Page 23 of Crescendo

I took her slower this time, knowing how she’d been just a little disappointed how quickly she’d finished both times last night, which—it was all well and good taking my time and savoring her on my tongue, but it did have the side effect of that I’d practically soaked through my pants by the time Ella finished, and when she pushed me up on the table to return the favor, her damn eyes looking up at me from between my legs as she touched her tongue to my clit and then sank into me, going deeper and taking me like it was the greatest thing she’d ever experienced—well, I came in about two seconds.

Didn’t matter a lot, though. We cleaned up and went to take a shower—figuring it made more sense to take a shower together, just out of sheer practicality, of course—and it ended with me pressing her up against the shower wall with my fingers buried deep inside her, her screaming my name as her fingers worked desperately over my clit and sent me before long into another orgasm, and, all things considered—by the end of it all, we needed another snack.

Once we’d finally finished satisfying each other for the morning, we made our way back to the music room, hands still all over each other as we, ostensibly, tried to focus on the compositions homework we had.

We started off with playing together, sitting side-by-side at the piano and starting our regular routine, and this time, we’d barely started before she paused.

“Lydia,” she said.

“Mm?”

“You can… go ahead and tell me what the chords are, and how they work, now. I think I’m ready.”

My heart ached in a beautiful happy way a little too much. That wasn’t a casual feeling.

Ah, who cared? Fighting those feelings would only make them get bigger and harder to ignore.

I’d just throw myself into it, feel them all I liked, and hope they mellowed out like most feelings did after two months.

I turned and kissed her cheek, going back to the D Major key she’d picked out for this one.

“This is a D Major chord,” I said. “In the context of D Major, of course, that’s the root chord, the base one, the most resolved chord.

It’s satisfying, it’s reliable. It’s a solid beginning and it's a happily-ever-after.”

She giggled, a cute little sound from next to me. “You are so much more a romantic than I’d had you placed as.”

“Oh, you thought I was an unromantic, heartless monster.”

“Mm-hm. Yes, darling, of course I did. Continue on, please.”

“Unbelievable.” I played the chord. “D Major, the first. Then… G Major, the fourth. The fourth is major, but doesn’t sound as resolved as the first, a hopeful, rising note.

It’s a powerful chord to pass between sections and leave this feeling like there’s more to come while still maintaining a major tonality.

When you combine it with A Major, the fifth, you get a couple of very classic progressions, like I-V-IV-V or I-IV-V-I.

I’ll make some progressions with just those three and name them as I play. ”

“Thank you,” she said softly, and I couldn’t shake the feeling it may just have been about a little more than the lesson on chords that I was sure she’d already heard a million times.

I played the chords, first just playing them straight, and then explaining inversions as I shaped them differently, giving her classic four-chord progressions before I moved into longer progressions, and she rested her head on my shoulder as we played together, her melodies blending beautifully into the chords.

She did learn quickly… which was terribly attractive.

I rested my head against hers as we played together, back into the dance of our shared music, and when we both seemed to settle on a sweet, heartfelt conclusion to the song, we lifted our hands off the keys, and I turned to her at the same time she turned to me, cupped a hand on my cheek, and kissed me, a deep, sweet kiss that felt adoring in a way that probably should have been a concern.

“More, please,” she said after she pulled back from the kiss, and I was pretty sure she meant more chords, but more chords, more kissing her thinking about how she made music feel like a beautiful thing full of passion and joy again—I’d happily do it all.

∞∞∞

Melinda snorted.

“Oh, you’re down bad,” she said, folding her arms on the counter looking down the video call at me. I sighed.

“You think I don’t know? It’s going to be a problem at this rate.”

She grinned. “Not gonna lie, dude, kinda love this for you. You’ve been dating girls without really feeling much about it for ages now. I was starting to think you’d just give up on dating altogether.”

“You say that like I’m going to marry this woman.

I’m still going to come back to LA and have to deal with dating even worse because I’ll probably be hung up on damn Ella Hendrickson and dating anybody else will suck for at least a year.

” I leaned back on the piano bench—the music room was home, this little-upright-that-could suddenly my favorite more than any concert grand I’d ever touched.

I’d been sitting here for a minute working on my composition after Ella had gotten snatched away by her friends for dinner, and I tried to pretend I wasn’t just sitting around pouting waiting for them to give her back.

It had been a minute before I realized I still owed Melinda a call ever since I hung up on her mid-call to fuck my roommate. She was a good friend.

“Hey, maybe you can convince her to come to LA. Show her sunshine. Once she gets over the shock and fear at the strange burning orb in the sky, bet you she’ll love the beach.”

“They have sunlight in London, you know, dumbass. Not… as much. But some!” I turned back to the piano, tinkling the keys softly.

This was something Melinda and I did a lot, catch up and chat over me dabbling on the piano.

Helped me clear creative blocks, playing without overthinking it, and the music helped give her some inspiration for dramatic shots, too.

I’d been so stuck on my music that we hadn’t done this in ages, and it was like coming home to finally be back, even thousands of miles away.

“Look, I just met this girl a week ago. I really like her, but I’m not going to start thinking about either of us uprooting our entire lives for the other.

She’s a doctor, working here in London. It’s her home. ”

“LA can always use more doctors.”

“You don’t listen,” I laughed. She grinned, drinking her mimosa before she set it down and kicked back in her seat.

“Pot calling the kettle black, and all that. Look, I’m not saying start thinking about moving to London or her moving to LA, I’m saying stop thinking about how you can’t. That’s been the answer to a lot of your problems, hasn’t it? Stop thinking so damn much.”

“Ah…” Judging by the way the music flowed right now—and how easily it had flowed when it was me and Ella earlier—she was probably onto something. “Maybe,” I conceded finally. “How are things with you? We didn’t finish our conversation last night.”

“Yeah, I fucking wonder why. But yeah, I’m doing all right. I’m up to my knees in administrative bullshit right now instead of real work, and it’s boring me to tears. Wish I had some cute person to come interrupt my phone calls for hot sex. Just without cellos involved.”

“What happened to that girl you were talking to?”

She grumbled. “Turns out she’s kinda boring.”

“Ah.”

“I signed up for this speed-dating thing later today, though, so maybe I’ll catch some hottie there.”

“If you do, let me know. If you find any time between them interrupting your phone calls for hot sex.”

“Dude, I haven’t gotten laid in so long. I’m afraid it doesn’t work anymore.”

“I’m sure your equipment is still functioning fine. If it’s not, go see a doctor.”

“You’ve got one over there. Bring her to LA.”

“She’s not a gynecologist, Melinda.”

“Thank god. Can you imagine? I could never get with a gynecologist. I’d be like… you’re evaluating my pussy with a rubric and I know it, stop it.”

“From the outside, seems like you could never get with anyone.”

“Dude. Fuck you. Also, this song is a vibe. It sounds familiar. From something?”

“It’s a bit similar to the Home at Last motif from The Finders. I’m just derivative of myself at this point,” I laughed, but I did feel lighter about it. It kind of was a vibe. It was just…

“Isn’t all art just derivative of other art and it’s just stealing all the way down?”

“You might be right,” I said quietly. “Hm.”

“Something in mind?”

“Maybe I never got blocked. Maybe my next ideas are just in a different direction.”

She grinned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, which usually means a creative breakthrough.”

“Don’t count your horses before they’ve hatched. Hold your horses. Chickens before they’ve hatched. Whatever. Forget it. I think maybe I can ask…”

Melinda raised her eyebrows high. “Ask who? Your girlfriend?”

“My rival’s sidekick.”

“Dude, what the fuck?”

“My rival has a sidekick. Don’t worry about it.

Maybe I do need some Wonderwall.” I laughed.

“Hey, I told them I was making a resolution to go in a new direction, try new things. I just have to catch her without Eliza around. Maybe if I get the dodgy bloke in on it too, I can channel everyone’s rocker energy. ”

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re on about, but it sounds like I should leave you to it.”

I laughed, shutting the piano lid, standing up. “You know? Yeah. Maybe. You have any fun plans for the weekend, or did you book Sunday off in hopes maybe it would be spent in a wild, listless sex haze with your speed date partner?”

“Anthony Bauer invited me over for a big dinner. I only get the invite to his place because I’m friends with you, so we’re probably just going to talk about you. I’ll let him know you’re off frolicking with a hot London girl.”

I did say we weren’t going to own it publicly, but did it count if it was an ocean away? “Please do. I know how he loves the drama.”

“I’ve literally never met a director who doesn’t. How about you? Any plans?”

I grinned. “Crescendo is taking everyone to see the Royal Philharmonic at Cadogan Hall tomorrow. We were supposed to book our seats all together, but I, ah… accidentally booked two tickets for the best seats in the house.”

“Oh, what an accident.”

“Guess I have no choice but to see how Ella gets inspired seeing one of the world’s greatest orchestras playing up close and personal. I guess if I find it beautiful, inspirational, and sexy in equal measures, then that will be a problem to resolve when we get there.”

Melinda rolled her eyes with a tired smile. “You’re so corny when you’re really into a girl. Whatever. Go have the most magical date together with this girl you assure me is so stunningly beautiful.”

“I’ll have to get you on a video call with her at some point. You’re going to be so fucking jealous.”

“Dude, I’m already fucking jealous. A girl coming in and straddling you in bed? Don’t make it worse by letting me find out she’s hot.”

I beamed. “I’m afraid you don’t get a say in the matter. Let me know how your speed-dating goes. If I don’t text you back right away, I’ve gotten what I’m hoping for tonight.”

“Always acting like you’re too cool for love and then you’re a total simp. Yeah, yeah. Get out of here. Go find your… rival’s… sidekick. Fucking weird, dude.”

It was a little weird. Hannah was going to think I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had.