He walks up to the conductor, shakes his hand, and sits directly to his left, closest to the audience.
I can see him from the side as he places his violin on his shoulder. I realize I’ve never really seen him play this close before. He looks… serious, regal, and… gorgeous. My heart pounds in my chest. Why didn’t I let him kiss me? Who cares if it was real or not? It’s not like I have feelings for him or anything. I scoff at myself.
He holds the bow up to the strings as the conductor raises his hand.
When they begin to play, I close my eyes and for some reason, all I hear is Sebastian.
Amy nudges me and whispers. “What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?”
“Having him as your boyfriend? You must be so proud.”
My stomach does flip flops. I glance into the audience and see Mr. Bordo in the third row. Stepping back so he doesn’t see me, I purse my lips. I gaze over at Sebastian once more and decide I need to refocus. I’m way too in my head. I remember the rules of any good con, and number one is never catch feelings. He doesn’t have feelings for me and I feel nothing for him. This is a con, after all. Sebastian and I have been conning everyone into thinking we’re a couple. Tomorrow, he leaves for Spain and tomorrow, I go back to life before him. It’s going to be great.
“I’m going to go check some numbers. I’ll be back.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Amy asks.
“No. You stay. I’ll text you if I need anything.”
As I make my way back to the conference room, the music gets harder and harder to hear. The farther away the better, I tell myself. This whole thing is over. I should be relieved. I am relieved. Now I can focus on figuring out this new life I’ve created. In two weeks, I’ll be plain old Natalia Pearson, events manager, and I’ll never have to worry about Sebastian ever again.
I sit down at the table and something red catches my eye on the floor near the chair. I bend down and lift it off the ground. It’s a red pen that says “The Round Theater: Where Dreams Come True.”
That’s right. I think to myself. This pen is a sign. I stuff it into my bag. Another memory. The day my life became mine again.
Week one without Sebastian is odd. It isn’t just not having him around, but it’s also not hearing the constant sounds of the orchestra. The third floor apartment becomes almost too quiet. Cherese and Bella are both gone to Spain as well, and the other girls on the floor keep to themselves. Cherese lets me use her car while she’s gone and the freedom it gives me is exhilarating.
One day, I briefly see 3D in passing. She smiles and says nothing, which is the perfect kind of neighbor for me. No talking, no sharing, no faking anything. But I almost miss Cherese’s stomping up the stairs. Almost. That saying about absence making you miss someone is probably true for most people. Absence for me helps me forget. It’s all good.
Stella is thriving. I find that moving the end table to different positions helps her get the best light quality from better angles. She loves her new pink pot and it keeps her soil nice and damp, how she likes it.
Work is getting better daily. Without Sebastian as a distraction, I work longer hours and learn a lot more about the ins and outs of my job. I honestly feel I’m starting to get the hang of things. I’ve developed relationships with our security team, the union rep, and the vendors. Things are going well. As I sit down at my desk on the Monday of week two, I feel strange—uncomfortable. Things are going too well, and if I know anything about my life, it’s that nothing stays easy for long.
I decide to close my office door so I can close my eyes and breathe for a few minutes. Maybe I should start yoga or something. I seem to always be stressed these days. I’m certain this feeling will pass. What could possibly go wrong today?
As I arrive at my door, I hear Amy’s voice.
“Mr. Mercer! It’s so nice to see you! How was your trip?”
I step back away from the door and out of sight, my hands raised defensively. My left eye starts to twitch and I break out in a sweat.Dear God. Mercer…
“Hello… I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”
“Amy.”
“Oh yes, Amy! Of course. My trip was amazing. Mrs. Mercer would have bought the country if I’d let her. Is Natalia in?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck! What am I going to do?
I turn left, then right. I trip over my own feet as I try to decide what I’m going to say to him. Should I sit behind my desk or stand? Behind my desk…
I rush over to my desk and crawl under it to hide. It may be childish, but I don’t care. I’m not prepared to see the scum sucker again. I curl my legs up in a ball and suddenly fight the urge to pee. Jesus. I’m pathetic. There’s a slight gap under my desk and I can see shadows. They close in.
“Yes she is.” I hear their footsteps approaching and shut my eyes.
“Talia? Oh… she was just here. I don’t know where she went.”
