Bridges - Chapter 4
Bridges
Chapter 4
By Lori Finnegan
2013
“So, how did it go with Mr Homeowner?” Rachel said his name like he was Las Vegas dancer. “Any tawdry moments I should know about?”
It was early Friday evening and the two of them were eating take out at Lira's house before they went out to Jake's Pub to perform their new song.
Lira was sitting at the end of her couch with her food. “Only in my head, and his name is Jarred. So we can start calling him that now that we actually know it.”
“Ooo, personal.” Rachel took a sip of her pop and then placed it back on the coffee table. “Well, did you get inside?”
Lira set her half eaten container down and then sat up straight. “I did actually. He took me on a tour of some of the house and let me tell him about the Historical Society. The whole inside of it is in pretty rough shape, but nothing has been done to it in years, which is good news. Also, it doesn't seem like he's going to be doing any drastic changes, which is also good news. What it sounds like is that he's a laid back guy who really likes the house.”
“Hmm.” Rachel took a bite of her noodle dish. “You mean a really hot laid back guy, right?”
“Well, obviously.” Lira rolled her eyes. “And get this. It turns out he's a musician. He said something about being here to work on his music.
Rachel's eyes went wide.
“I know,” Lira said. “I didn't ask him about it, but I was thinking about it. It made me want to know more about him. Like where did he come from? Why is he here?”
“You made a move on him, right?”
“No... not exactly.” Lira looked away. “Though I did leave him my number... but said that it was for if he changed his mind about the Historical Society.”
“Well.” Rachel took another bite of her noodles. “He could take that one of two ways. This girl is hitting on me, or this girl is a complete nerd.”
“I'm not a nerd!” Lira tried her best to look offended.
“Lira, dear...” Rachel held the fork in the air. “You hang out with a bunch of old ladies every Tuesday and talk about restoring old buildings. That's a little nerdy. Well, nerd might not be the right word.”
Lira picked up her food again. “Save yourself the trouble of searching for the right one.”
*****
It had been exactly a week since Jarred had been to Jake's Pub and had seen the friends he had made from the Toasted Marshmallows. He had done a lot since then, but hadn't really worked on his music; his main purpose for getting away like he had told everyone he had come across in Cleveland. Home ownership came with a lot of responsibilities, and he had caught himself thinking maybe he should have bought a smaller, more ready-to-live-in house than the giant Victorian that he had first set eyes on and fell in love with immediately. Perhaps part of it was throwing it all to the wind and not giving himself a second to think before rushing into something. At the end of the day, he had to be okay with it, and he would make it work.
He only wished he could somehow find a way to get back into his music. The way he had planned when he left California. That was why he had gone back to Jake's Pub hoping to find a little inspiration for his own music.
He walked into the pub expecting to take a spot at the bar, but was immediately waved over by Sean and Dave who were sitting at a table, so he rerouted and joined them.
“Hey, guys,” he said and took a seat.
They both gave their greetings and when the waitress walked by, Jarred flagged her down and ordered a beer. Sean and Dave were talking about their day jobs and complaining about people who weren't pulling their weight at each of their places of business. Jarred knew those like that well. People like that could be fun to hang around with, but awful to work with. He had learned that the hard way several times. He could have shared a few stories with the guys, but held his tongue.
Once their conversation about work ended, it moved to music, and they began talking about their set that they were playing that night.
“Oh, what happened with the new guy?” Jarred asked.
Sean shrugged. “Nothing. We don't have a replacement for him, and he's the only one who knows the songs right now. He said he'll meet us here before we're scheduled to be on.” Sean looked at his watch. “Should be soon.”
Jarred took a slug of his beer. “That's hard when you have a member of the band that isn't really part of the band.” When he looked up, both guys were looking at him. “I mean, he is, but he isn't really. If that makes sense.”
“No, it completely makes sense. That's why we're staring at you,” Dave said. “You must be in a band. Or maybe you were in a band?”
Jarred put the glass back to his lips and took another drink. When he put the glass back on the table, he looked away. “Those days are gone.”
There was a long pause at the table, and it wasn't a comfortable one.
“Man,” Sean finally said. “I'm sorry. For whatever happened.”
Jarred didn't know what it was that was conveyed on his face, or through the energy across the table at that moment, but he knew that Sean, and perhaps Dave, too, could read something that he wasn't saying. “It's over,” he said. “Ancient history. But thanks, guys. I really do appreciate it.”
It was a bit awkward for a moment and then Dave held up his glass. “Another round on me!”
Both Sean and Jarred held up their glasses in a toast of agreement. It was at that moment that Alex plopped down in the seat next to Dave. “Hey. What did I miss? Why is Dave buying a round?”
Dave slapped him on the back. “Everyone except you, buddy. You missed the moment.”
Alex looked a bit irritated until Dave gave him another slap.
“Just kidding. Beer for all!”
*****
Lira sat alone at a table alongside the stage at Jake's pub. She was tracing the condensation of her water glass with her finger and watching the droplets fall down the glass and onto the napkin underneath it.
“One or two shots?”
She suddenly sat up straight to stare at Rachel with a look of shock. “No shots!”
“I'm kidding. It's a strawberry daquari, just like you ordered, princess.” Rachel set the pink drink with a little umbrella in front of Lira and then sat down across from with her own drink. Another martini. This one was clear with an olive in it. Lira was glad she was the one driving.
She sipped at her new drink through the straw and looked over at Rachel. “I dare anyone to tell me they don't like strawberries.”
Rachel's eyes suddenly widened, and she almost spilled her drink. “Oh my God!”
“What?”
“It's Mr Homeowner!” She got down low in her seat and nearly whispered.
“Stop it!” Lira said. “He doesn't even know what you look like!”
Rachel sat back up and flipped her hair. “Oh, right. I was looking at him through binoculars.”
Lira sighed, took a large sip of her daquari, and then slowly turned her head around to peer in the direction of Rachel's gaze. Indeed, Rachel was right. There, sitting at a table a mere fifteen feet from her was in fact Mr Homeowner-er Jarred-drinking a beer, and looking incredibly sexy.
She suddenly turned around around to face Rachel. “Shit. Shit, shit, shit!”
“What is it? It's usually me swearing!” Rachel was holding up her martini glass ever so poised.
Lira put her hands over her face. “Look who he's with,” she said through her fingers.
“Oh... the Toasted Marshmallows!” There was a pause in which Lira peeked between her fingers to see Rachel take a sip from her martini. “Well,” Rachel went on. “Looks like your personal life and your professional life are about to collide.”
“No. No.” Lira put her hands down and took another long sip of her daquari. This time she wished she had gone for something just a little bit stronger. “Maybe he won't see me. Maybe he's just saying hi to them and doesn't really know them. This could all just go away.”
Rachel was still staring at them. “He's laughing at something they're saying. Looks like he's telling them a story. Now they're laughing at something he said. I don't think he just stopped by for a second. Looks to me like he's become a friend.”
“Stop it,” Lira said and groaned. “I don't know how you know that from just sitting here watching them. You can't even hear what they're saying.”
Rachel shrugged. “Believe what you want to believe.” She picked up the olive from her drink with a toothpick and popped it into her mouth.
Lira put her head back in her hands and stared down at the table. Maybe Jarred really wasn't that hot. Maybe he had ran away from his life because he was a drug dealer on a crime spree and he was high on something. Maybe she didn't want to be involved with her aunt's Historical Society at all and the whole thing could just fall into the past behind her.
The second option seemed more likely.
“Oh, shake it off!” Rachel had gotten up from the table. “So what if he's friends with Sean? That doesn't mean he's turned over to the dark side! I'm getting another drink by the way. I'd ask if you want another, but it looks like you have a good way to go on the first one.”
After Rachel had walked away, Lira tried to put everything into perspective. Rachel was right. Maybe not all was lost, after all. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as she originally thought. She sipped at her daquari thoughtfully through her straw.
Men didn't talk about their exes, did they?
Lira sat there at her table for a full ten minutes speculating over the things men say to other men, of which she had no clue. After all she had only grown up with sisters and a dad who didn't talk all that much. Most of her friends growing up were girls and as an adult, they were women. She had no clue what men talked about with other men.
Sean and Lira had not parted on the best of terms, and even though they got along decently, they never brought up their break up. Lira wasn't sure she wanted Jarred to know about what Sean thought about her through Sean's eyes. The awkward feeling the thought caused her made her almost want to lose her dinner.
By the time Rachel got back to the table with her second martini, Lira wasn't feeling so well.
“You look a little pale,” Rachel said after she sat down with her drink.
“I'm thinking about what Sean might be saying to Jarred,” Lira whispered.
“Well, stop it! I doubt they even realize they both know you. So enjoy your drink and concentrate on our set tonight. You're being completely irrational.”
Irrational. Yes. Lira tried to focus on that. She was being irrational. Even if Jarred did know that she and Sean had dated, she doubted that Sean would launch a hate campaign. And even if he did, she had to hold her head high. She was an attractive woman, she had a good voice, and she could do a good job tonight... singing backup.
*****
Jarred had a fun night watching his new friends perform. He even spotted the hot redhead, Lira, early on at a side table with her friend and kept an eye on her. He wanted to approach her and say hello, but her friend seemed a little intimidating. It was something about the way she held her glass and held her nose in the air that kept Jarred from coming to their table. So he had just sat alone at his own table enjoying the Toasted Marshmallows' performance.
After the guys were done with their set, they began filtering back to the table and the usual pitcher of beer was bought to go around. Conor, their college student guitarist had made another excuse and exited out the back door toward the parking lot.
“I guess socializing isn't his thing,” Alex said and poured himself a glass of beer.
“Unless it's around a chess set,” Dave added in.
The guys all chuckled.
“Great job out there even with the odd man out.” Jarred gave Sean a pat on the back. It had been obvious to him that Conor hadn't been practicing with them, but the guys had done a good job of covering it up and Jarred wasn't sure if many other people could tell. “You guys really do well together, I can tell.”
“That means a lot,” Sean smiled. “I would say coming from you, but we haven't actually seen you play yet. When will that be, by the way?” He raised an eyebrow at Jarred. “Eh?”
Jarred took a sip of his beer. “Maybe soon. You'll have to invite me to one of your sessions some-”
“Monday.” Dave said before Jarred could even finish. “We practice on Monday. Sean's house. You're invited officially.”
Sean looked over at Dave. “Gee, thanks for inviting someone to my house.” He then turned to Jarred. “Give me your number, and I'll text you my address.”
After all the guys exchanged numbers with Jarred, they looked up to see that The Secret had taken the stage and were doing their sound check. Jarred tried not to stare at Lira too much. In fact, he averted his eyes away from her so he wouldn't be caught doing so, but the fact of the matter was that he was drawn to her.
Lira and her costar began to sing their set. The songs were beautifully arranged, just like the last time he had heard them sing. But this time he did notice one thing he hadn't before. Lira's costar had the lead on every single song. Her voice was showcased, not Lira's. This bothered Jarred because he wanted to hear Lira's voice, and on every song it was drowned out by her costar's.
Once it was over, and the guys started to head out the door, Jarred hung back and made his way toward the stage. He watched Lira packing up her keyboard for a moment before he cleared his throat.
She startled and nearly dropped the stand, catching it at the last moment before it fell. “Oh!” She stared at Jarred with wide eyes. “It's you!”
“Yep. It's me.” He walked up onto the stage and picked up the bag for her keyboard. “Here, let me help you with that. You did really great tonight, by the way.”
“Oh... thanks. I mean, thanks! For both things.” She set the stand down on the floor and then picked up the keyboard from where she had set it. Together, she and Jarred zipped everything up in the case. “Thank you again, Jarred.”
“That's three thank yous.” He smiled at her. “I must be doing pretty well. Can I carry this to your car for you?”
“Sure.” Her smile was small, but it was there.
He picked up the case and led the way off the stage to the back door where he held it open for her, being careful not to bang her equipment on the door frame. He noticed that she seemed a little tense and wondered if it was because he had caught her off guard. Before, when she had knocked on his door, she had seemed so much more at ease. Maybe he had come on a little too strong. Maybe she had a boyfriend. Maybe the guy would meet him at her car and hit him in the face. Maybe people in small town, Minnesota brought guns with them to pubs. He was used to walking around in California. He didn't know.
Once they got to her car he waited while she opened the doors so he could slide the keyboard into the back seat. “You really did do great out there,” he said once it was safely tucked away. “You have the prettiest voice. I only wish I could hear it more.”
She was standing next to the passenger door. The overhead light hit her hair and face in just a way that made her look like she were glowing. “You do?” She sounded surprised.
“Yeah.” He smiled. “I wanted to hear you sing by yourself. Maybe next time, okay?”
This time, her smile was genuine. “Some time soon.”
“I'll wait for you to get in your car. It's dark out here.”
She nodded. “Bye.”
He smiled. “Bye, Lira.”
*****
Lira drove home fast. She almost forgot to put her car in park when she pulled into her garage, and when then she just left her keyboard in the back seat. She hit the remote to close the garage door a few times, causing it to go up and down several times before it settled on down and stayed down. By the time she got in the house and locked the door behind herself, she was hyperventilating.
Her mind replayed what had happened and the things that he had said to her over and over again, and she could only come to one conclusion.
He liked her.
It had to be that. What else could it be? Men don't offer to carry things and offer compliments to women unless they liked them. She was sure of it. Plus, he didn't just give her the usual compliments about how pretty her hair was, or how pretty her eyes were. She had heard those before, and she already knew she had pretty hair. Big stinkin' deal.
He had wanted to hear her sing.
She threw her purse on the table, ran past the living room and up the stairs to the bathroom where she flicked on the lights and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked a little windswept and her cheeks were red, but eyes were bright, and suddenly a smile came to her face.
It had been a long time since she was excited about anyone.
Chapter 5
Bridges Index
Chapter 4
By Lori Finnegan
2013
“So, how did it go with Mr Homeowner?” Rachel said his name like he was Las Vegas dancer. “Any tawdry moments I should know about?”
It was early Friday evening and the two of them were eating take out at Lira's house before they went out to Jake's Pub to perform their new song.
Lira was sitting at the end of her couch with her food. “Only in my head, and his name is Jarred. So we can start calling him that now that we actually know it.”
“Ooo, personal.” Rachel took a sip of her pop and then placed it back on the coffee table. “Well, did you get inside?”
Lira set her half eaten container down and then sat up straight. “I did actually. He took me on a tour of some of the house and let me tell him about the Historical Society. The whole inside of it is in pretty rough shape, but nothing has been done to it in years, which is good news. Also, it doesn't seem like he's going to be doing any drastic changes, which is also good news. What it sounds like is that he's a laid back guy who really likes the house.”
“Hmm.” Rachel took a bite of her noodle dish. “You mean a really hot laid back guy, right?”
“Well, obviously.” Lira rolled her eyes. “And get this. It turns out he's a musician. He said something about being here to work on his music.
Rachel's eyes went wide.
“I know,” Lira said. “I didn't ask him about it, but I was thinking about it. It made me want to know more about him. Like where did he come from? Why is he here?”
“You made a move on him, right?”
“No... not exactly.” Lira looked away. “Though I did leave him my number... but said that it was for if he changed his mind about the Historical Society.”
“Well.” Rachel took another bite of her noodles. “He could take that one of two ways. This girl is hitting on me, or this girl is a complete nerd.”
“I'm not a nerd!” Lira tried her best to look offended.
“Lira, dear...” Rachel held the fork in the air. “You hang out with a bunch of old ladies every Tuesday and talk about restoring old buildings. That's a little nerdy. Well, nerd might not be the right word.”
Lira picked up her food again. “Save yourself the trouble of searching for the right one.”
*****
It had been exactly a week since Jarred had been to Jake's Pub and had seen the friends he had made from the Toasted Marshmallows. He had done a lot since then, but hadn't really worked on his music; his main purpose for getting away like he had told everyone he had come across in Cleveland. Home ownership came with a lot of responsibilities, and he had caught himself thinking maybe he should have bought a smaller, more ready-to-live-in house than the giant Victorian that he had first set eyes on and fell in love with immediately. Perhaps part of it was throwing it all to the wind and not giving himself a second to think before rushing into something. At the end of the day, he had to be okay with it, and he would make it work.
He only wished he could somehow find a way to get back into his music. The way he had planned when he left California. That was why he had gone back to Jake's Pub hoping to find a little inspiration for his own music.
He walked into the pub expecting to take a spot at the bar, but was immediately waved over by Sean and Dave who were sitting at a table, so he rerouted and joined them.
“Hey, guys,” he said and took a seat.
They both gave their greetings and when the waitress walked by, Jarred flagged her down and ordered a beer. Sean and Dave were talking about their day jobs and complaining about people who weren't pulling their weight at each of their places of business. Jarred knew those like that well. People like that could be fun to hang around with, but awful to work with. He had learned that the hard way several times. He could have shared a few stories with the guys, but held his tongue.
Once their conversation about work ended, it moved to music, and they began talking about their set that they were playing that night.
“Oh, what happened with the new guy?” Jarred asked.
Sean shrugged. “Nothing. We don't have a replacement for him, and he's the only one who knows the songs right now. He said he'll meet us here before we're scheduled to be on.” Sean looked at his watch. “Should be soon.”
Jarred took a slug of his beer. “That's hard when you have a member of the band that isn't really part of the band.” When he looked up, both guys were looking at him. “I mean, he is, but he isn't really. If that makes sense.”
“No, it completely makes sense. That's why we're staring at you,” Dave said. “You must be in a band. Or maybe you were in a band?”
Jarred put the glass back to his lips and took another drink. When he put the glass back on the table, he looked away. “Those days are gone.”
There was a long pause at the table, and it wasn't a comfortable one.
“Man,” Sean finally said. “I'm sorry. For whatever happened.”
Jarred didn't know what it was that was conveyed on his face, or through the energy across the table at that moment, but he knew that Sean, and perhaps Dave, too, could read something that he wasn't saying. “It's over,” he said. “Ancient history. But thanks, guys. I really do appreciate it.”
It was a bit awkward for a moment and then Dave held up his glass. “Another round on me!”
Both Sean and Jarred held up their glasses in a toast of agreement. It was at that moment that Alex plopped down in the seat next to Dave. “Hey. What did I miss? Why is Dave buying a round?”
Dave slapped him on the back. “Everyone except you, buddy. You missed the moment.”
Alex looked a bit irritated until Dave gave him another slap.
“Just kidding. Beer for all!”
*****
Lira sat alone at a table alongside the stage at Jake's pub. She was tracing the condensation of her water glass with her finger and watching the droplets fall down the glass and onto the napkin underneath it.
“One or two shots?”
She suddenly sat up straight to stare at Rachel with a look of shock. “No shots!”
“I'm kidding. It's a strawberry daquari, just like you ordered, princess.” Rachel set the pink drink with a little umbrella in front of Lira and then sat down across from with her own drink. Another martini. This one was clear with an olive in it. Lira was glad she was the one driving.
She sipped at her new drink through the straw and looked over at Rachel. “I dare anyone to tell me they don't like strawberries.”
Rachel's eyes suddenly widened, and she almost spilled her drink. “Oh my God!”
“What?”
“It's Mr Homeowner!” She got down low in her seat and nearly whispered.
“Stop it!” Lira said. “He doesn't even know what you look like!”
Rachel sat back up and flipped her hair. “Oh, right. I was looking at him through binoculars.”
Lira sighed, took a large sip of her daquari, and then slowly turned her head around to peer in the direction of Rachel's gaze. Indeed, Rachel was right. There, sitting at a table a mere fifteen feet from her was in fact Mr Homeowner-er Jarred-drinking a beer, and looking incredibly sexy.
She suddenly turned around around to face Rachel. “Shit. Shit, shit, shit!”
“What is it? It's usually me swearing!” Rachel was holding up her martini glass ever so poised.
Lira put her hands over her face. “Look who he's with,” she said through her fingers.
“Oh... the Toasted Marshmallows!” There was a pause in which Lira peeked between her fingers to see Rachel take a sip from her martini. “Well,” Rachel went on. “Looks like your personal life and your professional life are about to collide.”
“No. No.” Lira put her hands down and took another long sip of her daquari. This time she wished she had gone for something just a little bit stronger. “Maybe he won't see me. Maybe he's just saying hi to them and doesn't really know them. This could all just go away.”
Rachel was still staring at them. “He's laughing at something they're saying. Looks like he's telling them a story. Now they're laughing at something he said. I don't think he just stopped by for a second. Looks to me like he's become a friend.”
“Stop it,” Lira said and groaned. “I don't know how you know that from just sitting here watching them. You can't even hear what they're saying.”
Rachel shrugged. “Believe what you want to believe.” She picked up the olive from her drink with a toothpick and popped it into her mouth.
Lira put her head back in her hands and stared down at the table. Maybe Jarred really wasn't that hot. Maybe he had ran away from his life because he was a drug dealer on a crime spree and he was high on something. Maybe she didn't want to be involved with her aunt's Historical Society at all and the whole thing could just fall into the past behind her.
The second option seemed more likely.
“Oh, shake it off!” Rachel had gotten up from the table. “So what if he's friends with Sean? That doesn't mean he's turned over to the dark side! I'm getting another drink by the way. I'd ask if you want another, but it looks like you have a good way to go on the first one.”
After Rachel had walked away, Lira tried to put everything into perspective. Rachel was right. Maybe not all was lost, after all. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as she originally thought. She sipped at her daquari thoughtfully through her straw.
Men didn't talk about their exes, did they?
Lira sat there at her table for a full ten minutes speculating over the things men say to other men, of which she had no clue. After all she had only grown up with sisters and a dad who didn't talk all that much. Most of her friends growing up were girls and as an adult, they were women. She had no clue what men talked about with other men.
Sean and Lira had not parted on the best of terms, and even though they got along decently, they never brought up their break up. Lira wasn't sure she wanted Jarred to know about what Sean thought about her through Sean's eyes. The awkward feeling the thought caused her made her almost want to lose her dinner.
By the time Rachel got back to the table with her second martini, Lira wasn't feeling so well.
“You look a little pale,” Rachel said after she sat down with her drink.
“I'm thinking about what Sean might be saying to Jarred,” Lira whispered.
“Well, stop it! I doubt they even realize they both know you. So enjoy your drink and concentrate on our set tonight. You're being completely irrational.”
Irrational. Yes. Lira tried to focus on that. She was being irrational. Even if Jarred did know that she and Sean had dated, she doubted that Sean would launch a hate campaign. And even if he did, she had to hold her head high. She was an attractive woman, she had a good voice, and she could do a good job tonight... singing backup.
*****
Jarred had a fun night watching his new friends perform. He even spotted the hot redhead, Lira, early on at a side table with her friend and kept an eye on her. He wanted to approach her and say hello, but her friend seemed a little intimidating. It was something about the way she held her glass and held her nose in the air that kept Jarred from coming to their table. So he had just sat alone at his own table enjoying the Toasted Marshmallows' performance.
After the guys were done with their set, they began filtering back to the table and the usual pitcher of beer was bought to go around. Conor, their college student guitarist had made another excuse and exited out the back door toward the parking lot.
“I guess socializing isn't his thing,” Alex said and poured himself a glass of beer.
“Unless it's around a chess set,” Dave added in.
The guys all chuckled.
“Great job out there even with the odd man out.” Jarred gave Sean a pat on the back. It had been obvious to him that Conor hadn't been practicing with them, but the guys had done a good job of covering it up and Jarred wasn't sure if many other people could tell. “You guys really do well together, I can tell.”
“That means a lot,” Sean smiled. “I would say coming from you, but we haven't actually seen you play yet. When will that be, by the way?” He raised an eyebrow at Jarred. “Eh?”
Jarred took a sip of his beer. “Maybe soon. You'll have to invite me to one of your sessions some-”
“Monday.” Dave said before Jarred could even finish. “We practice on Monday. Sean's house. You're invited officially.”
Sean looked over at Dave. “Gee, thanks for inviting someone to my house.” He then turned to Jarred. “Give me your number, and I'll text you my address.”
After all the guys exchanged numbers with Jarred, they looked up to see that The Secret had taken the stage and were doing their sound check. Jarred tried not to stare at Lira too much. In fact, he averted his eyes away from her so he wouldn't be caught doing so, but the fact of the matter was that he was drawn to her.
Lira and her costar began to sing their set. The songs were beautifully arranged, just like the last time he had heard them sing. But this time he did notice one thing he hadn't before. Lira's costar had the lead on every single song. Her voice was showcased, not Lira's. This bothered Jarred because he wanted to hear Lira's voice, and on every song it was drowned out by her costar's.
Once it was over, and the guys started to head out the door, Jarred hung back and made his way toward the stage. He watched Lira packing up her keyboard for a moment before he cleared his throat.
She startled and nearly dropped the stand, catching it at the last moment before it fell. “Oh!” She stared at Jarred with wide eyes. “It's you!”
“Yep. It's me.” He walked up onto the stage and picked up the bag for her keyboard. “Here, let me help you with that. You did really great tonight, by the way.”
“Oh... thanks. I mean, thanks! For both things.” She set the stand down on the floor and then picked up the keyboard from where she had set it. Together, she and Jarred zipped everything up in the case. “Thank you again, Jarred.”
“That's three thank yous.” He smiled at her. “I must be doing pretty well. Can I carry this to your car for you?”
“Sure.” Her smile was small, but it was there.
He picked up the case and led the way off the stage to the back door where he held it open for her, being careful not to bang her equipment on the door frame. He noticed that she seemed a little tense and wondered if it was because he had caught her off guard. Before, when she had knocked on his door, she had seemed so much more at ease. Maybe he had come on a little too strong. Maybe she had a boyfriend. Maybe the guy would meet him at her car and hit him in the face. Maybe people in small town, Minnesota brought guns with them to pubs. He was used to walking around in California. He didn't know.
Once they got to her car he waited while she opened the doors so he could slide the keyboard into the back seat. “You really did do great out there,” he said once it was safely tucked away. “You have the prettiest voice. I only wish I could hear it more.”
She was standing next to the passenger door. The overhead light hit her hair and face in just a way that made her look like she were glowing. “You do?” She sounded surprised.
“Yeah.” He smiled. “I wanted to hear you sing by yourself. Maybe next time, okay?”
This time, her smile was genuine. “Some time soon.”
“I'll wait for you to get in your car. It's dark out here.”
She nodded. “Bye.”
He smiled. “Bye, Lira.”
*****
Lira drove home fast. She almost forgot to put her car in park when she pulled into her garage, and when then she just left her keyboard in the back seat. She hit the remote to close the garage door a few times, causing it to go up and down several times before it settled on down and stayed down. By the time she got in the house and locked the door behind herself, she was hyperventilating.
Her mind replayed what had happened and the things that he had said to her over and over again, and she could only come to one conclusion.
He liked her.
It had to be that. What else could it be? Men don't offer to carry things and offer compliments to women unless they liked them. She was sure of it. Plus, he didn't just give her the usual compliments about how pretty her hair was, or how pretty her eyes were. She had heard those before, and she already knew she had pretty hair. Big stinkin' deal.
He had wanted to hear her sing.
She threw her purse on the table, ran past the living room and up the stairs to the bathroom where she flicked on the lights and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked a little windswept and her cheeks were red, but eyes were bright, and suddenly a smile came to her face.
It had been a long time since she was excited about anyone.
Chapter 5
Bridges Index