Chapter Eighteen #2
“Okay, but there won’t be any hard feelings if you think it’s too much. I mean it.”
“Show me.”
“All right, then.” He stood behind her and placed his hands over her eyes. “Walk with me, beautiful. No peeking until we’ve turned the corner.”
Unable to see, Claire stumbled, but Nick guided her.
Having her rely on him, even for that short moment, gave him a thrill he couldn’t deny.
How incredible would it be to have her really rely on him? It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to feel independent or strong, but at the same time, he wished she would allow him to be there for her in a substantial way.
He wanted to be her anchor, the thing that kept her from drifting away.
He helped her turn the corner into the yard, and whispered, “Here we go. You can look now.” He removed his hands from her face, taking a step back so he could see her reaction.
Claire glanced at him then took in the massive structure. It took her a moment, but when the realization hit her, her face opened into the most incredible smile. “It’s an indoor play place for the cats!”
“That’s right. When I was first looking at the plans for the property, it occurred to me it might be a good use of the space.
The back yard is huge and you still have lots of room to move around.
And because the cat B&B also opens into the back yard, all we had to do was build an enclosure leading from the door.
So the play place can still be used on a rainy day. ”
“It’s awesome.” She ran her hand along one of the beams, her eyes wide.
“I know I’m the deck guy on Handymen, but I didn’t feel good building you a plain old deck.
I wanted to build you something serviceable, as well as fun.
And this way, the cats can get some exercise and fresh air, without any danger of them escaping into the field.
The chicken wire is heavy duty, so there’s no way even the most mischievous cats will ever break through it.
Anyway, I thought it might be a nice touch.
After all, you have long-term residents here, like our friend Mortimer.
Now, the Manager can stretch his legs a bit and sun himself on one of the little ledges. ”
She laughed, her voice tinkling with joy.
“Look at the ramps! They’ll love this. I can already imagine Mortimer and his buddies scrambling over all the platforms.” She covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn’t hold in her glee.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen, Nick.
Thank you. This will really improve their quality of life. ”
“I’m glad.”
“How did you ever come up with this idea?”
“I did my homework. I was online one night and saw an ad for a kennel that had this sort of setup. It wasn’t hard to throw together a plan. After spending so much time creating fantasy decks, this was a nice change of pace.”
She approached him, swinging her hips. “You just threw it together, huh?”
“You know what I mean.” His cheeks blazed with pride. “I was happy to do it. Do you like it?”
“I love it,” she said wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love—”
Nick held her about the waist and locked eyes with her.
All at once, he was off-balance. His stomach pitched the way it used to when he was a kid, and his parents would take him to the local amusement park.
He’d always asked to go on the teacup ride, knowing it would upset his stomach, but he’d still wanted the thrill.
Would Claire join him on the ride, even though it unsettled her too?
She clapped her mouth shut before finishing.
His teacup ground to a halt, slamming him against its hard walls, dashing his hopes.
No rides today.
He might have to find a way to convince her it was worth stepping into the teacup, even though its jerky movements could be scary.
She’d been about to admit she loved something else, but she clearly wasn’t ready to say what it was.
She dropped a kiss on his mouth. “Thank you. You’ve done a wonderful thing.” Her voice was quiet, but it cracked. “Everyone at Haven will be so excited to put it to use.”
Nick was silent, hoping she’d trust in him enough to say whatever it was she had been about to say.
“Do you mind if I go get Mortimer? He really should be the first one to try it out.”
He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. “Go ahead. Get the Manager. I’ll wait here.”
She squealed and jumped up and down, then disappeared into the sanctuary to collect Mortimer.
Nick waited in the back yard, unmoving, more unsettled and yet more resolved than he’d ever been.
* * * *
As Nick entered the Bamboo Gigolo, one of the bars he played regularly with his brothers, he scanned the crowd. Lots of familiar faces. That was good. However, there were lots of people he hadn’t seen before.
People who might have seen Kristy’s video, and who might want to get a look at the man who’d inspired the hashtag. And, of course, most had cell phones.
No one seemed to be aiming their cameras at him or his brothers at present, but he remained on guard.
Relax. Like Claire said, you’re surrounded by friends here. You had to leave the house eventually.
At least he could hide at the back of the stage, where he sat now. Michael was their lead singer and he played guitar, so he stood front and center with Eli, their bass guitarist and backing vocalist. As drummer, Nick could hang out behind his drum kit.
He knew he had no reason to hide, but this was a big step. It was one thing to stand in front of one of the Handymen cameras and recite some lines for Lacey, but it was another thing entirely to get up on a stage in real time before a crowd.
And there was definitely a crowd tonight.
Nick’s pulse sped up. A few beads of perspiration gathered on his upper lip, and it wasn’t the fault of the stage lights.
You can do this. Claire should be here soon. Do it for her.
He wasn’t sure if having Claire there would make him more nervous in the end, but he appreciated having one extra person on his side tonight. In truth, it would be three extra people. Claire had said she would bring Adele and Mia, and the three women had promised to cheer loudly.
Hopefully their cheers would drown out any haters.
“Hey.” Eli approached, bass in hand. “You all right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. If anyone gives you grief, just shoot me a look and I’ll point them out to the bouncers.”
“I’ll be okay. Thanks, Eli.”
“No sweat. As the bassist and drummer, you and I are the backbone of the band. We’ve got to take care of each other.” He nodded toward Michael, who was tuning his guitar up front. “Michael’s just window dressing, but don’t tell him that.”
Nick laughed. “You got it.”
They’d played this place dozens of times before.
Before Kristy’s video had gone viral, Nick would have considered the Bamboo Gigolo a second home.
He and his brothers had first come to the place as customers.
After becoming friends with the owner, they’d started playing the odd gig.
Now, people came to see the Zorn Brothers Band, in particular.
Well, they used to before Nick had put an end to their gigs.
Although it seemed most of them had returned tonight.
You’ve got this. He’d done plenty of practicing at home. He knew the tunes inside and out, and he understood the tempo anchor points that worked best with his brothers. They’d put together an easy set list of old favorites, ones the crowd would love.
Hell, Nick had been playing with his brothers since they were teenagers. This should be a piece of cake.
If only he didn’t feel sick to his stomach.
He closed his eyes for a minute or two and envisioned a smooth set. There was no reason for it to happen any other way. Nick had handpicked his drumsticks, had checked his drumheads for splits and dents, and had tightened all the pedals.
He was ready.
Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes.
It was then that he saw Claire, Adele and Mia making their way over, each of them carrying a drink.
Beaming, Claire made eye contact with Nick and maneuvered through the bodies to get closer to the stage.
As Adele and Mia took spots near the front, Claire came around to the side of the stage to say hello.
Nick slid out from behind his drum kit and crouched at the edge of the stage. “You made it.”
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” She glanced around the stage. “Boy, you weren’t kidding. You guys are a real band.”
“We have our moments. I’m so glad you’re here. You look gorgeous.”
Claire was wearing a sexy pair of red jeans that hugged her figure, as well as a sleeveless white blouse. Her hair was up and dangly earrings hung from her ears. “Thanks. I’m just happy to see you doing something you love.”
The bar manager approached the microphone stand at center stage and tapped it.
Claire gave him an excited little wave. “Break a leg, Nick! We’ll talk later?”
“You know it.”
Nick leaned over and kissed her. A few hoots went up from some of his pals in the crowd, but he didn’t mind the catcalls. He was proud to be able to kiss Claire in front of everyone.
As he took his place behind the drum kit again, the manager began his introductions. “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to host these guys, but we’re excited to bring back the Zorn Brothers Band! Welcome, Michael, Eli and Nick!”
As Michael and Eli said a few words of thanks into their microphones, Nick lowered his head and concentrated on his drumsticks. The crowd was cheering, many of them chanting, “Zorn! Zorn! Zorn!” But Nick was listening for a chant of another kind.
HashtagNicksDick!
No matter how he strained, he didn’t hear it.
Eventually, he lifted his head, knowing he couldn’t keep it down all night long.
The first thing he saw was Claire’s smile. She lifted her pint of beer in a silent toast.
Somehow, all his jitters faded away. The light throb at the back of his head softened. The tension in his shoulders eased. All gone because of Claire’s smile.
Amazing.