April in Chicago was a capricious thing. There were days when a man would swear spring was there to stay. The skies would be blue. The breeze would be sweet. And the lake would look placid and perfect. And then…boom!Another snowstorm would move in, blanketing the city in white that would quickly turn to gray slush.
At the moment, they were experiencing the former.
He closed his eyes and breathed in the familiar scents of warm concrete, fresh air straight off the lake, and the earthier aromas of the planter boxes that lined the sidewalk at the café next door.
“So…” Sam blinked open his eyes when Fisher nudged him with an elbow. “We doin’ this or what?”
“What do I even say to her?” he asked, unable to hide the misery in his voice.
When Fisher had told the group about Cesar’s invitation—apparently Fisher and Cesar had exchanged numbers because Cesar was thinking of learning the harmonica for his act—Sam had jumped at the chance, theexcuse, to see Hannah again.
He’d missed her more than he’d ever missed anyone or anythingin his whole sorry life. But now that he was actually about to face her, especially knowing he couldn’t have her, the decision to come felt like a huge mistake.
“Who?” Fisher frowned. “Cesarine?”
“No.” Sam shook his head impatiently. “Hannah.”
“Oh.” Fisher blinked. “Did Hannah decide to come? I thought Cesar said she only ever comes on the weekdays because she hates the crush of the weekend crowds.”
Sam lifted his eyebrows, feeling simultaneously relieved and wretched. He’d just assumed…
Or maybe I hoped.
Yeah, that was it. Despite everything, he continued to live with the pathetic hope that someday, in some way, they’d run into each other and he’d be able to convince her there had to be a way to make it work.
How pathetic am I?
The bouncer gave each of them a jolly, heavy-handed slap on the back as they entered the club. The bartender, a skinny woman with impossible red hair that matched her lipstick, made them drinks stiff enough to have them coughing on the first sip. And the three tables Cesar had reserved for their group were right up close to the stage.
The bar smelled like sugary drinks, wig powder, and fried foods. And by the time Sam grabbed his seat, Eliza and Fisher were already up to their old antics, squabbling like a couple of kids.
He was about to lay into them when the house lights dimmed. The stage lights came up. And a hush fell over the crowd.
Itwasa crowd. Every table was full and it was standing room only at the back.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, all the gays and the theys.” The announcer’s voice sounded from the speakers. “Please put your hands together for…Cesarine!”
The bar exploded with applause as the opening bars of The Weather Girls’s “It’s Raining Men”filled the space. The curtains slammed wide and suddenly, there was Cesarine in six-inch heels and a yellow raincoat studded with a thousand rhinestones that caught the stage lights and glinted.
For the next forty-five minutes, Sam and the others enjoyed an amazing variety show. There was song. There was dance. And, of course, there was side-splitting comedy.
The drinks kept coming. The appetizers were tasty and fattening. And by the time the first intermission rolled around, Sam was feeling decidedly better about his decision to come out.
Instead of thinking of Hannah every second, he’d only thought of her every other second.
Maybe everythirdsecond.
It wasn’t much. But it was progress. And he’d take it.
“Are you Sam Harwood?” The waitress who’d been quick to refill their drinks placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
“Yes?” He blinked up at her in surprise.
“Cesarine has invited you backstage.” The server’s grin was genuine and friendly. “If you’ll follow me?”
Sam glanced around at his teammates. To a man—and a woman—they made shooing motions with their hands.
Curiosity, and maybe a niggle of apprehension, had him pushing from his seat and following the waitress to the black, soundproof door next to the stage. She opened it and ushered him through with the instructions, “Down the hall and then first door to your right.”
