cigarette from the pack and set it on the table, then took a long drink. Leave it to Henri to drink Remy Martin XO cognac like it was beer. “Good stuff,” he said when Jason shook his head. “How can I drink it slow?”
“Would one of you just tell me so we can get this done with?” Jason growled. “Who did you choose? Number one or number five?”
“We chose number zero.” Jules ran his long fingers through Jason’s hair, raking his nails over Jason’s scalp. God, that felt amazing!
Jason tried to focus, but Jules’s hands were too much of a distraction. “Number… what?”
“Number zero,” Jules repeated.
“There were six pianists auditioning.”
“True.” Henri was far too pleased with himself. He’d propped his feet on one of the empty chairs nearby and was sprawled, legs open, arms dangling, over his own chair.
“Shit.” Jason shook his head. Between the warm glow of the cognac, the long week, and the feel of Jules’s fingers as they found their way from his scalp to his chest through the space between the buttons of his shirt, Jason’s brain had taken a minivacation. “No. No way.”
“You said we could choose,” Jules pointed out with a giggle.
“I didn’t say you could choose me.”
Henri was defiant. “You didn’t say we couldn’t.”
“You told us to pick the best pianist.” Jules released Jason and walked around the front of Jason’s chair. He was grinning.
“Look,” Jason began, “you know how I feel about perform—”
“You’ve filled in at least ten times for David in the past two years,” Jules pointed out.
“And you knew exactly what Jules meant when he was trying to explain the music to the pianists.” Henri flipped the cigarette through his fingers as he spoke.
“Tell me,” Jules said as he kneeled in front of Jason’s chair and planted both of his elbows on Jason’s knees, “when is the last time you were scared of performing?”
“I’m always nervous,” Jason said without hesitation. Well, he was nervous when he played. Why did he feel so defensive about this?
“So am I. You know that. We all are. It’s what gives you the energy to make a performance really good.” Jules was still smiling.
“Nervous isn’t scared,” Henri added.
Who’s the lawyer here? Jason was losing the argument. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty on all counts.
“Tell me you didn’t have fun playing with us.” Jules chewed on his lower lip. “This week. Tell me you didn’t have fun.”
“I had fun.”
“And two months ago, in Lyon,” Jules continued. He wore the expression of a man utterly convinced. “I saw you smile while you were playing.”
“I might have,” Jason conceded. He couldn’t deny any of what Jules said, but he’d only come to terms with not being a musician a few years ago. To consider shifting gears now….
“So?” Jules prodded.
Jason sighed. “And I don’t know.” When Jules looked disappointed, Jason added, “Come on, Jules. You know what it was like for me before I met you. You’re asking a lot.”
“I know I am.”
“He’s not joking,” Henri put in. “You really are the best choice.”
“I need time to think about it.”
Jules released a long breath and shook his head. “Have you ever just gone with your instinct and said yes without thinking?”
Jason smiled. “Yeah. One time. I invited this guy I met at a bar back to my sister’s apartment.” He got up and hugged Jules tight against his chest. “Best damn decision I ever made.”
“You need to think less. What do they say in English? ‘Go with your belly’?”
“Go with your gut.” Jason laughed and kissed Jules.
In the end, Jules gave Jason time, although he asked once again the night before they flew to Milan. Jason just hedged, saying, “I really am thinking about it. But I need time.”
Present
J ULES DIDN ’ T speak, but he looked up at Jason with bright anticipation in his eyes.
“Well?” Aiden finally
“Would one of you just tell me so we can get this done with?” Jason growled. “Who did you choose? Number one or number five?”
“We chose number zero.” Jules ran his long fingers through Jason’s hair, raking his nails over Jason’s scalp. God, that felt amazing!
Jason tried to focus, but Jules’s hands were too much of a distraction. “Number… what?”
“Number zero,” Jules repeated.
“There were six pianists auditioning.”
“True.” Henri was far too pleased with himself. He’d propped his feet on one of the empty chairs nearby and was sprawled, legs open, arms dangling, over his own chair.
“Shit.” Jason shook his head. Between the warm glow of the cognac, the long week, and the feel of Jules’s fingers as they found their way from his scalp to his chest through the space between the buttons of his shirt, Jason’s brain had taken a minivacation. “No. No way.”
“You said we could choose,” Jules pointed out with a giggle.
“I didn’t say you could choose me.”
Henri was defiant. “You didn’t say we couldn’t.”
“You told us to pick the best pianist.” Jules released Jason and walked around the front of Jason’s chair. He was grinning.
“Look,” Jason began, “you know how I feel about perform—”
“You’ve filled in at least ten times for David in the past two years,” Jules pointed out.
“And you knew exactly what Jules meant when he was trying to explain the music to the pianists.” Henri flipped the cigarette through his fingers as he spoke.
“Tell me,” Jules said as he kneeled in front of Jason’s chair and planted both of his elbows on Jason’s knees, “when is the last time you were scared of performing?”
“I’m always nervous,” Jason said without hesitation. Well, he was nervous when he played. Why did he feel so defensive about this?
“So am I. You know that. We all are. It’s what gives you the energy to make a performance really good.” Jules was still smiling.
“Nervous isn’t scared,” Henri added.
Who’s the lawyer here? Jason was losing the argument. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty on all counts.
“Tell me you didn’t have fun playing with us.” Jules chewed on his lower lip. “This week. Tell me you didn’t have fun.”
“I had fun.”
“And two months ago, in Lyon,” Jules continued. He wore the expression of a man utterly convinced. “I saw you smile while you were playing.”
“I might have,” Jason conceded. He couldn’t deny any of what Jules said, but he’d only come to terms with not being a musician a few years ago. To consider shifting gears now….
“So?” Jules prodded.
Jason sighed. “And I don’t know.” When Jules looked disappointed, Jason added, “Come on, Jules. You know what it was like for me before I met you. You’re asking a lot.”
“I know I am.”
“He’s not joking,” Henri put in. “You really are the best choice.”
“I need time to think about it.”
Jules released a long breath and shook his head. “Have you ever just gone with your instinct and said yes without thinking?”
Jason smiled. “Yeah. One time. I invited this guy I met at a bar back to my sister’s apartment.” He got up and hugged Jules tight against his chest. “Best damn decision I ever made.”
“You need to think less. What do they say in English? ‘Go with your belly’?”
“Go with your gut.” Jason laughed and kissed Jules.
In the end, Jules gave Jason time, although he asked once again the night before they flew to Milan. Jason just hedged, saying, “I really am thinking about it. But I need time.”
Present
J ULES DIDN ’ T speak, but he looked up at Jason with bright anticipation in his eyes.
“Well?” Aiden finally
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