That was all it took. My back arched as pleasure engulfed me. I cried out, distantly aware that Sean shouted my name shortly after.
It took me a little while to come back to reality. I turned my head to see Sean smiling at me from the laptop.
“I love you,” I said.
He smiled. “I love you too.”
We both took a couple of minutes to clean up. Then we settled back down to chat.
“How’s Liam doing?” I asked.
“Better,” Sean replied. “He’s got one more week in his intensive outpatient program. Then he’ll start going to individual therapy. We found a trauma therapist near here that does EMDR therapy, but she said he had to be more stable before they could go that route.”
I nodded in understanding. “It can get pretty intense. I’m glad she’s planning to take it slowly.”
He sighed softly. “Yeah.” After a pause, he asked, “How did your concert go? Another standing ovation, I’ll bet.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “It went very well, and yes, we got a standing ovation.”
“They don’t call you the best for nothing,” Sean said.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. Weariness overtook me, and I stifled a yawn. “I’m going to turn in. Can I call you tomorrow morning?”
“Of course,” he replied. “Anytime. I always like hearing from you.”
“Goodnight, Sean.”
“Goodnight, Jeremy.”
* * *
Early October—SanFrancisco, California
Halfway through. I stared at my phone's lock screen where I’d put the selfie of Sean and me on our first date. One more month, and I would feel his arms around me again. I would hear his voice in my ear, rough with desire as he thrust into me. We would walk the boardwalk hand in hand, even though it would be cold, just to see the moonlight shining on the water.
A knock on my dressing room door interrupted my pleasant reverie. I opened it to find Isaiah and Ryan standing there. “Hey,” I said with a smile. I opened the door wider. “Come on in.”
Both men gave me a hug when they entered. Since tonight’s performance was with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Isaiah, Ryan, and I met up for dinner a couple of times during the week after rehearsal. Tonight we were going to a restaurant on the wharf, and I was looking forward to it. I really wished Sean could have been with us. He would love San Francisco.
“Your performance was amazing,” Ryan said. “Isaiah kept telling me how good it was, but I didn’t really understand what he meant until I saw you tonight. You were great at the fundraiser, but you with an orchestra is next level.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly. I got my phone off my dressing table and said, “I want to take a selfie of the three of us and send it to Sean. I told him we were going out to dinner tonight.”
We all got into position, and I snapped the shot. I sent it off to Sean, knowing he probably wouldn’t see it until the morning because it was after midnight on the East Coast. To my surprise, Sean texted me back right away.
Sean:Nice pic. Tell them I said hi.
Me:Will do. I love you. *heart emoji*
Sean:I love you. I wish I could be there.
Me:Me too.
* * *
Late October—Paris,France
What idiot thought it would be a good idea for me to do a two-month concert tour? Oh, that’s right. It was me. I’m the idiot who thought it would be a good idea for me to do a two-month concert tour. I’d been so happy that I could finally manage my anxiety and play in public that, in true Jeremy Fitzgerald style, I went the overachiever route. I wanted to kick myself.
