It was just as well really, he was better suited with a woman like that, professional, slim, blonde and beautiful. The two of them had very little in common really. Her father had led them to meeting and now he was gone. She gave herself a few more moments to feel sorry for herself and then she went back to work. Fortunately for her, the café was part of a street show that afternoon and she knew that would keep her busy.
The staff all worked together setting up tables and chairs outside. Her boss even allowed her to go home to pick up Antoine so that he would be in the fun. She was getting extra hours on the clock, and it would be good for him to smile about something. Soon flocks of people came through, tasting samples from the local vendors. She felt some joy in the music that was playing from one of the street vendors. Antoine laughed with some of the other children and Ciara thought about her father and how much he would have loved to be there and enjoy the evening with them. The music changed and she heard the man running the music call for some volunteers to help with a sing along.
“Momma, you should go sing.” She glanced down at Antoine who was tapping her on the leg.
“No, I doubt Mommy could sing any of the songs he plays.” She gave Antoine a sweet smile and when she was done for the night, the two of them made their way over to the vendor.
They listened to the man who was singing. Surprisingly it was a song her mother had once sung to her and subconsciously, Ciara started humming along with him. He noticed and encouraged her to help him out. She felt embarrassed now realizing she had been louder than she had intended. He gave her a smile and asked her again and with a thumbs up from Tony, Ciara helped him wrap up the song. After the crowd clapped, he handed her the microphone and begged her to sing a song on her own. She asked if the man had her favorite song and to her delight he did.
It was the first time in a long time that Ciara felt alive. Music always had that effect on her and after seeing Derek, she especially needed it. She closed her eyes and sang with all of her heart until the final note resonated across the crowd. When she opened her eyes, the crown gave her a heartfelt cheer and she truly felt alive. The response from the even larger crowd was overwhelming and Ciara was humbled by the situation entirely. She was headed to her car with Antoine when a tall dark looking man approached her.
“Excuse me Miss… I am sorry to bother you but I wanted to see if I could have a word.”
She glanced at him and agreed while she was still near the café. “Sure, do I know you?”
“No no.” He held out his hand. “My name is Marcus Greenleaf. I run a business locally and wanted to see if you would be interested in a job?”
She perked up almost immediately and walked Tony to a bench nearby so she could talk. “What kind of job and where, Mr. Greenleaf?”
“I’ll be honest, I work for a …uh…well, a gentleman’s club. Now before you turn around and leave, let me explain. We have a room we use for a social hall, serving drinks and etc. We want to make it a little classier than some of our regular customers and we are trying to hire some entertainment…again, someone like yourself who would be interested in singing a few nights a week.” Though his tone was pleasant enough, she felt something odd about him.
“I’m not sure I know what to say to be honest, Mr. Greenleaf. I’ve never been to a place like that.”
“I assure you this building is completely separate and there is nothing unsavory there. This is a new area, and I think you would look great on a stage.” He flashed her a smile, and let his eyes travel down the length of her frame. He then moved to write something on the back of a card. “I am going to give you this, it has my contact information and my offer.” He handed it to her and she took it. “Think about it and if you are interested then call me soon, let’s say two days or so.”
”I can do that much, Mr. Greenleaf.” She gave him a weak smile and he pumped her hand once more before tipping his hat and leaving her to walk over and grab Antoine’s hand to walk towards the car. She had shoved the card in her pocket, lost in thought for the moment. She didn’t know what to even think, all she could do was focus on getting home and getting Tony settled for the night.
Chapter Thirteen – Derek
Whatever he found in Ciara had changed him for life. Even then, looking over the documents on his desk he couldn’t focus. She had said goodbye, there was such a finality to it that he felt a sense of initial panic when she had hung up. That was, of course, before he had replaced that with anger. It wasn’t about sex, or romance, it was about caring for someone. He tried to forget, tried to move past it but it haunted him. His nightmares had changed and sometimes he would see Ciara in them along with the other things that kept him from sleeping. They had gotten weaker for a while but after her goodbye he’d been struggling since. He was angry, he felt the anger like a hot streak through him and he didn’t care. It gave him focus, and made him stronger somehow.
He gave credit to the woman he saw every week. She was very good at what she did and they were making progress. Ciara was just a part of his life that he needed to work out, so that he could move past it. He leaned back in his chair. She had been so sad, so lost the night of her father’s funeral. Being there for her had given him a sense of meaning where her life was concerned. Then, they had grown to find solace in a unique friendship. Until she had pushed him away. As upset as it made him, he was angry more than anything. What right did she have to push him away? No matter what, he had to move on, no matter how hard it was on him. She was better off without him anyway.
He looked over the cases of the week with a renewed confidence in his job. He was good at what he did and he just needed to focus on that and leave all the other stuff alone. He should find himself a nice professional woman who wants a no strings attached fun relationship and leave all the emotional stuff to someone who was cut out for it. That night would be the proof of his new found determination to erase whatever emotional connection with Ciara he’d developed. He glanced at his watch before closing up the case file.
He would go out with his friends, find a beautiful woman and buy her a drink and soon he would be working off all of the tension that had him wound so tight. They had started that mission a few weeks ago after her goodbye. It had started as a guy’s night out to dinner and now it was a guy’s night out on the town. Despite his resolve to find a woman to fill a void for the night, he hadn’t taken anyone home yet. Every woman he met seemed to be lacking something, sometimes things he couldn’t even put his finger on. Either way, he would know who would fit for him when he met her. That night they were going to a new place, a club of sorts. Connected loosely with a strip club, it was painted up and extravagant. There were a few busty women at the doors taking payments and all offering up a sample of what little they left to the imagination. In the club were tables draped with black linen and accentuated with white centerpieces. The ambiance was almost elegant if not for the obvious sex appeal they were pushing on the men. He met the rest of the group and they all settled in to have a few drinks and laughs.
At some point a couple hours later, they were playing some card game when he heard the first chord. A sweet and husky sound filled the room and every man stopped to listen more closely. He relaxed and listened to the voice. It was soothing and he liked it. Whoever she was, he wanted to know. He spun around to look up on the stage. She was in a white dress that hugged her body. It was form fitting, but not trashy. It molded to her every curve like a glove.
Her face was hidden by a white mask and she sang with her head lifted towards the sky and her arms out. The room fell silent as she belted out the notes of a love song. For the first time in a long time, Derek felt himself drawn to the woman. The melody drew him to her and her body pushed him over the edge. He tipped back the rest of his drink and excused himself from the group. He was determined more than ever to meet the mystery woman.
He carefully slipped towards the back of the building. He knew he would be able to catch her there as she exited the stage. He waited patiently, but it was hard. As he heard her approach, he stood and watched her figure round the corner. It wasn’t until she pulled off her mask that he felt like someone had poured ice water on him.
“Ciara!” He stood there looking at her incredulously.
She was obviously startled. “Derek… What are you doing here?” She waited for him to respond as the people with her continued on to the back.
“Me? Really, Ciara, what am I doing here?” He was angry. What the hell was she doing in a place like that in the first place? Dressed like that!
He watched her get angry and turn to stomp off and leave him in the hallway. He grabbed her arm before she got too far.
“Answer me, Ciara, why are you here, and just what the hell is going on?” He was doing his best to carry himself with a sense of calm but seeing her like this was sending him into a blind rage.
She jerked her arm away. “What I am doing here is none of your business, Derek. Besides, I’m working. What the hell are you doing here?” Her eyes glittered with anger.