“You didn’t give me a chance to thank you,” said Ava with a smile in her voice. Smiling back he reached for her hand for the second time that night to steady Ava as she stepped down from the bleachers. He failed to release it once she was safely at ground level. Instead he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm covering it with his own.”My name is Christian, Chris Graber,” he said matter of factly as they began to stroll.

As though on cue, a jazz band started their first after hours set of the evening and Ava felt the magnetic pull of the music. Music had always been an intimate companion of Ava’s. She’s often wondered over the years since her childhood how anyone lived without it. As though reading her mind, Chris  subtly shifted their path towards the jazz stage.

The tables were filling up fast. Many of the concert goers had gravitated over to sip some wine while reliving their favorite moments of the Carole King concert. Chris spotted a small table close to he stage. “Why don’t you grab that table,” he said to Ava leaning in close she could smell the clean honest scent of his shirt, “and I’ll get us something to drink.” Rattled, Ava abruptly headed for the table.

“What am I doing?,” thought Ava setting her book on the table. She hadn’t even realized it was still in her hand. “What’s the matter with me tonight?” She looked overhead to see if there was a full moon. No moon! So much for shifting the blame on to something outside of herself. Ava was breaking a long standing rule to never allow a man to pick her up. And until tonight she never had.

For a few furtive seconds she thought of making her escape. She could easily disappear into the night and Chris Graber would never find her. But her desire to stay was the dominating impulse right now. Besides there was this excellant jazz to be absorbed.

Chris set two glasses down along with a bottle of wine. Filling both glasses he promptly turned his full attention to the performers on stage. Ava stole periodic looks at Chris so see if he was truly enjoying the music or simply trying to impress her or worse, indulging her. Ava resented being indulged. There always seemed to be an ulterior motive attached. She remembered her grandmother telling her once when she was a teenager, “Ava, you never get something for nothing, always remember that!”

But what Ava was witnessing was a man thoroughly immersed in the music. So deeply Ava felt she could’ve gotten up and walked away after all and Chris wouldn’t have noticed her absence until the musicians had finished. This pleased Ava. She loved to be a silent witness to a person’s  passion for whatever it was in life they loved. And it was apparent Chris loved jazz.

The band took it’s first break and Chris turned his high voltage gaze upon Ava. Ava immediately looked down. This did not go unnoticed by Chris. “I think we’ve failed to share one very important thing,” he said. Ava shot him a quick puzzled look. “Your name?” he said, “Might I know the person I’m getting drunk on music with?”

“Oh, oh,,” Ava stammered, “I’m sorry. My, my name is Ava Land.”

Chris nodded and then picked up Ava’s book, “Well Ms. Land I see we share another very important thing. The Fountainhead. Do you know that this book is the reason I became an architect?” Before Ava could formulate a response, shouted   her name.

“Ava, Ava hi!” called out Kate Hagan as she came rushing towards their table. “I was hoping to spot you at the concert. I saved a seat for you just incase!”