Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Great! So, what do you need to write, a laptop? A notebook?”
“If I’m starting something new, all I’ll need is some paper to brainstorm ideas and jot down a few notes.”
“Leave everything to me. I’ll get you all set up.”
“You seem excited about this.”
“I am. It means a lot to me to get to encourage an aspiring novelist. And as for me, I’ve needed something like this for a long time.”
“I’m not sure I believe you’ll get anything out of this. I think you’re just being nice.”
He met my gaze and said, “Remember the reason I mentioned for going to New York two years ago?”
“Yeah, you said you were looking for inspiration.”
“That’s how long I’ve been stalled out. Well, no, that’s not true. I was stalled out for almost a year before I left, which is what made me decide to go in the first place. And now, I actually feel excited to get to work tomorrow, which is huge for me.”
“I’m glad this can be mutually beneficial.”
I meant that on multiple levels. If I could give him something in return, then maybe I didn’t have to feel so guilty about using him to get back at my ex.
I ended up drifting off, and when I woke up sometime later, I was alone in the darkness. A glance at the clock on the nightstand told me it was three a.m. Somewhere in the suite, there was music playing, but I didn’t recognize the melody.
I climbed out of bed and went to find Malcolm. He’d closed the bedroom door, probably to muffle the sound of the music. I stepped into the short hallway and paused for a moment to listen to the song. It was gorgeous, and dark, and full of emotion.
I’d assumed it was a recording, so when I went into the living room, it was surprising to see Malcolm at the piano. His hair was tousled, and his eyes were closed as his hands flew over the keys.
He was absolutely breathtaking.
I sat down on the floor in the semi-darkness, because I didn’t want to interrupt him. Then I leaned against a chair and took it all in—the music, the man, the sheer genius of what I was witnessing. It was as if he and the music were a part of each other, like it was woven through him and from him.
My heart ached as I watched him play, because I felt what he felt. It was all right there in the music, rivers of pain and longing. It was stark, and raw, and brutally honest, like he’d cracked open his chest and was showing me his soul.
But he hadn’t chosen to share this. As much as I wanted to keep watching, this wasn’t meant for me. I got up and snuck out of the living room. When I reached the bedroom, I closed the door behind me as quietly as I could and crawled back into bed.
Long into the night, the music played on.
5
Malcolm
Somehow, I’d invited a cute, blond stranger into my life. This wasn’t at all like me. But I’d been intrigued when I met him the night before, and I was even more intrigued after spending the night with him.
“You’re right,” Ginny said. “It’s not like you. Should I be worried?”
“I don’t think so.”
I shifted the phone to my other ear and stepped around a sales clerk, who was stocking a shelf. I’d left Daniel asleep in the suite and slipped out to buy him a notebook. The high-end stationery store two blocks from the hotel had just opened when I arrived. In the five minutes I’d been here, I’d gathered up five notebooks of various designs, and now I was headed for a display case at the front counter, which contained some nice pens.
When I crouched down and peered into the case, the clerk came over and asked if I needed help. Ginny asked, “Who is that?”
“One sec.” I pressed the phone to my chest to muffle the sound and asked to see a sleek, royal blue pen. Daniel probably liked that color, since it matched the suit he’d been wearing.
The clerk started to rattle off its features, but I picked it up and decided it felt good in my hand. That was all I needed to know, so I said, “I’ll take it. These, too,” as I piled the notebooks on the counter.
I sandwiched the phone between my ear and shoulder and said, “Sorry about that,” as I took my wallet from the pocket of my jeans.
Ginny asked, “Where are you right now?”
“A stationery store. Daniel and I are going to spend the day writing, so I’m buying him some supplies.”
“Is he there with you?”
“No, he was still asleep when I left.”
Ginny’s voice rose. “You left him alone in your suite?”
“What’s he going to do, steal my ratty old gym shorts?”