Chapter 15

January 4, 2013

Jules drove us right up to the front door of the hotel she'd picked out. As soon as the car stopped, two men opened our doors and helped us out of the car. She seemed to come alive as she slipped gratuities into their hands with instructions to retrieve our bags and park the car. Jules was in her natural element and she was beautiful, rich, and in complete control, at least on the surface.

I felt my stomach trembling as she led me into the soaring atrium in the lobby at the center of the hotel. I'd never stayed in a place this nice before and couldn't imagine what it cost Jules. There were trees growing indoors, with a large water sculpture that looked like a waterfall.

The bar in the center of the atrium was decorated like a garden, with tables snuggled along the winding path that led to the bar itself. The centerpiece was a black grand piano on a small platform, but no one was playing it at three o'clock in the afternoon. I couldn't help wondering if we'd stumbled into the hotel where John played in the evenings.

Earlier that morning, we'd woken up snuggling and warm. She'd been affectionate and playful at first, but as we packed up to leave, she'd begun withdrawing from me. Later, as she drove us to Norfolk, I wrote in my journal while she listened to the radio. Our silence wasn't uncomfortable, but she was so rarely reflective that it caused me to worry about what she was thinking.

The closer we got to John, the more nervous I became. I felt sure I could find a way to make him understand the whole situation, but Jules could wreck everything with a few sharp comments. I wanted to ask her what she was thinking, but the truth was I was too scared of what she might tell me that I couldn't follow through. Now that we were in Norfolk, it felt like it was too late to stop the inevitable.

While she spoke to the attendant at the front desk, I wandered toward the entrance to the bar area. It was blocked off with a sign saying that the bar would open at five. There was an easel at the edge of the path promoting live entertainment beginning at seven, but there was no mention of who would be playing.

I was still staring at the piano when Jules came up to me. "Our room is ready," she said, slipping her hand through my arm and leading me toward the elevators. "I had an idea. They have a day spa here, why don't we relax and enjoy one last night before ... tomorrow."

She'd offered it lightly, as if it wasn't important to her, but she wouldn't look me in the eye. I decided then to leave it to fate. If this wasn't the hotel where John played, then we'd spend one more night just the two of us. "I'd love that," I said.

While Jules called to schedule our appointment at the spa, I walked around the king sized bed, and then checked out the rest of the room. One of the paintings on the wall pulled at my memory, but I couldn't place where I'd seen it. Then I remembered the hotel room John got us for Christmas. The scene was the same, perhaps even the same artist, just a couple walking on the beach, but it evoked a deep sense of longing within me. I touched the canvas and swallowed past the lump in my throat.

"They'll be ready for us in twenty minutes. Want to shower with me to clean up before our massage?" she asked, sliding her hands around my waist and kissing my neck.

"That sounds nice." When she reached up to cup my breasts, I leaned my head back against her shoulder and sighed. She kissed me once more and drew me toward the bathroom.

"Let's go! I can't wait to be pampered," she said.

Jules went all out and got us a long massage, pedicure, manicure, and facial. She tried to talk me into waxing with her, but I refused. It didn't bother me that Jules preferred her mons smooth, but I didn't want it for myself. I was probably just being silly, but it bothered me to look like a little girl.

We spent close to four hours in the spa and I loved every minute of it. Watching the hunky masseur work over Jules on the table next to me was very satisfying. Seeing her face as he'd pressed and rubbed along her body reminded me of the wonderful massages John had given me over Christmas. I found myself getting aroused by the idea of him working her over the same way.

We held hands on the way back to the room, limp as noodles and our skin glowing and warm. We showered together again, but this time we lingered in the hot steam, kissing slowly and enjoying the slick feeling of our bodies rubbing together.

We dressed together, giggling like schoolgirls as we tickled and played. Jules wore a little black dress and heels. I felt somewhat frumpy next to her in my black skirt, emerald top and flats, but it was all I had with me.

We did each other's makeup and kissed one more time, before putting on our lipstick. Jules suggested that we both wear the same shade so when we kissed again, the smudges would match. That made me laugh, but it also drove home again how different things were between us. There were so many little things like that I'd never even considered before. I wondered if the girl in front of the Hickory Hammer on New Year's had coordinated her shade with Jules that night.

We held hands again as we walked around the atrium toward the elevator. I could hear the piano being played down in the lobby, but didn't look to see if it was John yet. I let the hope fill me and wished silently to myself, please be there, and please understand.

Jules was being quiet again, but I was happy not to be fighting anymore. "I'm still full from lunch," I said. "How about we see if we can get a drink at that little bar downstairs, like we did last night?"

Jules bumped me playfully. "It was fun pretending you were my wife."

At her words, the knife twisted once again, but I pushed away the pain and squeezed her hand. "No matter what happens, I just want you to know how much you mean to me."

I didn't look at her when I said it, but I could hear a catch in her breath. The elevator door opened and we stepped in, standing near the glass wall that overlooked the atrium. I looked down and there he was, there was John sitting at the piano. "Jules, there he is."

It took her a moment to realize what I'd meant, but I couldn't stop staring at him playing down below. "You knew he was here?"

"No. He said something about a gig at a hotel, but I didn't know which one. You picked this place, not me, remember."

She was silent all the way down. The closer we got the more detail I could see. He wore a black sweater and pants, and no one was really paying him any attention as his hands moved swiftly up and down the keyboard. His look of concentration made him appear serious, but I could tell he wasn't unhappy or upset.

Just before the elevator stopped, we lost sight of him behind the plants growing in the lobby. That seemed to break the spell we'd both been under. "What do we do now?" Jules asked, and it killed me to hear how lost she sounded when she'd said it.

"C'mon, let's get a drink and talk while he's playing."

We walked to the bar without drawing his attention. Jules passed our room key to the bartender. "Vodka Shot. Neat," she said, glancing again at John playing the piano. "Make it a double."

The bartender looked at me with raised eyebrows. "I'd like a hot tea, something black and strong if you have it."

Sitting with our backs to the bar, we leaned against our elbows and watched him play. The bartender brought our drinks and Jules sipped half her shot in one go.

She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him. "He's really good."

"Yes." I sipped my tea and watched both of them. "He's a good man, too, but I want you to meet him and see for yourself. Please, keep an open mind. You know you could ruin this for me with a word to him."

She frowned, but kept looking at him. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"Just give me a little time. That's all I ask."

She didn't say anything for a moment. Before he started the next song she whispered, "I have to know. Were you talking to your Mom last night or to me?"

I knew what she was asking. I leaned against her shoulder. "You already know the answer to that question." She took my hand and squeezed it before we both turned to watch him play.

John played mostly love songs, just like he'd said; everything from Wonderful World to You're Beautiful, spanning decades from one song to the next. Sometimes he would glance around the room, but I couldn't seem to catch his eye. At one point, he'd finished off whatever he was drinking and looked toward the bar, raising his empty glass at the bartender, and continuing to play with his left hand.

When I gave him a little wave, he responded with a smile as bright as the sun coming out from behind a cloud. He covered his mouth for a moment and stopped playing entirely before getting control of himself. With a raise of his finger, he mouthed, Don't move, and then he pulled the boom mic over in front of his face. After playing eight steady chords as an introduction, he sang She's Got a Way About Her with a surprisingly rich baritone that melted me into my socks. When he got to the end, there were tears in my eyes and Jules had squeezed my fingers white.

When he stood up from the piano, a light spattering of applause followed as he walked over to join us. Jules threw back the rest of her vodka and sat the glass behind us on the bar as we both stood. Scooping me up in a giant hug, he spun me around and kissed me. When he sat me lightly on my feet, he looked at me in wonder.

"Hi," I said shyly.

He shook his head with a wide grin. "Hi."

"This is my best friend, Jules. She wanted to meet you since she was away over Christmas."

Letting go of me, he took her hand in both of his. "It's so nice to meet you. I've heard wonderful things about you. Thank you for coming all this way. You have no idea what this means to me."

She just smiled thinly at him and nodded. It even seemed genuine.

"I have to call Mike. This is insane. Just a second," he said, pulling out his phone and pressing the screen to place the call. "Mike, you'll never believe it. She's here!" I could hear the buzz of his friend's voice, but couldn't make out what he was saying. "I was playing and looked up, and there she was, with her best friend, just sitting at the bar. Well hurry up! I have to play for two more hours. No, it's cool, just come now. Bring them, too, if they want to meet her. See ya!"

"Who all's coming?" I asked, suddenly nervous. I'd hoped the three of us would have a chance to talk.

"Mike, Jennifer, Pete and Krista, and Gus. but don't worry, they're good friends and are dying to meet you."

I knew he'd told Mike about me, but the rest were a surprise. "Really? All of them know about us?"

He grimaced. "Sorry, it just kinda slipped out. I was talking with Mike earlier today and didn't realize Jennifer was close enough to hear. When she found out I liked someone, she started telling people before I could stop her. After that it kinda snowballed."

I was becoming more alarmed by the minute. "How many friends did she tell?"

He gave both of us wary looks. "Well ... pretty much all of them?" Panic hit me then, and I worried about what would happen if John didn't understand.

Jules sputtered out a laugh at his embarrassed confession. I was irritated by her reaction and shot her a dirty look. "I told you."

"Fine, I'll give you that one."

John watched the exchange between us. "I'm lost."

I sighed. "Never mind, I need to talk to you when we can get some time alone. It's important." I had to get things resolved before anyone got hurt.

"I've got to play for two more hours, and then I'm all yours. Where are you staying?"

"Here, Jules picked this place by accident. I didn't remember where you said you were working tonight."

"Wow! I can barely afford to eat lunch here, but I'm glad you're close. I need to get back to the piano, but please, introduce yourselves when my friends get here," he said, planting a kiss on my cheek, before hurrying back to the piano.

We both stood there for a long moment. "Damn," said Jules.

I just nodded. "Yup."

"He's like a puppy that wags his tail so hard it makes his whole body shake."

The comment made me giggle. "He's amazing, Jules," I said, taking her hand. "Do you see it now?"

When she didn't answer, we sat back down in a comfortable silence and watched him play. After about twenty minutes, I saw a group of people our age come in and tried to remember the names he'd mentioned. One girl approached us with a shy smile. "Jennifer?" I asked.

Her smile grew broader. "Yes! You must be the Kate we've heard so much about today."

"I am, and this is my best friend, Jules."

"Nice to meet you!" she said, just as the others walked up. "This is Mike, Pete, Krista, and Gus."

I put on my biggest smile and shook each of their hands, repeating their names to make sure I had them right. Jules was being very friendly toward Mike, but I suspected she just wanted to dig for dirt.

"Why don't we push a couple of tables together?" suggested Mike. When no one objected, he spoke to the bartender, who pointed to a couple of tables near the edge that we could move.

By the time we got our drinks and finally took our seats, John was ready to take another break. When he came over, Jennifer asked with a saucy tone, "What's with all the love songs tonight?"

Pulling a chair over next to me, he sat with a sigh. "I blame my muse," he replied, bumping shoulders with me. "So what do you think?" he asked me, nodding toward his friends.

"I like them." I felt like a cat on a warm windowsill next to him. Jules was whispering with Mike, but the rest watched us with expectant grins. "What?"

"None of us have ever seen John so giddy like this before," answered Krista, with an irrepressible grin and a wink at John.

"So how did you meet?" asked Jennifer. "John clammed up when we started asking questions and wouldn't tell us anything."

I looked at him and smiled. "So, John, how did we meet?"

"I was over at my cousin's house playing Mario Kart with Kate. She kicked my ass all over the track. We ordered a pizza and got to talking. I told her about the night Mike pissed on the campus cop."

"Seriously?" said Mike at the sound of his name. "You couldn't tell her about the time I saved your life when you were drowning at the beach?"

John gave him a confused look. "You never saved my life!"

"What, you can't help a brotha' out? I'm dying over here."

Jules shook her head. "That wouldn't help you, trust me."

He acted like she'd hit him in slow motion. "Ow! Body blow!"

She rolled her eyes, but she was in her element. Mike couldn't take his eyes off of her, but she ignored him with the practiced skill only a beautiful girl ever needs. While they laughed, I glanced at John and saw him staring at me, not Jules. I kissed him for that.

When they quieted, I continued the story from where he'd left off. "Then I told John about the time Jules and I went to a party and she crushed a bunch of guys playing beer pong."

"When you guys come back, give me some warning and I'll set up a tournament," said Mike, looking at Jules. "Then we'll see how well you do against me."

The conversation took off from there, with Mike and Jules having a playful snark battle. I discovered Pete and Krista had been dating since middle school, and lived together near campus, until they both finished their degrees. Jennifer was switching majors from pre-med to child development. Gus was pretty quiet for a while, but after he'd found out Jules and I both liked Middle Eastern food, he promised to take us to lunch on Saturday, at a place his uncle owned for some kebab.

John went back to the piano when he needed to, while we all kept chatting like old friends. When he was done for the night, he came to sit next to me. After squeezing my leg to get my attention, he whispered, "I don't suppose I can stay with you tonight?"

I whispered back, "We need to talk first."

He looked puzzled and a little worried. "Are we okay?"

"Yes," I replied, rubbing his hand on my knee. "It's a little complicated to explain right now, that's all."

Mike said loudly, "Yo! I'm striking out. Are you coming back to the dorm or can I make a booty call?"

"I'll give you a call later," John said.

"Well, we're done for the night," Pete said as he and Krista stood up together. "Kate, Jules, it was a pleasure meeting you both, and it's been great to see John happy again."

"I hope we see more of you both," said Krista.

Jennifer hugged Krista and Pete goodbye as they made their way out. "I'd love to stay, but I've got things to do in the morning," said Jennifer. "If you guys are still in town Sunday afternoon, maybe we could hang out."

I gave her a quick hug. "It's an eight hour trip back and I've got class on Monday, but thanks for offering! I'll take you up on it next time."

Mike and John were talking quietly while we said goodbye, and then they did some kind of complicated handshake that ended with the two of them punching each other in the shoulder. Jules shook her head at them, but hugged Mike briefly before he left.

The three of us stood in a loose triangle by the table. I didn't know where to begin. "So, would you like to stay the night with us?" asked Jules with her eyes carrying a playful glint, but I knew she was serious. The fact that she offered without warning me was what caught me completely off guard.

He chuckled. "Jeez, did Kate tell you about my fantasy? Stop teasing."

She took his hand and kept eye contact. "I'm not teasing. I'd like to spend the night with both of you."