CHAPTER 24
Richie couldn't believe he'd let himself be talked into acting as Claudia's escort for the night. He
knew he should have been suspicious when Amanda suggested it … and after he found out Beth
would be there, it was too late to back out.
He'd spent most of the week on his own, thinking and basically staying away from anyone or
anything that would remind him of Beth. When he'd finally come by the club, Joe and Mac
explained to him about the baby … but it really didn't change anything … He still felt like she was
hiding behind an excuse and was afraid of letting herself be with him.
He was standing in the mingling area waiting for the lights to flicker, indicating it was time to go to
Claudia's private box when he saw them come in. Amanda was smiling and laughing as she
walked between Duncan and Joe … Richie tried to look away, knowing she wouldn't be far
behind, but he couldn't. Looking past Joe, he saw Beth laughing at something Adam said, her
arm tucked in his … she was breathtaking.
"Richie it's good to see you." Amanda moved to give him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek,
temporarily capturing his attention. "My don't you look handsome." She ran a hand over his lapel
and pretended to straighten his tie.
"Thanks Amanda … you look spectacular." He said, all the while hoping Adam would take Beth
directly to the box … hoping he wouldn't.
Joe and Mac greeted Richie and then the group held it's collective breath as Adam led Beth
directly to where they were gathered.
"Richie." Adam nodded, giving him a look that urged restraint and civility.
Richie acknowledged Adam and then there was no way to avoid the inevitable.
Their eyes met and neither knew what to say.
"I'm glad to see you Richie … " Beth's voice was strained with sadness because she really had
missed him and had been miserable all week knowing how much she'd hurt him.
"Yeah … You too … uhm, You look beautiful." Richie said, thinking to himself he hadn't said the
half of it.
The lights flickered and Richie was relieved. He hung back as the other's moved to Claudia's
box, wishing he hadn't once he got a look at Beth walking away from him on Adam's arm.
"Damn" he muttered under his breath. "Did she have to pull out all the stops to let him know
what he couldn't have?" For a few minutes he thought about just leaving, but knew that wouldn't
be fair to Claudia, who was counting on him to escort her to the post performance gala. When he
finally entered the box, he made sure to take a seat was on the opposite end … But even that did
little good because in order to see Claudia, his line of vision included Beth. It was going to be 90
minutes of pure torture.
Beth had been so excited about the night, so when Adam sensed a change in her mood, he was
determined to distract her. She was casually familiar with classical music having taken a course
in college, but most of it was new to her. It wasn't his favorite genre, but having known many of
the composers personally had it's advantages. . A few times she'd turned slightly and caught
Richie's eyes on her, but it was always the same … her silent apology and his pain. After a while
she gave up and let Adam and the performance distract her. It was either that or find herself
running from the booth in tears at the mess she'd made of their friendship.
Adam shared different aspects of each piece with Beth … leaning close to her ear to let her know
what the composer had intended with each subtle change in the melody or tempo. By the time
the concert was over, Beth was completely taken by the experience … having been guided
through the emotions of each piece.
"I would never have thought you would be so into this kind of music." She said to him as the
house lights came up and Claudia took the stage for her third curtain call.
"I'm not … not really … but I've traveled a lot and being a … historian … and knowing how music
is a reflection of each time and each civilization … well it's not something I could ignore now is
it?" Adam replied, satisfying her.
Richie had left the box immediately after the last piece so he could meet Claudia.
The outer lobby connecting the concert and reception halls was crowded. Joe, Duncan and
Amanda had taken the elevator down and were nowhere to be seen by the time Adam and Beth
made it down.
"I think it's through there." Adam nodded in the direction of the large open doors on the other
side. Beth stayed close and let him guide her through the crowd. It took a few minutes, but they
finally made it into the reception hall and to the reserved table where the others were waiting for
Claudia's big entrance on the staircase.
The entire hall rose to their feet in applause as Claudia Jardine stepped to the top of the stairs
and looked down with a confident smile. It was apparent she loved the spotlight. Richie stayed
back until the applause began to die and she turned to smile at him … his cue to escort her down.
From table to table she moved, receiving the congratulations of everyone in her wake.
Dinner had already been served at the reserved table by the time Claudia finished her rounds and
finally made it to her friends.
"You were marvelous as always." Duncan stood, wiped his mouth on his napkin and then kissed
her on the cheek.
"It was remarkable." Amanda added.
"Chopin would have been green with envy." Adam added with a wink, making Claudia's smile
even brighter because … he would know.
"I am starving." Claudia exclaimed as she moved to sit in the chair Richie was pulling out for her
… directly across from Beth.
As if on cue, the wait staff emerged and had two dinners in front of them as soon as Richie
settled beside her at his place.
"You must be Beth … " Claudia commented across the table as she broke of a piece of a roll and
began munching.
"Beth Parker, this is Claudia Jardine." Duncan made the formal introductions and both women
smiled politely across the table.
"I've never been to a concert quite like this before." Beth admitted. "But your music was
beautiful. It really got to me." She placed her hand over her heart to emphasize the point, her
eyes bright with sincerity.
"That is what every true musician wants to hear." Claudia admitted, very pleased.
Over the next half hour, the dinner conversation never strayed far from Claudia, her talent and
her performance. Everyone knew how important it was to her, and even though they knew much
of it was a vanity for her … they played along. She was a little high strung, but her talent was
genuine and her need for the attention harmless.
"So you are staying in Seacouver through the holidays?" Joe asked Claudia.
"Yes … Travelling is so much more difficult this time of year and most people are interested in
more of a holiday theme than I prefer to play … so I thought … Why not spend the holidays with
my family …" she turned and gave Duncan a nod … "And friends." She gestured around the
table. "It's been years since I celebrated anything that resembles a traditional Christmas … and
was hoping …"
"She's hoping we'll pull out all the stops and throw in all the trimmings so she can experience how
normal people celebrate the holidays." Duncan laughed.
"I can't remember the last time I celebrated a 'normal' holiday season myself." Amanda mused.
"Might be fun … something different."
The organizer of the event took that moment to come to the table and whisk Claudia away for
several interviews.
"So Claudia blows into town … has us all dress up like … like … trained monkeys … and now she
expects us to arrange a traditional holiday with turkey and trees and ho ho ho?" Adam
complained.
"And what is so wrong with turkey and trees and ho ho ho?" Beth raised an eyebrow as she
looked at him pointedly.
"Adam is much more into Scrooge and the Grinch parts of the holidays." Duncan scoffed and
Adam shot him a why don't you stuff yourself look.
"Most of my Christamas's were spent either being shuttled to a new foster home or in an
orphanage, so don't look at me for ideas." Richie added, his tone similar to Adam's.
"Well I think it's a marvelous idea." Amanda perked up and Joe agreed.
"Guess that means I'm in." Duncan replied.
"You people really don't celebrate the holidays?" Beth was shocked.
"It's not that we don't celebrate … it's just … " Duncan tried to explain. "It just hasn't been a
priority."
"Well that stops now." Beth said flatly. "I'd already been talking with Esperanza about starting to
offer holiday items at the bakery next week. It's the first week of November and I already feel
behind on my preparations for the house and the shop." Looking around the table she saw none
of them had any idea how much there was to do. "I've got to plan where the tree will go … if
there will be more than one … how tall … then there are the decorations and wreaths for the
windows and doors … and menus … which store has the best turkeys … the ham … "
"I think we have our resident expert on how to celebrate Christmas." Joe laughed, thinking this
should be good.
"In my family holidays were serious business." Beth said before thinking … but when the impact
of her statement hit her, everyone at the table could see it's effect. She'd been so busy with
everything else, she hadn't let herself contemplate what Thanksgiving and the Christmas season
would be like away from the family and friends she loved. And they realized that Claudia wasn't
the only one who needed them to make this holiday special. An uneasy silence fell over the
table.
"Uhm … Amanda … do you think this place has a powder room?" Beth asked her, needing to
take a break from the table and knowing it would make the rest of them more at ease if she could
hold on to her composure.
"Sure … Let's see if we can find it." Amanda said as she picked up her purse to follow Beth.
"I think I need some air." Richie announced as he got up from the table and walked in the
opposite direction toward the outdoor patio. All during dinner he'd continued to let his anger and
pain get the better of him … every time Beth looked at him, he reminded her with his eyes just
how much she'd hurt him … and now he felt like a jerk. She'd lost everything and everyone
familiar … she was hiding from someone who would most likely find her … and she was carrying
a child. Who was he to make it all worse? He spent the next quarter hour kicking himself and
working up the nerve to make it right.
Richie couldn't believe he'd let himself be talked into acting as Claudia's escort for the night. He
knew he should have been suspicious when Amanda suggested it … and after he found out Beth
would be there, it was too late to back out.
He'd spent most of the week on his own, thinking and basically staying away from anyone or
anything that would remind him of Beth. When he'd finally come by the club, Joe and Mac
explained to him about the baby … but it really didn't change anything … He still felt like she was
hiding behind an excuse and was afraid of letting herself be with him.
He was standing in the mingling area waiting for the lights to flicker, indicating it was time to go to
Claudia's private box when he saw them come in. Amanda was smiling and laughing as she
walked between Duncan and Joe … Richie tried to look away, knowing she wouldn't be far
behind, but he couldn't. Looking past Joe, he saw Beth laughing at something Adam said, her
arm tucked in his … she was breathtaking.
"Richie it's good to see you." Amanda moved to give him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek,
temporarily capturing his attention. "My don't you look handsome." She ran a hand over his lapel
and pretended to straighten his tie.
"Thanks Amanda … you look spectacular." He said, all the while hoping Adam would take Beth
directly to the box … hoping he wouldn't.
Joe and Mac greeted Richie and then the group held it's collective breath as Adam led Beth
directly to where they were gathered.
"Richie." Adam nodded, giving him a look that urged restraint and civility.
Richie acknowledged Adam and then there was no way to avoid the inevitable.
Their eyes met and neither knew what to say.
"I'm glad to see you Richie … " Beth's voice was strained with sadness because she really had
missed him and had been miserable all week knowing how much she'd hurt him.
"Yeah … You too … uhm, You look beautiful." Richie said, thinking to himself he hadn't said the
half of it.
The lights flickered and Richie was relieved. He hung back as the other's moved to Claudia's
box, wishing he hadn't once he got a look at Beth walking away from him on Adam's arm.
"Damn" he muttered under his breath. "Did she have to pull out all the stops to let him know
what he couldn't have?" For a few minutes he thought about just leaving, but knew that wouldn't
be fair to Claudia, who was counting on him to escort her to the post performance gala. When he
finally entered the box, he made sure to take a seat was on the opposite end … But even that did
little good because in order to see Claudia, his line of vision included Beth. It was going to be 90
minutes of pure torture.
Beth had been so excited about the night, so when Adam sensed a change in her mood, he was
determined to distract her. She was casually familiar with classical music having taken a course
in college, but most of it was new to her. It wasn't his favorite genre, but having known many of
the composers personally had it's advantages. . A few times she'd turned slightly and caught
Richie's eyes on her, but it was always the same … her silent apology and his pain. After a while
she gave up and let Adam and the performance distract her. It was either that or find herself
running from the booth in tears at the mess she'd made of their friendship.
Adam shared different aspects of each piece with Beth … leaning close to her ear to let her know
what the composer had intended with each subtle change in the melody or tempo. By the time
the concert was over, Beth was completely taken by the experience … having been guided
through the emotions of each piece.
"I would never have thought you would be so into this kind of music." She said to him as the
house lights came up and Claudia took the stage for her third curtain call.
"I'm not … not really … but I've traveled a lot and being a … historian … and knowing how music
is a reflection of each time and each civilization … well it's not something I could ignore now is
it?" Adam replied, satisfying her.
Richie had left the box immediately after the last piece so he could meet Claudia.
The outer lobby connecting the concert and reception halls was crowded. Joe, Duncan and
Amanda had taken the elevator down and were nowhere to be seen by the time Adam and Beth
made it down.
"I think it's through there." Adam nodded in the direction of the large open doors on the other
side. Beth stayed close and let him guide her through the crowd. It took a few minutes, but they
finally made it into the reception hall and to the reserved table where the others were waiting for
Claudia's big entrance on the staircase.
The entire hall rose to their feet in applause as Claudia Jardine stepped to the top of the stairs
and looked down with a confident smile. It was apparent she loved the spotlight. Richie stayed
back until the applause began to die and she turned to smile at him … his cue to escort her down.
From table to table she moved, receiving the congratulations of everyone in her wake.
Dinner had already been served at the reserved table by the time Claudia finished her rounds and
finally made it to her friends.
"You were marvelous as always." Duncan stood, wiped his mouth on his napkin and then kissed
her on the cheek.
"It was remarkable." Amanda added.
"Chopin would have been green with envy." Adam added with a wink, making Claudia's smile
even brighter because … he would know.
"I am starving." Claudia exclaimed as she moved to sit in the chair Richie was pulling out for her
… directly across from Beth.
As if on cue, the wait staff emerged and had two dinners in front of them as soon as Richie
settled beside her at his place.
"You must be Beth … " Claudia commented across the table as she broke of a piece of a roll and
began munching.
"Beth Parker, this is Claudia Jardine." Duncan made the formal introductions and both women
smiled politely across the table.
"I've never been to a concert quite like this before." Beth admitted. "But your music was
beautiful. It really got to me." She placed her hand over her heart to emphasize the point, her
eyes bright with sincerity.
"That is what every true musician wants to hear." Claudia admitted, very pleased.
Over the next half hour, the dinner conversation never strayed far from Claudia, her talent and
her performance. Everyone knew how important it was to her, and even though they knew much
of it was a vanity for her … they played along. She was a little high strung, but her talent was
genuine and her need for the attention harmless.
"So you are staying in Seacouver through the holidays?" Joe asked Claudia.
"Yes … Travelling is so much more difficult this time of year and most people are interested in
more of a holiday theme than I prefer to play … so I thought … Why not spend the holidays with
my family …" she turned and gave Duncan a nod … "And friends." She gestured around the
table. "It's been years since I celebrated anything that resembles a traditional Christmas … and
was hoping …"
"She's hoping we'll pull out all the stops and throw in all the trimmings so she can experience how
normal people celebrate the holidays." Duncan laughed.
"I can't remember the last time I celebrated a 'normal' holiday season myself." Amanda mused.
"Might be fun … something different."
The organizer of the event took that moment to come to the table and whisk Claudia away for
several interviews.
"So Claudia blows into town … has us all dress up like … like … trained monkeys … and now she
expects us to arrange a traditional holiday with turkey and trees and ho ho ho?" Adam
complained.
"And what is so wrong with turkey and trees and ho ho ho?" Beth raised an eyebrow as she
looked at him pointedly.
"Adam is much more into Scrooge and the Grinch parts of the holidays." Duncan scoffed and
Adam shot him a why don't you stuff yourself look.
"Most of my Christamas's were spent either being shuttled to a new foster home or in an
orphanage, so don't look at me for ideas." Richie added, his tone similar to Adam's.
"Well I think it's a marvelous idea." Amanda perked up and Joe agreed.
"Guess that means I'm in." Duncan replied.
"You people really don't celebrate the holidays?" Beth was shocked.
"It's not that we don't celebrate … it's just … " Duncan tried to explain. "It just hasn't been a
priority."
"Well that stops now." Beth said flatly. "I'd already been talking with Esperanza about starting to
offer holiday items at the bakery next week. It's the first week of November and I already feel
behind on my preparations for the house and the shop." Looking around the table she saw none
of them had any idea how much there was to do. "I've got to plan where the tree will go … if
there will be more than one … how tall … then there are the decorations and wreaths for the
windows and doors … and menus … which store has the best turkeys … the ham … "
"I think we have our resident expert on how to celebrate Christmas." Joe laughed, thinking this
should be good.
"In my family holidays were serious business." Beth said before thinking … but when the impact
of her statement hit her, everyone at the table could see it's effect. She'd been so busy with
everything else, she hadn't let herself contemplate what Thanksgiving and the Christmas season
would be like away from the family and friends she loved. And they realized that Claudia wasn't
the only one who needed them to make this holiday special. An uneasy silence fell over the
table.
"Uhm … Amanda … do you think this place has a powder room?" Beth asked her, needing to
take a break from the table and knowing it would make the rest of them more at ease if she could
hold on to her composure.
"Sure … Let's see if we can find it." Amanda said as she picked up her purse to follow Beth.
"I think I need some air." Richie announced as he got up from the table and walked in the
opposite direction toward the outdoor patio. All during dinner he'd continued to let his anger and
pain get the better of him … every time Beth looked at him, he reminded her with his eyes just
how much she'd hurt him … and now he felt like a jerk. She'd lost everything and everyone
familiar … she was hiding from someone who would most likely find her … and she was carrying
a child. Who was he to make it all worse? He spent the next quarter hour kicking himself and
working up the nerve to make it right.