*A few days later*

        Ring, ring!  Vicki ran to grab the phone.
        "Hello?"
        "Hi, Vic.  It's Tay."
        "Hi, Tay!  How ya' doin'?"
        "I'm fine.  I was wondering if you'd come down to the studio for a 
moment.  And bring your oboe.  It's on Fourth and Vine."
        "Ok-ay," Vicki said slowly.  "May I ask why?"
        "Nope.  See ya' there."  Click.  Vicki shook her head slowly as she 
placed the receiver back down onto the cradle.  Then, grabbing her music, 
oboe, and keys, she headed out the door.
        She arrived at the studio Tay had directed her to.  Going inside, she 
heard sounds coming from the actual recording studio.  She headed there.
        She found Tay setting up his piano.  He was wearing blue jeans and a 
T-shirt saying "I Love My Baby."  His hair was loose and hung around his 
shoulders.  Vicki's heart did the usual flip-flops.  She pulled herself 
together and, knocking lightly on the wood frame, asked, "May I join you?"
        Startled, Tay looked up.  "Oh, hi, Vic!  I didn't hear you come in.  
Yeah, come here and look at this piece of music."
        Vicki entered the large room.  "Music?"
        "I wrote a classical piece for oboe and piano.  I want to hear it 
played.  Would you mind?"
        "Oh, not at all."
        "Here, then."  Tay handed her a handful of paper.  "It's kinda in the 
editing stage."
        "That's fine."  As Vicki looked the three pages over, she noticed 
what nice handwriting Tay had.  It was very orderly and almost beautiful (for 
a guy).
        The piece was in the key of D (two sharps). It started out with a 
piano playing a melody and harmony with one hand softly.  When the oboe 
joined in several bars later, it was a magnificent three-part harmony in the 
treble clef in mezzo-piano.  Then, at rehearsal number 25, the left hand 
joined in piano at mezzo-forte.  The piece had gradual crescendos to the 
climax of forte.  Then, everything got softer quickly; the oboe had a slow, 
minor solo, then the piano entered again and ended the piece with a phrase in 
the major key.  Vicki hoped she could pull it all off in the first read so as 
not to sound terrible to Tay.  He hadn't ever heard her play.
        Vicki put her oboe together.  When she was done, she glanced up at 
Tay, who was looking at her.  What kind of look was that?  That wasn't 
adoration, or anything -- was it?  She wasn't wearing anything overly pretty, 
just some jeans shorts (short shorts) and a yellow tank top with flowers.  
Her hair was only in a French braid, her sandals were only lace ups.  Oh, 
well, let's get this show on the road and forget about it, she thought.
        "Ready?" he asked.
        "All set," she answered.
        "Okay: one, two three, one, two…"  He began his right-handed solo.
        Vicki watched her music and when her entrance came, she let all of 
her talent soar and played like never before.
        When the last note ended, Vicki looked at Tay.
        "What do you think?" he asked.
        "It was gorgeous," she answered.
        "You played so passionately, so beautifully that it was inspiring."
        "I really have never played like that.  I don't know what happened.  
I don't think I'll ever be able to play that again, though."
        "Oh, well, I'm glad I was recording it."
        "What?!" Vicki shrieked.  Her mouth dropped open.  "You were 
recording that?!"
        "Calm down, Vic.  You just played a piece for my new album."
        "Oh, my…"  Vicki was speechless.
        "I don't do that to people often.  Oh, I'm sorry, Vic, for surprising 
you so much."
        "It's okay," Vicki said, her voice returning.  "It's just that…well, 
I've always wanted to be a professional musician and this could be my big 
break, but I wasn't expecting it to come like this, to millions of people on 
a famous celeb's CD…you know what I mean?"
        "Oh, wow!  That would be a surprise to me, too.  Come here, we'll 
listen to the recording."  Vicki walked over to Tay, still slightly dazed.  
Tay pressed a button on a huge panel of buttons and Vicki heard a whirring 
sound.  Tay pressed another button.  "Put on these earphones," he said, 
handing her a set of giant earphones.
        "They're really big," Vicki said, laughing.  She placed them on her 
ears and sat down in a big leather chair nearby.  Tay put a pair on, too, 
pressed another button, and sat on the arm of Vicki's chair.
        The song began and Vicki closed her eyes and let the music surround 
her.  The piece was halfway through when she felt a presence next to her.  
Opening her eyes she found Tay sitting next to her in the chair, his eyes 
closed still.  He opened them and laughed.
        "I must have slipped," he said, getting back on the arm.  Vicki 
closed her eyes again and felt the music envelop her again.  When the piece 
ended, an indescribable feeling came over her.  Was it peace?  She couldn't 
tell.
        "Let's hear it again," she suggested.  Tay nodded and pressed a few 
buttons again.  The music flooded through the headphones again.  Shutting her 
eyes, Vicki settled down cozily in the chair.  Halfway through, again, she 
felt a presence by her side.  She opened her eyes and saw Tay again.  He 
opened his eys and apologized for slipping again, then got back on the arm.  
When the music ended, Vicki felt that floating feeling come over her again.  
The description was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't spit it out.  
"Once more," she asked.  Tay obliged and settled back on the arm.  The music 
came again and Vicki surrendered to it.
        Halfway, she felt a presence once more by her side.  She opened her 
eyes, amused, to see Tay beside her in the chair.  This time, however, he 
didn't move.
        "Third time's the charm," he said; Vicki was puzzled.  Tay saw her 
confusion and explained, "If it happens three times, it must be fate and I'm 
not going to go against fate."  Vicki smiled at him and rested her head on 
his shoulders.  
        When the music ended, Vicki grasped the name of the feeling: love.  
Love for Tay, love for the music, love for all.  The whole song played love.  
She opened her eyes and realized Tay's arm was around her.  "What's the name 
of that song?" she asked.
        "I haven't decided yet.  Maybe you can help me."
        "Oh, no, I wouldn't want to do something like that."  She leaned into 
Tay's arm and they sat like that for several minutes: Vicki's head on Tay's 
shoulder and Tay's arm around her while his head rested on hers.  Then Tay 
stood up and stretched, glancing at his watch.  "It's 6:39," he informed her.
        Shock shot through Vicki.  "Oh, shoot!  I've got to get back to my 
dorm."
        "Why?" Tay asked.
        Vicki was at a loss for words as she rushed to put her oboe away.  
How could she say that she had been supposed to talk to Nick at 6:30 to 
explain everything that was happening between her and Tay? Tay didn't even 
know about Nick.  "I just…do," she answered, praying that Tay would 
understand and not ask questions.  But, her luck had just run out.
        "Vicki?"  Tay looked at her questioningly.  "Why do I feel like 
you're not telling me the truth?  You can tell me anything."
        "Um, nothing's happening, actually.  I just told Jacqueline that I'd 
meet her to go shopping at 6:30, and here it is, 6:39, and she's probably 
wondering where I've been, and.…"  She trailed off under Tay's inquisitive 
stare.
        "Vicki?"
        "I need to go, Tay," Vicki said nervously.  She tried to go through 
the door but Tay blocked her way.
        "Vicki sweetie?"  Vicki had a hard time keeping her composure when 
those baby blues stared into her own eyes.  She struggled to keep from 
starting to cry or telling Tay the whole story.  She wasn't sure why she 
couldn't tell him; maybe it was just that it was easier to keep hiding from 
the truth because she was so deep in lies.
        "I've gotta go, Tay.  Thanks for letting me play with you, but I 
really must leave."  She slipped under Tay's arm and hurried into her car.
        As she drove back to her dorm, she wondered if she'd done the right 
thing.  Of course I did, she told herself, but it was a vain battle: she 
couldn't even fool herself.
        When she got back to her dorm, Nick was nowhere in sight.  Oh, great. 
 To finish my rapidly bad day, he's mad at me, too.  Oh, well, I'll call Tay 
and say that it was really tomorrow night, that I was mistaken, and maybe he 
won't be so mad at me anymore.  She headed into her room.
        When she dialed the number of the studio, there was no answer, so she 
dialed his house.  "Hello?" someone on the other line asked.
        "May I speak to Taylor please?"
        "Sure, just a sec."  She heard the girl, probably Avery, call Tay's 
nme.  Tay picked up another phone and yelled "I've got it."  There was a 
click and Tay asked, "Hello?"
        Vicki suddenly felt nervous.  "Hi, Tay.  It's . . . it's Vicki."  She 
heard silence, then, unbelievably, a click!  Pulling the phone away from her 
ear, she stared at it, then put it back in the cradle, dazed.  My gosh.  He 
hung up on me!  Okay, so maybe he's a little mad.  I'll let him cool off for 
a day or two.  Now, I need to call Nick.  She picked up the phone again and 
dialed Nick.
        "Hello?" he asked.
        She talked rapidly.  "Hi, Nick, it's Vicki.  I just wanted to --"  
But she got no further: Nick hung up.  Oh, no, he's mad at me, too.
        Shocked, Vicki put the phone back on the cradle.  Suddenly, she 
remembered the one person who would never hang up on her, no matter how mad 
she was at her.  I'll call Jackie.  She won't hang up, Vicki thought, 
relieved.  She pulled on her slippers and punched Jackie's number.
        "Hello?" Jackie asked when she picked up the phone.
        "Hi, Jackie.  It's Vicki.  I need to talk to you."
        "Well, that's what best friends are for.  Spill," Jackie commanded.
        Vicki told her sad tale.  When she finished, she heard dead silence 
aside from her own sobs.  "Jackie?  Jackie, are you there?"
        Silence.
        "Jackie?" Vicki cried hysterically.
        "Yeah, I'm here, Vic.  Ouch.  That really is an awkward situation.  
Why didn't you tell Taylor?"
        "I just didn't think he'd understand," Vicki sniffled.
        "Oh, Vic, if he's anything like what I've seen and what you've told 
me, he'd understand plenty!  But it's too late for that, I guess.  Try 
calling him again.  If he hangs up, then try taking a long soak in the tub," 
Jacqueline conceded.
        "Okay," Vicki sniffled.  "And Jackie?  Thanks for listening."
        "No problem.  As I said, that's what best friends are for."
        "Bye, Jackie."
        "Bye, Vic."  Click.
        Vicki hung up her phone, too, then picked it up again nervously and 
dialed Tay's number.
        "Hello?" Tay answered on the third ring.
        "Hi, Tay, it's Vicki.  Don't hang up agian, I can explain.  It's just 
that --"  Click.
        Vicki started crying hysterically.  After hanging up the phone, she 
turned on the water, sprinkled some bath salts in, and climbed into the hot 
water.  She cried herself to sleep.