Below the Music - Part 3

After the Dream

Isabel did not know how long she sat there thinking about Cordan. Her vivid dream had powerfully affected her. She reached for her cellphone and clicked on his name.

“Hey stranger,” she texted. “When are you going to come back and visit us? We haven’t seen you in nearly a year!”

She finally slipped out of bed and padded downstairs to get a glass of water. She caught a glance at herself in the mirror on the stair landing. Her hair was sticking up in a hump in the back from the way she had been sleeping. After she filled her glass in the kitchen, she heard voices in the living room. Peeking around the corner, she saw her brothers Dominic and Edward sitting on the couch playing a video game with the sound turned off, and there, sitting beside them was Cordan, cracking jokes at the game. Isabel almost dropped her glass.

“Cor--!” She stopped herself before the syllable was out of her mouth. She remembered her view of herself in the mirror. She could not let him see her like this! She was still in her pajamas and looked like death warmed over, she thought. Fleeing silently up the stairs, she jumped in the shower, then picked out her favorite t-shirt and jeans, brushed and blow-dried her hair, and did her makeup.

She came down the stairs forty-five minutes later. He looked up and saw her.

“Cordan!” she exclaimed.

“Hello Isabel!” he said, standing up to hug her. He was slim, strong and fit, with hair the color of midnight, long eyelashes, and a gorgeous smile. Something about his presence was overpowering. His attractiveness almost made her stagger.

“What are you doing here?” Isabel exclaimed, flushing with excitement. “I literally just texted you this morning to ask when you were coming next!”

“I know!” Cordan laughed. “I guess you didn’t see I texted you back.” He held up his phone for her.

“Check your living room😊” he had written.

Isabel laughed. “I’m so glad to see you! We’ve really missed you.” She felt a lump in her throat.

“I’ve missed you too,” Cordan said. “You look great!”

“Thanks!” Isabel said, surprised at the compliment. “Wha—What are you doing right now?”

“Well, since Dominic and Edward are heading off to work, right now I’m getting ready to go to my book club,” Cordan said. “You know, you came to a meeting one time.”

Isabel stared for a second. “Yes,” she nodded. Hadn’t she just been thinking about that a few minutes ago? “I wish I could have a do-over on that one,” she heard herself say.

“Do you want to come with me?” Cordan asked.

She could not believe her ears. He had never taken her anywhere.

“Sure!” she said, trying not to sound as enthusiastic as she was.

A few minutes later she was sitting next to Cordan in his car as he drove through the city. He opened the windows, and a sweet, warm breeze billowed Isabel’s hair.

She turned to face him. “How long are you in town for?”

He looked over at her before turning his eyes back to the road. “I haven’t quite finalized that yet. Most of the week at least.”

Isabel leaned back with a sigh. “I’m glad. It’s been way too long!”

He nodded. “With the band, it’s hard to get away.”

“I know. You all are amazing. I watch all of your shows online.”

“All of them?” Cordan was surprised.

“All of them. You haven’t seen my raving in the comments on every one? Well, I suppose it’s impossible to read them all!”

“It really is,” Cordan said. “But thanks, Isabel! That means a lot. We have just decided to do a tour in Asheville in May.”

“Do you mean it?! That is so close! I’ve been longing all year to come and hear you in person!”

“I’ll send you a ticket,” Cordan said. “Courtesy of the artist. Or one of the artists,” he laughed.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Isabel said. “I will very happily support you with a ticket purchase.”

“I want to,” Cordan said, turning to look at her. “It’s my gift to you.”

Isabel did not know what to say. “Thank you, Cordan,” she said, getting emotional.

They pulled into the parking lot of the coffee shop. After parking the car, Cordan got out and came around to Isabel’s side to open her door for her.

She stepped out, eyes wide.

“Come, my lady,” he said, tucking her hand into his arm. “Preparedest thou thy Shakespeare?”

Isabel laughed out loud. “I fear not, my good sir. I have been most negligent of my Shakespeare of late.”

“Tsk, tsk,” he mock-scolded her. “Whatever shall we do with thee?”

“I see you two are ready for the meeting!” laughed Dane at the door. Isabel recognized him as the book club organizer. He held the door open for them, and they went through ahead of him.

“Are we the first ones here?” Isabel asked, looking around at the nearly empty coffee shop.

“We are,” Cordan said. “You can choose wherever you want us to sit.”

“All right,” Isabel said happily, not missing that little word “us.” “Here,” she said, sitting on a small, cute blue loveseat.

Cordan sat down beside her. There was just enough room for the two of them to sit comfortably. He put his arm on the back of the chair behind her. Dane took a chair at the front of the alcove, and others began filing in.

“Oh, who is your friend, Cordan?” asked one pretty young woman with long, reddish brown curls.

“This is Isabel,” he said.

He introduced her to all the others and then the meeting began. Isabel thought about how completely different this was from the first time she had come when she had been embarrassed and isolated. Now she felt overwhelmingly welcome.

They all took turns reading from Shakespeare and discussing their thoughts on it. After Isabel shared some ideas about MacBeth, Cordan smiled. “That is a brilliant analysis, Belle.”

Her heart beat faster. Why was he treating her so differently today?

When the meeting ended, everyone thanked her for coming and asked her to come back the following week.

“That was so much fun!” she said when she and Cordan were walking back to the car.

“I’m really glad you came with me!” Cordan said. “You really are a lot of fun!”

What had come over Cordan today, Isabel wondered again. This was the way she had always dreamed of him acting towards her.

“I’ve never spent time alone with you,” Cordan said. “I’m seeing another side to you. You are always a sweetheart, but you have some sass, too!” He laughed. “I love seeing this side of you!”

Isabel felt warm inside. She smiled.

“Also, you look very nice today,” he added. “I mean, you always look nice, but especially today.”

“Thank you so much!” Isabel said. “Not as good as you do, today and every day.”

Cordan wasn’t sure what to make of that, and laughed, charmed and embarrassed at the same time.

They drove in a peaceful silence back to Isabel’s house. When he pulled into the driveway and stopped the car, Isabel turned to him. “Thank you for bringing me with you today. I have never had a happier morning!” She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Cordan seemed mesmerized by something, for he forgot to open her door for her. He sat there thinking as he watched her walk back inside. When she was almost at the door, he called to her through the window.

“Hey Isabel!”

She turned back to him.

“When are you going to play the piano next?”

“Here, tomorrow night,” she called back. “8:00. We’re having a murder mystery dinner at 6.” She had forgotten it until that moment. It’s happening just like in my dream, she thought to herself.

“Can I come?” Cordan asked.

“Of course!” Isabel said, her heart pounding. “We have some extra roles.”

“Just don’t make me the murderer,” Cordan said.

Isabel scrunched up her nose. “No promises!” she called back. “See you then!”