Sunny

Chapter 2

Six Years Earlier...

Rhea stood at the counter trying her best not to hear the fight that was happening in the room behind her. She had worked for Elias Emory and Victoria Hewitt, one of the most famous couples in the world, for just over a year. She had been excited when she had first taken the job, thinking that it would be a wonderful addition to her resume, and she would get to meet a whole bunch of famous people, and it had been for the first few months, but then it had changed.

They had become used to her, and it had been almost as if she had become a fixture or piece of furniture in the house. Their arguments had started out small but, eventually, they had forgotten she was there and they had become more intense.

American's couple, it seemed, was not living happily ever after.

From what Rhea had been able to comprehend, Victoria wanted out of the marriage, but she wanted to be the wronged one, she wanted Elias to take the blame when the reality of the situation was that Victoria was the one that was having the affair.

Elias refused, which enraged her. He was more than willing to part ways and end their marriage, rrbut he wasn't going to be the one that took the blame.

Most of their arguments consisted of Elias standing, arms crossed, letting Victoria throw all sorts of verbal barbs at him, and to his credit he never rose to the bait, he never even appeared to get very angry.

Rhea listened as Victoria delivered her parting shot about his inability to please her in the bedroom and it being his fault that she had been forced to look elsewhere for satisfaction before she slammed out of the back door. Rhea was surprised that the glass in the door didn't shatter from the force.

She watched as Eli waited until he heard her car rev-up and then peel out of the driveway, only after the sound of the engine disappeared did he begin to relax. He walked over to the piano and threw down the pencil that he had held clenched in his fist.

"That woman can kill my inspiration quicker than anything else." He rubbed his face as he turned to look at Rhea, who had frozen at his words.

His normal reaction would have been to sit down at the piano and start playing again, acting as if the entire episode hadn't happened, but this time he had actually acknowledged Rhea's presence.

"Have a cookie, I've made your favorite, maybe you'll find your inspiration again," Rhea suggested, pushing a plate of his favorite wafer-thin oatmeal cookies towards him.

He gave her one of his killer grins as he sat on one of the bar stools at the counter. "How did you know this was just the thing to cheer me up?" he asked reaching for a cookie.

Rhea had noticed that morning that he had played Vivaldi's Winter, he always played it when he was in a pensive mood or worried about something, but she couldn't tell him that because he might realize that she noticed more about him than she should. 

The fact was that she had a massive crush on the man, and she had done her best to hide for almost a year. He was a handsome man, he had thick sandy brown hair and soft brown eyes, a determined chin, a sharp nose, and slashing cheek bones. It amazed her that a man who looked as beautiful as he did had such a soulful voice. She had been familiar with it from the radio, but the first time she had heard him singing with just the piano or guitar only ten feet from her, her bones had actually melted. She had forgotten to breath as his deep gruff timber had rumbled around the room.

But despite his looks and talent, the more she learned about the man the deeper her crush became.

Very few people knew he had been a classical musician before he had made it in main-stream music. He was the lead singer for the famous music group called The Addiction. Their songs were all over the radio, but he had also made a solo album, and it had been a success too. He seemed to have the Midas touch when it came to music, anything he touched turned to gold.

"Just a lucky guess, and I knew that Ms. Hewitt was returning today," Rhea answered softly.

Victoria had been overseas shooting her latest movie for the last month, and it had been every peaceful month.

He gave a tense smile that didn't reach his eyes as he stood up and moved back towards the piano, and Rhea knew that she had said the wrong thing. It was rare for him to talk to her at all, and she felt that every time he did talk to her she always said the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry," she apologized before she turned back to the roasted chicken she was making for dinner, determined to remain silent.

"For what, Sunny?" He sounded so resigned.

Rhea shrugged, her heart missing a beat at hearing the nickname he had given her shortly after meeting her. He had had a friend visiting, a famous actor who was a regular in the household, Mason Stevens. Mason had told her that she was like a ray of sunshine in the otherwise depressing house, and Eli had laughed at his comment, stating that they would call her Sunny and make it official.

After that she was always referred to as Sunny by Mason, Eli, and his band, and she didn't object since it made her feel included.

"I always put my foot in it, don't I?"

"No, you've just reminded me that I, once again, did what I swore I would never do; have another fight with Victoria in front of you. You don't need to know or hear all of our problems, but you always do, don't you?"

"You're worried that I'll tell-"

"No," he cut her off, "I'm embarrassed to have you witness my failing marriage. I trust you not to tell anyone."

That was something she supposed.

"I thought you and Ms. Hewitt always forget that I'm here, so I try to blend into the background as much as I can."

"Trust me, Sunny, you don't blend, and I believe that Victoria enjoys having an audience to belittle me in front of."

"Trust me, Mr. Emory, you're not the one that looks bad, she is. I don't know how you manage to keep from going off on her. Sometimes I want to hit her for you."

He laughed at her revelation and she blushed, having a hard time believing that she had said it. She was on a roll, and this was the longest conversation she had ever had with him. Most of the time she worked in the kitchen while he played or composed music in the step-down den that was attached.

"Please don't, I don't want to have to bail you out of jail, and besides, I can take her wrath, I've been doing it long enough."

"Don't you care that she lies, like she did today?"                                                                                        

"How do you know they're lies, maybe I am horrible in the bedroom?"

Rhea felt herself blush, and she quickly looked away from him before she got into further trouble. There was no way he could be bad in that department her gut told her.

"I've embarrassed you. You've made me feel ten feet tall with your disbelief, and I'm teasing you."

Had she made him feel ten feet tall, really? She looked over at him and he was leaning against the piano watching her.

"The simple fact is that I don't get upset at her words because I don't care, and I haven't cared in a long time, if I ever did. So, please don't hit her, and don't get upset on my behalf. It's situation that I've created."

He looked at Rhea and their eyes met, how long they looked at each other she couldn't say, but eventually, he turned and sat back down at the piano and started to play something lighthearted, ending their conversation.