Broken Harmony

by Brenda Barrett

  He suddenly wished that he hadn't told her about the moral clause because now he didn't need her in order to get the presidency. He didn't need a woman that his parents approved of or an overall change in his attitude and value system.

  Aaron was making it too easy. It now felt as if he was in a one-horse race for the presidency. Aaron wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was in a questionable relationship with a married woman. He had gone off on business for a week and had taken Alka with him.

  According to his private investigator in Provinciales, Aaron and Alka were acting like they were newlyweds, sauntering around the island taking in the sights and the atmosphere, and were staying in the same room. He even had the pictures to prove it.

  One of the photos was of them kissing in a busy thoroughfare in the middle of the day with not a care in the world. He was wondering how he could use those to his advantage. The board vote and his father's official retirement were not going to happen until May.

  His delving into the personal lives of those around him hadn't stopped with Aaron and Alka, either. He had also commissioned a thorough investigation on Dawn. The report was now on his desk, waiting for him to examine after this meeting. He needed to know more about her. He just might need her if Aaron came to his senses over Alka. He had almost four full months to go back to being Mr. Squeaky-clean again.

  He wasn't totally burning all his options; Dawn was still a viable option. He needed to know if there were any skeletons in her closet. Everybody had some. He was sure that she had some as well. It was always good to know.

  He realized that the meeting was over only when he heard the dull thud of the heavy chairs on the carpeted floor. When he looked up Dawn was staring at him curiously.

  "What's up?" she asked, walking over to his side of the conference table. She was in a red suit that emphasized her every curve.

  "Nothing much." He poured on the charm; for her it came effortlessly. "I was wondering," he said conversationally, "if I could come to church with you this weekend? I heard you guys were having a musical weekend."

  "Yes." Dawn nodded. "It's a two-day musical celebration that's starting Saturday night. I am sorry I didn't think of selling you tickets. I am supposed to be promoting the thing but..."

  "But you may have been a tad forgetful because of my brother's absence?"

  "Well, no," Dawn frowned, "why should I be?" Just then, curiosity which had been eating her alive for the past few days, overtook her. "Where is he? I mean, I need to know for the in-house magazine. He promised to do a personal interview."

  "In Turks and Caicos with his lover," Boris said slyly.

  He watched as Dawn clenched her fist. "Well, okay then. I have some work to do." Her lips twitched distastefully and she walked away, her back ramrod straight.

  "Wait, Dawn," Boris said. "I am not big on office romances, but I must say that you are looking lovely today. Aaron doesn't deserve the kind of emotions you have reserved for him."

  "I don't know what you are talking about," Dawn said, forcing herself to laugh, but even to her ears it sounded hollow. "I don't have feelings for Aaron Lee." She headed to the door with tears gathered at the sides of her eyes. She hoped no one would try talking to her before she reached the washroom.

  Chapter Twelve

  "Nice of you to join us," Jayce said when Aaron strode into band practice on Wednesday evening. He had dropped Alka home and then come straight to the warehouse.

  "Sorry about my absence last week. I know we have the big weekend at church coming up but I had business in Turks and Caicos."

  "You weren't the only one who was missing from practice. Jayce and Ian weren't here. They weren't at church either," Melody said. She was sitting around a folding table and typing out something. Her hair was combed into two ponytails like a little girl's and Aaron forced himself not to laugh.

  Whenever Zack and Lauren, her five-year-old twins, got in her hair they usually tried to create some styles from her thick, naturally curly hair. Melody must have forgotten that her hair was in that state.

  She was on her laptop, frowning at what she typed, but then she looked at Aaron suspiciously. "Why are you looking so happy?"

  Aaron shrugged.

  "He's laughing at your hair," Jayce said from his seat in the bean bag chair.

  "Oh," Melody shrugged. "My hubby doesn't mind."

  Logan was sitting beside Jayce, a pile of papers in his lap. He grunted. "Yes dear, you look gorgeous."

  "You see." Melody giggled. "My hubby loooves me."

  "You two make me sick," Jayce said morosely. "How long has it been? Ten years and you are still so lovey-dovey."

  "Stop being so grumpy and jealous." Melody grinned. "You'll find a woman of your own one day."

  Aaron sat across from her; as usual when he came to band practice, he could expect to be updated on the colorful lives of his friends. He loved hanging out with them so much. He had left Alka's side for a while; time he could not afford because her departure was just five days away.

  "Why are you grumpy, Jayce?" he asked, trying to take his mind from his current situation.

  Melody laughed and waved her hand. "I'll tell you. He was overlooked by his company to go to a tradeshow in the States this summer. He has been bellyaching about it since he came in. He suspects that it's because he's too fat."

  Jayce growled, "I know it's because I am too fat. My father, who is the boss from hell, is trying to force me to lose weight. You should thank God for the kind of father you have, Aaron," Jayce said, a pained expression on his face, "but what Dadzilla doesn't know is that when he sends all the computer experts to the trade show in the States he has to send me to India to the security software program expo. It's going to be huge. As the leading security firm in the island we need to have a representative there to see the new technology."

  Melody snorted, "That gives you ample time to lose some weight."

  "India?" Aaron asked before Jayce could retort. "Where in India?"

  "Mumbai," Jayce said, pleased. "They have some of the best security experts in the world."

  Carson came through the door just as Aaron was going to ask Jayce more about the trip.

  "Sorry I am late," Carson said. "I was drawn into a discussion downstairs about garden design, of all things, with Xavier, Ian, and Farrah. Ian thinks a framed design would look better with their new house plans and Xavier, who has a very picky wife, wants some classical element."

  "I am not picky." Farrah came through the door with Xavier and Ian. "Believe it or not, Xavier is pickier than I am."

  "Okay." Melody got up and stretched. "We are all here, except for Alice, who is running late. Her mother is babysitting and she just got home. You can relay the information to her, Carson."

  Carson nodded.

  "Just to recap for those of you who weren't at church last week. We have a new pastor."

  Logan looked up from his papers and groaned. "Again! First there was Pastor Bobby and then..."

  "Rory," Ian spat, "that lying, conniving, piece of..."

  "Still a child of God," Melody popped in hurriedly, glancing at Farrah. "Remember, Farrah is new to Christianity; we will not slander the former pastor."

  Ian kissed his teeth.

  "And then there was Pastor Kelpman," Logan continued, "God bless his poor heart, but he didn't seem strong enough for our congregation."

  "Well," Melody said, "now we have Pastor Antonio Greenwald."

  "No!" Jayce gasped.

  "Oh yes. His old church back in Georgia in the States called him the firebrand. Apparently he was recruited from that church. Let me tell you, he spoke strongly to the board in a long meeting on Monday night.

  "As you know, as the Welfare leader, I have to go to board meetings and our new pastor laid down the law. A big change is going to take over the church. I can feel it. He said every leader and officer who is serving in the church currently should be aboveboard in their relationships and lives or he is going to relieve us of our post
s.

  "Unfortunately, since the band is one of the best-known products of the church, you guys are going to be under scrutiny as well.

  "Saturday night's musical extravaganza is totally yours. No other artist will be performing. The pastor vetoed the other artists; says he doesn't know them and their moral standing and doesn't want heathens on his platform performing at his church." Melody shook her head. "He warned us that there should not be even a hint of secular music. Pastor Greenwald says he is bringing back holiness to the church. He is personally making sure that your lives are up to snuff. He is planning to visit each of you and have a talk before you perform to see if you are...er...saintly enough."

  Farrah glanced at Aaron, her eyebrows raised.

  Aaron ignored her.

  "He says he will drop by to visit between now and Saturday night," Melody continued and turned to Jayce, a frown between her eyes. "He seemed like he was frothing at the mouth when he saw that you were in the band, Jayce."

  Jayce looked sick. "Is his family back out here with him?"

  "Not sure." Melody shrugged. "Do you know them?"

  The rest of the guys started coughing.

  "What?" Melody asked them curiously. They were all avoiding her eyes.

  "Let's just say that Jayce has history with the Greenwald family, in particular his daughter Haley," Ian said finally, breaking the silence. "I can't believe this."

  "He's targeting me," Jayce said with a sigh. "He knows that I am part of the band and he is after blood."

  "But it has been so long," Aaron shrugged, "a long, long time since high school. Surely he can't be that petty."

  "What happened wasn't exactly minor," Jayce whispered.

  "Well, we know that," Carson said. "That is why you have steadily gained weight. Isn't it? Carrying around years of regret and guilt with you."

  "Now what I want to know is," Ian said, frowning, "if by chance we are not up to Greenwald's lofty ideals, will we still be allowed to perform?"

  Melody shrugged. "I am just the messenger. He told me to warn you guys that there is going to be a wave of change instituted at church and things that members previously got away with would be addressed in the strictest manner. Especially sexual sins."

  Melody looked puzzled. "For the life of me, I don't know why he would send you guys that message. He sounds kooky, if you ask me, but as kooky as he is, he could cause problems for the band. We have quite a few gigs lined up at other churches. He could censor us."

  Jayce struggled to get up out of his chair. "I have to get some water."

  "Seriously, guys," Melody looked at them one by one. "What's going on?"

  Nobody answered.

  "Logan?" Melody asked her husband sternly.

  Logan shrugged. "I can't say—attorney-client privilege."

  "Attorney-client privilege?" Melody huffed impatiently. "You are not Jayce's attorney! You guys know something. Are you going to leave the manager of the band outside of the loop?"

  "Let's practice," Carson said after a long unbroken silence, with only the sound of Jayce's hasty gulps of water in the background.

  "Okay. Have it your way," Melody said grabbing her laptop, "but I warn you guys, don't do anything that could shut down the band."

  Farrah got up too and kissed Xavier. "See you at home, babe."

  The guys stared at each other when the ladies left.

  "Alka is staying with me," Aaron said in the silence.

  "We heard," Carson looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Pastor Greenwald is going to have a field day with this if he visits you any time soon."

  "She's leaving in five days; I doubt he'll get the chance to do anything major. I don't want her to leave," Aaron said with a heavy sigh. "If I could just do something to make her stay..."

  "Don't force it," Carson said. "Don't ever force it. I used to think about this quote when Alice left, If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were."

  Aaron looked at him, troubled. "My situation is a bit more complicated than that. My someone is married to someone else."

  Ian grunted. "I can't believe you are sitting there and talking casually about adultery. It's wrong and it hurts. You are my friend but my sympathies go out to the cuckolded husband."

  "No, wait." Aaron sighed. "They are not really married. Not in the strictest sense of the word. He's impotent. This is not a King David-Uriah type of story."

  "Is that so?" Logan massaged his nose bridge. "They have never done it?"

  "No," Aaron said.

  "And yet she's still with him?" Carson asked incredulously. "Why?"

  "He has cancer." Aaron sighed. "He's sick and dying. She can't leave him now…family honor and all that."

  "You are sleeping with a sick impotent man's wife?" Jayce said slowly. "That sounds even worse."

  "Argh." Aaron got up and started pacing.

  The guys watched him.

  "You shouldn't have gotten involved with Alka again," Jayce said in the silence.

  "You think?" Aaron turned around and asked him fiercely. "It's too late. I am involved. Do any of you have a solution to my predicament?"

  They all shook their heads slowly.

  "Okay," Aaron said harshly, "let's practice."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Aaron breezed through most of his work on Thursday in the office. He was leaving at three, when Dawn stopped by the office. Her eyes looked puffy and sad.

  "What's wrong?" he asked.

  "Nothing much," she said brightly. "How was Turks and Caicos?"

  "Good, productive." Aaron leaned back in his chair. "I quelled the brewing uprising with the managerial staff."

  Dawn sniffed. "I seem to have come down with some kind of allergy. See, my eyes look red."

  Aaron nodded slowly. He didn't believe her. She looked miserable, as if she had been crying.

  "Can I be frank with you?" Dawn asked.

  "Go ahead," Aaron said; he leaned closer to her.

  "I have had feelings for you," Dawn sighed, "for five years."

  She laughed deprecatingly. "I know. I shouldn't be admitting this to you, since it may make you uncomfortable, especially since you love somebody else and nobody wants the burden of actually hearing out loud how another person feels, especially if they don't feel the same."

  She took a deep breath.

  Aaron shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Dawn."

  "No hear me out," Dawn said. "This week while you were away I made myself miserable. Unrequited love stinks! I hate that I feel this way. And for one mad moment I thought I could transfer that feeling to Boris and make him into you."

  "Good God, are you serious," Aaron shook his head, "about the Boris thing?"

  "Yes, I was." Dawn laughed shakily. "He told me about the morality clause for the presidency and I thought for a little while that what I wanted was to marry the president of Palm Group but I really don't. I must hang out with your grandmother too much and hear too many stories about the Lee men, because I envisioned myself wanting to marry into your family. Turns out, it's not just any Lee man I want to marry...Anyway," she said hastily, "I can see that you are in love with somebody else. I just thought it would be better for me to get this crazy feeling out in the open before I go completely bonkers. It is the first step in my AA twelve-step recovery program. Admit that I have a problem."

  "You are an alcoholic too?" Aaron asked slowly.

  "No," Dawn shook her head. "AA stands for Aaron Anonymous. So far it is a meeting of one."

  Aaron grimaced. "We can't choose whom we love, can we?"

  "No," Dawn said with a heavy sigh. "We can't. Now that that is in the open, I feel sort of better. I need your interview questions for the Palm booklet. The printers want the final draft by tomorrow."

  "Will it be okay for you, working with me?" Aaron asked, concerned.

  Dawn shrugged. "I've been doing it for five years. I am not a wilting flower type of girl."

  Aaron nodded. "Okay
, I was heading home for the rest of the week but let me just get it done now."

  He opened his laptop at the same time his phone rang. It was Corvette, and she had a Pastor Greenwald in her outer office.

  Aaron groaned and hung up the phone. "Dawn, I am going to have to send this to you later, via email. The new church pastor is outside to see me."

  Dawn's eyes lit up. "Uncle Tony is here?"

  "What?" Aaron said. "I didn't know he is your uncle."

  Dawn grinned. "There are lots of things you don't know about me, but he's not my biological uncle; he's my godfather. My father's best friend."

  Pastor Greenwald walked into the office. He was a tall, big-bodied guy in his early fifties. His face was freshly shaved and he had a booming preacher's voice. And if his voice was not intimidating enough, he had a no-nonsense expression on his face.

  "Bro. Lee," he said to Aaron and then he turned to Dawn and gave her a hug. "Baby girl. Can we do lunch today?"

  "Yes, sure, Uncle Tony," Dawn said. "I am on the second floor when you are ready." She headed through the door.

  Aaron cleared his throat and indicated the chair that Dawn vacated. "I only heard that you were back last night at band practice."

  Tony nodded. "It's a pleasure returning to Jamaica and to see you boys again. You have all grown into what appears to be successful men. You are my last visit; I have been busy this morning."

  Aaron nodded cautiously.

  "Sis Melody must have told you all that I'm on a mission to clean up the church."

  Aaron cleared his throat. "When you say clean up, what exactly do you mean?"

  "Well," Tony clasped his hands, "it's obvious that something is wrong with the church. You guys have gone through so many pastors in such a short space of time. It is clear that the church needs a firm guiding hand. An anointed leader."

  "And you are that leader?" Aaron asked doubtfully.