Inked in the Music

by Kitt Rose

  I looked at Trina, really looked at her. We’d known each other for a while now, but she had volunteered nothing about her past. Shame flashed through me. I’d never asked where she came from, and she never offered.

  “Did someone hurt you?” I asked in a quiet voice.

  I almost missed the tremble in her hand as she shoved her hair back.

  “We aren’t talking about me. I just want you to know that she isn’t an Ella. You can’t play with her. Don’t go after her if you don’t really want her. Now, let’s get loaded up.”

  Trina hopped out of the truck without waiting for a response. She’d closed the subject, but I wouldn’t forget. I took care of my friends. And, maybe, I was a little nosy. Whatever the reason, Trina’s words would bug me until I knew their source.

  Loading the couch and air mattress into the bed of Hank’s truck didn’t take long. My neighbor came out and helped. Helpful neighbors were still a new experience for me. I thanked him and slammed the tailgate closed.

  Then I went to grab a set of sheets just in case Z didn’t have any. When I came out of my bedroom, I found Trina with her head in my kitchen cabinets.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, amused by her presumptuous behavior.

  Trina and I both had some boundary issues but even I wouldn’t dig through someone else’s cabinets. Okay, maybe I would. It depended on whose cabinet.

  “You don’t cook.” Trina pulled out a skillet, shaking the cookware at me. “And you have all these pots and pans.”

  “Ah. I get it. Yeah, you can take a few for Z. Not the cast iron—I use that. I’ve got an old toaster and microwave upstairs I can grab too.”

  “Awesome. We’ll set our girl up good,” Trina said.

  Our girl… I smirked. Trina had gone all momma bear. Apparently, those big guileless eyes worked on everyone, not just me. That made me feel marginally better.

  Once Trina had cleared out half of my kitchen, filling four brown paper bags, we loaded up and headed back to Walmart. Idling at the curb, I called Trina’s phone. The call rang through to voicemail. I tried again and once more went to voicemail.

  “She’s not answering,” I said with a frown. “Let’s park and go inside. I’ve got something I need to grab too.”

  Trina wrinkled her nose. “Seriously. Walmart. You want me to go in a Walmart? Actually … I could use mascara. And some tampons—”

  “Don’t need to know.”

  “—I could spend some money. Sure, let’s go,” Trina said.

  We parked about a mile from the store, passing a woman straight out of a people-of-Walmart meme. Trina elbowed me in the side, pointing.

  I grabbed her hand, and hissed, “Stop it.”

  “But someone needs to tell her. I mean, I wear some out-there stuff, and even I wouldn’t put those patterns together,” Trina said, chattering too loudly.

  I slapped a hand over her mouth, walking faster. She had to run to keep up, mouth moving under my hand the whole time. Then she licked my hand.

  Grimacing, I wiped my hand on my pant leg. “Real mature.”

  We walked in the automatic doors and Trina slapped my ass. “Give me your phone. You find our girl and call me when you do.”

  I passed her my phone and Trina headed off to wherever they sold girlie shit. I pointed myself to the housewares and set off to find Z.

  Chapter Five

  Unexpected

  Zirah

  I needed a bucket for cleaning, laundry, and to dye the hideous curtains I’d found on clearance. Leaving my cart, I walked down the aisle, searching. I turned the corner, scanning the shelves. One minute I was walking, the next I was face-first in a man’s chest. My arms wrapped around him instinctually as I tried to steady myself.

  “You okay?” Dennis’s voice rumbled through his chest.

  Dizziness rushed through my veins as I sucked in a startled breath. He smelled so good. Like amber and smoke. The scent reminded me of incense, but not the cheap stuff Mom used. Dennis smelled like a church, but sexy.

  I shook my head. Sexy church, yeah, I was losing it. And I was hugging a stranger in the middle of Walmart. There was scarcely an inch of space between us. I jumped back.

  “Yeah. Sorry, I should have been looking.” I winced as the words came out at top speed.

  “Not a problem. Now if you were a three-hundred-pound hairy dude, then it might have been a problem. But running into you ain’t too bad.” His lips turned up revealing perfectly straight, white teeth.

  I flushed as his words registered and shifted on my feet, busying myself with finding my bucket. I grabbed a blue one from the shelf, clutching it to my chest.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  He apologized with such sincerity that I had to meet his gaze.

  I sucked in a deep breath, forcing my words out slower than before. “It’s okay. I’m just not used to being talked to like that.”

  “Hard to believe with as pretty as you are.”

  I felt like laughing, the feeling part disbelief, part joy, and part bitterness. My family’s reputation had superseded appearances. It wouldn’t have mattered if I’d been the next Gisele Bündchen, back home, I was trash. Trina saved me from having to say anything more when she came around the corner, nearly running into the two of us.

  “Shit. Stand in the middle of the aisle why don’t you… Did you forget how to answer the phone, Z?” she asked, not unkindly.

  “Um. No. It didn’t ring.” I fished it out of my pocket and handed it to her.

  “Damn it. The ringer was off. My bad.” She giggled and slipped the hot pink phone into her back pocket.

  “You about done here?” She turned her attention to my cart and yanked out the pots and pans set and set it on the closest shelf. “Dennis had way too many pots and pans for someone who doesn’t cook so he gave you a few.”

  “And a toaster, a four-cup coffee maker, and an old microwave. It was all sitting upstairs unused and it probably would have gotten thrown out.”

  He was trying to downplay what they were doing for me, but this, all of this, was huge.

  “I… You guys don’t even know me. Why are you being so nice? I just…” The tears that stung the back of my eyes mortified me.

  Dennis’s hand landed on my back and rubbed a soothing circle there. I didn’t mind the contact this time.

  “Honey, we’ve all been where you are, just starting out in a new place. You need friends, and lucky for you, you met me!” Trina spread her arms and sort of curtsied.

  I smiled, the second big smile in a day. It felt weird. And nice. “It was. Thank you so much. I’ll find some way to pay you back, I promise.”

  “No need,” Dennis said. “And keep the air mattress as long as you need it. It’s one of those raised ones so you aren’t even on the floor. I need to grab something. I’ll meet you guys up front?”

  I nodded and we headed up to the cashier. Dennis came up behind us as we were loading the cart back up. I tried not to be curious about the bag he carried. When the woman gave me my total, I swallowed hard and peeled off three fifty-dollar bills. I had plenty, but a lifetime of conservation didn’t die easily. And until I found a job, this was all I had.

  Dennis had parked the truck on the far end of the lot. In the back were a brown couch, a milk crate full of pots and pans, and a couple of paper bags of stuff. We tucked the grocery bags in the back and brought the breakables and refrigerated stuff into the cab.

  The drive back started out as twenty questions from Trina, but then Dennis asked about my favorite books.

  It turned out that Dennis loved to read too. We got into an intense conversation about the Wheel of Time series. After a while, Dennis moved the conversation away from an argument in the making about the Forsaken.

  Dennis picked a safer topic. “Of course, nothing beats the classic Tolkien.”

  “Hmm. Yeah. I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings at least once a year. Do you like sci-fi stuff too? How abo
ut Vonnegut?”

  “Who doesn’t like a little Cat’s Cradle? Hitchhiker’s Guide?”

  I laughed. “I never travel without a towel.”

  “Yeah. I take it you read a lot?” he asked.

  “Yes. I go through about a book every week. Epic novels might take me two or three. But then I don’t have a television.”

  “You just keep blowing my mind, honey,” Trina said. “No phone, no television. Do you at least have a computer? A stereo?” She sounded exasperated, as if not having a television was a national crime.

  “I have a laptop. It’s older, but it works and I can listen to music on it when I want to.”

  Before they could question me more, we pulled into the parking lot. Dennis hopped out and grabbed the milk crate and a couple of bags. I looped four bags onto my arm and climbed the stairs. It took me a minute of fumbling with the unfamiliar lock to get the door open. When I finally did, I pushed the door open wide and carried my bags to the kitchen counter. Dennis was right behind me.

  “You stay here and put everything away. I’ll go grab Hank and we’ll bring up the couch and the rest of the stuff.” He turned to go back outside.

  I hesitated for a moment before grabbing his arm. “Dennis, thank you.”

  He smiled, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that made my heart flutter.

  Trina passed him on the way in. I pulled open the first bag and started unpacking.

  “I think you’ve got an admirer,” Trina said.

  “He’s just being nice.”

  “Yeah, no. Who knows him here? I do. He likes you. He’s a good guy, too.” She looked at me intently. “Not too hard on the eyes either.”

  I blushed and busied myself putting away the dry goods. A few minutes later, I heard grunting outside and Hank’s back appeared in the doorway, walking backward with the couch suspended between Dennis and himself. “Where do you want it?”

  “Um. Anywhere’s fine. You guys did the hard part. Once I figure out where to put stuff, I can move that easy.”

  They took a few steps toward the windows.

  “Wait.” I ran to grab my violin case and move it out of the way. “Sorry, you almost set it on my violin. I think I would have cried.”

  After they set down the couch, Dennis dropped onto it. “You play?” He motioned to the case.

  “Yeah. Violin first and foremost, but I play guitar and piano too.”

  “Wow. I’ve always wanted to play an instrument. Can you play something?” Trina asked.

  “Now?” I asked.

  She nodded and Hank sat down next to Dennis, pulling Trina into his lap.

  I supposed playing for them was the least I could do. They’d helped me so much.

  I pulled my violin and bow out of the case and took a few moments to tune. While I did that, I tried to figure out what to play for them. Not Vivaldi or Bach, but most people liked the Irish fiddle stuff. I picked something I knew by heart.

  The moment my bow touched the strings, I disappeared into the music, letting my fingers fly over the strings. The notes pulled me into another place, transforming me into another person.

  When the last note faded, I pulled the violin from my shoulder. Exhaling deeply, I opened my eyes. All three of my new friends stared at me, shock on their faces.

  “Holy shit! Why aren’t you on Broadway or something?” Hank asked.

  “I’m not good enough for that,” I said honestly. “I’m hoping I can get into the symphony here in town if there’s ever an opening, but I’m not counting on it.”

  Dennis stood up and shook his head. “The hell you’re not good enough. Both of my parents were professional musicians before they retired. My mom plays the cello and my dad plays the violin. I’ve sat through God knows how many concerts in my life. Not to mention the hours a day of practice at home. Do you know Paganini’s Caprices no. 24?”

  Dennis stunned me. He knew Paganini? Arguably one of the most difficult pieces to play.

  “I’ve got the music for it. I don’t have that one memorized.”

  “Play that,” he all but barked at me. “Sorry, that was kind of dickish. Would you please play that?”

  I shrugged and found the sheet music. I laid the pages out at my feet and started again. This one was hard and it took all my concentration, but when I finished, I knew I’d nailed it. The look on Dennis’s face confirmed that.

  “Fuck yeah. You’re good. I’ve seen great violinists stumble on that, and you made it look easy. Wow.” He stood up and pulled his hair free of the ponytail holder. The dark, sleek curtain fell around his shoulders. He snapped the band around his wrist and dragged his hands through his hair. “Do you have an audition already?”

  I shook my head. “There aren’t any openings right now.”

  “Well, when you get one, play that. Seriously.”

  After an awkward moment of silence, I put my violin and music away and they headed back downstairs to get the rest of the bags. I had a moment of panic when Trina and Hank headed down to close the shop and left me alone with Dennis. But then he started talking about his favorite classical pieces.

  Once Dennis got me talking about music, my nerves disappeared. I found myself smiling and laughing. I hadn’t had a lot of good experiences with men, so it felt weird. Not bad, just different.

  When everything was done, he stood back and looked around. “Not a bad little place.”

  A harsh laugh escaped me. “Yeah, this is more space than I’ve ever had. I grew up in a trailer. And not one of those nice new double-wides. It would have been fine except it was always too crowded. Too many people in too little space. It will be so awesome not having to wait in line for the bathroom every morning.”

  “Wow. Is that where you were living before you moved down?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hey, I um … I know it was presumptuous of me, but I really didn’t like the idea of you—of any girl really—living on their own without a way to get in contact with someone in an emergency.” He pulled a cell phone and a power cord from his pocket. “It’s not fancy, but it’s prepaid with 1500 minutes. I programed in my number, Trina’s, and Ink’d’s numbers. I know you don’t know us yet, but if you need something, just let me know. Or if you want to just … hang out or something, call me.”

  I took the phone from his hand, overwhelmed and embarrassed at the same time. “I can’t even… Thank you. I’ll pay you back once I get a job.”

  “No need. Really.” He put his hand on my shoulder and peered down at me.

  I had the craziest feeling that he might kiss me, and panic bubbled up in my throat. I took a small step back.

  He frowned. “You don’t like to be touched, do you?”

  The panic switched over to embarrassment and I scrambled. “I … I’m not used to it and I just don’t know you. That’s all.”

  “Oh. Well, I’m a little … affectionate. I’ll try to remember not to touch you so much, but if I forget, you just tell me. It won’t hurt my feelings.”

  “Okay.” That explained a lot. He didn’t like me, he was just a touchy-feely person, like a toddler. A giant, handsome toddler. I was oddly disappointed. “I don’t really understand why you are doing so much to help me. I’m not complaining, just not used to it.”

  He smiled again. “Maybe there’s something about those dimples that make me feel a little protective of you. That and you’re cool.”

  That startled a laugh out of me. “I’ve been called a lot of things but cool is not one of them.”

  “Well, obviously you didn’t know the right people.”

  The clomp of feet on the stairs warned me before everyone spilled into my apartment. Hank had his arm wrapped around Trina. Next to him, Ty was holding the hand of a gorgeous blonde with pink streaks in her hair. She stepped forward and held out her hand. “You must be Z. I’m Joey. Ty’s wife.”

  “Joey and Phini?” I asked.

  “Josephine. No one calls me that except my dad. I get Joey, Phini, a
nd an assortment of other names. But I can’t imagine your name’s actually Z.”

  I shook my head. “No, it’s Zirah. Z’s just easier. Your little boy’s adorable.”

  She lit up. “Thanks. He looks just like his daddy, so of course he is.”

  “Hey. Big, tough guy here. Adorable, I am not,” Ty said with a good-natured smile.

  “Tyler. Stuff it,” she shot over her shoulder. Turning back to me, she said. “We’re headed out to Scottie’s. It’s a little hole-in-the-wall bar we all go to. We’ve got a babysitter for the night, so it’s party time. Feel like coming out?”

  “I don’t have a car,” I said.

  “I’ll bring you back. It’s on my way,” Dennis quickly said.

  For some strange reason, Trina laughed, and Joey frowned at him.

  “That’s okay. I probably should get settled in,” I said.

  “Aw… Come on,” Trina said, whining as well as my nieces and nephews ever had. “You gotta. What do you have to do tomorrow? You don’t have a job yet so you can sleep however long you want. Especially with these funky curtains you got.”

  I flushed. I’d forgotten about the collection of towels and blankets I’d used to cover my windows. “Well… I guess I could.”

  She clapped her hands and jumped up and down. “Great! Let’s go.”

  I’d only ever been in a handful of bars, and all of them had been dumpy and gross. The place we went to was kind of cute and pretty clean. There were more people sitting at the bar and around tables than I would have imagined on a weeknight. The jukebox was playing some Bruce Springsteen and I smiled. My sister teased me I was born generations too late. But … I could like this place. I took a seat between Trina and Dennis.

  “Want a beer?” Dennis picked up the pitcher on the table and offered me a glass.

  “Um. I don’t like beer. Thanks though.”

  “What do you drink? I’m going to grab Joey something else too. She’s a beer snob,” Ty said, brushing her hair from her shoulder.

  “I don’t know. I’ve only ever had a couple sips of beer.”