Page 30 of Passion’s Song

By the time the last teen filed out of the room, Damien already had enough ideas flowing in his head for another ten sessions. He was buoyed by their enthusiasm. He still didn’t know the names of half of them, but already Damien felt a kinship with them. It hadn’t been all that long ago that he had been one of them. He wanted to see them succeed, and if it meant sacrificing his Saturday mornings for the rest of the summer he was more than willing to do so.

“It looks as if that went well.”

He turned to find April walking toward him, that huge smile from earlier once again lighting up her face, making her even more beautiful.

“Yeah. It went really well,” Damien said, unable to rein in his own smile. “The kids were really into it. I thought it would be a struggle to get them to pay attention, but it wasn’t at all.”

“These kids are impressive,” April said. “They caught on to classical music so quickly, you’d think they’d been playing forever. Do you want to grab a bite to eat at the café?”

“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” Damien said. “A couple of the kids who just left the class were on their way to work in the café. They asked me to stop by before I leave. They’re proud of their jobs there. And they’re serious about it, too. I suggested staying around for another ten minutes to finish up a discussion we were having, but those who needed to get to work wouldn’t hear of it. They didn’t want to be late for their shifts.”

She beamed. “They’re awesome kids, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they are. You all are helping to instill a solid work ethic in them.” He caught her by the wrist. “Thank you for letting me be a part of it.”

“You’re one of the reasons we’re able to do this, Damien. Your financial help is key to keeping this program going.”

“I’m not talking just about the money. I’m talking about being here today.” He hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “I needed this, April. I need to be here.”

“What do you mean?”

Damien settled his backside on the edge of the desk and let his hands drop onto his thighs.

“You’ve probably noticed that I tend to stay away from the neighborhood.”

“Of course I noticed,” she said. “I figured it had to do with Kurt. And with your dad. No one can blame you for not wanting that reminder.”

“It’s not just about what happened to them, although, yeah, that has a lot to do with it. But it’s about me, too,” Damien said. “I didn’t want to be reminded of what my life could have been like if I’d allowed myself to get caught up in these streets. Once my dad was killed, I became exactly the kind of kid he didn’t want me to become.”

“But you changed,” April stressed. “You worked hard and you made a way for yourself, and now you’re giving other kids hope for their futures, too. You’re showing them that their zip code doesn’t define who they are.”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Damien said. “And that’s thanks to you.” He looked her directly in the eyes, knowing the conviction in his voice couldn’t possibly convey the depths of his gratitude. “Thank you for forcing me to come here.”

“I guess that means I don’t have to worry about you trying to wiggle your way out of holding up your end of the bargain anymore, right?”

Damien nodded. “That’s right,” he said. “And speaking of our bargain, there’s a fund-raiser at the Roosevelt Hotel next Saturday night that I’ll need you to attend.”

“The Roosevelt,” she said, her brows arching. “I’m impressed.”

“My wallet isn’t,” Damien said with a laugh. “The banquet is a thousand dollars a couple, but in the past the guest list has been a rundown of who’s who in the city, so I’m hoping it’s worth it.”

April held up a hand. “Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. You’re going to spend a thousand dollars to ask people to give you money? Did I hear this correctly?”

“You know the old saying that you have to spend money to make money? Well, the same goes for finding investors. You’ve got to invest a little of your own before you find people willing to invest in you.”

“Hmm,” April murmured with a nod. “I like that. You know what I think, Mr. Damien?”

He laughed at the mister. “What’s that?”

“I think I might be able to learn a thing or two from you.”

“About finance?”

Her eyes dropped to his mouth and stayed there. “Among other things,” she said, her voice low and warm.

The heat that began to move across Damien’s skin had nothing to do with the temperature in the room, and everything to do with the way April’s eyes continued to stare at his mouth. They hadn’t discussed last night’s near kiss, but based on the way she was looking at him now, Damien was tempted to bring it up.

He caught her chin and tipped her head up so that he could look her in the eyes. “There’s a lot more I could teach you,” he said.