Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
S age stared around the elegant room, feeling like a misfit. Sensitive to the condescending way Garrett Hollingsworth’s wife, Gail, had treated her when they had been introduced, she had given the woman a wide berth.
“Don’t let her get to you.”
Sage turned toward the woman who came to stand next her. Her name was Hayley; Kent had introduced her before starting a conversation with her husband, Desmond.
“Gail only had the party because Garrett wanted her to.”
“She told you that?”
“Mmhmm,” Haley murmured.
Taking a sip of her wine, Sage idly let her eyes travel around the room. “Did you come because of your husband?”
Haley gave her a rueful smile. “The opposite. I dragged my husband to come here with me. The invitation was hard to turn down. Garrett made a donation to my charity.”
“That was nice,” she offered distractedly as Kent glanced across the room to where she was standing. When his eyes moved to Haley, a frown creased his forehead.
“Oh …”
Sage saw Haley give Kent a satisfied smile.
“He doesn’t like me talking to you, does he?”
Turning her gaze back to Haley, she looked at her questioningly. “Excuse me?”
“Your date used to be my lawyer.”
“ Used to be ?”
“I cut ties with him.”
“Amicably?”
“Very,” Haley told her. “How long have you been dating?”
“A couple of weeks.” She couldn’t think of a good reason not to tell her without being rude.
Haley turned, giving her back to Kent to pick up a cocktail appetizer on the table next to them.
“Were you not happy with the job he did for you?”
“Kent did an excellent job for me.”
Sage heard an undercurrent in her voice that sent alarm bells ringing in her head.
“But …” she probed delicately. Haley wanted to say something yet was holding back.
“My husband and Kent have a business relationship.”
“Which you aren’t happy about?” she asked intuitively.
“I’ve made my concerns known to him,” Haley admitted.
“Care to share?”
“I …”
Both women jumped when arms slid around their waists, pressing them to their respective partner’s side.
“Excuse us for interrupting your conversation,” Desmond Beck interjected. “But I had to get away from Garrett before I had to pay for his new dental work.”
Curiously, Sage looked toward Garrett, who was decidedly looking annoyed. “His teeth seem fine to me.”
Kent, Desmond, and Haley looked amusedly at her.
Desmond Beck cleared up her misunderstanding of what he had said.
“They won’t be if he asks one more time to represent me.”
“Oh …”
Sage was shocked that the man who had such an outstanding reputation for charitable causes around the world was casually talking about punching Garrett’s teeth out.
“Don’t look so shocked,” he said, giving her a suave smile that sent chills down her back. “I was joking.”
“I didn’t think you were serious,” she lied. Beck didn’t have the vast amount of money he was reputed to have without some skeletons in his closet.
“Good. I’d hate to have given a bad impression of me. I let my frustration of Hollingsworth get the better of me.” Desmond squeezed his wife closer to his side so a waiter could get by. “Are you ready to go?”
“We can’t go yet.” Haley shook her head. “We haven’t had dinner.”
“Hollingsworth has ruined my appetite. We can get take-out home.”
“Desmond,” Haley sighed. “We’ll leave right after dinner.”
Beck didn’t seem happy with her answer. Thankfully, Garrett announced dinner at that moment.
Sage started to follow the Becks but was forestalled by Kent holding her in place with his arm around her waist.
“I hope you aren’t too bored.”
“I wouldn’t say I was bored …” At his dubious look, she admitted, “I can’t say I have anything in common with anyone here. No one seems to like each other.”
“You and Haley seemed to be getting along.”
Was he genuinely curious, or was he probing to find out if Haley had anything negative to say about him?
“She seems nice,” she said cautiously.
“Haley is very nice. She runs a charity with a friend of hers. Nadia and Haley are involved in helping homeless teens get the services they need and a safe place to live until they graduate. They even offer assistance once they graduate, helping them to find job training or different ways to continue their education.”
“I’ll have to ask her if there is something I could do. I don’t have much time to volunteer, but I would be willing to help with anything else they may need.”
“Talk to her. I’m sure she would appreciate whatever you’re able to do.”
“I will.”
Kent started moving them toward the dining room. Everyone else was taking their seats, leaving the only two open seats near the end of the table where Gail was sitting. Kent held the chair next to Gail before taking the chair next to her, placing him next to Desmond.
Gail didn’t make any attempt at small talk, concentrating on the food being served.
As Sage ate the citrus salad she was given, she noticed the bitter look Gail gave her husband, who was sitting at the head of the table, talking to Desmond.
Sage didn’t know why, but she felt sorry for Gail.
She had made no effort to be polite to her, yet she had caught an anguished expression on her face more than once throughout the evening.
“The salmon salad is delicious,” Sage said, breaking the silence between them.
“I can’t take credit for the food. Garrett picked the caterers.”
Okay. Trying to talk to Gail was like pulling teeth.
Taking another bite of the salad, she noticed Gail was only picking at hers. Sage tried again.
“You have a lovely home,” Sage complimented. “The Bosendorfer piano is beautiful. Do you play?”
Surprise lit up Gail’s eyes. “I’m taking lessons. My son developed an interest in it last year. That’s why I bought him the piano. He grew tired at having to take the lessons, so I started taking them for him.”
“Do you enjoy them?”
“Very much so.”
“Don’t be disheartened that he grew bored. He may change his mind once he sees how good you’re becoming.”
“I’m terrible.”
“You’ll get better,” Sage encouraged her, lifting her glass of strawberry sangria. “The better you become, the more you’ll want to play.”
“Do you play?”
Letting the sangria slide down her throat before she answered, she nodded. “I used to. I don’t have the opportunity anymore.” Sage didn’t tell her that she had to sell the piano a year ago to pay for the lawyer representing Glory. “The one I had wasn’t as nice as yours.”
“You can play it if you’d like to.”
She nearly dropped her fork at the offer. “I couldn’t, but thank you.”
“I don’t see why not.” Gail’s voice dropped. “I would love to hear someone play it who actually knows how.”
She thought about refusing again, but temptation got the better of her. She hadn’t been able to play a piano so exquisite as a Bosendorfer since she’d had to leave Julliard.
“I would be honored. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Gail’s expression lightened. “What type of music do you like to play?”
For the rest of dinner, they discussed their appreciation of the classics. Gail’s love of music mirrored her own so much so that Sage was sad when dinner ended, bringing their discussion to an end.
After dinner, they returned to the living room.
“Do you mind if I go save Desmond?” Kent whispered in her ear.
“Not at all. I’ll go talk to Haley.”
“We should be able to leave in twenty minutes.”
“Take your time. No hurry.”
He left before she could tell him that she had told Gail she would play for her.
When she checked her cell phone to make sure Glory hadn’t called, she was relieved she hadn’t. Taking a seat next to Haley, she refused an offer of another drink by a passing caterer.
“You seemed to be getting along with Gail during dinner,” Haley remarked once she sat down.
“I did. Kent told me you run a charity for homeless teens. I work two jobs, but if there is anything I can to do help, I would be willing to do what I can.”
Haley smiled. “You’re going to wish you hadn’t offered. We’re always in need of help with something.”
“I’ll give you my number and email. Just send me a list of things you need, and if I can help, I will.”
They exchanged numbers, and Haley told her not to expect an email until Monday.
“I promised him the weekends are just for family time.”
“You have children?”
“Yes,” Haley patted her stomach. “We also have another on the way. I found out last week.”
Sage was congratulating her when Gail’s voice rose above the chatter in the room. “Everyone, please find a place to sit. I managed to talk Sage into playing for us tonight.”
Heat rushed into her cheeks as everyone turned to stare at her.
Catching the surprised look on Haley’s face, she rose from the couch and made her way to the piano. She sat down on the bench, her hand lovingly smoothing the beautiful wood.
Listening to the noise in the room die down, she placed her fingers on the keys. She didn’t think it was her wisest move to play so soon after just getting the support bandage off yesterday, but there was no way she could resist playing the beautiful instrument.
When she had seen the majestic piano in the formal living room, she had ached to touch it. It was meant to grace a stage with an orchestra as a backdrop, not be a conversation piece to showcase the wealth of someone who could purchase it to never show off the potential it was capable of.
Sitting straight on the edge of the bench, she let the piano tell her which piece of music it wanted her to play. She stared at the piano keys as she mentally stepped into another world, where there was a shadowy lover who had been waiting for her return.
As if from a far off into the distance, she heard Gail say, “I keep music in the bench of the seat.”
Not acknowledging that she had spoken, Sage lifted her hands to the piano keys.
Show her what you’re capable of. A shadowy voice came from out of her imagination, giving a voice to the piano.
No. I’m going to show her what you’re capable of , she answered back.