Rock Prodigy

Chapter 20

Mac raised his eyebrow at me, and a muscle in his jaw twitched as he leaned further across the table, bringing his face closer to mine. “I’m here because I want to know why you’ve been avoiding me. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed that kiss, was I?”

I swallowed, my gaze locked on his, finding it a little hard to breathe with him so close to me. “Mac, this isn’t really a good time,” I whispered, jerking my head to where Eric was sitting at the piano.

Mac sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at me before saying, “Fine, but before you go home tonight, we’re talking about this. You’ve avoided me for long enough, Rose.”

I bit my lip and nodded, feeling guilty as I saw a flash of hurt in his eyes. I hadn’t wanted to hurt him, in fact, I’d planned on facing him like any other day but then I’d seen him and before I knew what I was doing, I was bolting.

He turned his head to look at Eric and while the music relaxed my nerves, I looked Mac over, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and the downward tilt of his dark eyebrows. His dark hair was falling into his eyes again and my hand itched to push it back. His jaw muscle was ticking and I could tell that his jaw was clenched as he watched Eric with his arms crossed, looking pissed off. Mentally, I sighed and looked down, taking in his David Bowie t-shirt that stretched tight across his chest, making my eyes glaze over slightly before I tore my gaze away and focused resolutely on Eric as he moved into his third and final piece.

When he was done, the audience cheered enthusiastically. He really was amazing. His pieces had a contemporary edge but they were still classical at the core. They would fit nicely into both genres and the emotion he put into his sound would draw listeners. Just as I was thinking that he’d be getting a contract soon, a guy strode up to him, holding his hand out as Eric stepped off the small stage. Eric took the offered hand and I felt a bolt of excitement in my chest for him as his face lit with enthusiasm. Obviously the guy was important and I focused on the newcomer, squinting in the dim lighting to see him more clearly.

He was tall, around six three and his dark blonde hair was cut close to his head, making his sharp cheekbones seem even more pronounced. His face was long and angular, not exactly handsome but interesting. He had a long nose but it fit his face and when he turned towards my table, a gasp of shock caught in my throat, his pale blue eyes widening as they landed on me. “Sheldon,” I whispered as his lips quirked into a small smile and he began walking with Eric towards where I was sitting.

“Do you know that guy, Rose?” Mac asked but I didn’t get a chance to reply before they were standing in front of us.

“You were late,” Eric said and I could tell by his voice that he wasn’t really angry, excitement vibrated through his body and I didn’t have to look at him to see that he was smiling. “I don’t care, this is Sheldon Jones, the Sheldon Jones. Rosemary, do you have any idea what this means?”

“Hey Rose,” Sheldon said, looking down at me with a smirk on his face, his dress shirt was perfectly ironed as it usually was, stretching across his lightly muscled shoulders and fitting his thin form perfectly. His dress pants were also nicely ironed and tailored to fit him. He looked professional but I knew that he wore a similar outfit no matter where he went.

“Hi Sheldon,” I whispered, my voice catching in my throat as memories of performances and stages came to my mind.

“Mind if I sit?” he asked, gesturing to the empty chair beside me. I shook my head. “Thank you,” he said politely, turning his gaze towards Mac and sticking out his hand for him to shake. “I’m Sheldon Jones, an old friend of Rosemary’s.”