Page 36 of Everything After

Wiping my eyes with my sleeves I stared at the ceiling, wondering why I was made so different. Why wasn’t I filled withjoy at the thought of domesticity with an incredible husband and a house full of babies?

CHAPTER 21

ALFIE

“Hey, Alfie, what an amazing surprise,” Derek, my old music professor stated when I walked into his campus office. I’d made an appointment to talk about mentoring since the moment I knew the band was taking a break. I was aware enough to know that I couldn’t go from everything to nothing—work wise.

“Take a seat. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t followed your progress with your band over the years.”

“I’ve been extremely lucky,” I remarked, a little embarrassed for the praise he gave me.

“Not lucky when you’re as talented as you are,” he countered.

I shrugged and nervously rubbed my hands together. “Thanks, but there are four of us in the band… Drew’s the real talent.”

“He’s a great guitar player, no doubt about that, but it’s you that draws in the crowds. It doesn’t hurt that your wife fronts XrAid either,” he suggested.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was Lily, so I cut to the chase.

“I’m stoked to be working with some of the students later. I can’t wait to get started.”

“We’re excited to have you back here. It isn’t often an alumni wants to mentor the up-and-coming music artists of the future—but there’s only one student I have in mind for you. She’s head and shoulders above the rest—classically trained in music as a child but has crossed over into rock. That’s where her real passion lies. I’ll admit I struggled to help her identify truly with the transition. So… now that you’re here…” he trailed off, gesturing toward me with an open palm.

“Sounds like a challenge. I can’t wait to get started,” I said.

The moment we headed across the grass courtyard from his building toward the music studios, a flashback played out in my mind in full Technicolor. In the scene, I pulled Lily behind the huge entrance door. She was soaked to the skin from a sudden downpour, her lacy bra visible through her wet, see-through blouse, and she looked totally edible.

My cock swelled in my jeans when I remembered how she’d looked at me with a mixture of contempt, anger, lust and sin, when I’d caged her in with my hands on the cold damp walls.

Even then, she’d had this magnetic pull that despite my best efforts made her irresistible, and I had been in denial that I shouldn’t go all in.

Not that I had commitment issues, but because at that time my life had a set of complex arrangements. I was juggling three jobs—mentoring music students, working as a paid escort,playing with my band, but most importantly, I’d had Kara and Poppy to protect.

However, my push-pull behavior showed little restraint on my part at times, but the more I tried to refrain from an emotional relationship, the further I’d gotten sucked in.

That magnetism and chemistry still existed in spades, but my restraint had been forced by commitments to our bands and living apart.

Derek pushed the glass door to the college recording studio and held it for me to enter before him. As I stepped inside, my eyes did a double take at the girl who sat at the piano.

My feet stalled for a beat because apart from the instrument being different, and her honey-colored eyes, she could easily have passed for the version of Lily I remembered from the past. My heart stuttered in my chest with the reminder about our current situation. I missed Lily every day and, knowing I was the one who had put us in this position, it didn’t sit well with me.

“Hey,” the girl softly mumbled, breaking me out of my revere. Hesitantly, she rose to her feet. “Delilah,” she offered and held a shaky hand out in greeting.

I flashed her a warm smile, aimed to set her at ease and slid my hand in hers. “Alfie,” I replied like she had no idea who I was.

“Ye-yes, you are,” she replied in a whisper as she pulled her hand back from mine, then quickly slapped herself on the forehead. “Sorry… nervous,” she muttered. Her cherry-red lips quivered with her smile.

“It’s me that should be nervous. Being here brings back so many memories,” I said as I gestured a finger in a circular motion of the room. “Do you know it was right here that I was told that Crakt Soundzz had been signed by Sly Records?” I disclosed, tapping my fingers on the desk beside us.

“Really? How cool is that”? she gushed, wide-eyed, like she was impressed. “Maybe one day.” Delilah shrugged.

“Maybe,” I agreed. Although it boiled down to being in the right place, at the right time, and in front of the right people. Being discovered wasn’t only about talent or being the best. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be those quirky, gimmicky songs, that fuck up the billboard listings for the rest of us.

“Best tips I can give you is work hard at your craft, network, and get your music in front of as many people as you can. Use live performances on social media to build up your following, and hopefully that will increase your chances of coming to the attention of the right person.”

Delilah smiled. “That’s great advice.”

“Alright, let’s hear what I have to work with,” I suggested, tapping on top of the piano. “Wow me,” I demanded.