The Tchaikovsky Affair by Marie Swift Page B

must say we were surprised to be invited out to dinner with the concertmaster herself,” Lorie Thompson said after the group could squeeze no more substance out of the “spring is coming delightfully early, isn’t it?” conversation.
    “Were you?” Shannon asked, with a slight challenge in her voice. “And please, call me Shannon,” she requested for the fifth time that night.
    “Well, we weren’t sure we were still in the Philharmonic’s good graces,” Betty added.
    Shannon smiled weakly, trying desperately to keep up the façade. “We always try to make our most valued patrons feel welcome.”
    Just then, the waiter arrived with their salads and calamari and she sighed in relief, hoping they could go back to the small talk for a few more minutes.
    To her surprise, it seemed that Lorie had sensed her unease and asked Shannon to tell them about the program they would be hearing on Saturday. Shannon smiled at her genuinely and began to talk animatedly about the music, something for which she never lost her passion. As she started to explain the duet in the featured Tchaikovsky piece, she found herself describing Jackie’s role in great detail, her eyes shining with love and compassion. This did not go unnoticed by her dinner guests.
    “So this Jackie Ortiz is quite a talented musician, then?” Joe asked kindly.
    “Oh my gosh, yes! She is so talented and passionate. She’s really a joy to work with,” Shannon replied, her eyes glossing over at the thought of what she was leaving behind.
    “Well, we’re certainly looking forward to it next weekend. This concert is always our favorite of the year,” Joe stated.
    “Okay, this small talk is ridiculous,” George added gruffly, having been silent for almost the rest of the conversation. “We all know why we’re here, so let’s just cut to the chase.”
    “George!” his wife admonished.
    “Betty, you know it’s true. The only reason Shannon is here is because she’s being forced by her producers to get our money back,” George added, looking pointedly at Shannon.
    She opened her mouth to protest, but knew she couldn’t convincingly deny what he had said.
    “That’s what I thought. Now, we appreciate the gesture, but as long as the Philharmonic continues to support such sinful behavior, I’m not sure that we can support them.”
    Shannon bit back a caustic retort, thinking about the hilarious irony that these two couples believed that they hadn’t been supporting many homosexual relationships in the past with their donations to fine arts organizations.
    “Look, as I’m sure you saw on TV a few days ago, Jackie and I have denounced ever being in a relationship together.” Shannon felt more and more guilty with every untrue word that passed through her lips.
    “Given the way you spoke about her tonight, dear, it’s hard for us to believe you,” Lorie added gently in a mothering tone.
    “I did not come here for you to try to discern whether or not I’m lying or whether or not my purported behavior is sinful. I came here to ask you to reconsider,” Shannon said, her tone taking on a decidedly more acerbic quality.
    “And we cannot possibly reconsider until we know the true nature of what was happening,” Joe said.
    “I really don’t think my personal life is of any concern to you and should not factor into your decision.”
    “It is of our concern when you support homosexuality in an interview about the Philharmonic,” George said with a raised voice.
    Shannon sucked in a breath, realizing that she would have to change tactics.
    “Okay, fine. Jackie and I were in a relationship.” She waited for George to give the others an ‘I told you so’ look before continuing. “We broke it off at the behest of our producers.”
    “Then I think there is no more need for discussion. We will not reconsider,” George said, evidently speaking for the entire group.
    Shannon took a deep breath, pondering her next move. A good part of her wanted to