Nocturne(48)

Overwhelmed by the time we played together during the instructors’ ensemble, and my admission to Nathan on the phone several days later, I’d done my best to avoid Gregory Fitzgerald.

I loved him.

Not only had I kissed him, but I was falling in love with him, and I didn’t know what to do about it.

If anything.

I hadn’t spoken to Nathan since that phone call. He seemed tense over the fact that I admitted my feelings for Gregory. He said while he saw I was in love with him, he didn’t understand why. We never spoke to each other outside of the classroom, he said. And, when we did speak, he was certain to remind me, our interactions were less than cordial. No hearts. No flowers.

I never did tell him about the kiss.

There wasn’t anything tangible about Gregory Fitzgerald that screamed for me to be in love with him. It was all beneath the surface. I felt a pull toward him since the first time he played for us on our first day of music theory. My first perceptions of him—since the day he offhandedly dismissed me from the stage at my audition—was all wrong. At least, I hoped it was wrong.

The passion and intensity behind our kiss shattered that first impression.

I’d told Madeline I needed to walk to the bar alone to gather my thoughts. And steel my nerves. It was absurd, really. I wasn’t his student anymore, and I’ll be damned if he didn’t feel something when we played that piece together, too. I know he felt something. I intended to figure out exactly what that was.

I was here. Magnolia’s.

One more deep breath.

Clearing my throat and rolling my shoulders back, I opened the door and was greeted by nerve-calming dance music. Heavy beats graciously drowned out the sound of my heart.

“Savannah, over here!” Madeline flagged me down the second I walked in. She and James were sitting next to each other, but turned in so their knees were touching.

A second later, I spotted Gregory sitting on the other side of James. Always in black. It looked different this time, though. I knew how his arms looked as they drew music from his cello. How his muscles flexed. He had a suit coat on over what I was certain was a t-shirt, and I rolled my eyes as I smiled and walked toward the trio.

“You okay, sweetie? You seemed stressed earlier.” Madeline playfully tugged the skirt of my dress and I noticed Gregory’s eyes flicker to my legs.

“I’m fine. I just needed some fresh air, so I walked.”

He was still looking at my legs. I softly bit a grin away from my lips.

James leaned his back against the bar. “Well, Savannah, I must say, you’ve thoroughly impressed not only the staff here this summer, but the parents and students, too.”

“Thank you, James. I had a great time.”

Gregory broke his standard pensive silence. And his study of my calves. “Can I get you something to drink, Savannah?”

I let out a surprised giggle, and James and Madeline looked askance at both of us. His face twisted up a bit as we all stared at him.

“What?” He held out his hands. “She’s been here for two minutes and no one’s offered her a drink. I figured one of us should be polite.”

Something behind his eyes looked less than polite and innocent. Rather than make me nervous, confidence took over.

I arched an eyebrow as I answered. “Tequila.”

“Tequila?” He questioned with a sour look on his face.

“Yes. A shot. Please.” I grinned and watched his eyes land on my mouth. It made my heart tick up a few beats.

“Make it four!” James playfully slapped the bar and raised his eyebrows as Madeline giggled.

“Four?” Gregory questioned.

“One for all of us, Gregory. Come on.” Madeline batted her eyelashes mockingly. I loved watching the three of them in action, as if no time had passed from their days as students at the conservatory.

The bartender leaned into Gregory, who held up three fingers while making a displeased face.

“Spoil sport,” Madeline snorted as three shot glasses were set on the bar in front of us.

“Drink that bathwater, if you must. I’ll stick to my gin, thank you.”

Despite myself, I let out a loud laugh.

“Something funny?” Gregory lifted an eyebrow at me.

“You’re just …” I trailed off as the tequila was poured and I clinked glasses with Madeline and James as Gregory rolled his eyes. As the tequila warmed my throat, my resolve followed suit.

“You were saying, Savannah?” Gregory challenged as Madeline and James ordered another shot for themselves. “I’m just?”

“Dance with me.” I ignored the pointed stares from James and Madeline.

“Dance with you?”

I’d think he was blowing me off had I not caught him swallow hard.

“Yes,” I said with all the confidence I could muster. “Dance with me. Hear the music? See the people? Take off that God-awful, stuffy coat and dance with me.” I held out my hand, praying that it wasn’t shaking as noticeably as my nerves were.

Jesus, I just asked my professor to dance with me. I had no plan beyond that. That was all I’d managed to come up with on my walk to the bar—that I wanted him to dance with me. People usually loosen up while they dance, and I was hoping he’d be no exception. Though, standing there with my hand suspended in air while he stared skeptically at me, I had my doubts. Maybe our kiss had ruined any chance I might have. In a second his coat was on the back of his chair and his hand was in mine. His eyes challenging.