Page 13 of Behind the Bars

His lips parted to speak, but he didn’t sayanything.

I shifted around in my shoes, unsure what to say but needing to say something…anything. “You said your uncle taught you toplay?”

“Yeah. Well, he’s more of a family friend, but he’s al-always been an uncle to me. He’s beyond talented in everything hedoes.”

“Tell him I said job welldone.”

Elliott smiled, and I felt it in my owncheeks.

“I better get going,” he told me, placing his saxophone in the case and lockingit.

“Oh, well, okay.” I bit my bottom lip. “Have a goodnight.”

He nodded once. “You too.” He lifted his case and started walking off, but then I called after him. “Yeah?”

“What was that last song youplayed?”

“Oh. Um…” He cleared his throat and nodded once. “It was ‘The Rose’ by Bette Midler. It’s, like, my mom’s favorite song. I learned it one year for Mother’s Day.” He grimaced and shook his head. “That made me sound like the biggest loser in theworld.”

I laughed. “Or the sweetest son in the world. I really likedit.”

He shifted back and forth for a second before rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, well…bye.”

In a flash, he hurriedoff.

What a strangeboy.

* * *

“Well,look what the cat dragged in,” Todd said the moment I showed up at his house. “I thought you were gonna stand meup.”

I gave him a forced smile as he walked over and wrapped his arm around my waist. “I told you I’d show up, didn’tI?”

“Of course. Come on in. Make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa.” He winked. “Let me give you atour.”

I sighed but agreed as he took me around his house, only really showing me one area—hisbedroom.

“This is where the magic happens,” hedeclared.

“Do you pull a rabbit out of a hat?” Ijoked.

“No, but I do have a solid-sized carrot if you’re interested in seeing it,” he replied, making my skincrawl.

“Do you think you could get me a drink?” I asked, trying to change thesubject.

He nodded and hurried off,leaving me to stand in the living room. There were a ton of people at the party, all wasted and high. I wanted to be neither of those things. I wanted to be at home with mymusic.

If I had to choose between people or music, music would alwayswin.

“Here you go,” Todd said, handing me a beer. I pretended to sip it, and when his hand landed on my butt, I jumped, spilling the drink all over my shirt. “Whoa! Easy there, girl. I know I have a way of getting girls wet, but we can ease intothat.”

“I’m sorry. I think I’m actually gonna head out,” I told him, my nerves building. I was out of my element. I loved high school, but these were not mypeople.

“You legit just got here. How about we play a game of spin the bottle?” he offered. “A few already have a game going in thekitchen.”

“No, sorry. I’m justtired.”

“That’s too bad,” he replied with a frown. “I just hope Boney Bones doesn’t have too rough of aMonday.”

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