Page 90 of Shattered Chords

I’d always envied Frank for having such cool adoptive parents. Sometimes, I’d wished I could be his real brother, just to spend more time with the couple.

“So...” Cassy drawled, plucking an invisible piece of lint from her bright red cocktail dress. “I chatted with Camille a little. You’re Ally’s tutor?”

“I am.”

“She seems like a great kid.”

“She’s very talented. I want her to have opportunities,” I stated.

“And her mother?”

“What about her mother?” I shifted a little to face Cassy. The colored lights sprinkled all over the yard highlighted her bold, eye-catching features. She wore a lot of dark eyeshadow and pale lip gloss. Her dress streamed down her legs in seductive waves. Frank was a lucky guy. He deserved to be happy, especially with a woman like Cassy, who was head over heels for him and ready to go through hell should he ask.

“Are you two dating?” she questioned. “You and Camille.”

I stared at my drink for a second, then back at the woman we were discussing, my heart giving a kick. “Maybe.”

“I see.”

“She’s different.” My voice dropped to a near whisper. “I enjoy spending time with her.”

“I’m glad you have someone, Dante.”

“Are you now?”

“I am.”

“Well, me too, short stuff, me too.” I examined her stilettos peeking out from underneath the hem of her dress. “Yep, still short stuff. Even in those six-inch stripper shoes.”

“Oh, you know how to charm a woman, Dante.” She tossed her head back and laughed.

“Looks like I’ve been spotted.” I jerked my chin toward Izzy, who was now wheeling her chair to my hiding spot, eyes bright and full of mischief, staring right at me.

“Here you are.” She came to a stop in front of me. “Where you been, dude?”

“Around.” I dipped to give her a hug. “You by yourself or is your mom here?”

“She’s around here too, I guess.” She shrugged and gestured at no one in particular behind her back, then punched my arm with her fist. “You should come over and jam with us. Frank and I are working on some cool stuff and could use a professional guitarist.”

“What about Story?” I glanced at the stage, where the kid was now tuning his guitar.

“Story is Story. You’re Dante Martinez.”

“You should hear Ally play.”

“I’ve met her. She’s cool.”

“That she is,” I agreed, catching sight of Camille in the crowd. She seemed at ease around some of Cassy’s friends and people who didn’t have celebrity status. Money and fame intimidated her. It wasn’t hard to tell.

A couple of minutes later, Izzy was swooped away by Frank to discuss the upcoming performance.

I did a mandatory trip around the pool area, shook hands and exchanged a few sentences with some of the guests, and then made my way to the quieter corner of the yard, where Camille was standing. She held a plate loaded with an assortment of bite-sized snacks.

“I don’t know why the food needs to be served on toothpicks at these things,” I said, plucking one of the pieces from the top of the stack. Upon closer inspection, I came to the conclusion that it was a marinated mushroom and, therefore, was acceptable to eat.

“It’s really good.” She nodded. “But it’s all so…” Her brow furrowed. “Insanely small.”

“We can ask Hannah to make you a proper plate,” I offered, knowing that Frank wouldn’t be upset if I borrowed his housekeeper for a minute to ensure my date was fed. Hannah was a very motherly woman, who took care of everyone in this house whether they lived here or stopped by for a meeting.

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