Page 13 of Contract of a Billionaire

I chuckled. “Business must be good.”

“Today definitely is,” she retorted, glancing over her shoulder. Her gaze was focused on the furthest corner of the bar where the grand piano stood. There was nobody there. “We have live entertainment. They’re taking a break.”

“That must be some entertainment.”

Another smug smirk. “It is.”

“I’ll have my usual please,” I ordered.

Fleur turned her attention to Cassio, Luca, and Nico. The three of them recited their orders, and leaving us to it, she headed back to her spot behind the bar.

The four of us sat back into the comfortable leather booth seats. It didn’t take long for drinks to appear in front of us when the first tunes hit the notes on the piano.

The crowd turned to face the corner where the piano stood. The lights dimmed and a soft, melodious voice came through the microphone.

“Okay, peeps. How about something slower?” The voice was one I’d recognize anywhere and my head snapped in its direction.

Autumn Corbin sat behind the piano, her ebony hair pulled up in a high ponytail. It highlighted those high cheekbones, large almond shaped eyes and those plump lips that begged to be kissed.

Branka sat next to her, but knowing my sister couldn’t play the piano, I was certain that her friend was leading the show. The two of them shared a glance whispering something to each other.

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen,” Autumn drawled and even from here, I could see her lips curving into a mischievous smile. “We took your requests earlier. The rest of the night is for us. Because guess what?”

“What?” the crowd responded in unison.

“My bestie is taking a year off to be my sidekick.”

A roar rolled through the air. It turned out my sister and her best friend were frequent attendees here, as their names were chanted by the crowd.

Branka raised her hand to calm the rowdy attendees.

“Unpaid assistant,” my sister clarified, then elbowed her best friend. “I demanded a promotion.”

My little sister was the happiest when around her best friend and her family. Not that I could blame her. Our own family was fucked up beyond recognition.

“Pfft,” Autumn tsked. “Who needs money when we’re going to save the world?”

The two giggled and the tunes started. “So my awesome peeps, we’ll start with my man, Jaymes Young.”

“Is he good looking?” Branka’s whisper could be heard through the microphone.

“No clue,” Autumn replied, shrugging her shoulders. “But that voice can whisper anything to me. All. Night. Long.”

The audience’s chuckle filled the air. The two of them felt at home here. Fleur had often let them come here even during their high school years. She had given them reprieve, but not alcohol.

Autumn started singing. Her voice was soft, the kind that sent goosebumps rolling down your skin. Each word, each emotion. You felt it as if it was your own. It didn’t help that the song “I’ll Be Good” by Jaymes Young was relatable, charged with the very emotions and words that could easily reflect my life.

At certain spots of the song, Branka’s voice chimed in perfectly, which told me those two frequently played together. I listened to her sing, mesmerized, just as most of the men in this club.

Everyone in the room faded into the background as I watched her play with a dreamy smile, her fingers flying over the keyboard. I knew from my background check into Autumn’s parents that her mother used to be a musician. Obviously, Autumn had inherited her mother’s talent.

“She’s pretty good,” Nico remarked, side-eyeing me. “For someone so young.”

“Good looking too,” Luca chimed in, as always egging me on.

I flipped them both a middle finger, keeping my gaze on Autumn’s face that lit up with each note she played. The song switched. The tunes turned even more serious and sad. I had no idea if it was a song by the same singer, but it seemed too serious of a song to be listened to by a pair almost twenty-two year olds.

Autumn’s inky black hair reflected the lights of the bar. Her posture was perfect as she moved along with the music, the curve of her neck exposed, tempting me.