Page 30 of His Holy Chaos

Ford lowers his baton. The silence after the last note holds for three full seconds before anyone moves.

"Well," he says. "That was exceptional. Thank you, everyone."

The choir exhales collectively. People start gathering their things, chatting, but something unusual happens. Mrs. Reyes approaches Ford first.

"Whatever you changed today, keep it," she says, glancing in my direction. "The tenors sounded wonderful."

Then Mrs. Patterson, the lead alto, stops beside me. "I don't know what you did, young man, but the Agnus Dei finally felt right. Thank you."

The bass who whistled earlier claps me on the shoulder. "You've got a hell of a voice."

One by one, they filter past, and I stand there collecting compliments I didn't ask for, feeling a welcome warmth in my chest.

Ford watches this from his music stand, organizing his sheets with care, not looking at me. But when the room has finally emptied and it's just us, he sets his portfolio down and turns.

I'm already grinning. I can't help it.

"Don't," he says.

"I didn't say anything."

"You're thinking it."

“Wow, Mr. Dom, reading minds now?” I ask. I’m having tons of fun. "I'm thinking many things. Mostly that I was right."

He exhales through his nose, the Ford equivalent of a dramatic eye roll. Then he looks at me, and there it is, the smallest crack in that composed exterior, the ghost of a smile he's trying very hard to suppress.

"You belong in my choir," he says, each word extracted from him like a tooth. "Are you happy now?"

"Extremely," I say, beaming. "Was that so hard?"

"Excruciating," he says, but the ghost smile wins, just barely, and for a second Ford looks like someone who just lost a bet he's secretly glad he lost.

I text him as soon as I get home, immediately cracking a beer open and jumping on the couch. “1 for me, 0 for you. I told you: I always have my way.”

He replies almost instantly. For someone who claims to be busy, he really is attached to his phone.

“This will change.”

I let out an excited giggle.

“Oh?!”

“At least during choir practice, you'll straighten up, I'll make sure of it, boy.”

"That sounds ridiculously domineering for someone who claims that he wants nothing to do with being a Dom," I type back.

"It seems things have changed quite a bit since I said that, doesn't it, Jude? I told you already."

I smile at my phone like a ridiculous clown. Good thing I'm into being a ridiculous clown.

"Hmmm, how so?" I ask.

"Why don't you tell me? You're smart, aren't you, kid?"

"Telling me what to do already. You know I'm into that. Let me guess... It changed since a certain cute and smart brat entered your life?"

“That's right. Told you that you're smart. Good job."