Page 56 of Cold Hard Cash

“Oh, God, yes, please.”

“Open with Sinatra’s ‘The Way You Look Tonight,’ okay? It’s like, a freakin’ staple here, and it’ll help get the band warmed up to you. And honestly, ‘Since I Don’t Have You.’ The band has totally played it before, and plus, I gotta get my nerd on a little bit, and you know that one.”

“Okay. I’ve never really sung Sinatra. Can we work on that?”

“Of course! Anything special you wanna do for the last song? Rowena said we could have a little fun. Maybe somethin’ sexy for your man.” Dario waggled his eyebrows. “Marvin Gaye? Some Prince?”

“Oh, I know exactly what I wanna do,” Jimmy said with a crooked little grin. The song came to him in an instant, and he added hesitantly, “Do you, uh, know any Halsey?”

“Yeah,” Dario said, intrigued. “What song?”

Jimmy pulled out his new phone, poking around until he was able to retrieve the internet browser. He did a quick search, showing the video result to Dario.

“Oh, I can totally dig it,” Dario said with a big thumbs up. “I’m thinking, minimal music. Like, just me on piano and you singing. Maybe light strings, our violinist is a pretty quick study. Just go all Mariah Carey up there, and it’ll sound great. I know you’ve got the range.”

“Do you think... do you think he’ll like it?” Jimmy asked bashfully. “Cold, I mean.”

Dario tucked his hair behind his ears. “Uh, guess there’s only one way to find out?”

That hadn’t been the answer Jimmy was looking for, putting his phone away with a sigh. “I have no idea what I’m doing here. I thought I’d be bussing tables or something.”

“Hey,” Dario said, trying for a reassuring smile. “I’ve worked here for seven years. Actually started off as a busboy myself until Cold heard me messin’ around on the piano at the end of my shift one night. He didn’t know me from crap, but he could see I had talent, so he offered me a new job.”

“Really?” Jimmy smiled softly.

“Cold sees potential in people,” Dario said with a humble shrug of his shoulders. “Things they didn’t even think they had in them. Diamond in the rough stuff. He’s good at that, looking at people, figuring out how he can use them better.”

“Use them? You mean to exploit them?” Jimmy asked, a frown wrinkling his brow.

“Okay, it’s not like he’s a saint,” Dario conceded. “Far freakin’ from it. He’s Emperor level scary, no offense. But it’s like...” He was thoughtful for a moment before saying, “Okay, you know how your parents always tell you that you can be anything when you grow up? As long as you try real hard?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, let’s say you wanna be an engineer, but you totally suck at math. You would waste your whole life trying to do something that you’re gonna blow nuts at. But Cold sees that you’re super good at like, I dunno, gardening or whatever! And he has you go become a master landscaper and you totally rule the Green with Swamp Thing.”

“Still not following.”

“Nobody is nobody, and everyone has something to offer,” Dario said with a smirk.

“Are you seriously quotingBuckaroo Banzainow?” Jimmy scoffed.

“Yes! But it’s from the DVD feature. Anyway, it’s true! Everyone does have something to offer, and Cold will always find a way to get it. Everything he does is for a reason, and it’s always to benefit himself. But it’s also benefiting you. The best version of you is what will help him the most, and he will nurture that.”

“Okay, so, what’s your point?” Jimmy demanded, getting a little cross and folding his arms over his chest.

“My point is that Cold had you come here for a reason,” Dario said, holding out his hands in apology. “As long as I’ve worked here, you’re the first guy I’ve ever even heard of him dating. Or... whatever it is you’re doing. He definitely didn’t get you a job here to set you up for failure.”

“But he didn’t even know I could sing,” Jimmy protested.

“Are you sure about that?”

Jimmy thought of his shower serenading and blushed softly. “Okay, maybe. But Rowena didn’t know until—”

“Look, with that voice? It was gonna come out eventually.” He twiddled his fingers across the keys, a sly smile lighting up his face. “Maybe, just maybe, we can cook up a little bit of a surprise for Cold tonight, huh?”

“Yeah?” Jimmy rubbed his hands together, smiling again now. He got back up to his feet, giving Dario awkward finger guns in reply and a big grin. “Let’s freakin’ do this.”

“Easy there, Brisco,” Dario snorted. “Put those things away before you shoot your eye out.”