Sonata for Springtime, page 1
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Sonata for Springtime
Copyright 2023 by Thea Landen
ISBN: 978-1-68361-863-8
Cover art by Fantasia Frog Designs
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden
without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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www.decadentpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
About the Author
Though he admits they’re not exciting, Jonathan is comfortable with his routines and habits: go to work at his job as an estate attorney, take occasional trips to the supermarket or dry cleaners, and help his elderly neighbor with her dog. When a pair of musicians moves in across the street, he looks forward to making new friends closer to his age.
Natalie dreams of one day being a concert pianist, but she’s put those dreams on hold while her fiancé Chris and his band start gaining recognition and playing for bigger audiences.
While searching for clients, Natalie convinces Jonathan to let her give him piano lessons. They spend more and more time together, and he appreciates getting to know his new neighbor. Despite his efforts to deny it, Jonathan eventually accepts he’s developed romantic feelings for her. Guilt plagues him, as he remains friendly with Chris as well, yet he can’t keep away from them.
After Natalie reveals his illicit desires are reciprocated, she becomes distraught and cuts off all contact. Jonathan tries to camouflage how heartbroken he is, but when his friends and coworkers notice, he commits to making a bigger change in his life. Although he enjoys his new hobbies and the people he’s met, he can’t fully forget Natalie and the moments they shared. Can Jonathan find a way to discover his inner passion, with or without her?
Dear Readers,
Fun fact! My bachelor’s degree is in music. Does this have anything to do with my current career or my everyday life? It does not!
I did teach music in elementary and middle schools for a few years before circumstances changed and I moved on to something else. I even used to do some paid gigs here and there, which is every musician’s dream. Sometimes I think back to my early college days, when my classmates and I were all so passionate and optimistic. Now, many years later, some of them have turned music into a successful career, while others are like me and treat it as more of a casual hobby. When I created love interest Natalie for this book, I put her somewhere in the middle—she’s put her dreams to the side and taken a steady job at this point in her life, but that spark still lives inside her, and part of her believes she can one day earn a living by playing the piano.
These days, my creative energy is focused on writing. I think it’s important to feel passionate about something, which main character Jonathan will realize throughout the story. One of the many lessons I learned in music school was there’s little more attractive than someone who is completely enamored by what they do, and I have some vivid memories of watching my colleagues perform and making us fall in love with them for a few magical moments.
Which I suppose is similar, in a way, to what I want to accomplish while you read this book.
~ Thea
thealanden@gmail.com
Dedication
To all my fellow musicians and other creative types, whether you managed to make a career out of your art or if it’s simply a hobby that brings you joy.
Sonata for Springtime
by
Thea Landen
Chapter One
The scent of flowers wafted toward me, drifting from the tidy little gardens lining the rows of townhouses. Rocky tugged at his leash, desperate to investigate the tree at the end of the block. I let him sniff at its base and paw the dirt, and the pleasant fragrance intensified as a light breeze swept through the daffodils and tulips. It was a gorgeous spring day, one which made me glad I’d decided to put work aside for the weekend.
Once Rocky finished his examination of the large oak, we rounded the corner. The smell of flowers was replaced by exhaust fumes from a truck parked across the street from my unit. Several men carried boxes out of the back and brought them through the open front door of a townhouse on that side. When I walked by, I noticed they all wore shirts bearing the same logo emblazoned on the truck. Movers. Not the new owners. I nodded a wordless greeting to the nearest one and proceeded up the walkway to my next-door neighbor’s home.
I opened the unlocked door and Rocky bounded inside. “We’re back!” I called.
Mrs. Wilkes sat by the window, peeking through the curtains. The fluffy Pomeranian rushed to her feet and jumped in circles until she picked him up. I went into the kitchen to hang Rocky’s leash on the hook. “Learn anything about the people moving in yet?”
“Not much,” she said without taking her eyes off the window. “I think their car’s been in and out a few times, but I haven’t been able to get a good look.”
“And they had the nerve to pack all their belongings in opaque boxes.”
She pivoted away from the window to glare at me. “Don’t make fun of an old lady, Jonathan. This might be the most excitement I get all day.”
I chuckled but turned up my hands in apology. “Sorry.”
Her expression softened. “Thanks for taking Rocky out, though. My knee was bothering me this morning.”
“No problem. It was great to get out and about on a day like today.”
Mrs. Wilkes directed her attention back to the window. “Oh! Someone pulled into the driveway!”
Shaking my head, I sighed. “I should be getting home. Would you like to accompany me to my door and see what happens along the way?”
A coy smile indicated her appreciation of my willingness to play along. “Well, if you insist…”
I took Rocky from her and clipped the leash onto his collar again. He bounced with excitement and tried to drag me toward the door. Outside, I offered Mrs. Wilkes my elbow, and the three of us picked our way down the steps and over the walkway to the sidewalk.
At the truck, a blond guy who appeared to be around my age spoke with one of the movers. Mrs. Wilkes waited until they finished their conversation and then waved at him from our side of the street with a frenzied gesture that was impossible to ignore. “Hello there!”
“I guess your elbow doesn’t bother you as much as your knee,” I muttered.
She shot me another irritated look. Rocky growled.
The man jogged over to where we stood near the curb. “Hi! You must be some of our new neighbors.” He wiped his hand on the back of his jeans before extending it toward my companion. “I’m Chris. Nice to meet you.”
“Francine Wilkes, and likewise.” She accepted the handshake and tilted her head toward me. “And this is Jonathan.”
“Hi. Welcome to our neighborhood.”
Chris glanced back and forth between us. “Is he your son or…”
“Oh no.” I pointed at my door, the center of the three adjoining townhouses. “I live next to her.”
“I kind of thought you weren’t married to each other, but I didn’t want to assume anything.” He let out a raucous laugh. “You can’t be too sure these days!”
I reached down to pat Rocky’s head. “Nah, I just take the dog for a walk sometimes. And suffer all sorts of teasing and other verbal abuse.”
Mrs. Wilkes nodded. “Since my husband died seventeen years ago, I’m glad Jonathan is here now to fill the role.”
“The dog walking or the teasing?” Chris asked.
“Both,” I said. “But she bakes me cookies and offers her worldly advice, so it all works out.”
“Don’t listen to him.” Mrs. Wilkes leaned over to peer at the other side of the street. “So, are you moving in all by yourself?”
I stifled a groan, silently hoping Chris wouldn’t think I condoned her nosy nature. He jerked his thumb toward the open door. “My fiancée Natalie went inside to check on the progress. I’m sure she’ll be out any minute.”
“How exciting!” Mrs. Wilkes’s face lit up. “When is the wedding?”
“We haven’t set a date yet.” He gestured in a wide circle. “This is a big deal for us, moving out of the city to New Jersey. We might need a little time to get settled.”
The door across the street slammed shut. A woman, who I assumed to be the aforementioned Natalie, looked
“This must be the blushing bride,” Mrs. Wilkes said as she approached. “Congratulations!”
Her cheeks flushed pink, and she pushed her dark-brown hair away from her face. “I see Chris is already telling everyone our life story.”
He looped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to kiss the top of her head. “I started with the important parts.”
Natalie grinned and placed her hand on his chest. “Has he mentioned how I dragged him, kicking and screaming, away from the city’s nightlife and out to the quiet suburbs?”
“Something like that,” I said.
Mrs. Wilkes clasped her hands in front of her. “Well, I’m sure you have a lot of unpacking to do, so we won’t keep you much longer. I’ll send Jonathan over with some cookies in the next few days.”
“Oh, you don’t have to!” Natalie said, though I wasn’t sure who she spoke to.
“It’s no trouble.” She nudged me in the side with her elbow. “He can deliver them the next time he takes Rocky for a walk.”
With little else to contribute to the conversation, I shrugged and smiled.
Natalie glanced over her shoulder to the near-empty truck. “I suppose we should be getting back to our piles of boxes. Thanks for the warm welcome!”
“We’ll see you around!” Chris added.
They returned to their new home and disappeared inside. “What a lovely couple,” Mrs. Wilkes said with a contented sigh.
Rocky sniffed at the edge of the curb, about to tumble into the roadway. I tugged on his leash to pull him back. “Yeah, they seemed all right.”
She raised an eyebrow. “We still need to find a nice girl like that for you.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her. “I’m trying, I’m trying.”
“No, you’re not. You go to work, and then you come home, and not much else.”
I crouched on the sidewalk and ruffled Rocky’s fur. “Be a good boy and tell her to stop spying on all the neighbors from her window.”
“Hmph.”
Rocky licked my face. “See? He agrees.” I gave him one more pat and stood up. “Come on, I’ll walk you back inside.”
***
The next time I took Rocky out, another van, smaller than the first, was parked across the street. As we walked by, I noticed a graphic of a piano printed on the side. Interesting. I continued on our usual route around the block.
When we completed our loop, I saw Natalie outside paying the driver. He walked around to his door and climbed inside. Once the truck pulled away, Rocky started barking and straining at the leash.
“Oh, be quiet,” I said. “You wouldn’t know what to do with a truck even if you did catch it.”
Natalie turned toward us and waved. “Hello!” she called.
“Hi.” I let Rocky lead me to the end of her walkway.
She leaned over to let the dog sniff her hands. “It’s Jonathan, right?”
“Yup. And you’re Natalie.”
“That’s me.” She squealed when Rocky stuck his wet nose into her palm, but scratched behind his ears.
I looked in the direction the truck had departed. “So, you bought a piano already?”
“Not quite. My parents and I always had an arrangement—as soon as I got a big enough place, I could have the piano I played while growing up.” She gestured toward the townhouse. “And here we are.”
“How nice.”
She sat on the edge of the curb with her feet in the street. Rocky wagged his tail as she continued to pet him, thrilled with the extra attention. Not wanting to force him back inside so soon, I sat down next to them. “I guess if you’ve been playing the piano since you were a kid, you must be pretty good,” I said.
A shy smile curved her lips. “Actually, I studied it in college. I have a degree in music performance.”
Oops. I tried to recover. “I’m sorry. I meant you must be really good.”
Natalie laughed. “Some days I felt more confident than others. And I might be a little rusty, but I’m hoping to get back into shape now that the piano’s here.”
My brow furrowed. “You don’t perform regularly?”
“Nope.” Shaking her head, she let go of Rocky to fiddle with the laces on her sneakers. “Unfortunately, the market for professional pianists is oversaturated, especially in this area. After a certain point, Chris was doing better with his band than I was with trying to find regular work, so I found a more stable full-time job to let him focus on his music.”
“I didn’t know he’s a musician, too.”
“They’re starting to line up some big events, playing in key venues and opening for well-known names.” She glanced at me, hints of eagerness reflected in her eyes. “Maybe you’ve heard of them, The Unnatural Remedies?”
I almost hated to let her down. “Can’t say I have.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m sure he’ll wind up inviting you to one of their shows sooner rather than later.”
“Sounds like fun,” I said, even though it did not sound like fun at all. “So, if you’re not playing the piano, what do you do now?”
“I’m a manager at the supermarket over on Maple Street. It’s not as glamorous as my former daydreams of playing concertos for an adoring crowd, but I worked my way up and it pays well enough.” Her shoulders relaxed. “But, since the piano is back in my possession, I’ve been thinking of teaching lessons on the side.”
“That’s a great idea.” I sat back, planting my palms in the grass between the sidewalk and the curb. “I always wished I could play a musical instrument.”
Natalie swiveled toward me, shifting her knees to the side. Rocky jumped at the sudden movement but returned his head to her lap. “If you’re interested in the piano at all, you can be my first student here.”
I chuckled. “I would have thought you’d be advertising to younger kids with overbearing parents.”
“It’s never too late to learn!” She picked at a dandelion growing through a crack. “Besides, I haven’t figured that part out yet. I’m sure everyone posts online these days, but I was thinking of putting up a flier on the bulletin board at work first, just to see if I get any sort of a response.”
“It’s a start.”
“I’m serious, though.” Her hair spilled over her shoulders as she leaned toward me. “I can teach you, if you want.”
I gazed up at the clear blue sky overhead. “It’s funny you should bring it up. At work, my boss always has classical music playing in the lobby. Says it both puts our clients at ease and gives off the impression we’re well-educated and cultured, or something along those lines.” I offered her a sheepish grin. “I feel like I should know more about the music after hearing it for a number of years, but the best I can do is say I think I like Beethoven the most.”
Her chocolate-brown eyes sparkled. “He’s my favorite, too.” Straightening, she clapped a hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe it. All this time, I’ve been rambling on about myself, and I never asked you what you do for a living.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I stretched my legs out in front of me. “I’m an attorney. My firm deals mostly with wills and estates, those kinds of matters.”
“Really?” Her eyebrows arched. “Your job must be so interesting.”
I tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a snort. “Eh, it’s debatable. Like you, I once had all these fantasies. I imagined I’d be a high-powered trial lawyer, shouting objections, and delivering impassioned statements to juries, and so on. But I don’t think I have the temperament for it.”
Natalie shook her head. “Even though I’ve only known you for, like, a day, I don’t think you do, either.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“Good.” Enthusiasm lit up her face again. “So, what do you say about the piano lessons?”
I thought about her proposal. My mind drifted back to what Mrs. Wilkes had said, about how I didn’t do much outside of work and hanging around at home. Maybe I did need a new hobby. Plus, her excitement was difficult to resist. “Okay,” I finally said. “You can teach me, as long as you promise not to laugh if I turn out to be awful.”
