AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m a natural,” Teagan replied, and they both burst out laughing. Then his friend sobered and added, “I’ll call you back tomorrow to let you know what the lads say, okay?”
“Sounds good, my friend. Talk soon.”
At six, Jax arrived and greeted Alvaro cheerfully when he answered the door. “Good evening, sir. It’s good to see you again.”
“Good evening. How is the new little Bell?” Alvaro asked.
“She’s doing well, sir. Her grandma is there to help out now, and I know Jim is relieved because it means Annie will have help when I’m gone and he’s back to full timeat work.”
Noah walked up behind his dad just then and winked. Jax smiled back, and Alvaro turned to stare at his son for a moment. Noah, lost in Jax’s smile, barely heard his father’s words.
“Enjoy your evening with yourcariño, mijo!” Before Noah could respond, Alvaro turned back to Jax. “Have a very pleasant evening,Profesor!”
“What did your father call me just now?” Jax asked as he pulled away fromthe curb.
Noah wasn’t surprised that Jax had overheard the exchange, because his father had made no attempt to lower his voice. He didn’t succeed in keeping the blush from his cheeks as heanswered.
“Cariñomeans honey or sweetheart.” He hurried on before Jax could answer. “So, where arewe going?”
Jax chuckled. “Your dad’s a treat. We’re going to that new place I discovered when I got here the first couple of days. It serves home cooking with a side of live music. I thought you might enjoy the music.”
Noah’s heart opened so wide that all the love he felt for Jax poured out of him in a rush of feeling. He would have to find a way to show him how much he loved having his needs be focused on, how he loved being wooed and seduced with thoughtfulness. The restaurant almost had the vibe of a supper club. It was small and intimate, the decor understated but elegant, with tones of gold and black throughout, the wall sconces adding subtle lighting to the space.
Once they were seated and their drinks ordered, Noah spoke. He might as well start the conversation with Jax, so that he’d have done it at least once before his meeting withthe boys.
“I’ve been thinking about what comes next for me and the quartet,” he began. “My time as a steady performer with them or with anyone is over,clearly.”
He stopped to breathe away the pain that coursed through him at those words. He had not said them aloud since the accident, and it amazed him that they had so much power to wound his spirit. But he wasn’t going back to those dark months in the beginning when he could see no light anywhere, even on the brightest days. Now, he was ready to discover what the light he thought he saw might mean for him goingforward.
“I don’t want to make being a music tutor my life’s work. It’s not enough for what I need. And I’d have to do a lot more of it to make a sustainable living that wouldn’t require me to dip into my savings. What do you think are my otheroptions?”
Jax rested his clasped hands on the table. “Do you still want a role in the group? Or are you considering doing something else onyour own?”
“I would love to remain a part of the organization, even if not as a performer, but that’s something we’d need to discuss. I don’t see whatever I do with them as being financially sustaining in the way performing was, either. I’d need to supplement my income in some other way.”
“Hmm. Do you enjoy the teaching at all? Do you think you are any good at it? What part of it isn’tfor you?”
These were not questions that Noah would have thought to ask himself, and he could see how Jax was using them to help him figure out exactly what his niche was so he could work in it. He was glad he’d gotten over the hurt enough to talk about his choices.
“I haven’t heard any complaints,” he said, needing not to sound like an arrogant prick. “But I also know through the grapevine, aka my dad, that the parents like how I’m getting their kids to play better and to be more invested in the music. So, I guess that means I do okay. What I don’t like is the level. The kids I’m tutoring are all elementary and middle school students. They don’t challenge me. I don’t have to think to teach them.”
A thought occurred to him as he spoke, one he had never entertained before. “What if I taught piano alone, instead of mixing it with violin lessons? It would require even less active showing, and it would be more of a challenge because it’s not my primary instrument.”
“You could,” Jax agreed, then waited while the server placed their drinks in front of them, promising that dinner would arrive shortly. Then he continued. “But if part of the challenge is the age of your students, then you’d still be unhappy and unfulfilled.” He took a sip of his drink. “Let’s say you could find a role that would keep you active in the group. What other kind of teaching might interest you? For example, what if you were able to do guest lectures about your work as a professional? Might that interest you?”
Noah thought about it as he sipped his own drink. It wasn’t a bad idea, and it would give him a chance to be with his peers in the field.
“I’d just need to find colleges interested in hiring me to do that,” he said. “I mean, I don’t think I can just invite myself to be on their roster ofspeakers.”
Jax grinned. “No, I think you’ll need to be just a tad more subtle and professional than that. Which brings me to my next question … when was the last time you revised your resume?”
Chapter 20
Jax
“What do you think about movingin here?”
“Ihad a good time, thanks, Elise.”
