SONG OF MY HEART

SONG OF MY HEART; PART ONE THE MEETING


Paul was someone who everyone could agree was a good friend. Warm and generous in the heart, talented, musical, confident and yet shy, so why was he still alone? True, he was into his music, deep into it. You could actually say he was “married” to it. He felt it in his bones, every waking moment; and sometimes, when he was deep into his sleep, he dreamed about the music, and as his fans knew, he had a dream about a song and when he awoke, the song was completed.
  Funny thing about life, he had his close friends and family, business associates and yes, he had his fans. They were like extended family.    Nevertheless, despite everything, his love for his dogs and music, the peace he felt when he meditated; there was still a sense of loss and emptiness .Sometimes he refused to admit that he was lonely. He had denied it for so long that he actually believed it, therefore, when he awoke today, he had no idea that something wonderful was going to occur; causing a ripple effect in his life.
The day started out as usual. He rose, did his morning routine; his housekeeper brought his coffee and he walked out with his two beloved dogs Rusty and Ginger.  He went to his favorite chair by his pepper tree and brought out his journal. Although the sun was rising, there was still enough darkness to give him privacy. His dogs flopped down beside him and barked softly, letting him know that they were feeling neglected. He laughed, he was like everyone else, he enjoyed being needed and loved unconditionally. He knelt down and scratched behind each dog’s ears until they were satisfied.
Paul opened his journal and began writing his thoughts. He then got out his blanket, sat down in a comfortable position, and closed his eyes. Humming softly he began to drift into that comfortable space in time. It didn’t seem long but an hour later he came back down and the sounds of morning began to stir in his brain. The dogs, sensing he was now available to play, began chasing each other and he was amused. He looked up and saw his assistant approaching him. He didn’t feel ready to have life encroach on his peace, but he did have his priorities.
His assistant held a briefcase full of papers, gingerly made his way around the dogs, and handed his boss the briefcase. They sat down and discussed each one and then he handed him a couple of phone messages. He nodded and gathered up his journal and blanket. Pete his assistant, whistled for the dogs and they walked next to him.
His housekeeper approached him with a menu for that evening and he approved the choices and then discussed the seating arrangement with her. He had almost forgotten about the dinner party.  His friend from across the desert had suggested inviting some mutual friends to dinner, using the vegetables grown in her garden and he had given her the ok. The guest list had names he was familiar with and a couple he wasn’t. He made a mental note to ask Julie about that.
The phone rang in his office just as he unlocked the door. His private line was lit and he lifted the receiver and spoke into the phone. Julie’s voice was soft and clear. She enquired into his well-being and after a few moments of casual chit chat, she got down to business. She asked if he had seen the guest list and after going over each name, she mentioned the one name he had planned to ask her. She gave him some information about the person and then mentioned that the woman, whose name was Sabrina did not know who he was and unfamiliar with his music. He was astounded and said so. Julie was amused. She didn’t go into detail but she was sure that the two of them had some things in common. He was secretly amused at her little match making game but decided to go along with it.
The rest of the day was busy and chaotic. He made his phone calls and then headed for the studio on his property. His engineers and friend Ron had already assembled and were waiting for him to listen to the playback. He listened and made suggestions. He felt the excitement building up as the final production of his cd was approaching.
Hours later, he was dressing for the dinner party. His tuxedo was hanging up in the closet and his valet was bringing his new black shoes into the room. He stood in front of the mirror and admired himself. Not too bad for someone in his mid sixties.  He had all his hair, no wrinkles and definitely no problem in the love department, which never ceased to amaze his peers.
Paul walked out into the living room where his staff was setting up the food. He had decided to do a buffet style tonight and his housekeeper had hired extra servers to help. The long dining table was brought out for special occasions and set up. Place cards with the names of the guests were already on the table and he looked around with pride. Despite his busy schedule, he managed to find time to entertain and have fun. He started thinking about the mysterious guest that Julie had hinted about. He realized that there were people who hadn’t heard of him or even listened to his music. That really didn’t surprise him. however, the idea of someone being initiated intrigued and excited him. The passion he had for his music and for music in general had been there since his first memory.  It wasn’t until his grandfather had taken him to that record a voice booth when he was so young, that the connection had been made.
The doorbell rang and Julie and her partner entered. He went over, greeted her, and chuckled when she whispered something in his ear. He shook hands with her partner and then turned to greet the rest of his company. Sometime later, after his guests had mingled, dinner was served buffet style. There was a bit of confusion as people scrambled to sit at their designated spots. The food turned out to be delicious and the vegetables were much remarked on. Julie was very happy, she couldn’t stop smiling. After dinner, she introduced a young woman to him whose beauty astounded him. Her name was Sabrina Kovinsky, she was a musician for the Philadelphia Symphony. She was a violinist and had studied classical music most of her life.
However, to his surprise his musical background impressed her. Since normally he didn’t perform at his dinner parties, when she requested a song or two he agreed. The other guests were surprised and there was some murmuring.
Later that evening when the guests had gone for the evening, he sat with Julie, Sam and Sabrina by the fireplace sipping some brandy. He and Sabrina were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t realize that it was 3 am, until he noticed Sabrina yawning. He stood up and offered to walk them to the door. While Sam and Julie went to their car, he asked Sabrina for her phone number. She shook her head and declined. He felt disappointed but decided to bide his time. He said good night to them and went back into his house.

He started getting ready for bed. Tomorrow he had rehearsals for his shows and that meant an exhausting and demanding schedule for the next two weeks. He sat down and emailed some of his friends to find out about changes in an upcoming show. He had some ideas germinating in his mind and wanted some feedback.
While he was checking his mail, he noticed a name that was unfamiliar to him. He opened up the file and saw Sabrina’s name there. That really surprised him since he hadn’t given anyone his email address other than a few close friends, including Julie. Then he looked closer and realized that Sabrina had emailed Julie who had forwarded the mail to him.
In the mail, she explained that she had her reasons for declining her telephone number. She was intrigued by him. She was at a loss to know why. That made him smile; he started laughing, which brought his dogs into the room puzzled by the noise.  He went on line and searched for some information about Sabrina. He wasn’t really a small talker but he liked knowing something about people he met, especially women he was attracted to. She had a background similar to his. Both her parents were musical. Her grandparents were Polish and Russian immigrants. Two of her aunts and uncles were violinists and conductors. She had started playing the piano and violin as a young child but as a teenager, she gave it up and stayed with the violin. She had a master’s degree in music from the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York. She had married and been divorced several years ago and had one child, a girl named Gabriella.

All that information intrigued him and made him more determined to know her. He closed up his email without replying to Julie’s letter. He decided to think about his response.
He did his usual evening routine and got into his bed. His dogs were already lying across the bed and he gently shoved Ginger over so he could lie down. Soon he drifted off until the sound of thunder and lightning woke him from a sound sleep. He glanced at the clock and saw it was time to rise and get going about his daily work.

The rest of the day went swiftly; he worked on his cd, and listened to his playbacks, made his phone calls and went to visit a friend in the hospital. He also had meetings with the directors of the various charity organizations he was on. Overall, it was a very productive day.
He received a call from his choreographer, reminding him of the rehearsals set for the day after tomorrow.  He also had meetings set up with his manager and the couple in charge of the fan club. They were in the middle of negotiations for the annual fan club convention.
The phone rang in his office and he saw it was his private line. He picked up and it was a friend of his. They spoke for a few moments and then he went back to his emails. The rain continued pouring down and the lightening got closer. He went out of the room and looked outside for his dogs, they were on the terrace cowering and he brought them in. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom, dried them and then took them by the fireside to get warm.
He heard the front door open and the voices of his manager and his daughter. He looked up and smiled. He was always delighted to see Phil and his daughter Amy.
Amy came over and hugged him. Just like her father, she was tall and slender. She recently graduated from the university with a business degree and a minor in marketing. She had been her father’s right hand assistant since high school and he was extremely proud of her.
Phil mentioned the board meeting that they were going to attend and the latest concerts on the calendar for next year. Amy told him about the videos of the recent concert in Philadelphia.  She reassured him that all the editing was completed and everything was ready for his approval. They also discussed the fan store and some new merchandise up for approval.
They continued the discussions and then he told them that he was going to be out of town the following week for personal business. Phil looked surprised and Amy looked upset. However, he assured them that he would be back in time for the concerts and shows already scheduled.

Amy told them that she had some meetings scheduled and said her goodbyes. After she left there was a few moments of silence and then Phil said, “You want to tell me what is going on? Are you having problems with your legs again?”  He looked surprised and repeated what he had just said. Phil said nothing and then changed the subject.
Phil left after a couple of hours and the house was silent once more. He sighed, knowing that Phil would eventually interrogate him to find out what was going on, but he figured he would cross that bridge when he got to it. He made a few more calls, one of them to his cousin Rachel to wish her happy birthday, the other to the florist shop for flowers to send to Julie and his other female guests from the other night.
He packed his clothes for the trip to Vegas and called his assistant Pete to him.  He gave him some instructions on a few things and then they took off in the van to the airport. They discussed various projects coming up and then he hesitantly mentioned the dinner party.
Pete was more than surprised. His boss was very private. Sure, there had been women in and out of his life but very rarely were they mentioned. He was secretly pleased that his boss trusted him enough to even merit a mention.

Silence took over once again. He gazed out the window and let his mind drift to the dinner party. He was very impressed with Sabrina. Her whole demeanor was different, she didn’t avert her eyes when they spoke and she had no hesitation when they differed on their opinions. He liked that. Too many women were afraid he would dislike them if they were outspoken or a bit assertive/aggressive. He actually preferred that. He hated it when people would stand on ceremony with him. He was human after all, with all the imperfections, flaws and nastiness that everyone had. He knew he was impatient, sometimes to the point that his staff would leave in tears. That definitely made him unhappy, but as his nephew used to say, “Shit happens”.

He had spoken to Sabrina last night. He had gotten a response to his email to Julie. She had emailed Sabrina with his request and this time he wasn’t turned down. He called her and they spoke well into the night. Her life, her career and even her daughter. It seemed like they had known each other for years. The connection was one he hadn’t had in so many years, not since Wendy had walked out of his life.
He told himself to stop thinking sad thoughts. The past was over. He was actually looking forward to tonight’s show. The plane landed and things went quickly. He walked through the sets, did a dress rehearsal, and finalized the changes made. The rest of the day went smoothly; it was showtime. He did his meet and greet with the fans. He chatted with several of them and listened to their requests for songs. He promised to give them consideration and then he went out on stage. The audience response was wild tonight. He could tell it was going to be a good one. He peered out into the audience and recognized a few familiar faces. He scanned the audience for Sabrina and her daughter, but didn’t see her. He was disappointed but he needed to focus on his show. For some reason though, he felt himself going through the motions. He caught his backups glancing at him a few times with concern, he was sure they were thinking he was in pain.
Finally, the show was over. They took their bows and the curtain went down. His one male choreographer Jack, a tall Asian, took him aside and asked him point blank if he was in pain.
Jack had noticed some stiffness and was very concerned.  Paul reassured him that the knee was not bothering him and mentioned that there were some other things going on, he also apologized for his lack of focus. Jack refused to accept any explanations; he just wanted reassurance that everything was ok.
He shook his head and said he was going to get changed.  Pete followed him into the dressing area and read him some letters that had been left by some fans after the show. Some of them were amusing and he gave some responses back to Pete.
He sat down at the chair and began removing his stage makeup. His dresser, Pablo, laid out a pair of grey trousers and grey striped shirt, a favorite of his. A matching jacket and he was all set. After a brief shower, he dressed and followed his bodyguards into the hotel lounge area. He waved and smiled at some of the fans waiting around. He couldn’t help but admire the attractive women and sometimes he wished it were possible to stop and chat with them, but it just couldn’t be done, regrettably.

He entered the Tigers Paw lounge where the mgmt had cordoned off an area, giving him and his friends some privacy. He sat down, ordered a bottle of Perrier with a twist, his favorite drink, and began conversing with his friend Jack. Sometime later, his assistant whispered something in his ear and he began gathering his things. He made his goodbyes and exited through the back door in a brisk manner.  At the end of the corridor was Sabrina, looking very beautiful in her black gown, she was standing next to a small girl who bore a remarkable resemblance to her. Her face lit up when she saw him approaching and he greeted her with a hug and shook hands with her daughter. His bodyguards escorted them into his limo.
The limo stopped at Sabrina’s townhouse. B y previous arrangement, her mother was waiting for Gabriella outside the townhouse. Sabrina stood outside the limo talking to her mother for a few minutes and then got back in. He waited patiently for her to say something but she didn’t.  He placed his hand on her to comfort her and that seemed to help. She turned to wave to her little girl and then faced him.
She asked him where they were going and he told her that a friend of his was in town and playing at a local jazz club. Her eyes lit up and she began pelting him with questions. He was amused at the change of conversation but was pleased that she had stopped worrying about her daughter. She sat back and her body relaxed.
When they arrived at the club, the manager escorted them to the best table close to the stage. The lights went down as the jazz player came on stage. Time slowed down and he was hardly aware of his surroundings, the music totally absorbed him.  He caught her glancing at him several times and wondered what her thoughts were.