AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She glanced at the violin case in my hand. “Holy shit, it’s on now. This party just got epic.” Her dark eyes took in Noah behind me. “Oh, I see you brought a GQ model with you, as one does.”
A blush crept up my neck. “This is Noah Lake. Noah, Regina Chen.”
Regina grabbed his outstretched hand briefly then started back up the stairs. “Come on. The guys are going to flip.Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Mad Men… Like I said,epic.”
“Regina, please don’t make a big deal…”
Too late. We’d arrived at her loft door which Regina threw open with a bang. “Charlotte’s here!”
A chorus of loud shouts, whistles, and applause went up, and I was genuinely touched.
“I didn’t know it’d be like this…” I said, clutching Noah’s arm.
Regina leaned in my ear. “Welcome back.” She kissed my cheek, then ran off to attend her guests while I led Noah inside.
Friends from Juilliard, most I hadn’t seen in more than a year, surrounded us. I linked my arm through Noah’s to anchor him to me as I was engulfed in a round of hugs. I introduced him more times than I could count and was proud when every one of my friends greeted him as if he were anyone else—but for a few lingering stares from some of the women.
Regina’s loft was one large rectangle, maybe eight hundred square feet of industrial space, filled with potted plants, metal ductwork and exposed brick. She’d strung up strings of white Christmas lights, and one area by the slanting windows was set up as a small stage. I swallowed my nerves, and led Noah to the sitting area where Melanie, her girlfriend Sasha, and Anthony were gathered.
Melanie embraced me close. “I’ve got a secret.”
I glanced at her askance. “Do you?”
“Later,” she said with a small, excited smile. She turned to Noah. “I’m Melanie Parker, the best friend. And you must be Mr. Lake.”
“Must be,” Noah said with a flicker of a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Melanie said, giving me a meaningful look, which I pointedly ignored.
“And you remember Anthony Washington,” I said as Anthony stood up to greet us.
Noah offered his hand. “How’s it going, man?”
I watched with a strange, silly pride as Anthony and Noah did one of those manly handshakes that ended with a half-hug and pat on the back.
I sat with Noah on the couch and heard him sigh with relief as he sank down and tucked his white cane beside him.
“I’m going for a drink,” Anthony said. “You guys want something? Noah, beer?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Char?”
“I thought I saw a bowl of sangria when we came in.”
“You want the whole bowl or just a glass?”
I rolled my eyes. “Smart ass.”
Anthony grinned and turned to Melanie and Sasha. “Ladies?”
“You can only carry so much,” Sasha said and rose to go with him. She had short, bleached hair and two sleeves of tattoos up her slender arms. She bent to kiss Melanie’s cheek. “Be cool,” she told her girlfriend, shooting me a fast smile.
I narrowed my eyes at Melanie. “Yeah, what’s up with you? You look ready to burst.”
She waved a hand. “Later. So. Noah, tell me about yourself. New York native or what?”
“Yeah, native, though I only moved back recently.”
