Coffee Sonata Read Online Free PDF Page B

of Quay’ and still helping the local hospital by doing what I do best feels okay.”
    “And it should. No need to go slumming to prove a point.”
    She actually gets it. Vivian wanted to reach out and squeeze Mike’s hand in gratitude, but instead chose to cuddle Perry’s silky ears. If she gets it, perhaps I can really come home. Some of the comments the reporters made during the press conference still stung, perhaps because she believed, deep down, that they were justified. I did abandon this place and didn’t look back, until now, despite every attempt they made to get me to perform here over the years. And now I need these people a lot more than they need me.
    “You’re performing for free, right?” Mike interrupted Vivian’s thoughts. “That’s cool and very generous.”
    “Yes, I am. And thank you. Those $1,500 tickets should certainly help build the new children’s hospital wing. Manon Belmont expects most of New York’s opera community to turn out.”
    “That’s great.” Mike said. “With all the cutbacks lately, our hospital needs the cash.”
    “I know.” Vivian let her fingers trace the rim of her glass, creating a delicate, haunting sound that made the dogs prick their ears. “After Manon and I discussed this project, my manager took care of everything. At first he was apprehensive, but I told him since I was going on leave this was a fabulous way to end my tour. Honestly, Mike, I’ve traveled for so long and…”
    There’s more than I can handle alone now. She was so relieved to know Malcolm was taking care of things when she had to keep one doctor’s appointment after another. He was more than her manager. Before she met Manon, Malcolm and his wife were her only friends and had been since she was a teenager. The hordes of admirers and fanatical opera fans that constantly surrounded her, as well as her accompanist, makeup artist, and the paparazzi, weren’t a good source of new relationships. And besides, she had always been an ambitious workaholic.
    Vivian realized she was drifting and said briskly,“I have to make some changes, so I decided to take a break here. Time will tell if it was the right move.” She sipped her juice again. “Exactly how did you end up owning such a successful café?”
    “Martha and Edward helped me turn an out-of-the-way café into a popular place for the yacht crowd and, later on, the locals from East Quay.” Mike sounded cautious. “Lately, we’ve attracted a lot of out-of-towners, thanks to some serious advertising. We couldn’t accommodate a bigger crowd until now. At breakfast and lunch, we have mostly regulars, and in the evenings all sorts of people come in for a meal and some coffee.”
    “Sounds like long days for you.”
    “Very long days. That’s why my morning run is so important. It gives me a chance to…breathe.”
    Watching the careful smile that flickered over Mike’s features reminded Vivian of glimpsing a startlingly beautiful sunrise, only to watch it disappear as fast as it appeared. Uncertain why a mere smile had such an impact, Vivian struggled for something to say.
    “I can imagine that. Most people don’t realize what kind of physical effort being an opera singer entails. It’s like being a lumberjack.”
    “A lumberjack?”
    “Performing for an entire evening is hard on the body.”
    “I’m glad I ran into you this morning.” Mike gestured toward the dogs, the glass, and the ocean view. “This was great.”
    “I agree. How old are you, Mike?” The question slipped out before Vivian could stop it. Damn, where’s my tact?
    “Thirty-four.” Mike sounded unfazed. “You?”
    “I’m fifty-three.” Relieved, Vivian liked Mike’s quick return of her frank question. “Actually fifty-four in a few months.”
    “You look a lot younger.”
    “Thank you, so do you. Age is really just a number. We opera singers aren’t like many theater and screen actors. We can still find parts well into our sixties. Makeup