Listen To Your Heart ~ Book One.

A Walk in the Park

(I shrug.) "I play a little."

(Valerie turns her head to hide a smile.)

"Well...we'll be honest with you. It doesn't matter what we play. Most folks don't listen, or the younger folk want to hear some 'new age' stuff, that we don't know. Explains why the jar is mostly empty."

"Do you play rock and roll?"

"We can play some. Mostly old songs. You got something in mind?"

"Beatles?"

"We know some of their songs. Anybody else?"

"Aerosmith...America...Van Halen...Motley Crue...Bon Jovi?"

"We're not that good." Moe says.

"But can either of you sing their songs?"

"Frank can...I can't hit that high stuff no more...and we can't do any Van Halen, because nobody is as good as Eddie Van Halen was."

"Well...let's see what we can do to fill that jar up...okay?"

(People start gathering around. Some recording video with their cell phones. The jar begins filling up. I don't notice that Claudia is one of the ones filming. Claudia calls Billie.)

"Hello?"

"Billie...its Claudia. I'm at Veterans Park. Your boyfriend is at it again."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sending you the live feed now."

(Billie looks at her cell phone. Then grabs her car keys.)

"Mom...I'll be back. I'm going to Veterans Park for a bit."

(We continue playing songs.)

(Billie arrives a short time later. I make a funny face at her, and she smiles and laughs. It was good to hear her laugh.)

"Can you do special requests?" Billie asks.

"Sure can, miss. What do you want to hear?"

"Actually, I want to sing the Beatles song...Yesterday."

(The crowd cheers wildly as she finishes.)

"Thank you, folks, that's all for today." Frank says.

"Actually Frank...I'd like to do a few more songs...if it's alright with you?" I ask.

"Sure...what did you have in mind?"

"Well...I was thinking of singing this song, for this beautiful lady here."

(Billie smiles slightly and blushes.)

"You know, time is a precious thing, just like love is. Sometimes we got to hold onto the nights."

(I sit at Moe's keyboard near Billie, as I begin to play.)

(The crowd applauds politely at the end of the song. Billie and I lock eyes.)

"Kiss him!" (A few people in the crowd yell. Billie blushes red and lowers her eyes. I stand up.)

"Thank you everyone. That's all for today."

"Hey! Aren't the two of you going to kiss?" (A familiar voice asks.)

(I look thru the crowd and spot Valerie talking to me. Then I notice Claudia holding her cellphone out, still filming everything. I pick up the full jar of cash, and hand it to Frank.)

"I believe this belongs to you guys."

"Hold on now, the two of you earned some of this too."

"Keep it."

(I turn back. Billie had disappeared. I start walking away.)

"Wait, who are you?"

"David."

"Well, thank you for your help. We'll be able to get a hot meal and shelter for a change."

"You're welcome."

(I walk back towards the car with Valerie.)

"Why are you still so reluctant to tell people you're a Van Halen?"

"Old habit, I guess. I haven't used it in years, you know. I'm not going to use it to open up doors for me."

"David. Eddie is gone now. I thought any 'bad blood' between you two had been settled, the last time you talked?"

"It was. I don't have any issues with Eddie or Alex anymore. That's all in the past."