Page 39 of Love Medley
“What an explosive acronym,” Lucy winks, and the small gesture sends a bolt through me. “I’m pretty sure I went there once a few years ago, but since I was pretty drunk by the time we got there, I have only a vague recollection of that night.”
I imagine Lucy at TNT in a cute, short dress. Her long neck and shoulders bare except for thin spaghetti straps. Sky-high heels to show off her calves. I bet she was stunning. And…here she is in front of me and I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone more. But we’re at work, flirting in front of my ex, no less—but God, if Lucy doesn’t make me forget that fact.
I clear my throat. A cold shower would be great right about now. “I would've remembered you if I saw you, but the lights are so bright onstage, I usually only see the people who leave requests on the piano.”
“My friends probably requested songs, but I didn’t. I’m more of an observer.” Lucy moves even closer to me, her voice almost down to a whisper.
My nerves are lighting up at the small distance between us. She’s probably making sure that Sam doesn’t hear the content of our conversation, since it certainly doesn’t sound like we know each other very well. But then her eyes drop down to her feet and a blush tints her cheeks, and I wonder if this close proximity affects her as much as it does me. I’m probably just projecting.
I have to put an end to this nonsense before I’m forced to deal with a massive hard-on. Curling a hand around her waist, I pull her close, inhaling in her lavender scent deeply as I whisper, “I think that’s good enough today. Breakroom in ten minutes?”
I feel Lucy’s heart pounding next to mine, but I’m sure that response is just an adrenaline rush from the situation, not because of me in particular. I let her go, and she lets out a small gasp.
“Okay, see you later then,” she says, looking a bit dazed as she walks away.
Damn, Lucy looks just as good from the back as she does from the front.
As I walk back to the nurses station, I suddenly realize I never even checked to see if Sam noticed us.
Ten minutes later, Lucy and I are in the breakroom, and I’m relieved to be in a more relaxed setting with her. I enjoyed flirting with her in public, but I prefer being real with her.
“Did you see Sam’s face?” Lucy crows, her enthusiasm bubbling over.
“I didn’t,” I say honestly, amused by how excited she is.
“Well, I wish you had because it was priceless. She looked like she had eaten a lemon! I think she’s really starting to regret letting you go, which she should.” Lucy huffs, crossing her arms, and I suppress a smile at her disgruntled expression.
Is it bad that I couldn't care less about Sam’s reaction? In fact, all I want to do right now is find another way to touch Lucy. To convert the connection I feel between us into something real.
“Although…” She suddenly glares at me. “What in the world, Jake? Not telling me about being a dueling pianist is kind of a major omission.”
I’m thrilled to see more glimpses of a fierce personality in Lucy. What the hell did Weston do to her? I enjoy Lucy in all of her forms, but I’m wondering if the true Lucy is buried deep inside. That makes me incredibly sad and also totally pissed at Weston. Men like that shouldn’t be allowed out in the world.
Then I realize that Lucy is waiting for a response and shoot her a sheepish grin. “Oops, my bad.”
She whacks me in the arm. “If I didn’t know that, it would've been super obvious we weren’t dating! You need to fill me in immediately. How did you even become a dueling pianist in the first place?”
“During my sophomore year at Blackwell University, I performed at TNT during an open mic night and got offered a job right afterwards. It was a huge shock.”
“Wow!” Lucy’s eyes are wide. “What did you perform?”
“‘I Don’t Want To Be’ by Gavin Degraw.”
The first time I heard that song, my heart twisted inside my chest. The song seemed written just for me; it urged me to forge my own path no matter how my dad felt. And it’s fitting that playing that very song opened the door to somewhere that’s been a safe place to land.
“I love that song—it’s so catchy,” Lucy says, her eyes pensive. “I can see how that song might be your anthem. It’s all about staying true to yourself even if everyone else around you isn’t as authentic.”
“Yeah, exactly.” I’m amazed that Lucy seems to understand why that song is so important to me.
“You must have really impressed someone with that performance,” Lucy muses, resting her chin on one hand.
“Leroy Ellis, the owner of TNT. I’m so thankful he gave me the gig.” When I stepped into the bar that night on a dare from one of my friends, I had no clue I’d come back out with a job and a biggerboost to my morale than I’ve ever had before. It was a twist of fate I’m forever grateful for.
“You’re so talented,” Lucy says, her tone wistful. “Did Sam visit you a lot at TNT?”
I shrug. “Nah, it wasn’t her scene. We play mostly older stuff, and she prefers soft jazz and blues. It’s pretty loud and raucous in there, so I get it.”
Lucy frowns. “If I were your girlfriend, I’d be at TNT all the time to watch you perform.”
