Page 49 of Where the Music Grows

“Awesome,” she says. “I wish I could have seen it.”

“Me too. Aggie said people came from out of town to see me.”

“Look at you,” she says with a laugh. “Total rockstar.”

“Not yet, but maybe one day.”

She gives me directions to the restaurant. I’m relieved when I see it’s not super fancy. It’s a cross between a Chipotle and fine dining.

We walk inside and it’s pretty apparent reservations aren’t actually needed.

That’s even better.

It smells like garlic and fresh bread. Italian. I love Italian. The hostess leads us to a corner booth with a flickering candle between us. I like Italian, but it’s not the best to have garlic on a first date. Maybe I could find something that doesn’t have garlic or onion in it.

We sit down and order Cokes before the waitress walks away.

The menu is overwhelming. Half the dishes have names I can’t pronounce. This isn’t like Gino’s with the basics; pizza, spaghetti, and lasagna.

Jinnie peers over the top of her menu. “Never had Italian before?”

“Not like this.”

She smiles. “Try the gnocchi. It’s life-changing.”

Our waiter appears—a guy with an impressive mustache who introduces himself as Marco and recommends the “special” in a voice that implies we’d be fools to order anything else.

Jinnie goes with the gnocchi. I chicken out and get spaghetti. I don’t want to risk an upset stomach on our first date. Marco returns with a basket of bread and disappears once again.

“So, tell me more about the song debut,” Jinnie says. She reaches for a breadstick and takes a bite.

“It was wild,” I say, leaning forward a little. “The crowd just...they went nuts. I mean, I’ve had good nights before, but this was different. They were so into it. Stomping their feet, clapping along. Even the guys at the back who usually just stand there with their beers were nodding their heads. It was like the whole room was alive, you know?”

Jinnie’s eyes sparkle as she listens, her breadstick forgotten in her hand. “That’s amazing, Jack. I knew it would be a hit. There’s something about that song—it’s got this raw energy to it.”

“It does,” I agree, my voice softer now. “And I owe a lot of that to you. You really helped me shape it into something special.”

She ducks her head, a faint blush covering her cheeks. “I just gave you a few suggestions. You’re the one who made it come alive.”

“Maybe,” I say, smiling. “But you saw something in it that I didn’t. You pushed me to make it better.”

She looks up at me. “Well, I’m glad I could help. And I’m so proud of you, Jack. You’re really making something of yourself here.”

Her words affect me in a way I hadn’t realized I needed. For so long, it felt like I was chasing this dream in a vacuum, with no one back home truly believing in me. Yeah, people would say nice things, but it never felt like they meant it.

“I’m working on another one,” I tell her. “It’s in its infancy. More like just a few chords, but I’m going to keep working. Maybe once I have a bit more, you can help me out again.”

“I’d love that.” She grins. “Just don’t forget the little people when you make it big. I want to be able to say I knew you at the beginning.”

“I’ll never forget you or Aggie.”

Her laugh is cut short when Marco appears with our orders. The plates are enormous. Mine is a mountain of pasta that could feed a small family. Her plate is just as big.

Jinnie’s eyes go wide. “Oh. That’s more than I expected.”

Marco beams. “Our famous family portion!”

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Jinnie stares at the food with a look of fear in her eyes.