Jerry pulled out a small notebook from his back pocket with a tiny pencil, like the minigolf kind, stuck through the metal coil. He thumbed through a few pages of chicken scratch notes before looking at me.
“I’d like you to play. I have a cancellation next Wednesday. It would only give you about twenty-five minutes of playing time, but it’ll get your feet wet.” He was back to his notebook before I could say anything in return. “Be here about twenty minutes before you go on, your time slot is 10:30. Got it?”
I was shaking and frozen all at the same time. No words would come out of my mouth. My brain couldn’t process what he’d proposed to me.
“Chase?” Jerry asked. “Can you make it? If not, I’ve got to fill it with someone else.”
“I’ll be here.”
Jerry nodded, like this was the most unimportant moment in his life. It probably was.
But for me…this was monumental.
I rushed out to the car.
Pushing through the swinging doors back into the main room, I walked directly into a body. A body who had been waiting for me. Who knew I’d been on the other side of those doors.
“Christ, Chase, why are you in such a rush?” Amanda said.
The door behind me hit me in my ass, pushing me against her yet again. She grabbed me by my arms, steadying me.
“I’m heading out,” I said as I shrugged out of her hold. The distance I put between us she effectively eliminated. Each step I took toward the door, she took with me. “I have a car waiting. It was good seeing you. We need to catch up.”
I didn’t wait around to hear her response. All I wanted to do was get to Maryellen as I became lost in the throng of people.
Not being able to be honest with Amanda was another example of what was problematic with what Maryellen and I were doing.
A secret relationship was never something I thought I’d be involved in.
And I really didn’t like it.
CHAPTER 19
Maryellen
Chase ran out of the bar, looking up and down the street for the car. Ben waved out the window and honked the horn since he had to move down the street to wait. Chase said he needed to talk to Jerry, and I should believe him. But something gnawed at me, making me think he went back inside for another reason.
“There you guys are,” Chase said as he opened the door. “It got cold out here.”
The frigid air followed him into the car as he jumped into the backseat of the truck. The car jolted to a start, pulling out into traffic just as he closed the door. He seemed ready to bust at the seams with some type of news. A Cheshire cat smile spread across his face as he rubbed his hands together.
“What are you so excited about?”
“You’re never gonna believe this,” he said as he spun to face me. “Jerry asked me to play at one of their live music nights. Next Wednesday, actually.”
The sparkle in his eyes was something I wasn’t used to seeing. This gave him true joy, and I was thrilled he had such passion. The pang of guilt that tore through me because of who I thought he was talking to made me pause.
I gripped his face and stared straight into his eyes.
“You deserve this, Chase Parker, so much. I’m happy for you.”
It wasn’t a secret that working with his brother didn’t make him happy. Or maybe it wasn’t so much that but being in the world of finance in general. But this obviously did.
“Thank you.” A calm settled around him. He pulled my legs onto his lap. One of his hands gripped a thigh while the other went behind my back, holding me against him. We got comfortable against one another.
“Hey, aren’t we only a few blocks from your place?” I asked as I looked out the window. “Why in the world are you going to see me home, Chase? That doesn’t make sense. Can’t Ben do that without you?”
“Mare, you’re alone. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t see you home?”
