The sound of the door opening behind her made her to jump and spin around. Vincent noted that the dangles in her ears didn't match and wondered if it was a fashion statement or carelessness. Since she apparently couldn't find her keys in a bag smaller than the palm of his hand, he opted for the latter.
She looked flushed, flustered and fresh. And smelled even better than her cookies. And because he noticed, she only irritated him more.
"Hold on," he said simply, then turned back into his apartment to get her plate. Jade had no intention of holding on, and finally found her key where it had decided to hide in the narrow inner pocket of the bag—where she'd put it so she'd know just where it was when she needed it.
He strode out of his apartment, letting the door slam at his back. He carried her plate in one hand and his phone in the other.
"Here." He wasn't going to ask her what had put that sulky look on her sea-fairy face. He had no doubt that she'd tell him, for the next half hour.
"You're welcome," she snapped, snatching it from him. Because her head was throbbing after two hours of listening to Lily's cousin Jason's monotone account of the vagaries of the stock market, she decided she'd give Mr. Mysterious a piece of her mind while the mood was on her.
"Look, buddy, you don't want to be friends, that's just fine. I don't need any more friends," she said, swinging the plate for emphasis. "I have so many now I can't take another on until one moves out of the country. But there's no excuse for behaving like a snot, either. All I did was introduce myself and give you some damn cookies."
His lips wanted to twitch, but he controlled it. "Damn good cookies" he said before he could stop himself, then immediately regretted it as the temper in her eyes switched to amusement.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah." He walked away, leaving her reluctantly intrigued and completely baffled.
Few minutes later
(Phone Rings)
"Hey Girl."
"Lily, what's up?"
"Girl, you wouldn't believe who i saw walking into the club."
"What club?" Jade asked.
"Oh girl, i mean the NXT club. I was driving by then i saw Mr mysterious walk into the club."
"Okay???..so why are you telling me then?."
"No reason, i just figured you'd be interested to know about his whereabouts. You know it's friday girl, go out and have some fun. You can go to the club Jade, maybe you can get to know him."
" He's a jerk, and i really don't want to go out."
" Jade, come on."
"Lily you know i don't go to clubs, besides i have work to do."
"Alright you can stay at home and do what you always do or you can make an exception and get to know more about Mr. Mysterious....Bye girl."
*****
He was wearing a black Jean trouser with a white T-shirt tucked into the waistband. He'd already taken off the leather jacket he'd put on against the evening chill. The woman he was speaking with was absolutely gorgeous, melanin skin toned and outfitted in a hot red jumpsuit that hugged every curvaceous inch of her body. She had to be six ft tall, Jade mused, and when she threw back her beautiful head and laughed, the full rich sound rocked through the room.
For the first time Jade saw him smile. No, not just smile, she thought, transfixed by the lightning transformation of that stern and handsome face. That hot punch of grin, the hammer-blow power of it, couldn't be called anything as tame as a smile. It was full of fun and affection and sly humor. It made her rest her chin on her fisted hands and grin in response. She imagined he and the beautiful Amazon were lovers, was certain of it when the woman grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him lavishly on both cheeks. Of course, Jade thought as she rolled her eyes, a man like that—with all those secrets and heartaches—would have an exotic lover, and they would meet in a dim, smoky bar where the music was dreamy and sad. Finding it wonderfully romantic, she sighed. Onstage, Bianca gave Vincent's cheeks an affectionate pinch. "So now you've got women following you, sugar lips?"
"She's a lunatic."
"You want me to bounce her out?"
"No." He didn't glance back but could feel those blue eyes on him. "I'm pretty sure she's a harmless lunatic." Bianca's tawny eyes glittered with amusement. "Then I'll just check her out. When a woman starts stalking my sugar lips, I gotta see what she's made of, right, Jeff?"
The skinny black man at the drums stopped playing random beats long enough to smile up at her out of a face as battered and worn as the old drums he played. "That you do, Bianca. Don't hurt her, now—she's just a little thing. You ready to play?" he asked Vincent.
"You start. I'll catch up."
As Bianca glided offstage, Jeff begins to play the drums, while Vincent let the mood of it slide into him; then, closing his eyes, he let the music come as his narrow fingers began to make magic with the piano.
It took him away. It cleared his head of the words and the people and the scenes that often crowded his head. When he played like this, there was nothing but the music, and the aching pleasure of making it.
He'd once told Bianca it was an unexplainable passion. It dragged something out of you, put something back. And when it was over, it was always too soon.
In the back, Jade drifted into it, slid down into those low, bluesy notes, rose up with the sudden wailing sobs. It was different, she thought, watching him play than just hearing it through the walls. Watching him, there was more powerful, she felt more of that subtle sexual pull.
It was music to weep by. To make love to. To dream on.
It caught her, focused her on the stage so she didn't see Bianca moving towards her table.