This is going to be torture.
I’ve been to the grand hall at North University twice in my life. The first was on the first day of school, where we had an induction assembly where they told us that futures were made here. The second time, I was sitting in a row with Wren, Miles, Xavier, and Michelle all sitting next to me as we watched Evan Fucking Branson perform a piano piece on the stage in front of us.
He walked onto that stage with all the confidence in the world, his head held high, a huge smile on his face, dressed in black pants and a white shirt. No tie. It honestly might be the hottest look I’ve seen him in and that’s saying something. Even hotter? The fact that we’re only a few rows from the front where he can see us and he’s sitting in front of a grand piano, his sleeves rolled up, and I can seemyribbon on his wrist.
I swear I'm getting flustered just looking at him. I hope the rest of them don’t notice. We almost got caught by Miles and Xavier the other day and even Anderson picked up on the subtle kiss he gave me as we stood outside of his office, waiting for our final check in for the project. It’s getting harder and harder not to show people how much I'm drawn to him, but hiding it only makes the pulsing tension between us burn more.
Kennedy and Wren are giddy beside me, never having seen him play before. But I have. I’ve seen him play just for me. I’ve seen him teach me. I’ve seen the way he gets lost between the notes and the melodies, his whole body moving with the song.
He pulls the microphone to him even though he’s not singing. “Hi, everyone. I’m Evan Branson,” he introduces. Miles lets out a loud whoop and Wren elbows him to keep quiet as everyone’s head turns towards our row. Evan laughs a little into the mic, the sound rushing straight towards me. “This piece is called ‘Linda’s Song,’ and it’s dedicated to someone special I know. Her name is Linda if that wasn’t already obvious. Anyway, she’s going to hate that I’m doing this, but she’s the best Linda to my Danny a person could ask for. My partner in crime, as they say.”
I don’t get time to process what he just said because the second his fingers press down on the keys; I swear my soul leaves my body.
I love music. I always have. But the way Evan is playing right now is something I’ve never experienced before. It starts off slowly, dramatic, and sensitive, immediately bringing tears to my eyes, before building into a symphony made specifically for me.
Or, well, Linda.
“Who the hell is Linda?” Kennedy asks quietly, leaning into me, her mouth practically hanging open.
“And who’s Danny?” Wren asks from the other side of me.
“I don’t know,” I say but I can tell the smile on my face is a dead giveaway. Miles leans forward, across Wren as he tries to keep his obnoxiously loud volume to a minimum.
“Awh, this sucks for you, Scarlett,” Miles whispers.
“Why does this suck for me?”
“Because he’s clearly into that Linda girl and last I checked, your name isn’t Linda,” he says, sounding genuinely upset for me. Wren elbows him for the second time tonight and he slouches back in his chair, locking his gaze back on Evan.
"He must really like this Linda girl, huh?" he mutters.
"Yeah,” I whisper, “he really does."
Then it gets worse.
Not only is he completely transfixed by the music and the melody, three people enter the stage with horns and flutes.Fucking horns and flutes.Everything sounds so beautiful together. Nothing is too loud. Nothing is too quiet. Everything is just perfect. Pure and utter bliss. I swear I start to tear up. Nearly everyone in the crowd does. When he turns to me, still playing, everyone in the crowd in awe, he smiles faintly, and I smile back.
Because no matter what, Evan Branson is going to continue to surprise me for the rest of my life.
The song goes on for a while, but no one gets bored. How could you? Every note is part of this beautifully crafted piece that tugs directly on your heartstrings. I even rest my head on Kennedy’s shoulder, closing my eyes while I listen, goosebumps rising up my arms.
“It’s just so…” Kennedy says, clearly lost within it too.
“I know,” I reply. “I know.”
* * *
As he promised, we all walked out of Evan’s escalade into a Michelin star restaurant downtown for a celebratory meal after his performance. Really we should be celebrating him, but he insisted on booking us all a table, pre-paying for our meal so we could eat together.
We haven’t been able to have a moment alone since that moving piece, but he’s been standing behind me the whole time. I said congratulations but that’s about it. I don’t know how to put into words the amount of emotions I’m feeling right now.
As we get through the doors, I pull onto Wren’s arm, so she turns around to me. “I’m just going to use the bathroom. Text me where you get seated.”
“Okay,” she replies, happily, linking her arms within Miles’s waiting one.
I stumble over to the bathroom, needing a moment to collect myself. Unlike most restaurants, this one holds a corridor of single unisex bathrooms instead of huge ones with multiple stalls. Still, they’re large enough to fit at least three people in, with huge mirrors surrounding the whole room. Of course, it does because Evan had to pick the fanciest restaurant for tonight.
When I get into the bathroom, I lock the door, looking at myself in the golden-rimmed mirrors. My face is still a little red from his performance, so I quickly splash some water on it, letting it cool me down. My phone buzzes on the counter.
