Chapter 7

“You can play like that, and you work like a dog for Viola?” he said as he sat next to me. I could smell his musky scent, and it was warring with my wish to keep him at arm’s length.

“It’s a hobby.”

“Bullshit. You…I’ve never heard anyone play like that.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Sure, it is. I couldn’t do it. Only thing I’m good at is numbers.”

Well, you’re good at fucking, too, but we won’t go there.

I sipped my wine and watched the crowd. “So is this a thing, now? Your constant presence at our events?”

“I’ve been missing out, it seems. I thought that, since you’ve always been so adamant about ‘forever’ and all that crap, I’d see what the fuss was about.”

Yeah, put that all on me. Whatever.

“And?”

“I can’t say that I would necessarily go to all this trouble to declare myself to someone for a lifetime, but it seems to mean a lot to the people who do this dog and pony show.”