Chapter 11 #2
After a brief chat with a security guard, she took the stairs down to the lower level and followed a quiet hall to a deserted restroom.
She examined her face, touched up her lipstick, and removed her shoes for a moment.
She strolled around the lounge area, giving her feet a much-needed break.
Avi needs to break into the formal footwear game.
There’s gotta be a way to combine actual comfort and elegance.
I’m gonna pitch it to Isaac first thing Monday.
With regret, she stepped back into her heels.
A spin with Uncle Ham will have to be a quick one.
The merriment of the event happening above her echoed throughout the lower level.
On her way to rejoin the festivities, she spied a smaller event space off the abandoned corridor.
Curious, Claire wandered inside. The walls were lined with stunning pieces of modern artwork and in the center of the room sat a sleek, black Baby Grand.
Claire could not resist the urge and tapped out a few notes on the exquisite instrument.
Running her hand lightly across the keys, she found middle C and played it softly.
The note echoed through the vacant space.
Claire grinned, remembering the night at the piano bar in Negril.
She sat down on the bench and played the only song she knew—a weak rendition of “Itsy, Bitsy Spider”.
"Are you taking requests?"
Claire stopped playing, startled by the sound of a man's voice.
"Please, don't stop." A shadowy form in the doorway moved slowly in her direction. Not wanting to show signs of alarm, Claire stood and calmly collected her handbag with a nonchalant air.
"Looks like I've been caught. I do apologize." She spied a side exit and turned to make her way back to the comfort and safety of the crowd upstairs.
"You’re no Nancy Chen, but it’s a start."
Claire's heartbeat revved as the man's frame and face came into focus. Plain Ol’ Jay!
"It's you,” she said with a mix of shock and relief.
"I thought that was you. I saw you earlier. Upstairs, I mean," Jay said.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, unable to hide the shock in her voice.
"The same thing you are. Looking for a few moments of peace and quiet."
"No, I don't mean down here. Well, what I mean is, are you a friend of Hamish's?"
"Not a friend per se, but we travel in similar business circles."
"What a coincidence. I had no idea." She tried to remain guarded, battling against his hypnotic smile.
He gave the piano a nod. "I didn't know you played."
"I don't.” She laughed. “You were privy to my one and only tune. Do you play?"
He shook his head. “Not a note."
The dimness of the room couldn’t conceal the sparkle in his honest brown eyes.
Or how amazing he looked in his tux. She expected the night to hold some degree of surprise, but she never expected it to be in the form of her Jamaican bar mate.
She fought the urge to pop her knuckles, struggling to find something interesting to say.
"May I have the honor of escorting you back up? I'm sure the guest of honor is wondering what happened to his wife," he said.
"His wife?" Claire laughed again. "Oh, I'm not Hamish's wife. I'm his niece."
Jay raised a brow. "Is that what he's calling you?"
"Seriously. I truly am his niece. My mother was his sister. You're thinking of Nicole. She's not his wife, but she'd certainly like to be."
"Then he wouldn't mind if I escorted you back upstairs, would he?"
"I don't think so. Your wife may object, however," Claire shot back.
"My wife's not here," Jay replied.
"I see." She eyed him suspiciously. "She's not bothered when you're off flirting with strangers? Like you did back in Negril?"
"Two things. First, my wife passed away. And second, we're hardly strangers."
Claire swallowed hard, heat rising in her cheeks and growing redder with each second. If only she could disappear into one of the paintings on the walls.
"I had no idea. I am so very sorry. Please accept my condolences and my most sincere apology for being so thoughtless." And pardon me while I remove my size nine foot from my big mouth.
"No apology necessary. But if it will make you feel better, I’ll let you buy me a drink."
A few steps inside the ballroom, Jay took her hand and guided her through the throng of tuxedos and evening gowns.
Champagne toasts and big band music swirled around them.
Without a word, he led her past the bar and onto the dance floor.
When he slipped a gentle hand around her waist, Claire forgot the ache in her feet and the uncertainty clouding her thoughts.
He gave her no chance to object, sweeping her into the crowd with quiet confidence.
Claire spotted Hamish standing in the corner of the room.
He watched her with a pleased expression and discreetly raised his glass in her direction—a silent sign of approval.
She answered with a nod, suddenly unsure how she'd arrived at this particular moment.
Only minutes earlier, she'd sat quietly beside her uncle, enjoying his obvious happiness with the evening's events while still eager for the night to end.
Now she was dancing in the arms of a very handsome man who, thankfully, was not a stranger. Not a complete stranger, anyway.
"I guess it’s my turn to offer an apology," he whispered.
"What for?" she asked.
"For not extending a proper invitation to dance. It's just that they were playing our song and I didn't want to miss it."
"Our song?" Claire listened closely.
"The song from the piano bar that started our initial conversation.”
A knowing look fell across her face. "From the Fred Astaire movie. Top Hat?"
"I think it was Swing Time."