AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Abby had said her husband spent a lot of time at the Café. Was it possible Emily was one of the girls he spent time with?
Mark wrinkled his nose. Then he shook his head. It wasn’t fair to judge. After all, he’d been Abby’s lover for years.
Did Emily prefer older men?
Stop it, Mark.She likely wasn’t with David by choice. At least David was a good man. He wouldn’t abuse her.
It didn’t explain why she was here in LA with him, though. And he didn’t have time to find out right now. He had to get back inside and warm up for the piece he was playing in the second half of the concert
He turned and disappeared back into the shadows, weaving his way back to the stage door. His phone buzzed and he smiled even as jealousy sprung into his heart as he read Emily’s words. Knowing Emily was likely going back to a hotel with David... sleeping in his bed and—
He sighed. She probably wasn’t with David by choice. For some reason, her boss had allowed her to come out here. Sent her out here with David.
Why? It didn’t make any sense.
He wished she were here with him, though, and not David.
He retrieved his violin and ran through his warm-up exercises in the hallway as orchestra members passed by, making their way to the stage.
Alvarez stopped nearby, staring at his phone.
Mark watched him for a few minutes. “Did you find out anything about the girl?”
He frowned. “She’s here. That’s all I know. Her parents saw her before the concert and were confronted by a friend.” He shook his head. “That guy has no idea what’s coming to him.”
“What do you mean?” Mark’s stomach churned. Was Alvarez angry enough to attack David for standing up to Joe? It wouldn’t surprise him if he was.
Alvarez shrugged and Mark didn’t want to press him. He couldn’t reveal his relationship with Emily.
He turned and quickly typed a warning message to David before shoving his phone in his pocket, praying both David and Emily would take his warnings seriously.
* * *
Emily sighedas the orchestra tuned for the second half of the concert. Mark wasn’t on stage yet; he would come out after the orchestra played theFestive Overture. She wouldn’t have to wait long to hear him play again. The Shostakovich piece was only a few minutes long.
She glanced down at David and saw him frowning at his phone, then glanced up at Emily and pursed his lips. She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows and David shook his head. He looked down at his phone and Emily’s buzzed a moment later.
David Powell
We both need to be careful. Meet me at our spot immediately after.
Emily met David’s eyes and nodded to show she understood. There wasn’t time to do anything else as the lights dimmed and the sound of trumpets3caught her attention. Her heart soared as the thrilling chords captured her imagination and she smiled.
She avoided looking around at the musicians. Too many memories had slipped into her mind during the first half, and she didn’t want the upcoming piece ruined by her past. Maestro Holden had replaced the previous Maestro, who had been friends with Rafael and had been included in that horrible trip to the cabin. There were still a few other members of the orchestra that made her want to run away.
As the thrilling piece ended, she applauded with a grin on her face. Her heart thumped in her chest. It was time. At last, it was time.
Mark strode out onto the stage and bowed to the loud applause of the audience. She saw him searching the audience as he straightened and realized he’d been searching for David. She swallowed. Did Mark know she was there with David? What would he think of her?
David nodded to Mark and Mark gave a small nod back. Then David tilted his head in her direction and Mark looked up.
Her heart skipped a beat when they made eye contact. The lights hadn’t lowered yet, and she knew he’d seen her. She offered a tentative smile and he beamed. He had to know she was here with David, and it didn’t seem to bother him. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, biting her lip. He chuckled. Though she couldn’t hear it, she recognized the expression on his face.
The familiar first notes of the Mendelssohn violin concerto4sounded. Her heart soared as Mark’s fingers flew over the fingerboard of his violin, sending out beautiful sounds across the concert hall. Once again, he captivated the audience with his playing. Everything else faded from her thoughts, save the music seeping into her soul.
The first movement, Allegro molto appassionato, was cheerful. Mark’s dark hair danced across his forehead as he moved, and his mouth tipped up into a smile as he charmed the audience members. When he reached the middle of the movement, he glanced up at Emily and she was captivated, not only by his playing but also by his dark eyes, so full of emotion. She couldn’t look away. She didn’t want to. The furious ending had Emily leaning forward, watching his fingers and bow fly across the strings, holding her breath as he played. She folded her hands together to keep from applauding between movements, it was so thrilling.
He took a breath, and then the soft strains of the Andante5, the slow middle movement, sang out through the theater and she sighed. He turned in her direction as he pulled the bow across the strings, his violin singing straight into her heart.
