SWNOVELS Chapter 33
My request is utter BS and I'm about to laugh, but Rune answers with a curt nod.
"Of course. Should it be fizzy? Perhaps an alluring shade of pink? I'll provide a few options."
With that, he's up and behind the bar, looking through my liquor selection and pulling small vials from the inside of his coat. AJ, now a little territorial as my head bartender, gives Rune an angry look. "A, you're on break," I say. "Come hold the baby while I play piano."
She smiles widely, jumping at the chance to hold Rain. It feels like weeks since I had my baby, but it's only been days, and the opportunities for AJ to snuggle her goddaughter have been few and far between. I may not trust many people right now, but I trust AJ with my life. Always will.
As she gently embraces my sleeping angel, I glide toward the piano, wondering what I'll play. I'm instantly overcome with emotion, thinking back to my youth when I'd play for bar patrons all the time. Gramps used to tell me the bar would go out of business if people didn't come to hear me.
I sit on the bench and uncover the keys. So many memories are tied to this instrument and this bar. My mom bought the piano when I was five, then a couple years later Tilly moved it into this bar, right where it still sits today. This is where I grew up, and now I feel like I'm trying to grow up all over again.
"Play, Bernie."
Joe's voice is soft and sweet, tied in with all those memories. It's the perfect motivation to get my fingers moving.
I decide on Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 in E-Flat Major, which was always Tilly's favorite. Even after her mind went, this song would make her smile and give her a moment of respite from whatever was ailing her. It's not the most complicated piece, which made it one I mastered early, and as my fingers glide over the keys, pulling from strings and ivory a hypnotic melody that carries its own kind of magic, that same relief washes over me. The music takes me out of myself and away from all the fear and uncertainty that have plagued me since Rain arrived.
I can't wait to teach my baby to play piano.
I don't realize how quiet the bar has grown until I finish, the pads of my fingers resting on the last notes. After a breath of silence, there's a smattering of applause that seems much louder than our few patrons should justify. I turn towards the bar and notice AJ has tears in her eyes, the kind of crying you do when you're incredibly proud of your friend. Rune has stopped mixing drinks, his enchanting face looking extra enchanted by my music. Darius looks calm and content, which is a big mood change for him. Even Zev seems affected and is now curled up by my barstool watching me.
"Girl's night!! WOOOOOOO!!!"
No voice shatters a mood quite like Jennifer's.
She and her sisters waltz through the door, looking like three women who refuse to let spring break end. They're all attractive enough, even if each of them is wearing a dress that's one size too small. "Bernie, I'd kiss your baby but Miles has been wiping snot all over the house for three days and I don't want you to have to deal with that shit. Holy Christ, who the hell are you?"
God, I love Jennifer. She's finally spotted Rune behind the bar, where he's got his sleeves rolled up as he firmly muddles some mint leaves.
"Good evening," he says before throwing a quick wink at me. Rune is totally in on my plan. "We've got a special drink tonight if you ladies would like to try it."
Jennifer and her sisters, who I think are named Rebecca and Amy, belly up to the bar, none of them even taking the time to acknowledge Max. He almost has to raise his hand to get his wife's attention. "Babe, where are the kids?" Good question, Max.
"At your parents' place, playing video games with headphones on," Jennifer answers, eyes still on Rune. "I told your mom to call you if they get too annoying."
Max studies his wife and her sisters for a moment, then polishes off his beer and waves to me. It's a clear signal that he wants another, and I'm to remember not to tell Jennifer how many he's already had
"A," I half-whisper, loud enough to get her attention. "Time to get back behind the bar and do some beer pouring and nymphing. I'm going to make Jennifer's night and really piss off a vampire."
AJ nods her understanding and hands me Rain, who somehow slept through Jennifer's booming entrance. I walk over to the girls, all three of them so entranced by Rune that they don't even notice my approach.
"Thanks for coming in, ladies," I say
with a semi-forced smile. Older men have always been the lifeblood of
this bar, and I'm not entirely sure
how to feel about three women here for "ladies night." Still, I've got bills to pay and sexy men to exploit
"This is Rune, he's visiting from Europe and he'll be making some fancy, foreign drinks. And this... "I say, putting a hand on Darius' shoulder and feeling him tense as I do so, "is Darius."
The vampire stares at me, looking unamused as he waits to see what kind of description he gets. I can read in his eyes that he fears what I'll say next. "He's an exotic dancer."
Time practically stands still. The
girls turn the heads in slow motion, pulling away from Rune and
focusing on a new object of desire. Darius stares into my eyes and I feel the familiar, uncomfortable
ЗЛО
sensation of a voice entering my mind.