Chapter 18

Addison didn't run from Daniel that evening, or any other that week. Curiosity, pride and the raging libido he'd stoked within her kept her home. She decided to go through the motions of her usual routine and see what would happen. Oddly, she never questioned if he showed up, only when. There was nothing about Daniel that seemed unreliable. Unstable, yes. Unreliable, no.

She was somewhat distracted at work each day as she looked forward to getting home, which luckily went unnoticed since she was largely off the hook on instrumentals. On Wednesday, she was teamed up with Maestro and Erica on orchestra seating for the upcoming performance in six weeks time while each section worked on their pieces.

"Of course my First Chair, along with the rest of the cellos and violins must be left stage, as always. Mark it down, Erica," Maestro announced.

Addison nodded absently.

"But Maestro, won't she sound better centre stage? Isn't that where the star of the show should be seated?" Erica complained on Addison's behalf.

Addison rolled her eyes and saved her breath on an explanation about the intricacies of sound and harmony that would be lost on Erica. For about the millionth time she wondered how Erica got her job. She excused herself for a moment and made her way downstage toward the violins to sit next to Mikhail. She leaned her head on his shoulder and pouted. He obliged her by setting his instrument down to pat her head.

"Erica thinks I should sit centre stage for the performance," Addison told him with a heavy sigh.

He chuckled and said in his thick accent, "Erica also thinks the flutists should wear spandex and prance down the aisle. Maestro Charles will sort it out like he always does."

She nodded.

"Do you want to play?"

Addison nodded and reached to take his instrument. She'd learned to play several instruments at a young age, though her heart had ultimately settled on the cello. The violin felt small and foreign in her hands. She stood with it, finding it less awkward for her to play the violin standing than sitting. She placed it beneath her chin and called up the sheet music in her head. She would have to play the cello part because she hadn't memorized the violin part, but she was only goofing around anyway.

Tapping her foot to catch a rhythm she launched into the classical chorus with gusto, playing with heart and talent if not her usual perfection. The other instruments fell silent as the musicians enjoyed the rare treat of Addison Sterling playing a violin. Gradually, she realized she had an audience and she graciously played for them, launching into the classic rock song Paint It Black. They laughed and clapped along. She finished on a high note and laughingly handed Mikhail back his instrument.

"Back to work!" she announced. "Before I get fired for inciting a revolution."

Mikhail took his violin and bow lovingly from her hands and placed it in the case. "Come outside with me while I have cigarette, yes?"

"Of course," she agreed and allowed him to escort her backstage, down the steps and out the back door.

They chatted and laughed for a few minutes while Mikhail smoked and described a future visit from his mother-in-law. Addison laughed sympathetically and offered her assistance. He gratefully accepted. His wife loved Addison and was always happier when she came over for meals. Mikhail insisted Addison would be able to charm his austere mama-in-law, as she did everyone else. She promised to at least try.

He put out his cigarette and unlocked the back door to let them both in, holding it open for Addison. She thought about having to deal with Erica and her own distracted thoughts. "I'll be just a few more minutes, I'm enjoying the afternoon breeze too much to go in just yet."

"I would join you, but as you see, I need to ice this wrist before I get back to work," he said regretfully. "I wish I had young arms like yours again, to play so beautifully as you do."

"Ha! You never played so beautifully," Addison teased.

"Just for that, you are on your own with Maestro's assistant, Madam First Chair," he announced haughtily, opening the door. "Do you have your key?"

Addison reached for her side and realized she didn't have her purse. "No, but I can go in the front."

"Okay, I'll see you in a few."

The door closed behind him and she sank down on the concrete stairs, leaning back against the railing of the loading dock. The chill air of the afternoon seeped through her clothes, but she enjoyed the relative quiet after the stifling cacophony of the orchestra practicing independently. She only intended to sit for a few minutes, but her thoughts quickly turned to Daniel and wandered on a path of their own.

An unnatural scraping sound startled her back to reality. Addison jumped and pulled herself to her feet with the railing. She had been so deep in thought that she couldn't be sure exactly what she had heard. She stood against the brick wall and listened intently. Then she heard it again, a scraping sound, like shoes against the pavement, only this time closer.

"Is someone there? Daniel?" Addison asked, her heart picking up speed.

There was only the symphony hall on that block. The alley behind the symphony was a dead end. There was nothing back there except the loading dock. The only people that went back there were the musicians, staff and people dropping things off. But every instinct in Addison's body told her that someone was back there with her and they weren't responding to her question. Visions of her stalker flashed through her mind and danger signals shot through her.

"I'm- I'm blind, so you have to tell me if you're there," she said pleadingly, sliding sideways down the stairs with her back to the wall. "Please, just say something to me."

They didn't say anything, but she could hear them keep pace with her as she moved. They were watching her every move. Mirroring her. She considered running toward the street and tried to remember how many steps it was. She was too scared though. Adrenalin kicked in, screaming at her to start running. But her legs felt frozen. It was everything she could do to put one foot in front of the other. Her breath came out in pants.

"Please," she whispered.

"Play for me-" a voice whispered back longingly, so close to her that breath touched her face.

Addison screamed. She reached out to push whoever was there, but her hands touched nothing. She turned and ran toward the street, desperately counting steps, trying to remember as she went how many there should be. She ran her fingers along the bricks of the symphony building scraping the sensitive pads until she ran out of wall and then she hurtled out into empty space, flying toward the street. She was running so fast she couldn't stop herself before she hit the curb and tripped, falling into the street and rolling into oncoming traffic. She heard a masculine shout and then strong arms wrapped around her middle and scooped her up out of the road.

"What the hell was that, Addison?" Maestro yelled, pulling her to her feet once they were safely back on the sidewalk.

"I'm- I'm so sorry Charles, there was someone in the alley with me. I completely panicked," she said, gasping for air.

He continued to hold onto her and she felt him twist around to glance back into the alley. Her stalker would no longer be back there. They would have run away after she'd nearly killed herself running into traffic.

"Let's go back inside," he said gruffly. "Get you a glass of water and maybe some paperwork with Erica for the rest of the day. Something undemanding."

"Oh good, my favourite," Addison sighed, following him inside and rubbing her shoulder where she must have scraped it.

Thankfully the rest of Addison's day passed much less eventfully and she even managed to convince herself she'd overblown the whole thing. Except for the whispered words "play for me," spoken in an eerie whisper. She tried to place the voice, but it was so characterless she found she couldn't even describe it. Recalling that managed to chill her no matter how she tried to shrug off the whole incident. Once home, she'd poured herself a healthy glass of red wine and shakily drank the whole thing before setting about her normal routine of making supper.

It wasn't until later, as she drew herself a hot bath and sank into the scented depths that she discovered the numerous scrapes all across her body from her fall into the street. Of course she had felt them at the time, but adrenalin had stopped her from experiencing too much pain. And her distraction over the course of the day stopped her from dwelling. Until the bathwater touched the wounds and drew a hiss of discomfort from her. Of course, Daniel chose that moment to join her for the evening. She was really going to have to have a discussion with him about where his key to her condo came from and the value of knocking.

"You're hurt," he said coolly from the doorway of the bathroom.