Aria (The Aria Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  Aria

  By M.D. Luis

  Charlotte Lorraine Publishing

  Aria

  Copyright © 2014

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is merely coincidental.

  Cover art and photography by David Imhoff

  This book is dedicated to my first readers, my friends. Thank you for being my critics, my editors, my confidants and for cheering me on throughout it all.

  And to my loving family, who foolishly thinks I can do anything.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 1

  Pain. That was the first thing that crept into my exhausted mind. My head hurt, terribly. It hurt like the worst migraine I’d ever experienced and it wasn’t a throbbing or pulsating pain. It was a constant pressure…like the jolly, green giant was squeezing my skull in his massive, impenetrable fist. Other than that, I was aware of very little. I was aware of the cold and the dark, of a hard surface beneath me, of a few, muffled, unintelligible sounds. Was I outside? As desperately as I wanted to understand, I wasn’t ready. Fragments of broken memory hovered on the outskirts of my mind, waiting to expose themselves, should I allow it. But I didn’t. My mind was too fragile, broken in fact, and I kept them at bay. I craved only the light and its comforting warmth. Of this I knew for certain and only one other thing. I knew, without a doubt, that I was in considerable danger.

  I sat at the bar and waited for Sam to return, fingering my glass and counting the minutes she had been gone on my watch. It wasn’t her intention to leave for so long. It was not the first time Sam inexplicably had disappeared and left me to fend for myself. She was a social creature by nature and her autonomic sense of duty had beckoned her. I didn’t always mind, I was good at fending, but it wasn’t always easy. Patience was not one of my best virtues and it had a funny way of eluding me. It always remained just slightly out of my mental grasp and I had to force the annoyance down that seemed to inevitably follow.

  I crinkled my nose at the astringent aroma of alcohol and cheap perfume and surveyed the club. The place was too crowded. I briefly wondered what the fire marshal would think with this many people inside and decided, for the hundredth time that night, not to have a good time. Not only was the place too crowded, but the people too obnoxious, the music too loud.

  I ran my thumb along the polished mahogany of the armrest and found a sweet spot. There was a lovely groove worn into it, perfectly smooth where I could rest my thumb and rub nervously until my heart’s content. I wondered how many others had sat there, anxiously waiting for something to happen, or nothing to happen. Even through the noise, I heard the monotonous sigh escape my lips.

  I adjusted my blousy top, another one of Sam’s loaners, and fidgeted with one of the closures. One of the button holes was too big and a small tear had formed in the delicate fabric. Would she notice? It wasn’t too badly damaged, I was certain it could be salvaged. I was never very good at taking care of other people’s cherished items.

  I sighed again, ignoring the blouse, and swept the room with my eyes. The place was packed with promising individuals but I wasn’t gaining much male attention. I’m sure the determined scowl on my face was keeping most curious males at bay. Many that wandered too close had given me a wide berth but there was one in particular that didn’t appear so easily intimidated. He was blond and tall and had been casually leaning against the far wall. He wore a blue button-down, open at the collar, and he had met my gaze on more than one occasion. He was watching, in fact, and he was patient. He quietly surveyed my nervousness like a lion, a predator, and he was just waiting for the right moment to present itself. I felt like a gazelle grazing in an open field, ripe for the picking with no means of defense or escape.

  I turned my attention elsewhere, my eyes scanning the crowd and quietly cursed Sam’s name. I briefly flirted with the thought of going to the restroom and nearly had a coronary when the bartender veered too close and asked me if I needed another drink. I viciously shook my head at him and thought for sure he was going to call out the fake i.d. I had stashed in my purse. Like the scarlet letter, I could feel the words ‘under-aged’ burned into my chest.

  The music seemed to reach a climactic, almost unintelligible level and I couldn’t seem to shake the blond guy’s impenetrable stare. Upon meeting my gaze for the third time, he pushed himself off the wall and headed my way with a distinct swagger. I panicked momentarily, my eyes flickering around the room again but I knew it was futile. I ferociously massaged the arm of my stool.

  As he drew near, I picked up my glass from the bar and took a large drink. Here we go, I thought to myself. I smelled him as he sat down on Sam’s stool, a mixture of hard liquor and potent after-shave. He grinned at me, flashing a mouthful of perfect white teeth and I knew immediately that he wouldn’t be easy to get rid of. I faked a smile and spoke first.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yes. I need directions.”

  “Directions?” I bit back a smile. It wasn’t the usual pick up line. “So, you’re lost?” It wasn’t a question. My smart ass comment didn’t seem to faze him.

  “Yes, I need help,” he said bluntly.

  “I like a guy that’s not afraid to ask for directions. It’s a nice change.” I took a sip from my glass and cursed silently at myself for flirting back.

  His blue eyes flashed as he smiled. “Are you from around here? Cuz I don’t want to waste time with someone who doesn’t know the area.” He held up his hands as if to stop me from advancing too closely.

  “Of course,” I played along. “I’m from Seal Beach. You?”

  “San Diego, actually.”

  I froze, my drink suspended in midair. “And you’re lost? You can’t get from L.A. to San Diego without finding your way?” My glass eventually found its way to my mouth and I eyed him coolly over the rim.

  “Nope, I’m hopeless. Seal Beach…is that near Shark Beach?”

  “No,” I grinned. “There’s no Shark Beach.”

  “Do you actually see seals on your beach?” he asked.

  “Not since the sharks got ‘em.”

  “Yeah, they probably shouldn’t have put those two beaches next to each other,” he chuckled nervously at the look on my face and waved his hands in the air. “I’m sorry, I’m not so good at this. I’m Matt. Matt Kramer. What’s your name sweetheart?”

  “Nya.”

  “Ok Nya, can I get you another drink?” He gestured at my near empty glass. Should I tell him it’s just a Coke? I bit my bottom lip and stared into his cordial face. Two minutes ago I wanted nothing more than to go home but now…now things had become a bit more interesting. I had to admit, I hadn’t been out in awhile and I certainly wasn’t the focus of any male attention lately. I was starting to like it.

  He was patient as he awaited my reply. No stammering, no trying to convince me…he was confident in himself. Was the silly come-on just an act?

  “Sure,” I said quickly before I cou
ld change my mind.

  “What do you want?”

  “You choose.”

  “Ok,” he said, “I’ll be right back.” He touched my arm as he left and headed toward the other end of the bar. It was closest to the dance floor and seemed to be a hub for all the bartender activity. I placed my handbag on his now empty stool to save it when I saw Sam cross the room toward me. I verbally attacked her as she drew near.

  “Where have you been?! I’ve been fending off predators for the last fifteen minutes!” I lied.

  “I am so sorry,” she pronounced each word slowly, carefully. “I found Julia from work and I had to talk to her.” She was slurring slightly but wasn’t sloppy yet.

  “I nearly sent out a search party! You need to slow down. And you’re talking funny already. How much have you had?”

  “A few shots, why?” She pushed my brown locks over my shoulder.

  “Are you kidding? No more,” I protested.

  She asked how I was feeling and I immediately complained about the strobe lights.

  “Jesus, you’re a sixty year old lady trapped in a nineteen year old body.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” she barked, annoyed with me already. She downed the last of my drink and raised an eyebrow at me. “Really?” she asked, gesturing at my pathetic excuse for a cocktail. “I rummage up a fake ID, get you in here and you’re drinking a soda? Who’s the guy that you were talking to?” She craned her neck to try and find him.

  “I don’t know. His name is Matt. He’s ok.”

  “He’s cute. I saw him come over. Where is he?”

  “Getting drinks.” I pushed her back slightly as she was drunk enough to be oblivious to the boundaries of personal space.

  “See? Aren’t you glad you came out tonight?” She smacked my arm playfully.

  “Thrilled,” I said dully. Sam slapped my arm again.

  “Just have fun, tonight,” she begged. “You need to get your mind off things and just have a good time, ok?” Her face was serious, her tone almost threatening.

  “Ok,” I promised.

  “Good. I’m going back to Julia. Don’t leave without finding me and be careful. Turn your phone on!”

  I rolled my eyes at her list of demands. “Ok, but I’m not leaving with him. I don’t even know this guy!” I had to shout now as she was more than ten feet from me; the music was deafening. She laughed as I said this, some drunken cackle over her shoulder, and vanished into the rambunctious crowd.

  I awoke again...or drifted. I had no idea what was imagined and what was reality. To me, it all seemed like a dream. The darkness was back but it didn’t have the same ominous presence as before and I knew I was not alone. There was a slightly muffled sound, soft and melodious, but familiar somehow. Was someone singing?

  “…don’t move. You’re ok.” It was a quiet voice, a consoling voice, but I didn’t recognize it. I tried to speak but nothing came out of my mouth. It was still cold and dark and, again, I felt the hard surface beneath me. More sounds began to creep into my confused brain…cars driving nearby, a siren…was it for me? I felt a touch on my arm, warm and strong, and the voice consoled me once again. I still couldn’t see but it didn’t matter. The few things I recognized slowly began to dissipate, as my mind slipped away into the darkness.

  I had to fend off two more predators by the time Matt got back with our drinks. A red-faced jock in a crooked baseball cap who could barely stand on his own two feet and a pimply-faced towhead who, in my opinion, was considerably younger than I was. I let Matt know this immediately upon his return.

  “I’ve been fighting them off since you left. What took you?” I teased, taking one of the glasses he offered me.

  “Really? What vultures!” He smiled, obviously liking the fact that I had ignored other guy’s advances to wait for him. “So, what do you do?” he asked me, settling onto the barstool beside me. I took my handbag from his outstretched hand.

  “I’m a student, actually.”

  “Really? You look older than that and I mean that in a good way.” He leaned forward, flashing me a flirtatious grin.

  “I got a late start. What are we having here?” I asked him, taking a sip from my glass.

  “Rum & Coke. What do you mean a late start? How old are you?”

  I frowned as soon as the brown liquid touched my tongue. Matt laughed out loud.

  “That bad?”

  A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “I’m not a huge drinker.”

  “What’s that?” he asked me, leaning forward.

  “I’m not really a drinker!” I yelled in his ear.

  “Do you want something else?”

  “No, I can handle it. What were you saying?” I questioned, yelling again over the music.

  “I asked how old you were. You said you got off to a late start?” He leaned back against the bar on one elbow.

  “Right. I’m nine…,” I backpedaled immediately but he didn’t seem to notice. ”Um, I mean I’m twenty-two.”

  “College?”

  “Yes,” I responded, hoping he wouldn’t ask me too many details.

  He raised his glass as if to toast me.

  I laughed lightly. “Thank you for the support. I’ll take it as a compliment.”

  “As you should,” he responded cheerily and downed the rest of his drink in two easy swallows. I blinked twice and felt my mouth start to fall open but I recovered quickly.

  “Part camel, are we?” I shoved my glass toward him but he waved me off.

  “I’ll get another,” he chuckled.

  I asked him what he did for a living and was surprised to find that I wasn’t just making polite conversation. He told me he was in sales and, of course, my insight on manners and etiquette came to a screeching halt. The twenty questions would come next as would the interrogation that was inevitably to follow. He sold sports equipment and his specialty was in Lacrosse. After about five minutes of grilling him, he politely held up his hand for me to stop. He stood up and leaned his head way over the bar as if searching for something under it.

  “What’re you doing?” I giggled.

  “Looking for the lie detector machine. You clearly have one stashed somewhere. Do you want to give me the test now or later?”

  I laughed again, pulling him back over the edge. He settled back in his seat, his face red from his exaggerated searching.

  “Are you always this paranoid?” he asked.

  “Is it that bad?”

  “You’re making me sweat,” he chuckled.

  “Sorry,” I said and I meant it.

  “Can I ask you a few questions now? That’s usually how it works,” he teased.

  “Ok.”

  He asked me about Seal Beach and about school. I told him I was attending Long Beach State and lied about only being a freshman there. He was curious about my major but, sadly, I had none. I was undeclared, undecided and generally clueless about what avenue to pursue. He was polite and waved away my worry about it. I liked him, of course. Anyone who would snuff my concerns in such a hurry, surely deserved my undivided attention. Before I knew it, I had completely lost track of time and Matt was asking me if I wanted another drink. To my surprise, I looked into his friendly blue eyes and seriously considered excusing myself. He was fun and sweet but there was something about him that screamed trouble. He slammed the liquor way too hard for my taste. Perhaps it was because of his flirtatious nature or maybe I was just so unused to this avenue I now found myself on. My thumb found the groove on my chair and Matt patiently waited as I glanced around the room for Sam. She was nowhere to be found.

  “Or you can just sit there and talk to me and watch me drink,” he was saying.

  “I don’t think that’s much of a spectator sport,” I answered.

  “True,” he said, already flagging down the bartender.

  “Ok,” I agreed, ignoring the warning bell sounding in the back of my head, “one more.” I smiled as I stared into his warm, friendly face
, feeling the stress roll off my shoulders for the first time that night. I knew I needed this, this night of escape. I didn’t do fun, didn’t know how to begin actually and I had had my fair amount of reality lately. Isn’t that why Sam had brought me here? To give me a break? Some simple fun would do me good and I actually relished in the thought. Thankfully, it was a pleasant moment because it was the last thing that I would possibly remember.

  I awoke with a start, in a swirling sea of mass confusion. The darkness that had enveloped me, refused to release me, was no more. It hovered momentarily and suddenly vanished and, in that instant, I was encompassed by sound. There were whooshing noises, beeping sounds, voices…lots of people talking. And it wasn’t soft, consoling voices this time but louder ones, demanding ones.

  “…hear me? What’s your name?” Someone was yelling at me. Why were they yelling?

  “Wh..what?” I mumbled.

  “Can you hear me? Come on, open your eyes, honey.” The voice was female. She sounded as if she were underwater, her muffled tone growing louder and louder with each passing moment. Then suddenly, her voice was perfectly clear. The background noise followed, coming as a rush and rising instantly to an insane level that rattled my fragile hearing.

  “Where…” I started.

  “You’re in the emergency room, hon. Can you tell me your name? What’s your name?”

  “Nya.” My voice was shaking.

  “Nya? Can you tell me what day it is today Nya?” They’re so loud. It’s so bright. I couldn’t quite bring the chaos in my head to order. I couldn’t understand why I was in the emergency room. I desperately wanted to sleep.

  “What happened?” I mumbled again. My voice sounded strange, muffled. Something was on my face. I tried to move my arm but it wouldn’t budge. “Sam?”

  “You got hit on the head. You’re going to be ok. Can you tell me what day it is?”

  Why the hell did she want to know that? Who cares? I tried to concentrate, forcing away all the stimuli, and vaguely managed to recall that it was Saturday. She seemed satisfied with my answer and fired several more questions at me like a drill sergeant.