I don’t say anything. I just lower my head, hiding my hands in my lap.
After some silence, Jasmine asks, “Do you want to keep practicing?” But I don’t answer her. She doesn’t push me on this. Instead, she smiles and says, “How about I play you something instead, okay?” Her hands return to the piano. I close my eyes for a moment, listening to her song until…
“You shouldn’t be in here.”
A deep voice pulls me back from the memory. I look up from the piano as Jasmine vanishes, along with the music. I blink a few times and find myself in the auditorium again. Someone is standing in one of the aisles. But it’s too dark to make out a face.
“I said you can’t be in here,” the voice repeats.
I rise immediately, nearly knocking over the bench. “I’m sorry, I was just looking around.” I stumble through the dark, making my way down the stage. That’s when I notice Haru isgone. I glance behind me, wondering where he could be. But I can’t stay to look for him. The guy is still watching me from the side door of the theater. I can’t make out who he is from the silhouette. Hopefully he doesn’t recognize me, either. I hurry down the aisle, leaving through the double doors, hoping I don’t get in trouble and lose my job on the first day.
Ten
Haru is waiting for me outside. The marquee lights arebright against his face, bringing out the warmth in his skin. For a second, I thought he might have disappeared again. The moment I break through the doors, he smiles at me. Then he glances at my hand.
“Where’s your camera?”
I touch my shoulder, sensing the strap is gone. “Shoot,I left it inside.” It must be somewhere in the theater.
“Let’s go get it,” Haru says, turning to the door.
I grab his arm. “That guy’s still in there!”
“I’m not scared of him.”
“No, it’s cool,” I say, pulling him back. “I can just get it tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s no big deal.” I hate the thought of losing my camera. But we only have so much time left tonight. I don’t want to waste it looking around the theater. I’m sure it will still be there tomorrow. “There’s somewhere I want to take you,” I say. “It’s only a few blocks from here.”
“Another surprise for me?”
Haru smiles as I grab his hand, pulling him across the street.
There’s a mile-long waterfrontthat cuts through the city. High-rises stretch from both sides of the water, offering gorgeous views of the Chicago River. It’s a public space filled with cafés, bars, and wineries, with art pieces displayed along the way. People are sitting under patio umbrellas, having dinner along the water. It’s a nice place to bring someone for a walk. I’m keeping Haru close to my side tonight. I don’t want him to disappear out of the blue again.
Haru looks at me. “So you bring all your dates here?”
“Who said this was a date,” I say playfully.
“My mistake…” He looks away, pretending to be hurt. We both chuckle at this. Then he glances at the water. “How long does this go?”
“A little over a mile,” I say, keeping my eyes on him. “There are a few restaurants here, too, if you want to sit down.”
“I’m enjoying our walk.”
“Me, too.”
We smile at each other. There’s a slight chill in the air, but no winds tonight. A river vessel passes along the water. You can see people dining through the wraparound windows. Haru stares at it and says, “There must be a hundred people in there.”
“It’s one of those dinner cruises.”
“I wonder what they’re having.”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never even been on a boat.”
“Really?”
