Page 63 of Serenade Me

“Hey, Emily loves my sexy man moves,” Brad protests and wiggles his butt back against Jez who gives out a cry of horror then winks at me as he reaches around and gives Brad’s chest a squeeze.

“OI! HANDS OFF THE GOODS!” Brad screams, pushing Jez away, covering his chest protectively as he runs down the hall.

Jez pats me on the back as I choke on my laughter.

“Easy, sis. Easy now, can’t have our new star performer dying on us after that killer performance.”

“Oh my god, Jez, did you hear me? I did it! It was so incredible. I mean this is my third concert with you guys, but being out there during that encore, taking the lead. Oh my god! THIS IS SO MUCH FUN! I wanna go out again!!” I grab my brother’s arm, babbling a mile a minute as he laughs at my excitement.

“Yes, I did hear you AND see you, sis. I was standing right there. Proud as fucking punch.”

“I did it!” I yell again, a reminder to myself. And to any doubts that insist on lingering.

“Ha ha, yes, you did. I think you’ve kicked this stage fright thing for good.”

The reminder of the fear, and the cause behind it, pokes at the edges of my brain, but I push it back, shaking my head at the darkness and it dissipates.

“Yeah. I hope so. I can’t believe it was just… days ago, that the thought of being in front of all those people would have me frozen to the spot. And now…” I sigh, letting the feeling, the rush of the performance wash over me again. I feel the blood pound in my ears all over again and I jump up, squealing in my brother’s ear as loud as I can “SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

“OW! Anca! You just set like three car alarms off in the parking lot!”

“I can’t help it, I’m just…”

“You did good, baby sis. You did good.” Jez wraps me up into one of his big brother hugs and I remember that this wouldn’t have been possible without him.

“Thanks, big bro.”

“No problem, Anca. No problem at all.”

“Hey, is this group hug just for Romanian music prodigies or can anyone join in?” Seb’s voice pipes up behind us. Jez pulls away from me and grins at the rest of the band coming up to us.

“Yeah, it’s only for people who can’t kill buffalos with their cheese breath.”

Sebastian’s face instantly falls and he holds his hand up to his mouth, puffing into it. Then he suddenly leaps forward and grab Jez’s face and lands a kiss right on him. Jez growls and drops to the ground and the other two guys jump on top of them, a giant dogpile of the best fusion classical rock string groups in the world.

“Anca! Help me! Don’t let them take me or else you’ll be an orphan brother-less harpist!”

His helplessness makes me laugh even harder. “Don’t worry. Jezzy! I’m coming for you, bro!” I yell as I take a running leap and land smack bang, right on top of the wriggling pile.

***

“Is it always like that?” I pant through breaths, as I roll over and rest my head on Marius’s damp chest. Somehow, we’ve ended up here again. Naked in my bed, post-mindblowing orgasm.

“I would hope it’s only going to get better, baby,” he whispers as he wraps his arms around me, still struggling for his own breath.

“Not the sex! The performing.”

He takes a moment, and it’s something I’m coming to admire about him. As good at the class clown as he can be, he always takes a moment to really consider my questions when he knows it’s important.

“It’s pretty fucking awesome. It’s… it’s life giving,” he says. “But tonight was special.”

“It was?”

“Yes, you wriggling, naked wench.”

“Why?” I want to hear him say it.

“You know why…”