Page 62 of Solo

D: Yes, you are. And I miss you. You’ve got great lips, you know.

K: I do?

D: Oh yeah. My lips think very highly of your lips.

K: Do they now?

D: They’re looking forward to seeing them in class tomorrow.

K: Hey! Keep your eyes off my mouth! No wonder your Bop is Hard!

D: Yeah, about that…

K: DEGT

D: WTF?

K: Don’t. Even. Go. There.

Chapter Thirty

Kate

I’m humming the Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations as I walk into the concert hall for my evening lesson.

“Ah, Bach. Someone’s in a good mood,” Russell observes when I drop my things on the stage.

“Maybe,” I say with a sheepish smile as I pull my shoes off and hop up onto the podium.

“Oh yeah?”

“Mm-hmm.” I nod.

“What’s his name?”

My head whips up before I can stop myself, confirming his suspicions.

“Uh-huh. That’s what I thought,” he says, pointing at me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Oh, please, Kate. I know you too well. Humming? Smiling? Relaxed?”

“Russ,” I say on a long sigh, “I can’t…”

He waves a dismissive hand in my direction.

“I’m just busting your chops, Kate. You don’t have to tell me anything about your trysts,” he says, making the last word sound naughty. I try to object but he stops me. “No, no, really. It’s none of my business. And besides, we don’t have time for chatting today.”

“Oh, and why is that?”

“Because you’ve got some Dvořák to learn, my dear Katherine.”

I’m confused.

“There is no Dvořák on the Wind Ensemble concert program.”

He grins up at me.