A Beautiful Instrument

2: Flirting with Trouble

I leave the restaurant and walk the short distance to Severance Hall, home of the Orchestra and hopefully soon, my home away from home. I consider not upgrading the ticket at will call given my revelation about Jeremy, but I risk missing a better perspective of the stage.

When I reach the seat, boy am I glad that I didn't skip out. Front row, box seats. I can see the entire orchestra in full. I pop in my ear buds, listening to recordings of me playing their catalog, and pull out my binoculars looking for anything that I can use to my advantage tomorrow.

As I'm inspecting the stage and set up, musicians start coming out on stage to warm up and prepare. I remove my ear buds and keep tabs on who comes out when. When about two-thirds of the stage is full, I see Jeremy come out on stage with a bassist. As he unscrews the end pin rod, I see him look up into the balcony. He then moves his gaze to the box where I am and gives me a look of mock surprise before smiling widely.

"Why are you so fricking gorgeous?" I mutter to myself. I have to resist the urge to wave like an excited child so instead I give him a subtle nod. His smile becomes devilish as he sits and begins tuning his instrument. It's a good thing he came out in the last wave because I can't take my eyes off him.

He resins his bow and runs it across the strings a few passes. I close my eyes and try to isolate the sound from others who are warming up. I'm successful and listen as he begins to play something that is not part of the current excerpts. In fact, I've never heard anything quite like it.

I begin to hum and move my fingers. And then it cuts off. I open my eyes and glance up to see what happened. He's looking back at me with great curiosity. I shrug my shoulders and he visibly laughs.

When the stage is full and the lights dim, Friedrich assumes his position in front and the performance begins. Their current run features "The Ecstasy of Tristan and Isolde" in the first half and Messiaen's "Turangalila" Symphony in the second.

Although I'm meant to be here strictly on business, there's something about experiencing live music that is physically arousing to me. Pair that with the hottie I'm craving on stage and I'm feeling pretty heated by the whole experience.

I force myself to concentrate on the task at hand, recon for tomorrow. I listen for little variations, sometimes an imperfection, sometimes a well-executed risk. I hear few that come from the cello section. This may be to my advantage.

At intermission, I'm listening to the second half through my ear buds when I get a text from an unknown number.

???: Enjoying your view?

Leigh: The cellos look and sound pretty good from here.

Jeremy: I'd love to show you more up close. Any chance I can take you out for a drink after the show?

Dang it. Do I break the news to him now? Do I take a raincheck, knowing it may never come once he sees me as competition?

Leigh: Raincheck? I have to make it an early night. I have a big day tomorrow.

Jeremy: Oh. Sure thing.

Leigh: I really like that little warm-up piece you did. Who's the composer? I couldn't place it.

Jeremy: Me. And you heard that? With everything else going on around?

Well, I'm screwed if he can compose music like that. I might as well start the reveal. This relationship was over before it had a chance to even start.