Love at The Bluebird

“Does your brother play for your band?” I ask, because I haven’t heard anything about his brother being with him, and last night he was playing solo.

“My brother quit music when his girlfriend unexpectedly got pregnant.”

“Oh,” I murmur quietly, not knowing what to say. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was for the best; music was never his first love. Baseball was, and then he had his daughter. He currently plays professional ball for the Texas Rangers. He’s happy playing ball and being a dad.”

“Wow, that’s pretty amazing,” I say, impressed that his brother is talented with music and baseball. “Did him and his girlfriend get married?”

“No, they didn’t. She cheated on him with one of his teammates.” His eyes darken in anger, his expression turning cold. “He shares custody of my niece with her.”

“I’m really sorry to hear he got hurt by her,” I tell him with sincerity. No one deserves to be cheated on. “Do you have any other siblings besides him?”

“No, but Sosie, who you met last night, is more like my sister than my cousin. We grew up together until her parents moved her to California.”

I’m about to ask more questions about her, when the alarm from my phone starts to go off and interrupts us.

“Sorry about that,” I tell him as I turn it off. “I set an alarm so I wouldn’t be late for work. I should get going.” I swallow down my disappointment, not wanting our breakfast date to end.

“It was smart of you to set your alarm, ‘cause I would stay here all damn day with you if I could.” He flashes me a heart-melting smile, and butterflies take flight in my stomach again.

Gah, why couldn’t I have won the lottery last week when I played, so I wouldn’t have to go to work today?

“I would stay here all day with you too,” I admit to him before casting my eyes downward, suddenly feeling shy.

“C’mon, let’s get you to work. I’ll walk you to your car.” He stands and holds out his hand. When he pulls me up, I let him lead me out of the restaurant and take his earlier advice of ignoring the people looking at us. I instead concentrate on his hand holding mine as we casually stroll toward my car, both of us in no rush to part ways.

“This is me,” I tell him, nodding at the black Mini Cooper ahead of us. I stop at the trunk and turn around to face him, not wanting to say goodbye.

“Thank you for breakfast,” I say, focusing on his shirt before glancing up at him. He doesn’t respond with words and instead grabs my arms and pulls me into him, engulfing me in a tight hug. I close my eyes, inhaling his intoxicating scent, hoping it will linger on my clothes long after he’s gone.

“You fit perfectly in my arms, like you were made for me.” His warm breath tickles my ear, giving me goose bumps.

I open my eyes and lean back to catch his. This man is a master of words, making women swoon with the poetry in his songs. How can I tell if he’s being sincere? Talk is cheap, so his actions will determine if he’s being real or if he’s stringing me along like one of his guitars.

“What are you doing tonight?” His face is so close to mine that the tips of our noses brush. My eyes drop to his lips, and I fight the urge to nip the bottom one.

“I have to work,” I murmur, still daydreaming about what those lips might feel like against mine.

“Where?” he softly demands as he tightens his grip.

I look back up into his eyes and notice we are swaying together in a silent dance. Have we been doing this the whole time he’s been holding me?

“Exit/In. One of our bands is performing there tonight and I have to be there.” I used to think it was cool hanging out with our musicians at every one of their performances, but lately, I’d rather be curled up in bed than having to work another late night. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Looks like I’m going to see a band at the Exit/In.”

My eyes widen in surprise that he would want to come see me tonight when he probably has a million other things he could be doing. “Really?”

“Really.” He chuckles at my response. “What time should I meet you there?”

“Nine? Do you need me to leave you passes?” I inquire, but the devilish smirk he rewards me with quickly reminds me of who he is. “Never mind, that was a stupid question, since you can get into anyplace you want to go.”

“Not every place. Some places require special permission,” he says, his voice making my insides clench. I watch him slowly start to bend his head, and my heart begins pounding in my chest at the realization he’s about to kiss me. I close my eyes in anticipation then feel his lips touch the side of my mouth. He loosens his grip around me and slowly lets go of me. I swallow down the disappointment I feel, because dammit, I wanted that kiss!