“I’ve missed you too,” I told her, kissing her once again before I picked up one of the bags, took her hand, and guided her into the kitchen. I’d been in Frank Murphy’s house a few times before and was familiar with the layout of it. I set the bag of takeout down on the kitchen table and went back into the hall for the other bag.
When I returned to the kitchen, I found Connor grabbing two plates down from the cupboard. She looked up when I walked in, a grin on her lips. “How’d you know I was craving Chinese food?”
“Lucky guess.” I shrugged, watching as she brought the plates to the table and started dishing out the food. I’d ordered a little bit of everything: chow mein, chicken balls, eggrolls, lo mein, and pad thai siew—Connor’s favourite. I’d had a couple of slices of pizza earlier and wasn’t overly hungry, but my mouth was watering too much to resist a plate.
We sat down across from each other at the small table and dug in. “How’s Lara doing?”
“She’s good! She managed to score a placement with the hospital for music therapy, so she’ll be playing the violin for patients in palliative care.”
“Good for her!”
“Yeah. I was hoping to get a spot with her, but it would have been too hard to bring the piano to the patients. Honestly…I’m kind of glad I didn’t get chosen. I don’t think I could handle it now; it’d just remind me of losing Gramps.”
“I think you’re going to love doing your placement at an actual recording studio though. You’ll get some hands-on experience that we can use when we recordyouralbum.”
“I think you’re right.” Connor smiled. “So, tell me, how was your week? What’d you guys get up to?”
“Mostly hung out with Evan and Cal. Tai had us running around and we had a couple band meetings. We jammed a little.”
“How’s the album coming along?”
“Good, so far,” I replied, pausing to take another bite of food. “We’re on track to record Tuesday.”
“That’s good!”
I nodded. “Yeah, it is. Can’t give the label a reason to complain about our relocation.”
Connor’s eyes widened with surprise. “Have they been complaining?”
“No, not at the moment. We haven’t given them a reason to complain. But we’ll have to do every interview Tai has set up, and ensure we’re on track with recording for the deadlines Paul gave us. Once the album is recorded, we’ll plan it’s launch and the tour.”
Connor nodded. “Makes sense.”
“I want you to come on this tour with us, Connor.” Her eyes brightened at that, and the smile that graced her lips would have brought me to my knees if I were standing. I wanted to make her smile like that all the time.
“I’d love to,” she replied, tucking her hair behind her ear and peering at me.
“I guess Calum and Harper are having a housewarming party next weekend. Calum wants me to bring you.”
Connor’s hand froze halfway to her mouth with a piece of beef on her chopsticks. “Does he know?”
“No, he told me to bring the girl I’ve been seeing. He doesn’t know it’s you…yet. But Connor, we’re going to have to tell him—and soon.”
The concern in her eyes faded, and warmth filled her green irises like sunlight hitting a patch of the forest floor. “We’ll tell him before the housewarming, I promise.”
“Good.” I nodded, satisfied with her answer. “Then we can go together to the housewarming.”
She smiled and nodded, although I could see the worry in her eyes. “Yeah…” she trailed off.
“What is it?”
She lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug. “We almost got outed to my dad by the radio. You guys are all the local stations talk about, you and your ‘mysterious’ girlfriend.”
“Sorry about that.” I winced, not liking the uncertainty in Connor’s gaze. “As much as I hate to admit it, they’ll probably be more than a little interested in who I’ve been seeing once they find out it’s you. They might focus on us. Are you okay with that?”
“I am,” Connor told me, finding a smile for me. “I mean, don’t get me wrong…it’s still weird. I don’t know if I’ll ever get fully used to that side of the coin…but I want this, I want us. I want to make music and see the world…and I’d like to do it with you.”
“Good, because I want all those things and more with you,” I told her, holding her gaze so she’d see the truth of it.
