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“He was?” He searched her face and she fought the urge to look away.
She shrugged. “Sorry, I should have mentioned, but it was a while ago.”
“What was a while ago?” asked Tom, placing a glass of chardonnay in front of her and the other one in front of Giancarlo. Not the bottle of champagne that Giancarlo had originally requested until she’d explained to him that he would be better off with a simple glass of wine.
“Katerina was explaining to me about your father’s music career.”
Tom brightened. “Yeah, my parents were really good. And so were the others in American Sky.”
“American Sky?” said Giancarlo.
Tom nodded. “That was their name. Didn’t Kate say?”
Giancarlo shook his head. “No.”
“Kate’s just as good too. Have you heard her play?”
“Hey guys,” said Ethan, coming up to their table.
He’d put the fedora on, but he had it perched at the back of his head, so that Kate could see his eyes clearly as they found hers, a question at the back of his. Kate could feel Giancarlo’s eyes on her, and knew that he had a thousand questions waiting to be asked.
“Hey, Ethan,” said Tom, finishing off a “bro” hug. “How’s it going?”
Ethan nodded. “Yeah, fine. Everything all right with you folks? How’s your dad?”
Tom scrunched up his nose. “You know. ’Bout the same.”
Ethan’s eyes slid over to Kate, and this time she knew there was no question she was blushing. “Hi, Ethan,” she said, forcing a big smile on her face. Suddenly she was conscious of the engagement ring on her finger.
Giancarlo extended his hand to Ethan, almost squaring up to him. “I am Giancarlo, Katerina’s fiancé.”
Ethan took his hand and gave it a shake. “Ethan.”
“I look forward to hearing your music,” said Giancarlo.
Ethan smiled, looking back over to her for a moment, a trace of amusement and question in his eyes, and Kate glanced away. Giancarlo leaned back in his chair and draped his arm across her shoulder. The language was clear, and Kate fought the urge to move forward, closer to the table.
“Ethan, can you play ‘Rossetti Girl’ sometime tonight? So Giancarlo can hear one of Dad’s songs. That’s if you have a bit of flexibility in your playlist. I know you have your fans, and it’s all about pleasing them.” His tone was teasing, but Kate felt there was some truth in the last remark, in any case.
Ethan laughed. “Of course I can, it’s not a problem. And my fans, well they will just have to make an allowance this once.”
Ethan’s tone at the end of his words had been full of irony, but Tom still played on it. “You know you’re a babe magnet. I see them lining up for your autograph after each set.”
“Hardly, that. I’ve signed only a few autographs.”
“Oooh,” said Tamzin. “They’ll be worth something someday. I’d better line up and get mine.”
Kate looked over at her. Something about her tone made Kate feel she might be half-serious.
Ethan pulled at his hat, lowering the brim. “Hardly that, I think. And besides, I’m not looking for fame.”
“What are you looking for?” asked Giancarlo, studying him.
Ethan looked at him. “Just to write and play the music I like.”
“And earn enough,” added Tom with a chuckle. “Enough to eat.”
Ethan nodded. “Exactly.”
