Touched by the Music

by Carson Mackenzie

  “That’d be me. If you tell Mom I’m here, I’ll wait for her in the car.”

  “No. No,” I answered quickly, not ready to let Gina’s son leave my presence. “Please come in. She’s in the kitchen.” I stepped to the side to give him space to come in and waved my hand toward the entrance. I hoped his mom was in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure, but she’d have to be somewhere in the house.

  I felt the heat rise on my cheeks and prayed he didn’t notice as I continued to stare at his face while I waited for him to enter. He seemed familiar to me, which was odd because even though Gina mentioned a son, I’d never met him. He never, in the years his mom worked here, been to the house.

  “You’re probably wondering about my face being a bit banged up, huh? I had a fight the other day.”

  I wanted to laugh because it hadn’t even crossed my mind. I’d been too busy ogling the guy’s body. So, to cover, I blurted out, “A fight?”

  He laughed. “A sanctioned fight. Not a punch someone for no reason fight. I’m in the MMA,” he said as he stepped past me.

  “Oh,” I replied, then giggled and pointed. “The kitchen is that way.”

  He gave me one last look before he started down the hallway. I closed the front door and followed. Neither of us said anything. Because he probably thought something was wrong with me. And I didn’t speak because the back of him was as impressive as the front. He had a nice tight butt that I suddenly wanted to squeeze to see just how firm it was. The thought made me blush more.

  For God’s sake, I was twenty-one years old. I’d dated before. First, as a teenager and then as an adult. By no means would I be considered experienced, considering I only dated two men for longer than a couple of times. And I’d only had sex with one. Dean. Probably because we were both students at Berklee and majoring in Music Performance. I’d broken it off with him six months ago when he talked about moving in together, and both of us auditioning for the Boston Symphony as if he had our future planned out.

  I knew then I needed to make the break. I liked Dean; we had a lot in common. The sex with him was okay, but he was my only reference, so maybe that was as good as it got. But something always felt off with our relationship, not like creepy wise or bad, more as if I were missing something in my life—a part of me. It was hard to explain even to myself, and I mentioned none of it to Dean in our breakup. Instead, I just told him I wasn’t ready. When he said okay, and nothing needed to change that we could still date. I used the old cliché about needing time and that we should take a break. At least once a month, he asked me if I’d had enough time to myself yet.

  “Lucio!” Gina’s voice snapped me out of my head and my eyes off her son’s cute butt.

  “Hey, Mom. Sorry, I’m late. I crashed after the gym.” I smiled when he bent over and kissed the top of Gina’s head.

  “No problem. I used the extra time to write a grocery list.” She patted his shoulder.

  “Olivia, you met Lucio, my son?” she asked as she picked up the list and shoved the sheet of paper in her purse that was sitting on the counter.

  “Shit, I’m sorry,” he said and offered his hand. “I’m Lucio.” Then he smiled and winked when his mom told him not to curse.

  I took his offered hand, tried to ignore the zap of electricity as our hands touched, and said, “Olivia or Livi. I answer to both.” Then I smiled.

  “Nice to meet you...Livi.” He held my hand a little longer after we shook. And I felt a loss when he released it.

  “You ready, Mom?”

  “Yes,” she answered Lucio, then turned to me. “Olivia, there’s a chicken casserole warming in the oven. It should be alright until your dad gets home.”

  “Thank you, Gina. It smells wonderful. Dad better be home soon, or I may have to eat before he gets here.”

  She laughed and hugged me. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Have a nice evening,” I said as she and Lucio started to walk out of the kitchen.

  Lucio stopped and turned around. “Bye, Livi.”

  “Bye,” I replied and stood looking at the empty doorway until I heard the front door close.

  “Get a grip, Livi. You probably won’t ever see him again. He’d only shown up today because of his mom,” I said out loud to the empty kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and walked into the family room. My dad would be home soon, and then we’d eat.

  The bell rang again, and I changed directions and headed toward the front door. When I swung the door open, Lucio stood there.

  “Hey, long time no see,” he said, and we both laughed. “Sorry, Mom said she left her grocery list on the counter.

  “She—” I stopped myself before I told him I saw her put it in her shoulder bag. Was it wrong I wanted to be around him for a couple more minutes? “Let’s go look.” I closed the door behind him, and we walked to the kitchen.

  “Hmm, it isn’t on the counter,” he said, then turned around to face me. “It probably fell to the bottom in that thing the woman calls a purse. It’s bigger than my gym bag.”

  “Hey, in her defense. We women need certain things at our disposal.”

  “Yeah, okay. Not sure how many times you need a handheld can opener, six packs of tissues, half a dozen rubber bands, eight paperclips. One time when she told me to get something out of her bag, I saw a pair of earrings and a pair of nylon hose. Ever catch a rerun of that old show, MacGyver?”

  “Yes,” I said and laughed.

  “She’s the female version. I’m surprised she didn’t fix her car this morning; she probably has what she needs in there to do it.”

  “Be nice.”

  “I can be, but sometimes being bad is more fun.”

  The way he said it and looked at me, I shivered. When I looked into his eyes, I saw his interest in me. I wasn’t sure I had the skills or experience to handle a man like him. And wasn’t that sad considering he couldn’t be that much older than me. But there was something behind his eyes when I stared into them that said he’d experienced more in life than I had.

  “I better go before she comes in looking for me,” he said but didn’t move to leave. “I’m meeting a friend later, and we’re going to check out the House of Blues club. Want to come?”

  “Umm...” I said while I mentally ran tomorrow’s schedule through my head.

  “Hey, no biggie if you don’t want to go. We just met. I get it,” Lucio said, and I assumed it was because I paused in answering.

  “No, it isn’t that. I want to go. I was going over my schedule. I don’t have class in the morning, and practice isn’t until three.”

  “Whoa, class? Please tell me you aren’t in high school, and practice is for like cheerleading or some shit.”

  I probably should have been offended, but I wasn’t. I laughed. “No, I go to Berklee, and practice is for BCSO. I’m twenty-one.”

  “That’s a relief. What’s the BCSO?”

  “The Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra. I play the violin.”

  “No shit.”

  “No shit,” I repeated, and for the first time, he looked embarrassed.

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. What should I wear to the club? Is it dressy or casual?”

  “Casual. Not that I’ll complain if you want to dress up.” He looked me up and down, then grinned. “Especially if you want to wear a little black dress or skirt. With some heels.”

  God, he was hot when he flirted. “I’ll find something.”

  “Lucio, I found the list!” Gina yelled from the front door.

  “Okay, Mom,” he said loudly, then looked down at me. “I’ll swing by around nine.”

  “I could meet you there,” I offered, not knowing where he lived and if picking me up would be a hassle for him.

  “It’s not a problem. It’s a date, Livi. I’m not going to let you drive alone to a club.”

  “Oh.” Another show of how out of my element I was. I hoped when he asked it was for a date, but he had mentioned
a friend. “You sure it will be alright with your friend?”

  “Tao, yeah. And if he tries to hit on you, I’ll punch him.” He winked.

  “Does he normally hit on your dates?”

  He smiled. “Tao hits on all women. You’ll actually be saving me from sitting alone most of the night or having to leave alone.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Tao usually finds a woman to hook-up with and cuts out on me.”

  “So, he’s a man-whore?” I laughed when his eyes went wide.

  “Nailed it,” he said and started toward the front door. When we reached the door, he opened it but didn’t walk out.

  “Something wrong?” I asked, and he reached out and cupped my cheek.

  “I might be headed for trouble with you,” Lucio said, then dropped his hand and walked to his car where his mom was inside waiting for him.

  After I watched them pull away, I closed the door and leaned against it. I reached up and touched my cheek where his hand had been.

  “The feeling is mutual,” I said out loud, then smiled when I remembered something my mom said.

  ‘Choose your husband wisely, Olivia. Bad boys may be exciting and seem like all that, but as you grow older, trust me, they tend to test your last nerve.’

  I pushed off the door and headed back to the kitchen. “I don’t know about marriage, Mom, or if I’m ready for a bad boy, but I’m going to find out.”

  I laughed, bent, then pulled the casserole out of the oven.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lucio

  AS SOON AS I SLID INTO the driver’s seat of my car, I glanced at my mom. The look on her face told me she’d witness what happened with Livi. She verified I was right as soon as I pulled away. I just didn’t expect the anger.

  “What the hell was that about, Lucio?”

  “I’m not sure.” That was not the right answer for my mom.

  “You’re not sure! I swear to God, Lucio, if you toy with her, I will come to your apartment and smother you in your sleep!”

  Not only had I misspoken, but I also laughed. There wasn’t even a need to glance over because I could feel my mom’s eyes boring into me.

  After I got my laughter under control, I said, “I asked her out.” When my mom didn’t reply, I cut my eyes to her. She wasn’t looking at me, she was looking out the side window. “Mom?”

  “I heard you, Lucio.”

  “You’re not going to yell and tell me to stay away from her? Or that she’s probably too good for me?”

  Minutes went by before I heard her blow out a breath and then shift in her seat.

  “No, I’m not going to yell and tell you to stay away from Olivia.”

  “But you do think she’s too good for me?” I asked and not going to lie—a little hurt that my mom would think it.

  Hell, I knew it two seconds after she’d opened the door. I knew it when I stood in the kitchen and asked if she wanted to go to the club. What brought it home for me was when she explained about her classes and practice. She was college, I was street. She was a violinist in an orchestra, and I used my fists to make a living. Could we be more opposite from each other? Yet, knowing it hadn’t stopped me from flirting with her. And it hadn’t kept me from asking her out. I felt comfortable around her, and I acted like I hadn’t felt a zap when our hands touched because I’d never experienced it before. I knew she’d felt it, too. It’s why I said I might be headed for trouble with her. Because I might have just met her, but I knew deep down if I let her in and something went wrong between us or happened to her—it’d break me. Knowing she had the ability scared the hell out of me.

  My mom sat quietly until I pulled up in front of her apartment building. When I stopped the car and turned to look at her, she spoke, “I don’t like it when you talk about not being good enough. Have you had your moments? Yes. I watched a boy who always took others’ feelings into account, turn into a teenager I didn’t recognize or understand. Your dad and I felt helpless when you started hanging around with Travis’ crew. We watched you get deeper and deeper, and there was nothing we could do to stop it but continue to love you and pray we wouldn’t lose you to some senseless gang activity.”

  I opened my mouth, but she raised her hand and stopped me.

  “We’ve never spoken about what went on there once we moved here, and that was my fault. I didn’t want to dredge up any of it because I was still raw from your dad’s death. Then after the hurt eased, you were settling in here, studying to catch up in school, even working part-time at the restaurant. I was getting my son back and feared if we talked about everything, it might have a reverse effect, and I wouldn’t be able to go through that again. Losing your dad, then getting the call that you were being taken to the hospital and not knowing, other than you’d been shot, if I was going to lose you, too. No way I wanted to go back and revisit any of it.

  “Then you graduated high school, decided you were going to go into the MMA. I’ll admit I figured you’d lose interest, or maybe I hoped you’d lose interest. I wanted you to go to college, get a better education than your dad and I had. Parents always want their children to do better than them.

  “But you didn’t want to go to college, so I watched you work and push yourself, and the single-minded focus you held, and knew then you’d found your place. As a mother, I don’t like seeing you with bruises and cuts or swollen knuckles, but I enjoy seeing the enthusiasm and love for the sport.”

  “The money helps,” I said, and she smiled.

  “Right. When you first started, you barely made enough to pay your rent, and if you hadn’t pulled shifts at Da Silva’s, you wouldn’t have eaten unless you came by the house.”

  I chuckled, but my mom was right. The only thing there’s plenty of when you start out is soreness and bruises.

  “Not anymore. My take on the last fight was more than I’ve made with all the other fights added together.”

  “Thank you for reminding me. I noticed a deposit this morning in my bank account. We’ll talk about that another time. You’ll getting me off track.”

  “Oh, there’s a point to what you’ve been saying?”

  “Luca Lucio Moretti, you aren’t so big I can’t turn you over my knee.”

  She smacked my arm when I snorted. The woman was at best five feet four and maybe a hundred thirty, and that was being generous on my part. Where I was six three and two-forty.

  “I may have taken a long way around to get to my point, but things need to be said. You’re my son, and I will always love you. Olivia is a beautiful, talented young woman, but Lucio, she’s isn’t as...experienced in life as you. Though you do have something in common, you’ve both lost a parent. Tragically, too. Your dad was shot and killed. Her mother died in a terrible accident with Olivia in the car to witness it. It’s why Mr. Chambers was looking to hire a housekeeper. The house had been his wife’s domain. He and Olivia were having a hard time maintaining the house and their lives without her. So please just be gentle with her. And for God’s sake, if you are looking for just a hookup, then stay clear. I love my job, and Olivia and her dad are wonderful people.”

  “Geez, Mom.”

  “Don’t geez me. I’m not blind. I’ve seen the girls you and Tao...associate with.”

  “Fine,” I answered because there was no sense in arguing with her. And laughing would only keep her going. Besides, she’d nailed Tao, but I wasn’t nearly as bad as he was, and I refused to have this discussion with my mom.

  “Be a gentleman, Lucio. Don’t forget dinner Sunday for your birthday,” she said and opened her door.

  “I won’t. Please don’t go all out cooking. And no cake.”

  “Pfft, one slice isn’t going to kill you. You’ll work it off at the gym, I’m sure.”

  I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Just all the other fatting foods you’re going to have me eat.”

  “Go and shower and dress nice for your date,” she said and got out of the car. “I’m proud of you,” she added, th
en closed the door.

  I smiled and watched as she headed toward the door of her building. Then I rolled down the window.

  “Mom, I forgot about your car. Do you need me to look at it, or have it picked up and taken to a garage?”

  “No. I meant to tell you that your uncle Tony sent someone to look at it. It only needed a new battery, so the man who came by swapped it out.”

  “Okay. Love ya, Mom.”

  “Love you, Lucio.”

  Once she went through the door, I drove away. I replayed everything we talked about and wondered if I shouldn’t call Livi and cancel. Just the thought it might disappoint or hurt her had me pushing the idea away. By the time I walked into my apartment, I was looking forward to seeing her again, but I wouldn’t touch her.

  My mom said she loved her job and the Chambers. I wouldn’t jeopardize that because of a little flare of electricity. I’d been busy the last few months getting prepared for the fight and hadn’t so much as considered a woman. Hell, maybe Tao was right, I needed to get laid, and Livi was gorgeous and piqued my interest. That was all it meant.

  I stepped into the shower, and under the spray of hot water, I was pleased I’d thought it out before making a decision with the potential to hurt more than one person.

  EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT about placing Livi in the no-touch zone was a wasted effort on my part when she opened the door.

  She wore black jeans that hugged her curves, a white blouse unbuttoned at the top, just enough to see her necklace. Her hair hung down in loose curls. She stood taller, which had me looking down to her feet, and my lips twitched at the black boots that only hit her ankles but had at least a three inch heel. Spiked no less. Earlier she’d been in sweats and an oversized t-shirt, and though she’d looked good, the outfit hadn’t done her justice.

  I was fucked and not in a good way.