When I entered the dimly lit piano bar, I was surprised to see that it was exactly what it appeared to be: a bar with a piano in the center. A woman greeted me at the door.
“Good evening. Will you be listening or playing tonight?”
My eyes got wide. “I will be, um… listening. I mean, I played piano as a kid, but… listening.”
She smiled and pointed to a little table in the center of the room. “Why don’t you sit right there, and Andrea will come over to check on you momentarily.”
I hung my coat up on the rack and took my seat. Andrea came over immediately, to which I put in an order for any hot drink she had.
“We make our own artisan cider with organic apples from Eastern Wyoming. Would you like some?”
I agreed, and she left. The woman from the front of the bar took the mic as the piano player finished his tune.
“Let’s give a round of applause to Tom for his rendition of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’!” The crowd wildly cheered him on. “Next up, we have Jason and the player of his choice.”
The man whom I presumed was Jason stood up and dramatically scanned the crowd, picking out a woman who was sitting in a booth with several others.
“Okay, Jason. You two will need to play a duet of ‘Auld Lang Syne.’” The pair looked at each other in panic as they exchanged words in rapid fire. Once they started playing, it was clear that one person really had the ability, and the other one had never seen a piano before. It was quite fun, and despite some off notes, the song was recognizable.
Once that song was over, and I was on my second mug of cider served in a giant pottery mug that fit the vibe, the announcer was busy with seating a large group, and another man took his turn. I could only see the back of him as he played a solo song, a wildly inaccurate rendition of ‘FurElise,’ but it was charming, nonetheless. Despite my five years of piano lessons, the only keys I’d touched in the last fifteen years were on my computer’s keyboard, so I cringed when I thought of my ability.
The announcer returned with her soft microphone. “Thank you, sir. Please choose from the crowd, as you’ll be doing a duet.”
When he turned, I saw his face for the first time. We made eye contact the instant he turned around, and it didn’t dawn on me that I should look away or get up and leave. But when he pointed right at me, my mind went blank.
“Wait, what? Me?” I shook my head. “I told the woman I wasn’t playing tonight.”
When the man got closer, his beautiful face came into focus as he offered to change his choice. “If you’d rather not, I can choose someone else.”
He had a handsomely, unusual appearance with auburn hair and olive skin. His freckles looked like a map to the hidden universe of my soul. He had striking, green eyes. Did I really have a reason to say no? Itwasmy birthday, after all, and it would be a memorable experience. If I said no tothis chance experience, what were those five years of piano lessons really for?
“Okay, sure. I’ll do it.” A few claps escaped from the people sitting around me as I got up, walked over to the piano, and felt the cushion of the seat creak below our weight.Lord, please keep this seat from falling.I giggled at the thought of my plea to God, as the announcer came up with our assignment, and it was then that I saw she did so by picking out a random song from a large fishbowl filled with folded up pieces of paper.
“You two will play ‘Chopsticks.’” The previous players groaned at our easier assignment, while the man beside me leaned in.
“We totally lucked out. There’s only one of those in the fishbowl each night. Do you know it? If you don’t, you can follow my lead.”
I nodded my head. “I know it. I just have to warm up. You start, and I’ll follow.” And he did.
I couldn’t help but notice how his agile hands moved across the keys like they were floating above them. After he started, my mind remembered the tune while my fingers started playing keys. The hair on the back of my neck stoodup at the first few notes. I stayed on one side of the piano, but slowly, my hands reached further towards his side, reaching for the keys my heart remembered. He closed his eyes while he played, and I peeked at the man more than once. I missed a few keys, but he kept going, only smiling as he smoothed out the song with the right notes. Finally, by accident, our hands touched while we reached for the same key. Instead of moving, he put his hand over mine and we both hit the key, sending an electrical spark from my hand to my heart.
When the song was over, I felt emotion wash over me. It wasn’t just that it was a lovely song, but it was a novel experience. Though we were in a room full of strangers, I felt like we were the only two people in the world. I didn’t know that man, nor was I prepared to know him, but his presence felt empowering to me. Just being near him was healing for my broken heart.
He stood up and reached his hand out to shake mine. “Thank you for the song.”
Seeing his face was the equivalent of staring into the sun, and I felt silly for being overcome with emotion then. I shook his hand quickly and smiled, feeling awkward at what to say. He shuffled his feet and motioned to his table off tothe side, and I looked to see who his friends were. They looked like a fun group, all smiles as they looked over at us.
“Thanks for choosing me.” I did a curtsy. “I’ll let you get back to your table.” Not hearing any objections to my words, I turned to leave but saw hislingeringout of the corner of my eye as I paid my tab at the bar. I stole one more glance over my shoulder and caught him back at his table. He was sitting at the edge, looking in another direction. Despite his attractiveness and the fun experience, I wasn’t ready to jump into his friend group and chat. My social battery had drained and left me feeling exhausted. My eyes were puffy and my sinuses were blocked from crying.
As I walked home, I said a prayer about that man, whoever he was, that maybe we would cross paths again.
Chapter 3
December 22nd
“I’m sorry I’m late! I hope I haven’t kept you waiting long.”
“No problem, Claire. It’s only been three minutes.” Anna gave off a cool smirk as she stirred some cream into her coffee. “Have a seat. I can’t wait to hear how your week is going.”
