CHAPTER 2
Adrienne laced her fingers through Nick’s, abandoned her cup of cocoa, and gazed into his eyes. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been getting bored and lonely. When she isn’t cooped up in her lab, Aubrey spends all her time talking to her plants.”
Nick squeezed her hands, knowing that this was his opening—where he needed to say, why not come home? But he couldn’t make himself say the words.
As if she had read his thoughts, Adrienne asked, “How is everyone at home?”
Her everyone, he knew, meant Seb. “Hmm, good.”
“And the shop?” Adrienne pressed. She had helped him navigate all the legal documentation and permits when he’d first opened Bar de Música, so she had a vested interest in it. She hadn’t let him pay her, so unbeknownst to her, he deposited a small percentage of his monthly earnings into an account Seb had set up for her for just this purpose.
Nick ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s…crazy.”
“Crazy, huh?”
So she hadn’t seen the YouTube videos. He swallowed, debating whether to show them to her.
Concern flashed in her eyes. “Is something wrong?”
“Define wrong.”
“Nick, what’s going on?” Panic tinged her voice. “Did you really come here just to visit your uncle, or is—”
“Business is booming.”
She breathed out a small laugh. “Good.”
He made a decision and dug his phone out of his pocket. “In fact, I have to show you something.” After pulling up the video of him and Lester, he scooted his chair so close that his shoulder brushed against Adrienne’s.
She watched, clearly enchanted.
“Almost a million views,” Nick said.
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I always forget how talented you are.”
Nick bit his lip to curb the urge to kiss her hair. “There’s more.”
“More?”
“It seems that Steph has been secretly recording videos of me performing for a while.”
“Whoa,” Adrienne breathed.
Nick sniffed and scrolled to the next video. “Not only did she record me, but she had the videos professionally edited.” He swallowed. “They’re actually pretty good.” He handed the phone back to her and watched her face. The sound of his songs filled the air.
She squeezed his arm and blinked back tears after the second video ended. “That was beautiful,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “There’s more?”
He nodded. “Quite a few more.” He cleared his throat. “To quote Steph, I am an ‘internet sensation.’ I had to leave.”
“Leave?” She twisted so she could see his face. Her nearness took his breath. “Why would you need to leave?”
“The tavern is…as I said, crazy. Standing room only even during the mid-day when we should have a lull. I need some guidance from my uncle. He doesn’t know I’m here. I’m going to surprise him tomorrow. Would you like to go with me?”
“I would love to, but if your business is as busy as you say, how can you afford to be gone?”
“I hired three more people. Steph and Jon can run it as well as I can.”
“So you’re hiding?”
