Breathe Out (Just Breathe, #2)(54)
Hesitantly, I get up and grab my room key. Joe’s quick to answer the door after I knock. He takes a step out into the hallway with a curious look on his face, not sure why I’m standing back a few feet away and why Sadie isn’t with me.
“Sadie wants you to join us,” I announce.
With a wicked grin, Joe checks, “Are you sure you don’t want me to join you ladies?”
Without saying a word, I hold up my phone and press play — it doesn’t take Joe long to laugh, indicating he understands.
“That’s some trick you taught her,” he comments.
“I didn’t teach her that,” I confront. “She was too tired to follow me out here, so are you coming or not?”
“Definitely coming,” Joe comments. “I just need to get my phone and key.”
Walking away, I inform, “The door will be open.”
Joe quickly darts into the room and Sadie beams with excitement and snuggles right into Joe and me once we’re settled under the covers. I repeat the show for Joe so he can see it live, and without fail, Sadie does her little trick. Joe takes a turn, saying everyone’s name, including his and mine. Sadie’s tail only bounces vigorously for our names and just a little for Jared and Maggie.
“This isn’t something you taught her, is it?” I speculate.
Laughing, Joe objects, “No.”
I eye him, but believe him.
We quickly get settled one more time, with Joe and I curled into each other, our faces barely an inch or two apart and Sadie draped over our legs. Our hands scratch Sadie’s head as we bid each other goodnight followed by sweet kisses.
Sixty Nine
Back home, I catch up with Maggie at her place for lunch on Saturday. I’m relieved when I see Maggie, my Maggie, staring back at me. My heart settles quickly when I observe that she and Henry both seem relaxed and refreshed. I ask about their interest to try again to conceive and she confirms that they definitely plan to. Apparently, Maggie needs to give her body a little time to heal, internally that is, to be ready and healthy for the next conception. They’re able to have sex, but they refrain from deliberately doing what is necessary for her to get pregnant.
While we eat, she asks to be caught up on everything for the Raven facility. We review the photos I took as well as the floor plans I received in order to map the layout for the servers in the basement, the security doors and exits as well as protocols for staff in and out of the facility. We also line up which days work best for her to start doing some video interviews with some potential staff this week.
I don’t stay too long after lunch, needing to get back to Pasadena to get ready for the concert tonight at the Disney Concert Hall with Joe and his parents. Getting home, I feed Sadie, then we go for a light frolic outside. After a shower to freshen up, I choose a light purple, silk, floor-length dress for the evening. I add some gold and gemstone earrings, bracelet and necklace and finish the outfit with my sparkling gold Jimmy Choo shoes. Styling my hair a little, I lightly curl it to add some volume and bounce.
Joe and his parents pick me up, all coming up to my apartment unexpectedly. I knew that Joe would come up to escort me down, but I didn’t expect his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Covelli sweetly greet Sadie before entering and peruse my small, humble abode. I make a comment about it being small and nothing like Joe’s place. Mrs. Covelli kindly says that the place suits me and my personality.
Down in the parking area, the four of us file into a Rolls Royce limo that fits us comfortably in the back while our driver takes the streets. After just a little bit of traffic, we arrive at the hall.
Once inside, we take our seats in the balcony. Mr. and Mrs. Covelli seem rather impressed with the architectural structure and layout of the building by their comments since we’ve entered. Sitting side by side, Joe is to my left with Mrs. Covelli to my right and Mr. Covelli on the other side of her. We chat lightly until the lights begin to dim and Gustavo Dudamel takes the stage after the orchestra, ready to conduct them to perform works of art written by Maurice Ravel for the evening.
Dudamel begins with the song Le Tombeau de Couperin and my ears are captivated the moment the violins chime in. The song makes me think of several Disney movies that have used bits and pieces of this emotionally driving work of art, but hearing them strung together as one complete movement, gives it a whole new meaning and life. The second song the Philharmonic performs by Ravel is Miroirs which is a solo piano piece with five different movements. When the third movement begins, Joe whispers that this piece is one of his favorites since it’s called Une Barque Sur L’océan, which when translated means a boat on the ocean. The third song is called Concerto for the Left Hand, but the full orchestra plays a small yet interesting introduction and joins in at several other times in the arrangement. Interestingly, this song was composed for Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein who lost his right arm during World War One. The song starts off with a very low, somber tone, but takes you in several directions emotionally through its entirety. The final song played for us is Bolero which was originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian ballerina Ida Rubenstein.
When the performance is over, we take our time to the limo, discussing our enjoyment of the evening. Almost arriving in Pasadena, Joe insists to his mother that we’ll drop of her and his father off first and then Joe will take me home with the Tesla. We say our farewells, dragging them out a little since his parents are leaving tomorrow first thing in the morning.