Saving Grace

Chapter 1

Grace Talbot never looked in the mirror. She knew she wasn't ugly, but she couldn't stand to see what life had done to her face. She was no longer young and middle age had settled upon her like a comforting blanket. The frown lines around her mouth would never go away. The gray bags under her dead green eyes would never fade. She wore shaded glasses so people would not see what she wanted to hide. She tried to stay as unobtrusive as possible. That was the only way she could get through her days. The nights were the worst. She kept herself busy by playing piano in a restaurant every night. From six until ten every evening she played background music in the dining room of a local restaurant.

So far this evening was like any other. She took a short break every few hours. She used the washroom and studied her hands as she washed them in the sink. Her fingers were still strong and supple. There were age spots on the back of her hands, but she didn't care. So long as she could play the piano, she was fine.

Grace dried her hands and left the washroom. She was on her way back to her electric piano in the corner of the restaurant when one of the waitresses stopped her.

"That guy is here again tonight," the waitress told her. "He's sitting at the bar, as usual."

Grace glanced over at the bar area. A middle aged man sat there in a dark blue suit. His hair was all grey and he had deep blue eyes. He didn't look like a stalker, but appearances could be deceiving.

Their eyes met briefly in the mirror over the bar. Something unrecognizable flashed between them before Grace could look away.

"Do you want Rusty to get rid of him?" the waitress asked. Rusty was the owner of the restaurant and Grace's friend.

"No," Grace answered, shaking her head. "He looks harmless."

Grace walked back to her piano and sat down, trying to ignore the sudden pounding of her heart. This was the fifth night in a row that the man had been here. Did he really like the food at the restaurant or was he there to hear her music? She didn't spend any more time dwelling on the man's motives. She opened one of her music books and began to play. And just like that, magic happened. She forgot about everything else but the music. Her fingers flew over the keys and her mind was blissfully kept occupied in playing the music and she was able to forget everything else.

For the next two hours, she played a mixture of romantic Classical music and contemporary favorites. She loved being in the background. She thought the piano music gave the restaurant a relaxed, classical atmosphere. People often tipped her, but she didn't play for money. She played so she could focus on the present moment and forget about the past. It was the only way she could bear the pain.

Her final piece of the evening was always "Time to Say Goodbye". It was a loud, flashy piece but there wasn't usually too many people left in the restaurant by that time so she didn't think anyone would mind her playing it that much.

Grace felt pleasantly fatigued as she turned off her piano and began to pack up her music books. She couldn't wait to go home and go to bed.

"You play beautifully," Grace heard before she looked up and saw the grey haired man from the bar standing in front of her.

"Thank you," she replied automatically.

The man put a fifty dollar bill in her tip jar.

"That's a little extravagant, don't you think?" she asked sardonically.

"You're worth it," he replied plainly.

Grace fought off a giggle. Was this guy for real? She usually got five and ten dollar tips, not fifties. She felt an urge to snarl at him but she tried to keep her rude instincts at bay.