Page 18 of Crescendo

“I won’t be settling for less than perfection,” was how Eliza launched into conversation as soon as we were all there. “This is my first real chance to show Lydia—to show everyone that I’m the one to surpass Lydia.”

Bansi, without a single ill thought towards anyone in his life, accidentally shut down Eliza completely, by giving her an innocently curious look and saying, “I thought it wasn’t helpful to set goals based on other people?”

Eliza scowled at him. I tried not to smile too widely.

“I’m not,” Eliza said after a second. “I’m setting this goal for myself.

But incidentally, unless Lydia pulls a miracle, I think this will be the moment our competition really gets heated.

Hannah, too,” she said, elbowing her lackey lightly.

“She’s not about to accept anything less than a hundred percent on this as well. ”

“Oh, uh,” Hannah said, shifting uncomfortably. “I was actually thinking this one, sort of more wanted to have a little fun with it… I mean, it’s just the first one, isn’t it?”

Eliza scrunched up her face at Hannah. I was all on board with Hannah developing her own damn personality at some point during these two months, so I grinned at her. “Rocking out on it a little?”

“Yeah, actually,” she said, sitting up taller. “I think I really want to do something big and loud, do something that takes up space. Lots of driving energy, something sorta… classic songwriting structure, all around one chord progression, but something Beatles-y, complex.”

Eliza had a tone like an impatient mother trying to urge a teenager to behave. “ Hannah. The first composition is the one they’ll be judging us by. It’s going to color their perceptions of us for the whole program.”

“Well, yeah,” Hannah said. “And this is who I am, isn’t it?”

“We have a reputation to manage here,” Eliza said, and Hannah equivocated, clearly not wanting to lose Eliza’s approval. I cut in.

“A little contrast makes you both stand out,” I said.

“Next to Hannah’s, Eliza’s classical piece looks even more classical, and next to Eliza’s, Hannah’s modern piece looks even more modern.

You’ll help each other out like that.” I paused.

“So if you’re going to fight with your girlfriend, take it to another table, we’re all happy at this one. ”

Hannah rolled her eyes, looking away, while Eliza huffed at me. “Oh, would you mind your business, Lydia?” she said, her accent slipping a little.

Well, well. Eliza was just brushing me off, but Hannah had a certain je ne sais quoi about her. Wondered how much of the lackey act was born of a crush on Eliza. She needed better taste.

Bansi nodded enthusiastically. “Lydia’s right, though. You both embrace your own styles. That’s the most important part.”

Eliza waved him off. “Bansi, darling, have you ever not thought Lydia was right?”

Bansi, bless his little cotton socks, actually seemed to stop and think about it.

“When I’m right, I’m right,” I said lightly. “It’s not going to go well if you’re pretending to be something you’re…”

I trailed off sharply when—perfectly casual, as if nothing was happening, without Ella giving a single sign of anything—she placed her hand on my knee. I guess I’d invited this.

“Well, something you’re not,” I said finally, pulling my thoughts back to the present.

Eliza scowled. “Are you telling me I’m fake, then, is that it?”

“I’m not saying anything,” I said, barely paying attention to Eliza anymore as Ella’s fingers crept up just a bit higher. I surprised myself with the intensity of how my mind reacted— sudden, vivid thoughts of taking that hand and putting it where I really wanted it…

“Dare I say,” Eliza mused, “you might just be trying to distract from your own crisis of confidence. How are you feeling about yours, Lydia? Positively over the moon with delight about it?”

Hm. That was a pretty clever shot on her part.

Pity I didn’t notice because this incredibly sexy woman sitting next to me was running her silky-soft fingers over my thigh.

“I think I have quite a lot of inspiration these days,” I said.

“I’ve found a lot of things here in London to stir a lot of feelings. ”

Ella, not looking at me, smiled a little. This woman was too damn good at this, and she clearly liked knowing that she was.

“Hm. Then I guess we’ll see,” Eliza said, as the food came out to the table, and she took her drink and raised it towards mine. “Here’s to our first compositions,” she said, and Ella, with one last daring leap up my thigh, took her hand off me to pick up her drink, meeting everybody in the middle.

And I spent the rest of the meal not thinking a damn thing about the music and thinking entirely of where I wanted Ella’s fingers. And of where I wanted mine.

The second half of classes felt like they lasted forever, and when we finally got out, I made sure to be waiting at the front doors when Ella came down the steps with just a bit more vigor about her than usual, stopping with her eyes lighting up at the sight of me.

“Lydia—hey,” she said. “Did I keep you waiting?”

“Mm. You certainly have.”

“Ah.” Just like that, she went scarlet, trying to play it cool. Affectionately speaking—she did a horrible job. “Well, I don’t want to keep you any longer, then. Are you heading back to the apartment?”

“Of course. I have something special in mind for lessons today.”

She swallowed, giving me a wide-eyed look. Seemed like the girl confident and assertive enough to start feeling me up under the table was not here at the moment. “And what might that be?”

“I’ll show you when we get back. Unless you need dinner first?”

“No, I, uh—I think I’ll be quite all right, actually,” she said. “Well, let’s… let’s get a wiggle on, then.”

God, she was cute when she was embarrassed. I bet she’d be fun to tease. “A wiggle, indeed,” I said, and she cleared her throat.

“Ah—it just means, you know, let’s go.”

“I know. Well, wiggle away, then,” I said, gesturing her to the door ahead of me, and she laughed nervously stepping out the door.

And of course, today of all days was when we bumped into someone right outside the doors—Ella’s friends Alisha and Sian, who always seemed to come in twos, beaming at her.

“Ella,” Alisha said, stepping in for a quick cheek kiss. “It’s so good to see you.”

“First week of classes all done,” Sian said. “So proud of our baby.”

“Ah, ha.” Ella fumbled for words. “I’m a big girl now,” she finally settled on saying.

“Something wrong?” Alisha said. “You look like you’ve had a right nightmare of a day.”

“Just—” she fumbled, and I filled in.

“We got our first big project,” I said. “Big compositions to write. We were just on our way back to get started on them.”

“Ah.” Sian got a glint in her eyes looking between the two of us. “Well, I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your project.”

Alisha didn’t get it in quite the way Sian did, lighting up at Ella. “You’re already doing a whole composition? That’s incredible. And I’m sure Lydia will be a huge help anywhere you need it.”

I smiled warmly. “I’m happy to help out Ella with anything she needs.”

“Uh,” Ella said, trying not to squirm there in the street.

Taking a cool, collected woman—a qualified radiologist working right here in the heart of London—and making her squirm, it turned out, was very satisfying.

“I’m still—” She caught herself with a nervous laugh.

“I’m still second-guessing myself. Suddenly I feel like I’ve never done music before. ”

“You’ll do amazing,” Alisha said, and Sian nodded, hands in her pockets.

“I’m sure Lydia will love what you do,” she said, and Ella pursed her lips, looking pointedly away.

“Sian and I were going to invite you for celebratory dinner,” Alisha said, “but you seem to be… busy?”

Ella swallowed. “We’re just really eager to get into this project… I’ve had ideas steeping all day. Sorry, you two. Maybe, er—maybe we could do tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow works,” Sian said. “Have a good evening, you two. Enjoy the music.”

I deliberately strolled slowly once we’d lost the two of them, heading back towards Queen’s Gate Terrace. “They’re lovely,” I said, and she laughed awkwardly.

“They are. They’re nosy. But they’re sweet.”

“Seems like you have a thing for nosy people.”

“Hm. You’d like that, I’m sure.”

“I would,” I said, which won the exchange—as I always did—leaving her in a state as we got back to the apartment. She looked at me with wide, expectant eyes, her whole posture shy, as she shut the door quietly behind us.

“So… your something special you were going to show me…”

I put a hand on her upper arm, and she softened with a quiet sound. “Have you played the strings before?”

She jerked back to alertness. “What—oh—string instruments? Er—that’s what this is?”

“I think it’s time to sample another instrument.”

“Ah… right. That makes sense.” She took a long breath, putting on a smile. “Yes—actually—just a little bit. I played the violin when I was little. I switched into woodwinds, though. Just the violin, though, and I’m not very good.”

I desperately wanted to ask her about the clarinet—to see how well she would play that thing once she pulled it out—but I knew it was still the raw, bleeding heart of this whole thing she had, so I set it aside.

“You don’t need to be good,” I said, slipping my hand around to her upper back and guiding her towards the music room.

“Just to build out your repertoire and understand more of the orchestra. Let’s get you set up with the cello. ”

“Not the violin?”

“No, the cello. I’m very willful.” I led her into the room, shutting the door behind us, and when I looked back and saw Ella’s eyes—those damn eyes of hers, long lashes fanning out with strikingly dark mascara, her green eye glistening in the light—I couldn’t help getting a little too friendly.