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“Cheer up, girl. Everything is going to be fine. I’d better go now. I’ve got to get back to the garden. Remember, I want a full report on Friday. Adios, amiga.”

  “Yes ma’am, and good-bye.”

  Chapter 3

  Time seemed to slow to a snail’s pace as Adam waited for Thursday night to come. When it finally did, he had a bounce in his step and a gleam in his eyes when he entered Blondies Sports Bar to meet the guys for their customary pre-rehearsal gathering. “The guys” also affectionately included Lacey, the keyboardist, her girlfriend, Sam, and Claire, Zach’s girlfriend. One of the largest sports bars in the Manhattan area, Blondies served up TVs at every angle and free-flowing pub grub and suds. Adam spotted his friends at the usual table and headed to join them. His best friend and lead guitarist, Zach, waved him over.

  Adam pulled up a chair. Zach gave him a fist bump and handed him a beer. Lacey seemed to notice his excitement first.

  “Why the extra-big, creepy grin?” said Lacey, true to her blunt, no-nonsense self. “You look like The Joker.”

  “I can always count on you for a compliment, Lacey,” said Adam. “I’m just excited for tonight’s rehearsal, that’s all.”

  “Um-hmm. Right,” said Lacey, looking unconvinced. “Am I right, Sam?”

  Sam laughed and rolled her eyes as she nodded.

  Claire’s eyebrows rose as she studied Adam’s face. Ever since she had started dating Zach, she and Adam had also developed a close friendship, although it hadn’t always been that way. Admittedly, Adam had been jealous when Zach and Claire’s relationship had grown so serious. He missed the shenanigans he and Zach always seemed to get into. When Claire had come along, Zach often invited him to hang out, but Adam often felt like the third wheel since he had not yet found a serious relationship of his own.

  “Seriously, Lancaster. For being The Joker, you have no poker face. What’s going on with you?” said Claire as she dipped a pretzel bite into the cheese and popped it into her mouth.

  “I’m just happy to see all of your bright, shining faces,” said Adam.

  Claire rolled her eyes. Lacey shook her head.

  Zach chimed in. “You’re so full of bullshit, Adam. Just tell us already.”

  Adam feigned being hurt. “What? Am I that transparent?”

  “You’re so transparent you’re like a fuckin’ ghost,” said Luke as he took a swig of his beer and then began to chant, “Tell us. Tell us. Tell us. Tell us. Fuckin’ tell us.”

  “What are you, a child?” asked Adam as he taunted back.

  Jason interrupted, “Damn, please put us out of our misery and shut him the hell up.”

  Adam laughed. “Okay. Okay,” he said. “I met someone—a girl who lives in my apartment complex.”

  He tried to sound nonchalant about it but wasn’t sure he pulled it off.

  “Big fuckin’ deal,” said Luke. “You meet girls at our shows all the time. You never seem to have a shortage of them after you.”

  Adam tuned out the resulting chatter on his supposed prowess with the ladies. Although Luke spoke the exaggerated truth, Adam still sometimes wondered what women saw in him. Although he portrayed himself as self-confident on the outside, sometimes he felt like that insecure, skinny, gawky, nerdy-looking, messy-haired high school kid he used to be. The kid that doubted a beautiful woman like Maddie would be interested in him romantically. He didn’t normally get nervous around women anymore, but with Maddie, he felt like a high school boy again, waiting to see if the girl he liked would like him too.

  Chapter 4

  The residents’ lounge in Adam’s apartment building looked like a hotel bar. A bartender manned the small area just inside the entryway on the left. High-top tables were strategically placed throughout the center of the room. The band crammed all of their equipment, speakers, microphone stands, and instruments on a small stage at the back of the room, just behind the dance floor.

  The apartment manager had agreed to let them practice in the residents’ lounge every Thursday night for free, as long as they opened the rehearsals to the residents. He figured they could provide free entertainment and attract residents to the bar, and in exchange the band got to practice performing in front of a live audience, regardless of the size of the crowd. They posted a disclaimer that the events were live rehearsals, not paid performances, and most residents were cool with that. They were there to drink, relax, socialize, and listen to some good music.

  In addition to the residents, some of the band members’ friends, family members, significant others, and fans often stopped by to hang out. Night Fury drew in some of the same people each week—the regulars. The crowd seemed to steadily grow with new faces as word about the band spread. It went from a handful of people in the audience on the first rehearsal, to a crowd that filled almost every seat on most nights, and left standing room only on the best nights. On this night, the regulars arrived early to get good seats.

  Of course the band members always arrived early to set up. Adam went through the usual motions of setting up his equipment, running cables, and doing sound check, but as soon as he finished, he found himself too nervous to stand still.

  He wondered if Maddie would show up.

  Several of their friends had already arrived and staked out their tables close to the front of the stage. Adam mingled and greeted everyone as they entered; all the while, he scanned the crowd for any sign of Maddie.

  Rehearsal started promptly at 8:00 p.m. and had no set end time. Some nights everyone left by 11:00 p.m., but other nights the party went on into the wee hours on Friday mornings. It all depended on the mood of the crowd.

  At 8:00, Maddie hadn’t arrived yet, but the show had to go on, so Night Fury began their first set. People routinely came and went throughout the rehearsals, so Adam hadn’t given up hope. But as they finished the last song in the first set and she still hadn’t shown, Adam slouched on his stool to start the second set. He normally liked to keep the energy high during performances, and he rarely sat while he sang. He tried to shake off his disappointment. He had really hoped to see her again. He wanted the chance to get to know her better and, to be truly honest, to show off for her—to impress her. Singing in front of a live audience always put Adam in his zone.

  During the second song of the second set, just as he began to get really bummed out, Adam glanced at the door in time to see Maddie enter. He inhaled sharply as a jolt of excitement spread through his body. He barely knew her—barely knew anything about her. He wondered how she had this effect on him.

  She stood at the back of the room, leaned against the wall, and fixed her eyes on him. Adam’s jaw clenched when he saw several men near her check her out. She looked just as beautiful as he had remembered, and the other men took notice of it too.

  As he performed the set, the showman—and the show-off—in him emerged. He smiled and gave her a nod and a wink, his signature flirty stage move. She waved at him and smiled a breathtaking smile. He felt his heart melt a little. He wished the set would hurry up and end so he could talk to her, but at the same time he had no idea what he would say.

  As the second set wrapped up, his heart rate accelerated. He switched the microphone to his other hand and wiped his sweaty palm on his jeans. Normally confident during performances, Adam had not been nervous at a rehearsal in as long as he could remember. But the thought of talking to her during intermission only made him more nervous. He didn’t know what to say.

  When the set ended, Adam announced over the microphone—“Everyone give a shout-out to my neighbor, Maddie”—as he held out his hand in her direction.

  When everyone turned their attention on her and clapped, hooted, and hollered, she shrank back against the wall, lowered her head slightly, and let her hair fall forward to partially cover her face. Adam hoped he hadn’t made a mistake by singling her out. Had he embarrassed her? She sheepishly grinned and lifted he
r hand in a half wave. Adam put his mic in the stand, took a deep breath, and strode to greet her.

  As he approached, he noticed she held a large, brown paper bag.

  “Hey, Maddie,” he said. “I’m so glad you made it. Are you enjoying the show so far?”

  He rubbed both sweaty palms on his pants and hoped his nervousness wasn’t apparent.

  She smiled and said, “Your band is really good. I’m so impressed with your vocals, Adam. You’re very talented.”

  He had been told that before, but for some reason the compliment meant a lot coming from her—and she had even remembered his name.

  “Thank you. Come with me and I’ll introduce you to everyone. Can I give you a hand?”

  He motioned toward the bag she held.

  “Thanks, but I’ve got it.”

  She followed him to the table where the band always gathered for breaks between sets. The regulars often brought finger foods to share while everyone had a drink or two. He introduced her to Zach and Claire, the rest of the band, and all of the regulars. She seemed to fit right in with their crowd.

  Luke, the most uncouth guy in the band, blurted out, “What’s in the paper bag, Maddie?”

  She didn’t miss a beat when she said, “I wanted to bring something to contribute.”

  Everyone’s curiosity was piqued as they gathered in to see the mystery contents.

  “Adam, what is your favorite beer?” she said.

  “I never met a beer I didn’t like. Hmm. Let’s see.” He thought for a moment and said, “Lately, we’ve been trying different imported beers at Blondies. There’s this one called Shark Fin I really like, but it is rare, and most people have never heard of it. It has a big shark fin on the label and the bottle is really cool-looking. I can’t find it anywhere except at Blondies. It’s…”

  Before he could finish his sentence, Maddie reached into the bag, pulled out a twelve-pack of Shark Fin and smiled triumphantly. Adam’s eyes widened as he stared at the beer, then back at Maddie. Everyone seemed frozen in place—stunned.

  Luke shattered the silence when he bellowed, “That’s fuckin’ awesome!”

  He grabbed a beer.

  Everyone else clapped and shouted their approval as they moved in for their share. Still a little stunned, Adam grabbed two beers and pulled Maddie aside so he could talk to her over the noise of the crowd. He handed her a beer and took a sip of his.

  “Okay, what’s your secret?” he said. “How did you know which beer I was going to choose? Are you a magician or something?”

  She laughed and said, “No. It was just a lucky guess.”

  Adam shook his head and said, “There is no way you could have guessed that. Did you hear me talking about it through the walls of my apartment?”

  Suddenly paranoid, he wondered what else she could hear through the walls.

  In mock horror, he said, “What else did you hear?”

  She laughed again and said, “Don’t worry. I didn’t hear anything.”

  Still not convinced, he said, “Do you like Shark Fin too? I mean, where in the world did you find it?”

  She hesitated a moment and said, “I don’t know if I like Shark Fin. This is the first time I’ve tried it. I just dropped into a package store on a whim and thought the design on the bottle looked interesting, so I bought it.”

  “Seriously? What a crazy coincidence. Where’d you buy it from? I’d like to know. I haven’t been able to find it in any of the stores around here.”

  She thought for a moment and said offhandedly, “I don’t know if I can remember the name of the store. Like I said, I just stopped in on a whim and didn’t think to take note of the name of the place.”

  She took a sip of her beer. Adam looked at her skeptically, but he didn’t want to press her too much.

  He said, “Well, what do you think? Do you like it?”

  She nodded and said, “It’s pretty good. I’m not really into beer. I prefer wine. But this beer has a good, medium flavor. Not too light, not too dark.”

  “I agree. Well, if you happen to remember the name of the store, or even just the location, let me know. Thanks for the beer.”

  He lifted his beer to hers for a toast and said, “To Shark Fin.”

  She laughed as she clinked her bottle against his and said, “Cheers. I’m glad it was a hit.”

  She beamed that smile of hers again and he thought his heart might beat out of his chest.

  What was it about her?

  Adam and Maddie talked and sipped their beers for the rest of the break. He began to relax a little. He felt strangely comfortable with Maddie, as if he had known her for a long time. The beer probably helped a little as well.

  Toward the end of the break, one of the regulars, Cristy, introduced herself and several of her friends to Maddie. She invited Maddie to join them at their table during the next set. While Maddie found a seat among the regulars, Adam nodded his thanks to Cristy for taking Maddie in. Adam thought she looked good there.

  As he prepared for the next set, he found himself glancing their way frequently. From what he could tell, it appeared Maddie had seamlessly joined right in on their conversations. However, to his delight, Maddie turned her full attention on him when he started to sing. She smiled, clapped, and sang along to the cover songs. Every now and then she would chat with the ladies, but mostly she watched the performance. She watched him. It seemed as if she knew exactly how to make him feel special. With her attention focused on him, he performed to the best of his ability. He really wanted to show her what he could do. He performed for her and her alone.

  The rehearsal ended around 11:00 p.m. With such a good vibe in the air, he didn’t want the night to end. Many people left early because they had to work on Friday. He did an inward fist pump when Maddie stuck around as the party moved to the rooftop terrace. He couldn’t wait to see what else the night had in store.

  Chapter 5

  Perched atop the apartment building, the lively rooftop terrace provided sweeping views of the city. Elegant-but-cozy seating surrounded several gas-burning fireplaces that took the chill out of the evening air and lent to the ambience, along with strategically hung solar light strings and lanterns. The party continued for another hour or so. The group slowly dispersed as people left one and two at a time, until he and Maddie were the only two left.

  Maddie sat in a lounge chair across the table from Adam as they talked. Relaxed by the alcohol and more at ease in her presence, he marveled at her beauty in the glow of the city lights at night. He couldn’t imagine ever growing tired of looking at her.

  “Maddie, you said you work from home. What do you do?”

  “I’m a freelance writer. I write for magazines, newspapers, and I’ve even published a few books.”

  Adam leaned in, intrigued, and said, “Cool. Which books? Maybe I’ve read them. Or if I haven’t, I’d like to.”

  “I use a different pen name every time I write something. It helps me to remain anonymous. I’m not looking for fame or recognition. I just love to write. I’ll give you a list of my work and some sample writing the next time I see you.”

  He grinned. She was already talking about seeing him again.

  “It’s great that you can work from home doing what you love and make a living out of it. That’s my philosophy exactly. It’s why I started day trading from home,” he said.

  She nodded in agreement and said, “You’ll have to teach me about stock market trading sometime.”

  Again, she had hinted about future encounters.

  Maddie continued, “Another great benefit of writing is that I can do my job wherever I go. I get to travel, meet people, and experience new cultures when I want to. And if I don’t feel like traveling, I can stay in one place for a while. I like that kind of freedom.”

  “I guess the same is true for day trad
ing,” he said. “Although day trading doesn’t sound as glamorous or exciting as writing.”

  She laughed. “I don’t know if writing is all that glamorous or exciting. But speaking of glamorous and exciting, your band is really good. Exceptional, really. You are exceptional. I don’t think you guys will have any trouble getting a recording contract.”

  Adam smiled and said, “Thanks. That means a lot to me. I guess I’m different from you in that I crave the spotlight. It’s been a long-standing dream of mine to live the rock star life. You know: have a recording contract, go on tour, have legions of adoring fans and fortune and fame, the whole nine yards.”

  “I think it’s admirable that you’re living out your dreams. It’s important.”

  Their eyes met as Adam pondered this for a moment. She seemed so sincere, almost imploring him to understand a deeper meaning as she looked into his eyes.

  Adam felt at ease talking with Maddie, but he found his thoughts drifting occasionally. He watched her lips as she talked. He wanted to kiss those lips. His mind wandered to other things he could think of doing with her as well. He kept having to mentally nudge his thoughts back into the conversation. He wondered if she had similar thoughts.

  For some inexplicable reason, Adam got the impression she wasn’t the type of girl who would jump into bed with a guy on the very first meeting. She seemed reserved. So, he figured he had better take this one slowly, a little cautiously. He didn’t want to make the wrong move. He would leave it up to her. If she just wanted conversation, then he would talk with her for as long as she wanted.

  He fidgeted under the scrutiny of her gaze, and finally said, “So, Maddie, what do you like to do for fun whenever you’re not writing?”

  “Well, I guess you could say I’m an outdoorsy-type person,” she said. “I like to go hiking, camping, or just being in nature and enjoying the scenery. I also like running and exercising outdoors. I even like fishing.”

  “Well, Madeline,” he said in mock formality, “I would’ve never pegged you for an outdoorsy-type lady.”