Page 18 of The Temptation
“Oh goodness, you are so charming.”
“Being charming was the only way I could convince him to try dating me,” Simon stated. He glanced over his shoulder and winked at me. Dear God, I was in trouble.
We slipped into the open seats across from my parents, and the server appeared to take our drink orders while we reviewed the menu. My mother and Simon made polite chitchat about the weather until we placed our order for food. As soon as the server took away our menus, my father shifted in his seat, and I swore I could feel him gearing up.
“Miller? Pierce, isn’t that the same last name as your old college friend?”
“Yes, Sawyer was my older brother,” Simon answered while I groaned inwardly. Could we begin with something easy? How did you meet? How long have you been dating? No, we had to go with the angle of the dead friend’s younger brother.
“Oh my,” my mother whispered.
Simon’s smile turned soft and fragile. “It’s how we met. My parents and I used to go to Cambridge to watch Sawyer’s baseball games. Pierce and Sawyer were very close, and Sawyer was a very patient older brother.” He shrugged and lowered his gaze to where his fingers played with the shining silverware. On impulse, I reached out and covered his hand with my own, squeezing his fingers lightly. Tonight was not supposed to be about bringing up old pain.
“We mostly lost contact after Sawyer’s passing,” I stated, taking up the thread of the story. “We stumbled across each other after Simon moved to Cincinnati this past summer.”
My mother’s brow furrowed as she pointed between Simon and me. “What is the age difference between you?”
Simon’s voice turned cheerful again. “About eight years.”
“And you don’t think he’s too much of an old man?” She lowered her voice, her question balanced somewhere between teasing and horror.
“No, definitely not. After losing my brother, I found I had to grow up fast. Because of that, I have little interest in men my age. Too reckless and immature. I like Pierce’s steadiness and deep sense of responsibility. He gives me self-confidence, because with Pierce at my side, I feel like I can do anything.” He leaned in toward my mother and added in a fake stage whisper, “Besides, I’ve gotten rather good at teasing him out of his grumpiness.”
“Hey!”
That was enough to get everyone chuckling and at least lighten the mood, even while I was still reeling from his words. Did he really think that about me? I couldn’t give him self-confidence. Simon had oozed that naturally for almost as long as I’d known him. If anything, I was too boring and stodgy for him.
“Did you come to Cincinnati for a job, Simon?” my father inquired, moving the conversation away from potential minefields.
“I have a temporary contract with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra,” Simon replied, and for a second, I was rendered speechless. How could he downplay his accomplishments that much? It was obscene.
“Are you a musician?” Mom asked.
Simon opened his mouth, but I jumped in before he could speak. There was no way in the world I was letting him say something as inane as his last comment.
“Simon is a world-class violinist. He is the CSO’s special guest in residence for the next year and has won countless awards and championships with his skill. He had orchestras all over the world begging him to join them.” I was gushing, and I couldn’t stop myself. Simon had worked hard all his life to achieve his impressive level of skill. People needed to know how talented he truly was.
When I got my tongue under control, I looked down to find Simon staring at me with a broad smile and red cheeks. Maybe he was a little embarrassed, but he didn’t appear angry.
“He’s the most talented violinist I have ever heard,” I murmured because I couldn’t help it. Everyone needed to know they were in the presence of true greatness.
“You’re too sweet,” Simon said. He turned his hand in mine and squeezed, reminding me that I was still holding it.
“And you’re being too modest.”
“Very much so,” Father added.
“Will you have a performance soon?” Mother chimed in.
Simon tore his eyes from me and nodded. “Next weekend. If you would like, I should be able to arrange tickets for you.”
I stopped him. “No need. I already have season tickets we can use.”
“Well, I could possibly introduce you to the conductor. Or maybe show you around backstage? Would you be interested?”
“That would be lovely, but you don’t need to go to so much trouble for us.”
Conversation shifted to music and all the interesting cities Simon had played in. As I listened to his stories of beauty and chaos, I couldn’t help but notice that most of the stories featured him alone. His parents rarely seemed to accompany him. He didn’t even have an agent or assistant at his side, let alone a friend or a boyfriend. It felt wrong. Yes, maybe he wasn’t a pop star, but he was a shining star in his field. He shouldn’thave been experiencing all these interesting events and locations without someone at his side.
