Page 43 of Muted

Me: I don’t know. Probably getting around to a background check since I’m involved with the finances of their business, I assume.

Theo: Susu… Why did you lie?

As much as I want to spill my guts to him, I give him a non-answer. It’s all I can offer right now.

Me: I needed the job, Theo.

Theo: Okay, that explains why you said you had a degree when you don’t, but what about the school and address? Why lie about those?

Me: Will you trust that I have good reasons?

Theo: Are you running or hiding from something?

Yes.

Me: It’s getting late and I have to be in early to give end of the month reports to Chester and Cliff. Are you going to tell them? I understand if you are, but will you give me a head’s up first?

Theo: Susu, I’m not going to say anything. We’re talking as friends, remember? What are you hiding?

Me: Friends because I’m too young to fuck.

Theo: Friends because I’m too OLD to fuck you. Nice topic change. I’ll let it go for now, but I’m going to ask again. You promise you’re safe?

I start to text him back, but I have literally no idea what to say. Am I safe? I don’t know. Maybe. I can’t promise it though. But if I answer with a maybe, he’ll ask more questions and I’ve already given him way too much tonight.

Shutting off my phone, I decide to leave it, and if he asks tomorrow, I’ll just let him know I fell asleep.

Theo doesn’t need to deal with all my shit. It’s my problem to handle.

Chapter 12

Maestoso

Vance

Tonight is the first night that we’ll start throwing in new songs. Susu and I have only run through a few of them, but I found another one I’d really like to try out after we warm up.

She’s been off ever since yesterday. Not off in the sense that she’s struggling to play the notes, but her already minimal eye contact has been non-existent. At least with me, making me frown in frustration.

I run through the last forty-eight hours in my head, picking apart every interaction I’ve had with her to see if I’ve unintentionally said the wrong thing. But there’s nothing there I may have said rudely.

“Susu?” Deciding just to ask her, I wait until shealmostlooks at me. Her head is tilted to the side, exposing the thrumming vein of her neck and delicate tendons. I know the picture of running my lips along the skin, feeling the pulse beneath my lips, will be featured the next time I find myself with a need to jerk my cock again. The visceral image flashes against her silhouette in my head just quickly enough that I need to readjust my seating.

Clearing my throat, I will my cock down and ask, “Have I said something recently to make you uncomfortable?”

The way her eyesfinallysnap up to mine acts like a tether to my chest and my body jerks forward, halted by the stretch of piano keys separating us. She stares at me, face unreadable, waiting for me to explain.

“You’ve seemed distant. Well, more distant than the usual.” I wince when something flashes behind her eyes. At least this time, I’m aware of what I said. “That came out wrong. I just mean that it seems as if you’re bothered by something, and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t caused by me.”

My fingers tap against the ivory, a soft staccato sound without depressing the notes to make the sound ring out. I hadn’t noticed that she was tense until her shoulders fall slightly, the muscles along her neck easing and disappearing under her skin. I wait for any indication that Ihavedone or said something, but her tightness around her eyes softens and she smiles softly at me.

When she blinks slowly and shakes her head no, the strands of her hair brush against her cheeks. Before I can say anything else, a clamoring from the main bar space draws both of our attentions away from our discussion. Cliff is hauling chairs off the table along with Jesse, the opening bartender for the day.

The screeching noise as they slide the chairs under the tables pierces my ears and I tighten my mouth in irritation. Glancing back at Susu, I can literally see her erecting her walls like they’re shooting up from the floor of the stage. Her eyes turn cold, and every hint of emotion is wiped clean.

Turning back to the men, I study both of them, mind racing over which one of them elicited that kind of reaction in her. Jesse is fairly laid back, friendly enough, but he hasn’t spent much time getting to know anyone here. He shows up, does his job, collects his tips, and then leaves for the night.

Cliff? It’s got to be Cliff. There haven’t been many times where I’ve seen the two of them interact with each other. The memory of when she ran out of the office after being alone with him has me grinding my teeth. Although he hired me, I have no qualms with confronting him to find out where the disconnect between the two of them is.

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