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Thirty-Seven
Emily stifled a yawn.Her feet hurt. Her head hurt. Every time she picked up a plate to deliver it to one of her tables, the pain in her left fingers made her wince at first, but then brought a smile to her face, remembering the glorious feeling of playing again.
It had been a long day but happiness still coursed through her veins. Geoffrey narrowed his eyes every time he saw her, but she didn’t care. Things were starting to feel right again after being miserable for so long.
It was too bad Mark would be gone next week, but maybe she could practice enough while he was gone and surprise him with major improvements when he returned. If her fingers would heal. She might need to take a few days off to let that happen, but the idea saddened her. She didn’t want to stop playing. But continually opening the wounds would never let them heal. She needed callouses, not scabs.
She sighed. If she didn’t go over and practice, though, she wouldn’t see Mark for over a week and the thought made her heart ache.
“New table, Emily,” Kelly, the hostess, called from the hallway leading from the dining area to the kitchen.
Emily nodded to show she’d heard and picked up the rest of the plates for her other table. It had been a quiet night, one she was thankful for. But the night wasn’t over yet, and the glint in Geoffrey’s eyes didn’t bode well for her.
Emily dropped off the plates and headed to her new table, but Geoffrey grabbed her elbow. “Do you remember those men?”
Emily glanced over at the table and her heart sank as she recognized them. The members of the DCSO board of directors, and Maestro Gabriel Novak. “Yes.”
If she had to take Gabriel home with her again tonight... Shame burned in her chest. Not only was she sleeping with Mark’s now-ex-lover’s husband, but she would also be sleeping with the maestro he despised. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pasting a practiced smile on her face and approaching the table.
“Good evening and welcome back to Café Milan,” she said in a friendly tone, smiling at each man in just the right way Geoffrey had taught her. “My name is Emily and I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”
Gabriel grinned and looked her up and down. “Buenas noches, Emily.” He flashed a flirtatious smile. “It is so good to see you again.” He reached for her hand and kissed the back.
Emily took drink orders and headed to the bar to place the order while the men studied the menu.
As the night wore on, she found herself wishing the maestro wasn’t so touchy-feely. He loved stroking her leg and kissing her hand. Normally, she wouldn’t mind so much, but after spending time with Mark, and knowing how he felt about the maestro, it was hard to keep a friendly smile on her face.
Emily was waiting for the desserts to come out when Geoffrey grabbed her by her ponytail and hauled her to his office. She trembled as he opened the door and pushed her inside.
“What’s going on, Emily?” he growled as he yanked her ponytail, jerking her head up to make her meet his eyes. “You’re not being as friendly as I’d like you to be with Novak. He came in specifically to see you again.”
She blinked back frightened tears. “I-I’m trying, Geoffrey, but—”
His eyes narrowed. “It’s because of that fucker Mark, isn’t it?”
She swallowed. “Of course not, I just—”
“Don’t lie, you stupid bitch. You like him and you don’t want to fuck the man he hates, right?”
She shook her head. “No, I—”
Geoffrey flashed a wicked smile. “I think that’s exactly it. Which is why I invited Gabriel in again tonight. You’re going to fuck him tonight and do whatever he wants you to do. With a smile on your face. You’re going to put Mark out of your mind and please Novak more than you’ve ever pleased any other man who has walked through the Café doors. Do you understand?” He grabbed hold of her left hand and squeezed hard. She yelped, tears coming to her eyes. “Or I’ll make sure you never play again.”
“Y-yes, Geoffrey!” she squeaked.
He squeezed harder for a moment and she cried out, then released her. She grabbed her hand and clutched it to her chest as it throbbed with her rampant heartbeat. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Get your fucking ass out of my office.”
She opened the door with her right hand and ran out into the hallway, holding her throbbing left hand at her heart and wiping away her tears. She sucked in a long, shaky breath and blew it out. She wanted to collapse into a heap along the wall, but it would anger Geoffrey even more. Or it might please him to have an excuse to throw her up against the wall and do something terrible.
She closed her eyes and sucked in several deep breaths, trying to push the memory of Geoffrey’s furious face out of her mind.
Once she gained control of her tears and stopped shaking, she smoothed her hair and clothes before picking up the dessert plates and carrying them out to the table. Her hand throbbed as she walked out into the dining room.
She forced a friendly smile as she placed each man’s plate in front of him. Maestro slid his hand up her skirt and gave a flirtatious smile. She returned the smile, letting his hand wander for a moment before he left her alone and she could escape.
She fled to the back hallway and stared up at the dark ceiling, wishing with all her might that she could escape from this place. Wishing she could run back to Mark’s place, hide, and start a new life. The music was fiercely awake in her heart and mind now, and she couldn’t bear the thought of staying where she was.
