Always Been Yours (Tessa and Nicholas)

Chapter 1087 Let the Lady Play

A moment later, Tessa glanced at Nicholas with sparkling eyes and said, “It’s delicious!” At the sight of this, Nicholas went on to peel a few more shrimps for her.

Next to them, Timothy couldn’t help his exasperation. He didn’t mind having a meal with his sister and her husband, but he felt like he was getting heartburn from their lovey-dovey exchange. “Uh, Tessa, Nicholas, some of us are trying to eat here. Can you refrain from rubbing your relationship in my face while I’m still single?” He put his hand to his chest in an exaggerated manner as though Tessa and Nicholas had plunged a sword through his heart, then shot them a wounded look.

Tessa was about to retort when Nicholas beat her to it. “We’re hoping this might give you that extra push you need in order to find a girlfriend.” Then, Nicholas returned to peeling shrimps for Tessa and addressed her indulgently, “Is there anything else you’d like to eat? I’ll get it for you.”

She shook her head and didn’t want him to starve. “You don’t have to, and you barely ate a bite!”

As she said this, the waiter served the last dish, but he did not leave immediately after setting the plate down. Then, the waiter said politely, “Dear guests, there will be a live performance in our establishment shortly after this for you to enjoy while you dine.”

Gregory blinked his doe-eyes at the waiter and asked curiously, “Excuse me, sir, but what sort of performance is it?”

The waiter replied with a smile, “Usually it’s a piano or a violin performance, but the musicians are set. They’re refined artists who play the instruments beautifully, and some of our customers only dine here to hear them play.”

Tessa could hear the subtle pride in the waiter’s tone as he said this, and she found herself looking forward to the performance later.

Unfortunately, the restaurant ran into some trouble at the very last moment.

Another waiter hurried up onto the stage and apologized to the customers. “Ladies and gentlemen, our resident pianist has a case of food poisoning and is being treated at the hospital right now. We sincerely apologize for having to cancel the performance this evening, but our manager has mentioned that should anyone here know how to play the violin and the piano, then by all means, the stage is yours.”

Some customers were clearly displeased by the unexpected announcement, but they mostly just grumbled to themselves and chose to ignore it.

Meanwhile, Tessa’s wistful gaze immediately fell upon the violin displayed on stage, and while this was just a habit for her. However, when she heard that there would be a performance, she quickly looked at the instruments on the stage, only to make a surprising discovery.

The violin displayed in the glass cabinet was by no means expensive, but it was of a renowned brand nonetheless. Tessa heard that the same violin had been sold off at a charity auction years ago, and that was the end of it. She certainly didn’t think she would see it displayed here.

The longer she stared at the violin, the more her fingers itched to touch it.

Nicholas was the closest to her, so he naturally caught the longing look in her eyes. He smiled in amusement as he appraised her. She reminded him of a kitten who could not play with its favorite toy, and it was only a matter of time before she grew restless.

As hesitation filled Tessa, she heard someone chuckle lightly next to her. She turned to look at him inquisitively and saw the teasing gleam in his eyes.

She realized that he had seen the conflict written on her face. Glaring at him indignantly, she demanded, “What’s so funny?”

Nicholas smirked, but his gaze was loving as he drawled, “Go on stage and perform if you like the violin so much.”

Her heart warmed when she heard this, but she was still hesitant. “But it’s supposed to be a piano performance tonight.”

Timothy leaned in and suggested, “Maybe you could ask the waiter and see if they’d let you play the violin instead.” He had seen the wistful glimmer in Tessa’s eyes as well, but Nicholas had beaten him to encourage her.

Tessa had no idea of her brother’s intentions, but his words seemed to snap her out of her hesitation. She stood up with a certain resolve and walked up to the waiter. “Excuse me, I was wondering if the piano performance this evening could be replaced by a violin performance instead?”

She might be speaking to the waiter, but her gaze had wandered over to the violin in the glass case.

The waiter understood where she was going with this and pointed out anxiously, “This violin is one of our establishment’s most prized possessions. We can’t take it out on a whim, and most times, it stays locked up in that glass cabinet.”

As soon as the waiter said this, a nearby customer who overheard the conversation snapped, “You can call it a prized possession all you want. As long as it stays in that cabinet, it’s no better than an old fiddle. Someone ought to play it and bring out the excellence of its craftsmanship!”

“He’s right. Besides, didn’t you just say that anyone who knows how to play these instruments could volunteer to perform tonight? Your refusal of this lady’s request seems a little embarrassing on your part, don’t you think?”