Page 9 of Movers and Shakers

“The last thing we’d want is for you to do that.” Maybe I’d been imagining it, but it sounded like me revealing too much wasexactlywhat he wanted me to do.

And if things were different, I would be happy to tell him everything.

It was a terrifying thought.

Barry

I’d been relieved when we decided to close the bar early tonight. Finally, after a long day of work, no one was around and I could finally think straight.

That was when I saw Lila Wilde in my alleyway.

For a second, I thought I’d been dreaming. What were the odds that the woman I spent most of my lonely hours with was in the alleyway ofmybar? But then I saw her face full of fear, and I knew that even in my dreams, I never wanted to see that again.

That annoying little voice in my head, one I usually tried to ignore, had whispered,Save her.

And I listened.

Now I was staring at the woman whose words I’d listened to a hundred times, borderline flirting with her.

Keep it cool, Barry. Don’t fucking blow this.

I’d bought every album since I found her. Whenever I was in a bad mood, I listened to her words to remind me of something better. I’d taught myself the guitar strings instead of doing my homework.

In the strangest way, I felt like I knew her. Or at least, she knew me. Her voice, even when not singing, was the only one I’d allowed in over these years.

And now she washere,and I had no idea how to exist with her in my orbit. It was temporary, I knew that. But I could only hope I made it good enough for her to remember me.

“I wish I could be here when it’s open,” Lila said.

“Can’t you?”

She shook her head. “The minute people find out I’m here, you’ll be swarmed.”

“I could handle it.”

She gave me a wistful smile as if she knew I definitely could not. “That might be harder than you think.”

“I’m always up for a challenge.”

Anything challenging would be worth having her next to me longer.

“It’s okay. I’m not going to subject you to it.” She took another sip. “So, what do you do for fun, mystery man?”

“My name is Barry.”

“Barry? Is that short for anything?”

“Nope. My parents named me after some suit-and-tie businessman.”

“I can’t see you in a suit and tie.”

“I happen to agree.”

I didn’t usually tell people about my family. My employees didn’t even know about the people who raised me, but Lila broke through my walls without even trying. And I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.

She didn’t know who I was, yet I knew every word she’d sung and put out in the world. I knew her life and I wanted her to know about mine.

It would push her away. No one wanted to hear my sob story, but with the way she was talking, this was my only chance with her.

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