“Thank you. But...” She shifted her gaze to the crowd and blinked away the unshed tears.
“But what?”
“I have no idea why I’m telling you this,” she muttered, the words incredulous.
“Maybe because you need to talk about it.”
“Maybe.” She cleared her throat and fidgeted with her stir stick again. “It’s not just that she was family. I mean, she was, of course, but it’s more than that.” She pushed away her empty glass, the stir stick apparently no longer providing the distraction she needed. “My father left shortly after I was born, and my mother died a year later. My grandma was the only parent I ever had, the only family I’ve ever known. She was my support system. And now, she’s gone.”
Lena’s loneliness gaped like a black hole, swallowing me into its dark depths. I sucked in a breath at the shock of its intensity and strangled my beer bottle trying to pull myself out of my empathy and back into myself. I finally had her attention, but I hadn’t bargained on such a deep emotional connection.
Overwhelmed, I reached for her hand. Her palm was slick with nervous sweat, and as I wrapped my fingers around hers, they quaked. “I am so sorry, Lena. I can’t imagine what that must be like. My family means everything to me. But—” I ran my thumb across the back of her hand. “—you’re not alone. At least, not right now.” I quirked my mouth, hoping the goofy grin would lighten the mood.
Her eyes darted to her hand in mine, and her spine went rigid. She pulled her hand away in a slow, halting movement. “No, I’m not. Thank you for that.”
“Anytime. Really. If you want to get another drink sometime or dinner…”
Her eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly, her reaction bordering on panic.
I backpedaled. “Or a swim. My cousin Niko and I swim every day, right around that same place you ran into us earlier. You’re welcome to join us any time.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Thanks. We’ll see. I have a lot to sort out.”
“I’m sure. It’s an open invitation. Whenever you’re ready.”
“Would you two like another drink?” The bartender appeared out of nowhere, and my gut clenched in anticipation of Lena’s response.
She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
My mood sank, the extent of my disappointment surprising.
“I should probably get going,” she said. “I’ve had a couple and wouldn’t want to drive into an alligator pond.” Her lips trembled sheepishly, and I adored what it did to her face.
“Definitely don’t want that.”
She got up and slung her purse over her shoulder. I stood with her but didn’t know what to do with my hands—they itched to touch her—so, I shoved them in my pockets.
“Thanks for the chat, Elias. And the song.” She tilted her head. “I didn’t know how much I needed either.”
“Anytime, Lena.”
She nodded, gave me a little wave, and walked off toward the parking lot.
I watched her retreating form and tried to tease apart the battle raging inside me. I refused to believe my interest in her stemmed from anything more than needing to indulge my unanswered song. But I’d finally grabbed her attention, and my compulsion still demanded something more.
The sensation was sure to vanish as soon as I soaked up the adoration of the rest of the crowd. I waded through the sea of devoted fans until I found Niko at a table with two women staring at him like he was a celebrity. Perfect. Just what the siren ordered.
“May I join you?” I pulled out a chair and flashed my most charming smile.
The women glanced up and then at each other like they’d just won the lottery.
“Hey, E,” Niko said with his Southern drawl. “Just tellin’ Melanie and Veronica here about open mic tomorrow night at Coligny. If they bring friends, we might be convinced to sing a couple songs.” He smoldered at them with those dark, Mediterranean features of his, and I swear they melted into their chairs.
“Right on,” I said and took a seat.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” one of the women squealed, nearly bouncing out of her seat. “But we don’t want to bring friends. We want you all to ourselves.”
“Don’t worry about that, ladies.” Niko leaned back in his chair and held out both arms. “There’s plenty of us to go around.”
