Page 14 of A First Sight

But I’d still chosen the tux.

I smiled and nodded at people as I passed, some of whom I knew. With nearly twenty minutes until the concert started, I stopped and did the sort of small talk that came with moving in these circles.

There were only a few minutes left when I stepped past the curtain to my seat. The other seats in the box were empty, and they would remain that way since I had reserved the entire box. I hadn’t minded sharing space with others in the past, but tonight, I wanted to enjoy the show with no distractions.

I settled in my seat and looked through the program, forcing myself to not rush to the one profile I wanted to read, the one picture I wanted to see. Fortunately, Maggie was among the first, considering her position in the orchestra.

The orchestra walked on stage, and I set aside the program, every fiber of my being hyper-focused. Soon I would see her again. It took me only a few seconds. It was as if my eyes knew precisely where to go, where to find Maggie McCrae. I heard the brass as they began tuning, knew that the violins would be next, but it was all in the periphery. She was the only person I had eyes for.

I couldn’t see her features from where I sat, not without opera glasses, but I knew each line. If I had the slightest artistic talent, I could draw her in my sleep. With her picture in the program, I could get a closer look, and although I could see her clearly, I preferred her in real life.

Her every movement was graceful, just as it had been on the dance floor with her partner. He was a few seats over from her, but I didn’t look at him.

Maggie’s hair was twisted up behind her head, making her look older than she had at the restaurant, but still as young as my wife had been. Belle rarely wore her hair up, which meant the resemblance wasn’t as strong tonight as before. Still, they had the same features, the same eyes.

As “Overture to Candide” began, however, the role music had in Maggie’s life made me realize she differed from Belle. My mind stopped cataloging and categorizing individual traits and started enjoying the music. Without taking my eyes off her, I let myself follow the magic she made. I would follow Maggie McCrae wherever it was she wanted to take me.

TWELVE

MAGGIE

It wasno surprise Dale was okay with me going to lunch with Carson and London. He wanted me out of the house while he was gaming.

I didn’t care.

I didn’t want to think about him at all.

La Maison, a small French restaurant, was reasonably close to my place, but Carson and London beat me there thanks to a late bus. I spotted them right away. It wasn’t hard considering who they were.

Carson was over six feet tall, with burnished copper curls that looked like he’d just run a hand through them. He had baby blue eyes and a face that made people stop and take notice. If he wasn’t a designer, he could have been a model. Well, if he was someone who enjoyed being the center of attention, anyway.

Then, London. She was tiny, barely over five feet tall. Long, strawberry blonde curls and brandy-colored eyes. She was stunning to look at, with a spirit that was even more beautiful. She was sweet and bubbly, just an absolute joy to be around. Since she was five years younger than me, I had spent little time with her when she was a kid, so now I tried to take any opportunity I had to do just that.

A smile broke across my face as I hurried over to their table. Carson stood and pulled out my chair, which was typical of my brother. Not all of them would’ve done it, but that was Carson. I did not know why he was still single. I knew there was speculation about his orientation, but no matter who he was attracted to, he’d be a catch.

“I was getting worried,” he said as he kissed my cheek.

“The bus was late,” I said as I sat down next to London. “Hey.”

“Hi.” She leaned over and hugged me. “How did things go last night?”

“Really well,” I said. I paused to order a drink and then continued, “Irene made some changes recently, and we’ve been working our butts off to get them right. It was worth it, though. We sounded great.”

“I’ll have to look at my schedule to find a time to get to a concert,” London said. “That’s one thing that sucks about our careers. They overlap so much.”

“Yeah, I’ll have to see you perform,” I agreed. “How long is this show running?”

“Three more weeks,” she said. “There’s some talk about getting an extension, though.”

“That’s great!” I said.

“I saw her opening night,” Carson said, “and she was phenomenal.”

London blushed prettily. “It’s a minor role.”

“That didn’t make you any less amazing,” he said.

As we turned to the waiter to order, I wondered if I could persuade Dale to go to one of London's shows before it closed. If not, I would go on my own. Or with Carson. Dale wouldn’t worry if I was with my brother.

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