Page 5 of Fractured

It looked like everyone else was already here and I was the late straggler. He nodded once my way, then addressed the group while I sat in a chair at the back, setting my case gently on the ground.

“Thanks for coming. I know this is short notice and might have been difficult for some of you to make it here with kids and such, but I wanted to do this in person. Randolf’s Orchestra has been a staple in the community for the past twenty years, and during most of that time, we’ve thrived. But with a looming recession and a heavy heart, I wanted to be the one to let you know this may be our last performing season.”

My empty stomach twisted into writhing knots. I would be fucked if the orchestra disbanded. There were so many things about this job that were perfect for me. The music, the flexibility, the solidarity. The pay was decent enough that I didn’t need a second job to support myself. There wasn’t another group like this for a hundred miles. I’d have to move to a big city to continue my life as a professional cellist.

I couldn’t do that to Harper. I couldn’t do that to my own sanity.

The room erupted into a harrowing outcry from all members. Except for me and a few others in the back, who remained stoically silent.

Lowering his hands over the crowd in a mollifying manner, Randolf winced at the sharp wail from one particularly emotional woman. This was her life’s dream, and as a divorced mother of two small children, this would be the end of her musical career. At least for the next fifteen years.

“Believe me, as upset as you are, I am ten times that. I’ve not given up yet, and we still have months left in the season. But I also could not allow any of you to be blindsided if the fateful day comes where these doors close permanently.”

The way Randolf had always run his seasons followed the calendar year. So potentially, the doors could close right after Christmas.

I couldn’t have recited anything said after that point, because something so critical to my happiness was in danger of being yanked from my fingers. When everyone stood to file out of the studio, I mechanically followed suit.

Like the saving angel she was, Harper called right as I slid into the driver’s seat.

“Hey, bitch. I have an afternoon free. I say we go get blitzed at a new speakeasy bar close to my house.” Her voice was cheery and vibrant, the complete opposite of everything I’d left behind in Randolf’s.

Immediately some of my sadness drifted away, and I was able to take a small, calming breath. “I’d love that. I need to run home and change into something presentable, but then I can meet you.”

“Great, let’s say an hour. Park at my place, and we’ll walk over. See you soon,” she sang down the line before the click of disconnection echoed through my car.

Forcing myself to focus on Harper instead of Randolf’s announcement went a long way to lifting my mood. Harper was the complete opposite of me, and somehow had been the only one up to this point who had been able to pull me out of my head.

Or my head out of my ass, if you were to ask her.

By the time I parked in her visitor’s spot at her condo, she was walking down the outside stairs in a pair of white lace shorts, pale pink cami and cutesie wedge sandals. Everything a trendy beach outfit should be. Trendy for bar hopping, that was.

Me on the other hand? I sported a slightly more fashionable pair of mom jeans and a tight canary yellow T-shirt that might have showed a bit too much cleavage, but for an afternoon at the bar, it was perfect.

“I’ve missed you so much the last two days.” Harper bumped shoulders with me when I joined her on the sidewalk. “It would be nice if you’d return a text every now and then, but the date went amazing. Thanks for asking.”

The sun beat down on us, and a drop of sweat rolled down my spine. Hopefully, this place wasn’t too far. I would melt before we got there. At least my hair was in an artful bun on top of my head to keep my neck cool. “I told you I went to see my mom. I needed a few days to come down from that visit. Believe me, I wouldn’t have been the good friend I normally am.”

“Oh, posh. Just your inattentive presence on the phone would have been perfect. And let me tell you, his dick? Beautiful. I’ve never seen such a beautiful dick.”

“Wait.” I stopped walking. “Was this a date or a hookup?”

A coy smile curled the edges of her lips. If she didn’t have such dark sunglasses on, I knew they would have twinkled with self-satisfaction. “Date. But we had the best chemistry. We’re actually going to meet him right now.”

Just when I had started to take a step forward, her words turned my feet into concrete. “You know the rules. We don’t meet each other’s boyfriends until after the fifth date at least.” And I’d never introduced her to anyone because I seldomly dated.

“We spent twelve hours together and had amazing sex. I say that’s the equivalent of at least seven dates. And he even made me breakfast.” She smirked and kept on walking without me.

It took a few long strides to catch up.

“And here I thought we were going to drink our problems away in a cool new place. You know, girl time,” I deadpanned.

“It’s fine, it will be girl time. He can only stay for about fifteen minutes since we needed time to get ready.” Which explained why she looked so cute to visit a bar that was sure to be empty at three-thirty on a Monday afternoon.

We passed a couple of beach shops, then entered the ritzy territory. We were close enough to the beach that tourists found their way here, but we were far enough inland the stores were more glamorous and less worried about people tracking sand everywhere.

Harper pointed to a newer three-story plaza on the end of the street and pulled me into the first floor once we reached it. An ice-cream shop.

Not what I had originally expected, but I could go for a boozy root beer float to drink my problems away.

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