Page 127 of Every Chance After

Luke comes over, notepad in hand, and I give him our order. Over his shoulder, I spot the Sullivan’s table. Ashe and Cora exchange words, occasionally glancing our way, while the blonde and Wes look more uncomfortable than usual.

Still irritated with them and overrun with affection for Marina, I tell him, “I want to do the thing.”

“Thething?” he gawks, blue eyes going wide. He braces himself against the table, showcasing his muscled arms covered in tattoos, some of which we got together. “Seriously?”

“Can we?”

He glances around the restaurant, scraping his hand down his impressive beard. “Fuck yes.”

He whistles loud enough for all eyes to meet his. He snaps his fingers at the guy behind the bar. “Jake,thething. Now.”

The glass Jake holds falls to the floor, shattering. When he realizes it’s happening, he rushes to the stage, taking his place on the drums, nearly knocking them over in his excitement to get there.The Thinghas become somewhat of a legend around here since high school, especially among fellow musicians.

I stand, stretching and cracking my knuckles as Luke and I confer, remembering ourthingwith surprising accuracy. High school was the last time we did it successfully. We tried reprising it for Luke’s wedding last year, but we were too drunk to take it seriously—that’s the last time I touched keys.

Luke flips the white towel from his shoulder, tossing it to the bar.

“You lead. We’ll follow,” he says, leading me to the stage.

“Yep.”

“Same start?”

“Slight diversion. But yep.”

“You good?” He eyes me before we take our positions. “You sure?”

My crooked smile grows. “Never been better.”

Jake cracks his sticks together. Luke strums his guitar. And I start to play.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE

Marnie

When I emergefrom the bathroom hallway, I find our table empty. Glancing around the darkened, busy restaurant, I see faces drawn to the stage and hear instruments tinkering. I search for Grady as I shift into my seat and nearly fall out of it when I find him.

On stage.

Smiling.

At me.

From behind the piano.

His raspy voice hums through the microphone perched near his face. “So, you’re about to hear a mash-up set that my brother Luke and I performed for my high school talent show.”

“Did you win?” an audience member shouts.

Grady chuckles, “Ah, no. But we did it a second time athistalent show. Didn’t win then, either, but that’s okay. The violin rules high school talent shows—if you’re wondering.”

Laughs.

“Tonight is my first date with Marina Ann Strange… Marnie, as you know her,” he announces amid clapping and cooing. “You might also be aware that a few months ago she…”

He pauses, playing a familiar chord on the piano, before singing, “She had a bad day,” from the Daniel Powter song of the same name. “She had a bad day.”

Everyone laughs and claps because my ‘bad day’ is well-known in these parts.

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