Page 49 of A Hard Sell

“Where are you staying, Thomas?” Rory asked, breaking the companionable silence that had settled.

“I’m renting in Sunset Towers. The new condo on Gwenllech?”

“You like it?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, except they’re doing some work on the ventilation and heating next month and I need to stay somewhere else for a few days.”

“Hmm. You don’t say?” Finn swiveled his head over to Luka. “You have lots of room, don’t you, Moreno?”

“Uh. Yes. Yup.” Luka’s mind raced at the implications.Thomas sleeping with just a wall between us.“You can stay with me, if you’d like. If you need to. I have an extra bed. In an extra bedroom.”Wow.

“I can just stay in a hotel.”

“No, it’s no trouble.”Thomas naked in my shower.He forced that thought out of his head. “We have thatBack to the Futuremarathon to get to, after all.”

Thomas hummed. “All right. Thank you.”

Luka ignored Finn’s smirk. Instead he nodded at the guitar resting on a stand in the corner, a handy topic change. “How’s that coming along for you?”

“Oh, I know, like, three chords.” Finn waved a dismissive hand. “Will you play us something?”

“You play the guitar, too?” Thomas asked Luka.

“Uh—”

“Finn says you’re amazing,” Rory interrupted. “Please, Luka? How about the Beatles?”

Luka’s stomach swirled with a spike of adrenaline. He blinked away the sea of junior high faces that instantly popped up. Rory and Finn were so relaxed as they watched him, lazy smiles, nothing but kindness on their faces. He looked over at Thomas. His face was a little tenser, but it was…admiration, maybe? Tinged with hope, perhaps. Luka took a sip of wine and put his glass down. Deep breath. He wanted to play for Thomas.

“Sure. If you’ll sing with me.” He collected the guitar and a pick and gave it a quick tune before warming up with a few chords. He took one more sip of wine, very aware that Thomas’ eyes had not left him.

“Let’s see…” He strummed another chord, letting the sound linger in the air. The fireplace cracked. Words that had been running through his head since he met Thomas came to him. “Do you have a capo?” he asked Finn.

Finn dug the bar out of a drawer and handed it over. Luka slid it onto the second fret to put the guitar into the proper key. He gave it a few more strums and made a tiny tuning adjustment before he began the complicated finger pick intro toI’ve Just Seen a Face. Then he started to sing. He wasn’t sure if it was some combination of the full stomach with the wine and the warmth from the fire, but it came out a little slower than the song’s usual rhythm. Rory and Finn smiled and joined in.

Luka watched Thomas.The firelight glinted in his eyes. His face was lit up, like he was gazing upon the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Something so beautiful he could barely contain it. Playing for him felt easy. Comfortable. He sang with all his heart, the words pouring out of him.

When he finished, silence fell. He was sure the others could hear the pounding of his heart. He closed his eyes for a moment, sucking in another breath through his nose. He felt giddy with relief and…something else. He opened his eyes as his friends began applauding.

Thomas was shaking his head. “You’re…incredible.”

Luka ran a hand through his hair. His tongue was tangled up. “Thanks,” was all he could say.

Thomas looked like he wanted to say more, but he stood to refill their wine glasses instead.

Luka watched him.Yes, I am falling.

Chapter Thirteen

Roommates

“Thomas is…staying with you?” Tawney’s eyebrows reached an impossibly high point on her forehead.

“Er, yeah. Just for a few days while his manager repairs the heating.”

“Okay.” Tawney laughed. “Good luck, my friend.”

“What? It’ll be fine. We’ll just…hang out. Get to know each other some more.”

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