Nico ducked his head, and I noticed a hint of pink tinge his cheeks. “Thanks.”
“I’m only here on Fridays,” I said. “Will that work for you?”
He nodded. “Yeah. My boss lets me off early on Friday so I can spend time with Cody. I can be here by three.”
“That should work. My classes with the older kids start at four. That will give me plenty of time with Cody.”
Nico gave us a tentative smile. “I really appreciate this. I can’t pay much right now, but I’ll do what I can.”
Jeremy was already shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. When you start getting paid better, we can talk about payments. Until then, this school is here to give opportunities to kids whose parents can’t afford to pay for lessons.”
Nico’s eyes got shiny. “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Jeremy said. “Come to my office so we can get Cody signed up.”
After they left, I made sure all the keyboards were turned off before I locked up the classroom. It was after seven, and I was hungry and tired. I grabbed a bite to eat at a nearby Korean Fusion place and then walked to the station to catch the next train to the City.
Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long for the train to arrive. I took a seat in a half-empty car and put in my noise-cancelingheadphones. I was listening to the score from the musical I’d gotten the contract to substitute for. The musical director would expect me to play as close as possible to how the principal pianist played it.
During the hour-and-a-half ride, I couldn’t help thinking about the evening I spent with Tony. He’d done everything I’d asked. He didn’t make a fuss when I wanted to split the check both for dinner and at the bar. The sex had been spectacular—again. But when he offered to clean me up, I freaked out internally and hightailed it out of there as quickly as I could. I felt bad about it because I could tell I’d hurt his feelings. I was beginning to wonder if this arrangement was a good idea.
But I liked hanging out with Tony. We always had good conversations. He was always respectful. He even stayed for my audition when other men would have wandered off to a bar or gone home in a huff. I blew out a frustrated breath and leaned my head against the headrest. I wish my stupid brain would stop telling me I was in danger whenever Tony got too close. Maybe it was time for me to go back to therapy.
My eyes had just drifted shut when my phone vibrated with a text. It was from Tony.
How did it go at Jeremy’s school? Did you tell him about the audition?
It went well. He asked me to teach Cody piano. I think you know him from the Drag show night. And yes, I told him about the audition. He was very happy for me.
Of course I know Cody. That’s awesome that you’re going to give him piano lessons. He’s had a rough year. His mom was killed last April and his dad just got out of prison in October.
Oh wow. Jeremy didn’t tell me any of that. But Cody was standing right there, so I guess I can understand why.
You still in Jersey?
On the train to Penn Station. We just passed Newark Airport.
On a whim, I added:
What are you up to tonight?
Not much. I cleaned my apartment and got some takeout. I was about to watch a movie. Why, you got something in mind?
Want to come to my place tonight?
There was a long pause, during which the dots danced and stopped before dancing again. Finally, a single-word answer popped up.
Sure.
I’ll text you my address and let you know when I get home.
I spent the next half-hour wondering if I should have done that. Did I really want Tony to know where I lived? Then it occurred to me that he could easily find out where I lived if he wanted. His brother Michael could find my addresswith a couple of keystrokes. I sighed. “Shut up, brain. You’re annoying.”
The man sitting across the aisle from me glanced over and chuckled. “I hear you,” he said.
The rest of my trip was uneventful. Thankfully, there were no delays on the subway and no weirdos stalking the platforms. It was almost ten by the time I got to my apartment building. I texted Tony.
I’m home. If it’s too late, I understand.
