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As soon as we were inside and Shana got comfortable on the couch, I opened a bottle of wine and poured us a couple of glasses. It was sure to help loosen me up again.
“So you’re a teacher? Tell me more about that,” she said as I got settled beside her, keeping enough space between us as we continued getting to know each other.
“I teach horticulture at Hawthorne Middle School.”
“Well, that explains all the plants.”
I looked at the windowsill, seeing all the little things that still hadn’t rebounded after the break-in, the dying leaves and cracked stems, but I certainly wasn’t going to go there. In fact, it felt refreshing to be around someone who didn’t know what had happened to me.
“You should see my classroom. Teachers always bring me their pots of dried-out flowers to nurse back to life. I’m like the plant whisperer.”
“I probably have a couple you could help with,” she said with a laugh. “It’s cool that you have so many different interests.”
“It sounds like you do too.” Given what she’d told me before and after the movie, she and her best friend liked to travel and get involved in community activities.
She nodded. “We go see live shows all the time, and it was nice to stumble on yours by accident.”
“That was nice.” I smiled. “As a band, we try to listen to local live music whenever we can. But mostly, Nolan and I have our favorites we like to support.”
“Nolan’s your closest friend?”
“Yeah. He actually lives in this building, just one floor up.”
“How convenient.”
“If we stomped around my apartment really loudly, he’d curse us out.”
She chuckled. “Do you aggravate each other often?”
“Yeah, we like to bust each other’s balls.” I smiled, thinking about Nolan and wondering what he was up to this very moment—and why was I thinking about him when I was on a date with a pretty and interesting person?
When I finally broke out of my thoughts, I saw that Shana’s gaze was trained on my instruments across the room. I sorely missed my acoustic bass. Maybe I’d be able to replace it someday.
“Is that a cello, or do I have that wrong?”
“An upright bass. Cellos are smaller and an octave higher, but I get why people confuse them. That thing is a monstrosity to transport, but we use it in certain shows because of the deep, affecting sound. It adds a totally different layer.”
“I’d love to hear it. Play something for me?”
“Sure.” I’d never turn down an opportunity to tinker around with music.
I walked across the room to the instrument, lifted it off the base, and balanced it in front of me. I started with the bow, demonstrating the different tones, then plucked out a tune with my fingers. She seemed to enjoy it, so I riffed one of our recent melodies, one she might recognize from our show.
I got lost in the music, shutting my eyes as my fingers flew across the fretboard. When I heard the faint sound of a guitar joining in from upstairs, I gasped.
“Is that Nolan playing?” Shana asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Yeah.” My mouth split into a cheesy grin, and my heart banged around in my chest. “We mess around like this sometimes. I’m sure the neighbors appreciate it.”
“They just might,” she said with a wink. “Seems you and Nolan are tied at the hip.”
My fingers faltered, and I replaced the bass on the stand. “Why do you say that?”
She shrugged. “You talked about him a lot tonight.”
I did? Fucking hell.
“I’m…sorry,” I stuttered out. “I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay. It’s nice to see guys so close. A regular bromance.”
A shiver of fear traced up my spine. “It’s not like that.”
Her lips parted, so my words must’ve sounded harsher than intended. Fuck, I was blowing this.
Right as I made my way back to the couch, my phone buzzed with a text from Nolan.
We both glanced at the screen. Are you alone?
No, I quickly typed back, though I should’ve ignored it. But I was afraid he’d try to seek me out or get worried if I didn’t respond.
Fuck, sorry.
It’s okay.
I tossed my phone down, frustration lancing through me. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Shana as embarrassment heated my cheeks. I had no idea what she must’ve been thinking right then.
“How long have you felt this way about him?” Shana asked as if she’d read all my confusing thoughts, and I nearly choked, my body going rigid.
“What?” But when I finally met her eyes, I didn’t see any revulsion or anger—only concern.
“It’s okay,” she said, squeezing my arm. “To be honest, I could see you had chemistry onstage, so it makes sense that—”
“I’m not. We’re not—”
“Deep breaths, Ellis.” She frowned. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I just thought maybe you needed a friend. I know how confusing it can feel at first.”
