Page 32 of Key Change

“This is not what I was expecting,” Anthony murmured.

“It’s part-art, part-performance.” He walked over to where Bevan was setting up. “This looks amazing. Congrats.”

“Thank you.” His gaze flicked to Anthony, and he straightened. “Hello.”

“Bevan, this is Anthony. Anthony, Bevan.” For a heartbeat, he wondered if he should have called Anthony his boyfriend, not that they were.

“Pleased to meet you.” Anthony offered his hand.

“Same.” Bevan glanced at Cillian with a look that suggested Cillian had left outdetails. “Have a wander, then you have the pleasure of listening to me for the next hour. And yes, everything is for sale.”

Cillian smiled, knowing full well that someone needed to buy the first piece because once those red stickers went up, other people would start buying. Bevan wouldn’t be making money on the tickets; they’d cover the venue.

No, he’d be hoping for sales. Since he’d sold stuff in the past, it wasn’t an impossible dream.

They walked around for a bit. The mixed media paintings that include lyrics that Bevan had written were much more interesting than the photos—but that was only his opinion, and the photos would probably sell.

Anthony stopped in front of a large canvas. “This is the kind of thing I would’ve bought before.”

Bright and bold, it was a statement piece. And from the four-figure price, not something Anthony could buy tonight.

As the venue filled, Cillian let others move toward the front. He’d heard Bevan sing many times before.

“Thank you all for attending. This is the first time I’ve combined my music with my art. If you want to move about while I’m playing, please do as the pieces and music are meant to be enjoyed together.”

After a couple of songs, Anthony leaned over and whispered in his ear. “He’s very good.”

“He is.” That he didn’t have a record deal was a crime. He sold some of what he wrote and worked in a supermarket for a stable income.

“This next one I wrote with a friend… He is the greatest pianist you’ve never heard of, and he’s here tonight.”

Cillian bit back a groan.

“Cillian Fraser.” Bevan clapped and so did others as they turned to see who and where he was. Cillian lifted his hand. “Now, I didn’t warn him about this, but I’m hoping he’ll come up here…”

Someone brought a keyboard out and set it up next to Bevan.

“Hold my beer while I kill my ex-best friend.” He took a sip before handing it to Anthony. As he wove his way to the front, he smiled, and when he got there, he gave a stage bow.

Then he turned and glared at Bevan.

“I have the sheet music for you in case you’ve forgotten how it goes.”

He kind of remembered, but it had been a while, and his head was full of other music. He took his seat at the keyboard. “One moment while I warm up my fingers and check the volume.”

He was sure that the volume had already been checked, but he needed the time to prepare. He checked the key of the song and played that scale as he skimmed over the sheet music to refamiliarize himself with the piece. “Not too loud?”

“Perfect. Do you think you can stick to the music instead of getting fancy?” Bevan gave him a smile.

Bevan wanted him to get fancy.

He tilted his head. “I’ll see how I feel.”

They hadn’t rehearsed this or anything. He really would’ve appreciated a heads up because if there was one thing he hated, it was sounding like shit. But there wasn’t much he could do about it now. One song. Under four minutes, if he remembered correctly.

He waited for Bevan to count him in and started. For the first verse and chorus, he followed the music. By the second one, he knew what he was playing and let himself have some fun. Then he owned the bridge before dropping so Bevan took the finish as if it had all been planned.

Everyone clapped. Cillian stood and held his arm out to Bevan. “Mr. Bevan Stirling.”

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