This letter is so hard to write. But I need to.
As the words pour out of me, I feel freer than I have in a long time.
The next stop on my agenda is TNT. Taking a deep breath, I step inside the bar, completely out of my comfort zone, asking a man I barely know for assistance.
“I need your help,” I say, my heart pounding. But Jake deserves this. As Zoe would say, I have to go big or go home.
Luke Barrett leans his forearms on the top of the bar. “I’m listening.”
I inhale deeply. “You may or may not know what’s happened between me and Jake, but long story short, it’s time to show him how I feel. But in order to do that, I need help with some logistics.”
Over the next few minutes, I relay the entire idea to Luke, who listens intently, and offers some suggestions of his own. After half an hour, we have a reasonable plan.
I want to show Jake what he’s shown me over and over—that he’s enough.
He always has been.
Now I just have to wait for tonight.
Chapter forty-three
Jake
For the rest of the day my thoughts are full of Lucy. Things are seeming to go well between us, but I want more. I know I’m being greedy, but when it comes to Lucy, I can’t help but be selfish. This in-between place we’re stuck in is for the birds.
That said, I’ll go at her pace, of course. I never want to pressure her.
But now that she’s dealt with Weston, maybe she can close the door on her past and move gradually towards her future…
And I hope that willinclude me.
Still distracted, I walk into TNT for my shift.
Eddie greets me at the door. “Hey, my man. How’s it going?”
“Good!” I give him our usual handshake, and he waves me through with a wink.
That was strange. What was the wink for?
I salute to Luke, who is setting up the bar to the left, and set down my stuff next to my piano. Andy is already there, playing some scales to warm up.
“Hey, Andy!”
He gives me a brief lift of his chin as he continues to play.
As the bar opens and my shift begins, I keep hoping to catch a glimpse of Lucy. But an hour later, I’m starting to think she won’t make it.
Disappointment wells inside of me. I mean, she never said she would definitely come, only that she would try. I’m sure she was overwhelmed by her meeting with Sophia today. I remind myself she may need to take things slow.
And for Lucy, I’m willing to wait for as long as it takes.
As I’m finishing up a song, Andy walks over to my side of the stage and says, “Hey, a friend of mine has a special request, so why don’t you take a quick break for the next few?”
I shrug and nod. I’ve been playing for the past hour straight, which is not a big deal, but I always take a break when offered, since I never know when I’ll get another one. Grabbing a water bottle, I take a long swig, my eyes flicking to the corner of the bar. A gorgeous woman in a sky-blue dress with long black hair heads my way.
I almost choke when I realize it’s Lucy with a microphone.
Andy begins playing the low notes of the beginning of a song I know so well, especially since now it has deep, personal meaning to me.
