, anyway.
 

The thought of seeing him quickened her pace and she pulled the door leading to the auditorium. The stage was pitch black. In fact the only light was the dim glow coming from the floor. It was so dark she couldn’t enjoy the beauty of her surroundings. But she remembered. The large rounded room was decorated in dark woods and golds with red velvet chair cushions. The polar opposite of the modern foyer done in white marbles, glass and metal.
 

“Hello?” Her voice echoed in the dark.

A few seconds passed and then a lone spot light revealed a piano in the center of the stage. She smiled and looked around for Xander. Was he already sitting somewhere? It looked like they were going to have a private concert, but there was still no sign of him. She walked down the left center aisle and stopped midway, taking the third seat in. She gripped the card in her hands, rolling it inwards until it was a tube. Her hands were getting sweaty so she put it inside her purse and waited.

Where is he?

Her only focal point being the piano, she started to fidget, crossing and uncrossing her legs. Then finally she heard a noise, a door closing somewhere. She looked behind her, but there was no one there. Someone started to walk onto the stage, no not someone, Xander. He was wearing a fitted black button up with dark jeans. They were tight where they needed to be and loose everywhere else. A large smile spread across her face. The light shining down on him made his hair look like it was warm spun gold.

Joy filled her chest as she soaked him in. It had been almost two weeks since she’d seen him. She wanted to go to him, but when he took a seat in front of the piano, she sat back down. He put his hands on the keys. Silence. Then slowly, mournful notes floated towards her, wrapped around her. Bringing chills to her skin. His head was low, just above the his fingers. She knew this song. It was familiar…‘The Moonlight Sonata’. He played the haunting song with precision. To see him, the man she loved, play so beautifully and only for her. There were no words.
 

The song only lasted about five minutes, but what a five minutes. Her chest was tight, with not one, but many unnamed emotions. She wiped her eyes and stood. Her hands started to clap on their own. It was instinctual. After a wonderful performance, you clapped. He stood, faced his audience of one, and bowed. Katrine’s feet started to move, and quite fast, considering the height of her heels. She found the steps leading to the stage, which she bounded up. He turned to her and opened his arms. A light laugh escaped her lips as she flew into his embrace. He twirled her around and kissed her head and then her mouth.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for ten days. I can’t go that long without touching you, Katrine. Let’s not do that again.”

 
She kissed him again, feeling the exact same way. It had been too long between visits.

“Xander, that was so beautiful! I can’t believe you can play so well. I thought you were joking.”

“I told you I could play. I even gave you a preview.”

“Xander, playing my ribs and playing a real piano, not the same thing.”

“So, you liked it?” He gave her a one dimple grin.

“Liked it? I loved it! Xander, I cried it was so good. By the way, pianos…so sexy.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really,” she breathed into his ear. He shivered and gripped her waist.

“You can show me just how sexy when we get home.”

“Oh, you can count on it, I’m officially your groupie.” She smiled and shook her head. “What is all this? You got the whole place to yourself to play me one song?”

“Well, it’s the one I know best, so yes only one. But I owed a certain little lady a private concert.”

“You did? Why?”

“A certain jerk ruined a romantic evening and private concert planned by a certain gorgeous woman.”

“Xander, I told you it wasn’t a big deal. I mean it was at the time, but not now.”

“Come on. This was just the start.”

They walked hand in hand through the foyer and then went out a side door.

“Oh, Xander.”

It was the courtyard where she’d cried in his arms that fateful night. This night there was only one table set for two in the center with a string quartet playing in the corner.
 

“My lady,” he said, pulling out her chair.

“Thank you, kind sir,” she replied with a grin so wide her face could have cracked.

He sat across from her and kissed her hand. “Before you say I didn’t need to do this, I did…I have so much to make up for, no matter what you say. I know you don’t keep score, that’s not in your nature. But I do. The hurt I put you through and myself through for that matter…I just wanted to give you something back.”

“Xander, you do, every day. But thank you for this. You always manage to make me feel like I’m the only woman on the planet, even when we’re in a crowd. That’s why I love you. You make me smile and you make me feel special. Not to say I don’t want to choke you at times. You can be quite a rascal.”

“I know. I know. But I hope I make up for it in other areas.” He gave her the “I know I rock your world in bed” look.

“Yeah, you know you do.” If she were the type to keep score she’d mention that fact that she knew she rocked his world, too. Men needed the sexual pat on the back, she didn’t.

“Of course this spot holds significance for me. A certain damsel in distress knocked my world on it’s ass in this very courtyard… I didn’t want to leave New York. I was so mad at my father for pawning that acquisition off on me. But I owe him everything. Coming here brought me to you. I was saved when I didn’t think I needed saving, that’s quite a trick.”
 

 
“You saved me too, ya know. I wasn’t expecting to find you. And when I did, I wasn’t expecting to want to keep you. Looking back, everything happened as it should. I needed the time to myself. I think you needed it, too…so enough of this owing me business. You can treat me like a queen as long as you like, but not because you’re making up for something, but because you want to. Because I deserve it.” She grinned.

“Fair enough. Now one thing my little queen loves above all things is food. So keeping with our nostalgic night, I took the liberty of re-enacting the meal from our first date. “ Katrine gave him a look. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t a traditional first date since I tricked you into it, but you know what I mean.”

And he did, from the crisp calamari and tomato bruschetta to the caprese salad and grilled salmon. Plus tiramisu, a lemon torte, and a very large piece of ricotta cheese cake with fresh raspberries. Obviously sweet tooth was in charge of the dinner menu.
 

It was the same menu without the sexual tension and nerves. Not to say Katrine didn’t want to have sex with him right there in front of the cello, but at least she wasn’t worried about her garlic breath. After all, he’d seen her at her best, her worst, cranky, bloated, sniffly, runny, silly, dorky, sophisticated, crass…and everything in between…And he loved her, every part of her. Every breath in his body and every beat of his heart was for her. When it came to Katrine he had no control, and for the first time in his life he was at peace with that fact.

“To you and this bella notte.” She raised her glass of Prosecco.
 

“To us and to la bella vida,” he countered, clicking his glass to hers.

The bubbles tickled her throat and she smiled. “Look at us speaking Italian. Except you really know Italian and I just got my line from
Lady and the Tramp
.”