Unexpected Harmony

6. Warning Labels

Chapter 6

Warning Labels

I n the living room, Aspen flung the vacuum away from her, only to twirl and pull it near again. Dancing to her favorite composer while cleaning was becoming a favorite pastime. Swinging her hips to the fast beat of the song, Aspen sang one of her old tunes that went well with the orchestra's instrumentals.

“What the fuck is this?” An annoyed voice broke out over the chorus of the song. “I'm bending over backwards to keep your career from tanking, and here you are doing housework. Aspen, you know you have enough money for a maid. Should I ask that gardener to come in and clean up your mess?”

In the thirty seconds Morgan was in the room, all of Aspen's peace she'd found throughout the day had flown out the window. She grabbed Morgan's arm before she could walk outside.

“That's rude. Zoey's a landscaper. Leave her alone.” Aspen let go to wrap up the vacuum cord.

“Fine, but why are you cleaning? How long are you going to stay in this hell-hole? When are you getting back to work? Your newest album is practically ancient at this point, and there have been crickets from you. Maybe it's time to get back to New York. Get back to the swing of things.” Morgan made herself at home, pulling out her laptop and setting up shop at the kitchen counter.

Ignoring all the questions since they were rhetorical anyway, Aspen opened the fridge to grab sparkling water for Morgan. She also took out the cucumber water she’d started steeping yesterday and poured a glass. “I'll be right back,” she mumbled, passing the sparkling water to Morgan before making her way outside.

The relentless sun beat down on her neck as she walked through the yard. Zoey had cleared most of the weeds, enough to see the grass underneath. Aspen scanned the area until she found Zoey on her hands and knees, coaxing out a little bird hopping on one foot.

Not wanting to disturb either of them, she stayed on the porch, watching the bird peck out some crumbs from Zoey’s outstretched hand. The burst of a smile that stretched across Zoey’s lips had Aspen’s heart stuttering.

When the bird flew off, Aspen cleared her throat, taking the steps down to her yard. “That was something special, Snow White.” A few days ago, she had stopped offering drinks and instead just brought her something.

“Thank you.” Zoey took the icy water and gulped it down. A dribble of water slid down her chin. Aspen held her hands behind her back to keep from reaching out.

“The yard looks amazing. It's coming along faster than I thought, especially since you're doing most of it on your own.” She took a step back, not wanting to crowd her.

“The crew helped dig out the area to get the path ready,” Zoey humbly murmured as they admired the excavation path.

Today, Zoey was finishing up the base layer, working with a plate compactor and spreading out whatever the layer was made out of; Aspen had forgotten after Zoey explained it. She wished Morgan wasn't here so she could continue watching Zoey work the vibrating machine.

“Tomorrow, the real intricate work begins as we work on beautifying this area.”

Aspen watched, mesmerized, as Zoey's wrist twirled around.

“Were you a dancer?” She blurted out the question before she could filter. Squeezing her eyes closed, Aspen wondered why she couldn't have a regular conversation with this woman. People threw themselves at her, sometimes literally. Maybe she was off-kilter because Zoey kept her distance, which only intrigued her more. Not many people didn't want to get to know her.

“What?” Zoey's confusion was palpable.

“It's just, your hand movements were graceful. Did you ever dance?”

She wasn’t sure why she decided to double down on the question, but Aspen bit the inside of her cheek, hoping that would deter her from asking more odd questions.

Zoey stared at her raised hand. The gambit of emotions playing on her face made Aspen want to drop everything and go to her with a hug.

“I—um—no.” It seemed like she wanted to say more but instead straightened her shoulders. “As we discussed, I'm going for low maintenance and it shouldn't get overgrown if it's not cleaned up in a while. It seemed like whoever did the work last time wanted things to get out of control. Most likely so they’d have to come back for regular maintenance, forcing you to become a continued customer,” Zoey finished, clearly wanting to get back to a more professional ground.

Aspen winced, taking the cue but hoping to learn more about Zoey's life someday. “I bought this house years ago when I didn’t understand how many people out there would try to take advantage of my wealth. I'm much better at recognizing the signs now.”

“Says the woman who asked some random person who walked into her house unannounced to do yard work.”

The glowing feeling in Aspen’s belly grew at Zoey’s teasing tone. Maybe there was hope after all. “It might not seem like it, but I did some research. What your mom quoted me was fair.”

That seemed to surprise Zoey, which was a nice change of pace.

“I was wondering, do you mind if I bring my brother tomorrow? His school is out on break. My dad works at a hardware store, and my mom is doing some dangerous work at another house. I'm starting the intricate path design, which he could help with since he's great with patterns. Sorry, I'm rambling.”

Zoey looked towards the ocean, shaking her head. The flustered blush crawling up her cheeks made Aspen want to reach out and soothe her.

“Of course, he's always welcome. You don't even have to ask.”

Aspen took the time to study Zoey’s face. The freckles made a path along the bridge of her nose and spread out over her cheeks. She had a small mole above her lip, and Aspen had an irrational urge to run her thumb over the mole and across her lips. Her skin warmed as she took in Zoey. She wanted to blame it on the heat, but since they were standing in the shade, there was only one cause.

Zoey started turning back towards her, interrupting her view. Clearing her throat, Aspen rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly finding the tops of her slides very interesting.

“I should get back in. I've got a meeting with my manager.” She meant to return to the house but found leaving Zoey's magnetic pull challenging.

“Sure. I'm just going to clean up here and head home. See you tomorrow, and thanks for the water.” Zoey held out the dripping cup.

Aspen swore there was an electric charge when their fingers brushed together, but Zoey didn't linger. Wondering if she was losing her touch, Aspen made her way back to the house.

“There you are. Geez, I thought you had wandered off down the streets of Malibu. I was about to put an APB out on you.” Morgan sauntered into the living room, her laptop open as she walked.

“Yeah, I was just getting an update on the yard. So, what's up? How are my numbers looking?” Aspen tucked her feet under her as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

Morgan sighed. After so many years, Aspen was sure that sigh was, Damn, I wish we didn't have to have a meeting in the relaxed atmosphere of a comfortable room. Morgan had always advocated for meetings in official places like offices. That was often inconvenient for Aspen, so Morgan would just have to deal with this one time.

“You're trending up, which is surprising with your lack of content on socials and general reclusive lifestyle since the new album dropped. The proposal was a success, even if it ended the way it did.”

“I would not call my most embarrassing moment captured for millions to see a success,” Aspen mumbled, picking at the couch seam.

“You’re hitting numbers not seen since three albums ago. Plus, your fans are rallying behind you, calling for Lexi’s head. They are even sending her death threats from what I hear. It’s all good for your brand.” Morgan didn’t even look up from the computer.

Aspen clenched her arms, trying to rein in the anger bubbling up from Morgan’s callous words. “That's not okay, Morgan. I should probably say something. I don’t like what Lexi did, but she doesn’t deserve to be threatened. Try to be human for once and see the colossal pain and embarrassment that idea caused.”

The outburst finally got Morgan to look up from the computer screen. It seemed like she was trying to carefully formulate her next response. “I do understand, but I also think you need to see that I only have your best interest in mind. It worked, just not in the way we originally thought.”

With her anger under control, Aspen untucked her legs and placed them on the floor, which helped ground her emotions, yet she remained silent.

After a few moments passed, Morgan said, “There is another thing I wanted to bring up. I think it's time to go on a high-profile date. You can't keep yourself sequestered in here forever. The people want to see how you're doing.”

Zoey's face played across her mind's eye. The light hitting her freckles and her wavy brown hair shimmering in the sun. Aspen’s stomach swooped for the first time in years. Her ex hadn’t created that response, not even during their first few months of dating.

“I know that look,” Morgan teased. “That’s your ‘I see something I like’ face.”

“No, it’s not. Why would you say that?” Aspen was an excellent singer but a terrible actress.

“Come on. Who is she? Is it an actress nearby? I heard Melanie Cooper moved somewhere around here, but now that she's retired, it wouldn't pack as much of a punch.”

“She’s also with someone exclusively for a few years now. I would never want to get between two people like that.” Aspen was ready to wrap up the meeting.

“So, who is it? They need to be high profile enough to help your career but not enough to step on your toes.”

The warm thought of Zoey disappeared, replaced by a sinking rock threatening to pull her under. She wouldn’t be surprised if Morgan pulled out a flip book with people’s faces.

Bored of the conversation, she envisioned where she would take Zoey on a date. Lost in her world, she missed the name Morgan threw out.

“I'm not ready,” she said, shutting down the admittedly one-way conversation before Morgan really sank her teeth into the discussion. She didn’t have the energy to fight off a full lecture that tended to lean to get exactly what she—as in Morgan—wanted.

“Okay, fine, but keep it in mind. Seriously, you can’t keep yourself away from the world forever.” Morgan closed her laptop and stood. “I should get going. See you in a few days. Do you have a time you want to return to New York yet?” She tried to hide her hopeful tone.

“No. It will be a while longer.”

Aspen pretended not to see the defeated slump of Morgan's shoulders as she walked out the door.

The sun warmed the back of Zoey's neck as she made her way up the path to Aspen's house. Her brother swung his head back and forth, taking in the sights.

“Remember, you can't just walk into her house,” Zoey said, walking up the stairs to the porch. “Stay here, and we'll get started in a second.” She waited until Theo sat in the chair, his legs swinging back and forth as he rocked.

Satisfied he was okay, Zoey reached out to knock just as the door opened. She stumbled back, sure her expression matched the shock on Aspen’s face.

Seeing Aspen in tight workout pants and a loose shirt that hung off one shoulder should have come with a warning label. Loss of speech and being frozen in place are just a few symptoms one might experience when seeing the user in full force. One may also experience dry mouth and a sudden tingling in their limbs.

“Oh, this is a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting you until later.” Aspen recovered faster than Zoey. “I have to run to the store. Can I get you anything?”

“We wanted to get a jump on the day. Theo, do you want anything?” Receiving a head shake that flopped his hair over his eye, Zoey returned her attention back to Aspen. “Nope, we're fine. I just wanted to let you know we're getting started and to remind you I've got my brother with me.” She pointed towards the chair, where Theo was taking out his noise-canceling headphones from the backpack he had in his lap.

“Great, I can't wait to see how the path turns out. I'll see you in a little bit.”

Zoey tried not to check her out, but it was like turning away from puppies. Her mouth fell open when she saw a beat-up Ford Escape exit the garage.

“The layers on that girl are fascinating,” Zoey said under her breath as she walked down the stairs.

After taking a moment to show Theo the natural pebbles, Zoey instructed him to make a few patterns Aspen would pick from. She laid out boundaries that he should stay in and asked for three patterns. Her mom had learned the hard way to ask before completing the full path. Even with the agreed-upon look from the blueprints, a client might not like the finished product.

Leaving Theo to work, she began the last touches of the garden bed. The low-maintenance, drought-resistant oasis was coming along nicely. If she wasn't careful, the project would be over too soon, and she wouldn't have an excuse to see Aspen anymore.

Zoey shoved that thought into a newly created hole and buried it under a prickly beavertail cactus. There was no way The Aspen Lake would be interested in an unknown composer with dirt under her fingernails. She redoubled her efforts out of spite for herself, throwing her whole body into the work.

The door slamming in the garage brought Zoey out of the work fog she'd been stuck in. Sheepishly, she turned to check on Theo, who had already finished the three portions and was lying in the shaded grass.

“Wow, you got far. How long was I gone?” Aspen's voice carried in the wind.

Standing, Zoey stretched out her back, walking towards Theo to check out what he was doing.

“I have no idea. Time has no meaning when we’re in the groove of the job.” She smiled and ruffled Theo’s head when she saw he had created a piano out of stones to play on. He was in his own world and didn’t even look up from his fingers.

“Wow, that kid is talented. I can almost hear the song he's playing.” Aspen stood beside her, standing closer than needed in Zoey's amateur opinion.

Side-eyeing Aspen since looking at her directly could be harmful to one's health, Zoey felt her forehead tighten when her brows furrowed. “Are you okay?” She took a step back to get a better look at Aspen, whose face was pale. There was also a tremor in her hand that hadn’t been there before.

“Peachy. I just had a run-in with a woman . I should take this as a sign to get my groceries delivered from now on.” Aspen talked with her hands, but since one held the reusable grocery bag, she lost control of the handle and the bag tumbled to the ground.

“What does that mean?” Zoey bent down to pick up the oranges that had rolled out.

“Oh, you know.” She waved off the question.

“No, not really.” Zoey passed the fruit to her and Aspen’s hand lingered.

“I suppose you don't. I know this will sound conceited, but I don't hang out with people who aren't in the industry. I just assume you would know that.” Aspen still hadn't looked away, but her words had made Zoey want to run. “When I say I had a run-in, it means that a few fans got a little pushy, aggressive, and wouldn't take no for an answer.”

“You didn’t give out your autograph?” She hadn’t meant the question to sound so judgmental. But what were a few signatures?

“I'm always happy to take a picture. But trying to buy tampons and getting papers shoved in your face isn't a great combo. This is why I've always had people do my shopping for me. I forgot how exhausting it can be. Plus, that wasn't the ‘no’ they weren't taking. A woman was becoming extra grabby; it was like she was trying to rip off my shirt or something. I couldn’t shake her.”

Zoey then realized a button was missing from the top of her shirt, and there was a tear along the seam. Suddenly a little autograph sounded a lot more dangerous.

“I'm sorry you have to deal with that. Depending on how long you'll be here, you might want to look at getting a bodyguard or at least someone who can help with crowd control.”

“I've never had a problem here before, but this time around I’ve had to deal with this type of thing more regularly. This area has always been my sanctuary and I don’t want to lose that. Unless you're volunteering?” Aspen looked her up and down. “I know you can handle yourself. Especially after using that stompy machine.”

“Plate compactor,” Zoey corrected, rolling her eyes with a small smile. Clearly Aspen needed a change in conversation. Only too willing to help provide the pivot, Zoey waved her over to the demo path patterns. “Let me show you the designs Theo created. If you don't like any of these, don't worry. We will continue to rework it until there is a design you love. Since you're the one who has to live with it, don't be shy.”

The color was returning to Aspen's face. “Let me put these away first. I'll be right back.” Zoey watched Aspen hustle up the stairs. It was no wonder people flocked to her.

When Aspen returned a few minutes later, she came down the stairs holding a cheap electric piano. “I thought Theo would like to play something real while we review the designs.” She grinned, struggling with the awkward weight. “It’s battery operated,” she added.

Zoey pushed the instrument back towards her. “That's sweet, thank you. Go ahead and give it to him.”

Squatting down, Aspen got Theo's attention, whose broad smile could be seen a state over when she showed him the piano. He sat up, pairing the Bluetooth to his headset without Zoey even having to ask. Soon, the dull thunk of the keys was the only thing they could hear as they walked over to the designs.

“Damn, I can't believe he got these patterns out of pebbles.” Aspen bent down, touching one of the designs—a white background with dark stars in the middle.

“He's no stranger to laying intricate patterns. My mom accidentally came across his gift while working on a yard a few years ago. It was the third time they had tried a layout, but the customer hadn't liked any version. Theo got bored and started creating his own. The customer loved the design, and ever since, Theo will come help out if possible.”

“He's talented in a lot of different ways.” Aspen toed a blue pebble that created a swirl, not unlike waves on a beach.

“Once we get the pattern you like down, we'll have to wait for a few days of sun—which shouldn't be a problem here—before adding the sealant. That should help protect the stones. After that, we're nearly finished.” Zoey waited a beat before asking, “Do you see a pattern you like, or should we create a few more?”

“This one.” Aspen pointed to the waves right away.

Zoey wasn't surprised. She had noticed that Aspen couldn't take her eyes off that one. “Waves it is. That was easy.”

“I've been told I'm easy,” Aspen said before looking up, horrified. “That came out wrong. I've been told I'm easy to deal with. You know, not all diva or something. Well, that didn't come out great either.”

Zoey threw her a bone by reaching out and squeezing her shoulder. “I knew what you meant.” Retreating her hand like she’d been burned, Zoey shuffled a few steps back. It was easy to forget who she was talking to. Especially when she'd seen the shaken, scared side and now the flustered, embarrassed side; this was still Aspen, the famous singer who had a life outside their little bubble. But damn, it was nice not to feel the crush of life's cold claws. To let go and flirt a little. There wasn’t any harm in that, right?