Page 6 of Nick & Nora Martinis

I look over my right shoulder at Jayne. Her hand gestures are pushing me forward and she's moving her mouth, presumably telling me to go. As I turn back, taking a couple of steps more towards the piano, I freeze just as the person playing the piano looks up at me with a beaming smile.

I shake my head, confused. “Rob, what are you doing?”

“Hello again! I've got an appointment, an interview with you,” he tells me as he stops playing.

“No you don't. It's someone called…” Before I have the chance to say any more he's spouting a name.

“Stewart Roberts at your service,” as he runs his fingers from one end of the piano to the other.

“No, you told me your name was Rob.”

He starts to laugh and I just stand looking at him in disbelief.

“Um, I'm not sure where to go from here,” he says as he scrutinises me.

“Why did you never say, I've been calling you Rob since I hired you. I feel really stupid now.” I feel betrayed, lied to. I need a minute to think. If I employ him now for the piano, I lose a barman. I half smile at him, still thinking about what I’m going to do?

“Come on over.” I make my way back to the table and take a seat next to Jayne.

As I walk back to the table I scramble through my mind, wondering if he had mentioned it before. I berate myself, how did I not know that he played the piano? Not once has he gone on it, has he? I frown.

“Oh, Mr Hotty is the player,” Jayne whispers to me.

“Don't call him that and I've no idea what to do now,” I tell her in all seriousness.

“Why, what's up?”

“He's my barman, but interviewing for the pianist job.”

“Hear him out, see what he comes up with.”

“Oh hello, and you are?”, Jayne says in a seductive voice, as she puts her hand out to shake his.

I glare at her, not the start I wanted.

“We have already met, well sort of, I saw you when you were talking to Abigail, and you wanted a piece of me.”

l take a sideways glance looking at Jayne, it looks like she's met her match here. I start to laugh.

“Umm, you heard that then.”

“I did, so as long as my reputation is intact, let me introduce myself,” he says as he looks at me.

“Hi, I'm Stewart Roberts, my friends call me Rob or Robo. I'm thirty-three, I live in the Selly Oak area and have done so all my life. I work in the centre of Birmingham for a major banking company, which I'm looking to leave. My passion is to play the piano and maybe get some sort of record deal. As I said before, I used to work here, from cleaning the tables to cellar work to barman to the piano. I did it all.”

I look at him, shocked at myself that I never looked at his application, I just took him at face value. “So that's where I got Rob from then.” I sit, looking at him all starry-eyed. I like him, he is honest and straight to the point. A good man.

“How did I not know that you have lived around here all your life, in this area? So have we,” I say, looking at Jayne then back at him. How have our paths never crossed? I've never noticed him around. We even drank in the bar where he worked.

“That's what happens when you don't pay attention,” I hear Jayne say, bringing me back.

“Yes, and I didn't correct you 'cause it's what people call me,” he says as he looks across to Jayne and then back to me.

“To be honest Rob, sorry Stewart, I, er, I'm not sure what to do. If I take you on as the piano player I lose a barman, but if I don't, I lose a fantastic piano player, you really are good.” I want him close for my own selfish needs, but I have to do right by the bar.

We all sit in silence while I think about what to do. Then I hear Jayne: “You know you can tickle my ovaries anytime you like.” Stewart starts to laugh, a proper deep-belly one. I turn my head, glaring at her.

“Really.”

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