My Melody (Downtown Book 3) by TJ West Page B

sincerely. “Your sister is now a part of our family - that includes BT2090. The same goes for you."
    I was almost ready to take another bite of my sandwich, but it never touched my mouth. June has made me speechless. "I don't know what to say."
    "You don't have to say anything. I am just glad you're here and we can talk. So…tell me about what you did as a musician, what instrument did you play? Or did you just sing?"
    Again, she has taken me aback. This whole friendship thing is certainly not what I was expecting. I’m not used to discussing my history with music, but she makes it really easy for me. "I played the acoustic guitar…sang. Indie rock stuff."
    "Fantastic!” June exclaims. “I'm a big fan of indie artists. I'm thinking of signing a newbie who also is an indie rocker. Did you write your own songs?"
    "Yeah, totally. Had booklets of them growing up." After my injury I wanted nothing to do with those booklets again. I boxed them up and haven’t looked at them since.
    "Do you still write?"
    "No,” I sadly mention. “That all pretty much dried up years ago."
    "Can I ask why?"
    I suddenly don’t feel so hungry anymore. I put my plate on the coffee table, then take a drink of my water. It shouldn’t be this hard to explain. "I got injured at work. Did some bartending back in the day. Screwed up my right hand, slicing limes.” I explain to June that I’m ambidextrous: which means I can use either my left or right hand for things. “The nerves that connect to these two fingers," I show June my pinky and ring finger, "got damaged. Our insurance didn't cover therapy, and the fucker who owned the bar couldn't afford to help me either. He left me high and dry. Fled the country. Such a fraud." I shake my head, still bitter about the whole situation.
    "Oh, wow. So I assume your right hand is the hand you use the guitar pick with, correct?"
    "Unfortunately yes."
    "Have you thought about getting therapy for it now? I mean since Harmony gets insurance with the hotel and all."
    "Too late. Lost cause,” I shrug.
    "It's never too late,” June says, then adds, “Plus you're not a lost cause. I'd actually love to hear you sing sometime."
    Ok, what ?Now I am getting quite suspicious about my reasons for being here. "What is this?" I ask suspiciously.
    "I'm sorry?"
    I scowl and feel very uncomfortable, so I snap at her. "What the hell am I really here for?"
    June can sense my discomfort. "Like I said…to get to know you better. That's all. If I have stepped on any toes, I apologize,” she places her hand over her chest.
    Even though she has apologized I don’t understand why she’s so interested in my non-existent music career. I wonder if this whole meeting was a set up by my sister. "I feel like I'm under some kind of hidden surveillance, or agenda - how to get Melody out of her misery. Did my sister put you up to this?”
    "God, no of course not Melody, she didn’t. We have never discussed your past. Honest,” she promises. “Again, I am so sorry. No more discussing music. I promise."
    Now I feel like a fool. June is so sweet and honest I don’t know what got into me. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. Of course Harmony never discussed my past. That’s something she would never do to me. She knows how it affects me. Poor June. I feel horrible with how I just behaved.
    I close my eyes and let out a breath. "Shit…I'm sorry, June. To be honest…music was my whole life. I breathed it, tasted it, slept with it. Lived it. I thought my life was over when I started raising Harmony. Then I realized I could still play and sing in small bars, clubs. My dream wasn't totally over. But once I got hurt…it was. I've been in a slump ever since." I have never opened up to someone like this before. No one, other than Harmony has heard me speak of it. It’s almost like I am telling a story about someone who I used to know. It’s so surreal to me.
    June quietly asks, "How long ago was your accident?"
    "Five - six