Chapter 50
Dinner Will Be Late


“And hi to you too Urs.” David’s eyes twinkled at Urs’ private moment suddenly gone public and about to become even more so since Seb was closing the door behind him. “Per called, something about new harmonies.”

“Merde, the wind is terrible!” Seb exclaimed as he pulled off his gloves. He looked inquisitively from Annie Joy to Urs. Although his friend’s eyes were no longer flashing thunder and lightening, his slight scowl warned that he was definitely not embracing this sudden Divo reunion.

Urs’ sighed, so much for a quick getaway. If David and Seb were here could Carlos be far behind? Apparently not. “Madre de Dios! This cold is doing the freezing on my bal…” He mouth joined the rest of his frozen self when he saw Annie Joy. Then just as suddenly he smiled and the sunny warmth of Spain filled the room. “Halloooooo,” he beamed at Annie Joy,” then continued without taking his eyes off her. “This must be the charming…”

“Annie Joy,” Urs supplied as his inbred manners returned along with his sense of logic. The quicker introductions were made the quicker they could get to work. On the other hand, growing up in Texas, Annie Joy had never heard of a quick meet and greet.

She stepped forward, took his hand in both of hers, and began in Spanish, “Hola Carlos. I’d know you and your kiss curl anywhere,” she smiled. His eyebrow waved hello exitedly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she turned to Urs. “Urs has told me so much about you.” Gosh, I don’t have a clue if he understood me. It’s been years since we had to speak Castilian Spanish in Miss O’Gorman’s class.

She breathed a sigh of relief as Carlos continued in Spanish, lowering his voice and leaning in as if to tell her a secret. “I hope it is the good things only, eh?” Time to move on thought Urs as he put a proprietary arm around her waist and steered her toward Seb.

“Bonjour, Annie Joy,” Seb smiled and kissed her hand.

“Oo la la,” Annie Joy grinned as she rolled her eyes and pretended to fan herself. “Urs never told me you were a French ladykiller. It’s wonderful to meet you, Seb.”

Urs suspected Annie Joy and David would have a special rapport being fellow Americans but he knew he had lost complete control of the situation the minute she walked over to him. “Hi David. I had no idea you’d be such a long tall drink of water,” she grinned as she bent her head back to look up at him

“Annie Joy, great to meet you at last. So you’re the one we have to thank for taking the unbearable out of our bear and you no bigger than a minute!” As if to prove his point he opened his arms and she all but disappeared into his bear hug. Carlos nudged Seb in the ribs and gave a thumbs up sign as soon as Urs wasn’t looking and David gave them a conspiratorial wink over the top of Annie Joy’s head.

Urs was thinking the meter had about expired on this bear hug when another country was heard from, so to speak. “Ah, I see we’re all here,” Per said as he and David walked in.

“Hej. Jag är Annie Joy,” she said offering him her hand. “Hur mår ni?”

“Fine, thank you Annie Joy,” David said as he too shook her hand and tried not to smile. Oh yes, Urs has met his match.

Urs rolled his eyes. Scheisse, it’s the bloody United Nations. For once in her life couldn’t she be a little less Annie Joy? At this rate we’ll be eating at midnight.

“You both look so young. I mean there’s nothing wrong with being young it’s just that I imagined you’d be older because you’re so good and that usually takes years and…oh hell, help me out here Urs,” she blushed, totally embarrassed.




He slipped his arm around her and she leaned close to him, glad for the comfort of his embrace. He kissed the top of her head.
“You’ll have to excuse her. She doesn’t get out much. The group home is wery strict. Usually they only release her on Sunday afternoons but they made an exception tonight,” he deadpanned.

The look that Urs and Annie Joy shared as they all laughed was not lost on the others. No matter that they were from different countries, different cultures, different experiences. In essence they were thinking the same thing. Here is a couple that seems to have found magic together, something wonderful and precious and rare.

“Oh you!” she pretended to fuss and pushed him away with a nudge to his ribs. “Get in there and make some beautiful music. I’ll be waiting. Remember you promised me dinner.”

“You heard the lady, let’s get busy,” Per urged, taking charge. And as if a light bulb had been switched on they were suddenly all talking at once as they said their goodbyes and headed into the studio.

**********

Urs might have been right she thought as she rummaged through her bag for a pencil. He was always teasing her about tying one around her neck. Ah, there it is. I’ll bet they’d get a kick out of having a cartoon of themselves. Let’s see. The hardest one first, that will be Per and David. What can I do with music producers, songwriters? Recording music, blending the parts, mixing I think Urs called it. No remixing. Got it!

The rest of them will be easy. Seb forgets his words. What do you do when you forget your words? Of course, you hum! Now Carlos, Latin lover or clubbing? I know which one Urs would pick. I could have him going to a nightclub wearing his concert clothes. Ok David, tall, a tall tenor, tall as a tree, tall as the Empire State Building, tall as a giraffe. Yes, giraffe will work.

**********

“Good choice,” commented Per casually as he handed Urs the music. When Urs looked up at him, Per nodded toward the reception area. Compared to what, thought Urs. Thinking back, Cecile obviously had been a poor choice but how did Per know? He’d never even met Cecile since she hadn’t been interested in seeing the studio the one time she’d visited for a few days.

Urs grimaced as he thought back to that time. He’d felt as if a huge weight had been lifted when he’d put her on the plane to go home. The other Divos had probably felt the same way since the work they’d done while she was visiting had lacked the extra oomph that came out when they were all on. Urs had been on time for every call and although his technique was flawless, the emotion just wasn’t there.

How the hell could I have any emotion left for my music? It was as if I was tied hand and foot to two wild horses and they were sent galloping in opposite directions. I was being torn in half. She wanted me at her beck and call and would throw a fit if our plans had to change suddenly. When I would get to the studio I was emotionally drained from dealing with her. I had nothing left for the music. Per never said anything though. I wonder if the guys clued him in.

Urs’ mouth quirked in a smile and he nodded to the two men in the booth. He adjusted his earphones and stepped up to the mic. Yes, Annie Joy was a good choice, the best choice, personally and professionally. Just listen.

**********



“Anyone interested in getting something to eat?” asked David as Per closed and locked the door to the recording studio and they walked down the hall and into the reception area where Annie Joy waited.

“Me,” piped up David.

“Si, always you want to eat.” Carlos turned to Annie Joy. “He has the, how you say, hollow foot,” he explained.

“Leg, Carlos, it’s hollow leg,” David corrected automatically.

“Bah, foot, leg, no matter. Seb and I already have the plans for the club.”

“Café Opera,” Seb added enthusiastically.

Annie Joy smiled. The cartoon for Carlos would be perfect. Seb might have to explain the irony but Urs had been right about the clubbing.

“How about you and Annie Joy?” Per asked Urs.

“Not tonight I’m afraid. I promised Annie Joy a quiet dinner to celebrate passing her training project with flying colors.”

“Actually he doesn’t want you to see how much I eat. He calls me a human boa constrictor,” Annie Joy confided and when she looked at Urs her eyes softened as she remembered their first breakfast together.

David and Per laughed to be polite. Seb laughed because he had a pretty good idea what Urs’ plans for a quiet dinner entailed. David laughed because he loved Annie Joy’s genuinenesss in telling a story on herself and Carlos laughed because everyone else was.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I like to doodle so while I was waiting I drew a cartoon for each of you. It’s all in fun so I hope you like them.”

Urs thought of the cartoon she’d done for him and his heart felt ready to burst with pride and gratitude at her kind gesture toward his friends. Why should he be surprised though? She was always reaching out to people. He’d seen it before with Paige and even Candi.

She explained each one as she gave them out. “It was a bit of a stretch for you and Per, David. Hope you like it.” They did indeed and promised the next time she visited it would be framed and hanging on the wall in reception.

Click here: Remix

“I thought of you being in such a rush to go clubbing that you wore your concert suit or maybe it was to impress the ladies, si?”
Carlos’ tan deepened. Was that a blush?
“Just be sure you and Seb check the dress code.”

Click here: Properly Dressed

“I used to think that I was wrong.,” Annie Joy sang. Seb chuckled and shook his head. “I couldn’t resist when Urs mentioned those women writing the lyrics for you. If you’re ever stuck again, Seb, just remember alphabetical order, s before w.”

Click here: Can’t learn the words

“David of the high notes, now what could I do with you? Gorgeous singing on the Christmas album by the way. So I combined your high notes with your high-ness. Hmmm, that pun was pretty good off the top of my head.”

Click here: High notes

**********

The first snowflakes began to sift down just as they turned the corner and the hotel came into view. Urs quickened his pace and pulled Annie Joy tighter to him. “You’re amazing, you know,” he smiled.

“I think you have the wrong girl there,” she teased, looking at his red nose. “That’s amazing Grace.”

“Well, you’re my amazing Annie Joy. Those cartoons were a real hit. Thank you for doing that. You seem so comfortable even with people you’ve just met. You just naturally seem to fit in with any group.”

“Well having you there helped you know, just like when you bailed me out on the ship. I certainly didn’t fit in with that group, until you came along.”

“We do make a good couple don’t we?” he said as he bent over to kiss her equally red nose.

“The best, HL,” she said over her shoulder as he held the door. “OH, does it ever feel good to get inside. My toes are numb.”
She pulled off her gloves and hat and ran a hand over her hair to smooth it.

They undid their coats and allowed the air to slowly warm them as they waited for the elevator. Two couples got out at the lobby level and Urs followed Annie Joy into the empty elevator and quickly pressed the button. “I thought we could order room service if that’s alright. I want you all to myself so you can tell me all the details of your triumph.” And I can pick the perfect moment to tell you I love you.

“That sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to get these boots off and warm my feet,” she said as she leaned back against the wall and wiggled one ankle. The way he felt just watching that little boot wiggle Urs imagined his hair would be on fire any minute.

Then the elevator dinged at his floor and they stepped into the hallway. The air was cooler here and he sucked in a great lungful as he held her hand and led her to his door. He was the picture of calm and cool as he opened the door with one fluid motion and followed her inside. Too bad he didn’t close the door in time to keep those damn butterflies out.

It wasn’t that he was nervous, exactly. He just wanted everything to be perfect. In other words he was overthinking. Fortunately Annie Joy was not.

She shrugged out of her coat, dropped it on the nearest chair and looked around the sitting room. “Mmmm nice,” she murmured as she closed the distance between them. A reference to the room he thought, as she placed a light, fleeting kiss on his lips.
But as her arms wrapped around him, her next kiss left no doubt she was not commenting on the room décor.

Suddenly all that mattered was that she was here, that he could hold her like this. She was everything he’d ever wanted, absolutely everything.

The view from his window looked out over the sea. He cupped her shoulders in his warm hands and turned her slightly to the north. “Over there is the Old Town. If you look closely you can just see the steeple of the church we visited.” She leaned back into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her as they stood quietly gazing out at the flickering lights of the city and the harbor.
His warm breath in her hair sent shivers down her spine when he finally spoke. “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you tonight. I know I promised and you were counting on me. I was afraid you’d think I’d forgotten or that it wasn’t important. I just couldn’t get away.”

Annie Joy turned to him and gripped his shoulders. “You called and I understood. It’s as simple as that. I would never think that Urs. You aren’t the kind of man who breaks his promises.”

The look on her face told him more than she could know. He wasn’t the only one who’d fallen in love. He lifted her hand to his mouth, brushing a kiss across her knuckles. A suspicious shimmer came into her eyes.

She looked away and cleared her throat. “Could I use your bathroom please?”

“Oh, of course, right through there,” he pointed toward the bedroom. “While you’re gone I’ll look at the room service menu. You must be starving.”

Annie Joy told her eyes to focus straight ahead on the bathroom door but they just had to take a quick peek at the huge expanse of bed. Surely it was big enough for three or four people. She blushed at the thought. Then she saw it beside the bed. Had he meant for her to see it? Her eyes misted with happiness. Damn right he had. He knew her too well. But how in the world…? There on the nightstand beside his pillow was a picture of Annie Joy wearing her orange marshmallow.

Meanwhile in the other room Urs had taken it upon himself to read the menu aloud. He was just finishing up the soup course. “…or there’s Classic French Onion with Gruyère Cheese Gratinée. Annie Joy are you listening?”

“Um, yes of course Urs,” came the muffled reply from behind the bathroom door.

On he continued. “Under Pastas and Noodles they have a Pappardelle with Ragu De Nobile, a Truly Irresistible Ragu of Beef, Veal, Pork and Foie Gras, served over Ten…der…”

The menu dropped to the carpet with a soft thud as Urs’ mouth went suddenly dry. Annie Joy stood before him wearing one of his white Armani shirts and a smile.

“Life is short Urs. I think we should have dessert first.”