Page 58 of Strings

He walks away from me and to the table, waving to the waiter and handing him a credit card. He seems upset. Did I offend him? I didn’t mean to. Was that real after all?

“It’s late. We have a concert tomorrow and I need to get home. It was good seeing you again, Michael.” He walks around the table and hugs his friend.

“Bella, are you going back to the apartment?” he asks.

Bella nods eagerly.

“Great. Michael, would you mind making sure both girls get home safely? I forgot about some last-minute changes I need to get done before tomorrow.”

“Sure. No problem.”

The waiter brings the bill and Sebastian signs it and places his credit card back into his wallet. He hasn’t looked at me once. I don’t know why it bothers me, but it does.

I grab my purse from the table and stare at the full glass of wine I never drank. I should have picked the wine.

Absence makes the heart grow… something. Maybe weeds.

It’s almost four o’clock and everything seems in order for the performance tonight. Amy and I have been running around making sure the trip to Spain is set, as well as the details for the event. I haven’t heard a word from Sebastian and I find myself pacing near the front doors as I try to think of what I want to say when I see him.

I’m sorry for being weird, comes to mind. Maybe even,You caught me off guardorI’m not used to being treated the way you treat me. Nothing seems right. But one thing I know is that I hate how we left things last night. He kissed me on the cheek for the sake of Michael and Bella, but he barely looked at me. I was up half the night worrying that I had upset him and wondering about what it was exactly he had made me feel and what he’d felt too.

At 4:37, Sebastian walks through the main doors, carrying his garment bag and instrument case. He’s conversing with two other people as they enter. He doesn’t notice me.

“Sebastian? May I speak to you for a moment?”

“I’ll see you in a bit,” he says, waving to his fellow players. He looks at me with concern. “What’s up?”

He follows me around the corner, and when I stop and turn to face him, I’m taken aback by the piercing blue of his eyes. That’s right—concert day means no glasses.

“About last night…” I begin.

“Oh shit. Was it a bad ride home? I’m sorry to do that to you, but I remembered there was a small change that I wanted to work through.”

“The ride home was fine. It’s not that, it’s—”

He interrupts. “I know. This whole lying thing is taking its toll on you and last night was the pinnacle. I was thinking, I’ll be away in Spain for two weeks. That sounds like a good excuse for us to use as to why we drifted apart. What do you think?”

“Um, okay… so we break up when you get back or while you’re gone?”

“When I get back, I think. I’ll be busy touring and performing. No one will question us until I return. Then you can tell everyone I was a dick when I came home. They’ll believe it. I’m a dick most of the time anyway.”

“Okay. Well… okay.” I turn on my heel and start to walk away from him, unsure of what just happened and feeling really confused. I don’t know what I know anymore.

“Talia?”

I face him once more.

“Thank you. I mean it. You’ve been gold. I’ll never forget it.”

Giving him a thumbs up, I spin around, roll my eyes, and walk back to the conference room. That was not what I expected. I’ve been wanting this whole thing to be over all week. Why do I suddenly feel sick over it?

As the concert begins, I find everything is running smoothly for once. Amy insists that since we have free time, I should watch the opening to the concert. She pulls me backstage.

The entire orchestra appears to be seated, but I don’t see Sebastian. Lorenzo Siaclopoti walks across the stage and the hall bursts into applause. I lean my head forward and try to see Sebastian, but from this angle I can’t see much of anything.

Amy nudges me. “Here he comes.”

Sebastian walks up to the curtain in front of me. He’s in a tux with tails and he’s holding his violin. He turns his head and notices me. He smiles and winks before he steps on stage. The crowd bursts into applause once more, and I feel their excitement as I clap along with them.