“Is that your first time playing in public?”
“No. I played in concert halls when I was younger.”
“And nobody clapped?”
“Yes, they clapped, but in that setting everything is more restrained, even the applause.” And that summed up her life, didn’t it? Restrained. Careful. No excess. No wild momentsof passion. “It’s my first time playing in a pub. They’re easy to please.”
“Don’t kid yourself. This is the toughest audience you could ever have.” He was smiling at her but that was because he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand that praise and approval were so rare in her life that when it came she didn’t even believe it.
She glanced around and realised the place was packed, to the point that there was barely space between people. “Is it always this busy?”
“No. People heard you playing and came in from the street. We’ve made more money since you started playing than we have for the whole of the last month. People are dancing and dancing makes them thirsty. When they’re thirsty, they drink. What do I owe you?”
“Owe me?” She frowned. “Nothing. I was doing a favour for a friend.” And she was wondering if he wasn’t the one who had done her a favour.
When had she last enjoyed an evening this much?
She was having fun. So much fun that she was wondering why she’d stopped playing the piano. Why wasn’t she doing this every day?
And she realised that the reason she hardly ever touched the piano now was because there was no purpose. No concert to rehearse for. No reason to play it. She never thought to play for her own enjoyment. To please herself.
There was something in his eyes. Something warmer. Something unsettling.
Something that made her think he could read her mind.
“I don’t know what’s happening to you,” he said, “but I like it. And the friend thanks you. Drink your wine. I brought you a fresh glass when you were playing.”
She’d forgotten about the wine. “I don’t usually—”
“I know. But you’ve already broken your one-glass rule, so a third one won’t count. Billy is going to take a turn on the piano so you can dance. He’s not in your league when it comes to playing, but he’ll do.”
“Dance? I don’t—”
“If you’re about to tell me you don’t usually dance don’t bother.” He dragged her to her feet and it was so unexpected that she couldn’t find her balance and had to grab him to steady herself.
She was dimly aware of Billy taking her place at the piano with a happy grin and then Tristan slipped his arm around her waist, told the crowd to move aside and proceeded to twirl her to the rhythm of the music.
The rest of the evening was a blur of music, more piano playing and probably another glass of wine although at some point she’d lost track.
When Tristan suggested they step outside for a breath of fresh air she was reluctant. She wanted the evening to last forever.
She felt like a different person. A better person. The person she was supposed to be?
“Let’s go to the beach!” She grabbed Tristan’s hand and tugged him along. It was late now and the narrow labyrinth of streets that wound their way to the harbour was quiet and mostly free of tourists.
“Er—now? It’s dark.”
“All the better for what I have in mind.”
“Now I’m intrigued.”
She followed the path that led from the harbour and then fell away gently down to a small local beach. During the day at low tide it was crowded with families with toddlers but now it was empty and the only sounds were the gentle rush of the ocean as it hit the sand.
“Is the tide going to come in and drown us?”
“Not for another few hours.”
“That gives us time.”
