“Uh, the electriccompany, actually.” I found myself laughing at the absurdity of it. Me, workingfor theelectric company? I never thoughtI’d see the day. But more unbelievable things had changed in my life, so whynot this?
“Wow. Okay.” Tessnodded, lowering her cup. “Are you excited about it?”
My abrupt laugh rangthrough the kitchen and I clapped a hand over my mouth. Both of our widenedeyes darted toward the hallway, holding our breath with the fear that one ofthe kids would awake and spoil the short amount of time we were granted to justbe Jon and Tess.
When the coast wasobviously clear, I lowered my hand and eyed her like another head had sproutedfrom her neck. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Hey, it’s aninterview,” she reasoned, and I nodded with a roll of my eyes.
“Yeah, and thatiscertainly something, but it also kindof feels like I’m selling my soul. This is the same company that regularlythreatens to turn me off for being a few days late,” I pointed out with adisgruntled snicker. “But, like yousaid, it’s an interview, and if theywannahire me,I’ll take it.”
It felt like movingbackward, I wasn’t oblivious to the fact, but that was life. It’s not afairytale. Dreams don’t always come true, and magic isn’t real. Sometimes yourwife dies suddenly, sometimes you give up your passion in order to make money.But you fumble through the best you can for the things youdohave, and that’s what I was doing. Or trying to, anyway.
But on Wednesday, Iwoke up with the oddest feeling that something was going to happen. I fed thegirls breakfast and dropped Lilly off at summer camp, all while swimming in acurious sense of clarity. Shelly and Annabel did my makeup, and while theynapped, I showered and shaved. When Tess came with Lilly in tow, I told thegirls I loved them and I told them goodnight, and I went to the club, unable toshake the feeling that it wouldn’t be just another Wednesday night.
And yet, it was.
After my set, I stoodon the stage, bowing and thanking the small handful of folks in the audience. Inodded gratefully to a man as he came up to stuff a bill into my tip jar, andwhen he left, I turned to collect my music.
From the corner of myeye, I noticed two men approach the stage. With my back turned, I could heartheir footsteps approaching, vibrating through the stage floor. “Hey guys,” Igreeted, turning to face them with my uniform grateful smile on my lips.“Thanks so much for coming out.”
Stretching out from underthe sleeves of their t-shirts were muscular arms, all blanketed with tattoos. Iwatched as one of those arms slipped a hundred-dollar bill into the tip jar andmy jaw fell open.
“Uh.” I didn’t know howto approach the topic. He obviously didn’t mean to leave that much money. Therewas no way he could have. But how awkward for me. “Thank you, but—”
“Can we buy you abeer?” the taller of the two asked abruptly, crossing his arms and somehowlooking more hopeful than a kid in a toy store.
The question wasstartling andblunt, andtook me aback. “Um, well,thank you, but I really have to get home.”
“Fifteen minutes,” heseemed to beg. “That’s all we need, I promise.”
My eyes darted fromthem to Jeff, standing behind the bar and eyeing the stage with concern.
The blond man tippedhis head backward with a groan. “Dude.You’re sounding creepy as hell right now, you realize that?”
“What?” his friendquestioned, narrowing his eyes and shaking his head.
The blond looked backto me, a grin playing on his lips, and said, “My pal over here is apparentlyawkward as fuck when it comes to this shit, so allow me to introduceourselvesbeforeyou call the cops. I’m Sebastian Moore.”
He waited expectantly,as though the name should’ve meant something to me, but all I did was keep mystare blank. “You’ve never heard of me,” he assessed, almost startled as henodded. “Okay, well, maybe this’ll help.Thisis my buddy,” he clapped an inked hand to the shoulder of the other man, “DevinO’Leary.”
And there it was. ThesomethingI’d been expecting all day.
I knewthatname. It was hard to forget, whenBeth had only played that one song three-hundred times over the course of asingle week when it’d hit the airwaves years ago. I remembered it vividly. Shehad been pregnant with Shelly, and she couldn’t listen to the darn song withoutgetting misty-eyed. Over and over, she played it, while she did laundry, cookedmeals, cleaned the apartment. Hell, even after Shelly was born, it would alwaysremind her of that time when we were expecting our second baby, and she’d cry.
Now, I couldn’t listento it. Not without getting choked up myself and wishing I hadn’t teased her somuch over it.
I didn’t notice my legsmoving backward until my calves hit the piano’s bench, and one side of Sebastian’smouth lifted into a grin. “I take it that name rings a bell,” he appraised witha hint of cockiness that I normally would’ve found irritating had it not beenso true.
“Uh … Wow. Y-yeah,” Istammered, starstruck and blinking rapidly, whilst running a hand through myhair.
Devin outstretched ahand and lifted a corner of his mouth. “So, about that beer.”
Reluctantly, I acceptedthe gesture and we shook. I couldn’t believe my own mouth as I said, casting mygaze toward the bar and a very concerned Jeff, “I would, but I really have toget home to my kids. The babysitter is—”
“I get it, man. Really.I have two kids myself. But we’re only in town for the night, and we head outearly tomorrow.” Devin’s eyes met mine with an insistent intensity that pushedmy throat to swallow and my fingers to shake.
“Um …” I hesitantlypulled my phone from my pocket, eyeing the two of them uneasily. “I guess Icould call my sitter and ask—”
