Reid’s mouth tilted up on one side. “She’s not the one I grew up with, but…maybe later? I don’t know. I’d feel strange asking, though.”
“Nah, just say, ‘Hey, I’ve had a massive brain injury and I have no idea who the hell you are, so can you enlighten me, please?’”
He laughed. “Just like that, huh?”
“Yep. Easy.” I looked down at where his fingers were still on the keys. “And speaking of easy… Care to play me another?”
“Yeah?” he asked, his grin growing wider. “Okay, let’s see.” After a moment, he began to play an upbeat, happy tune that I recognized but couldn’t place, and he danced along a little in his seat, causing us both to chuckle.
“Reid, this is obviously something you’re amazing at, and if you were making a living doing what you loved, then why would you give it up? Did…Natasha…know?”
“Apparently, my parents weren’t very keen on my career choice. Which is funny when you consider that they forced me to take piano lessons three times a week growing up. To becultured,” he said with a smile. “I think they meant the lessons to be more of a ‘keeping me out of trouble’ thing than a career.”
I raised an eyebrow. “They have something against the arts?”
“It’s just not a ‘real’ job. My parents… The thing is, they didn’t come from money. My dad worked his way up through the bank, and it was practically drilled into my head growing up that I needed college and a steady job.”
“It’s your life.”
“Yeah. But what happens when you can’t pay the bills and your family offers you some sort of stability? A new car, an apartment, a way to get on my feet financially instead of traveling like a gypsy and hoping for a gig.”
“You took it.”
“I took it.” Reid sighed. “They’re good people. They mean the best, I know they do. But it’s hard not to be resentful after everything that’s happened?—”
“Because you wouldn’t have been back here with a new car, and there wouldn’t have been an accident,” I finished. “That’s a good reason to be pissed off to me, but I’d be willing to bet their guilt is just as bad.”
“That’s why I’m trying not to be pissed.”
“Well, things could be worse. You could be a banker like your dad. Although middle schoolers might be worse. What’s your mom do?”
Reid looked up at me and smiled sadly. “Mom’s a teacher.”
Ahh. Well, there you have it.He didn’t have to say anything else. The pressures of family and a lack of money would lead anyone to choose the stable life.
As Reid finished the last few notes, I began to clap, and then he stood and gave an exaggerated bow.
“I think you deserve a tip after that.”
“Twenties and fifties only, please.”
“Damn. If that’s the going rate for a pianist tip these days, I’ll have to stay home. I was thinking of something a little sweeter?”
“Oh yeah? I’m willing to negotiate.”
“It all depends on if you’re still full. There’s a killer ice cream shop down the street, and?—”
“Sold,” Reid said, grabbing my arm to pull me off the bench, while I laughed at his eagerness.
“Ice cream is his kryptonite. Good to know,” I said to myself as I got to my feet.
“Hurry up, Ollie,” Reid said, his eyes glittering. “I’m suddenly starving.”
seven
THE LAST FEW days had flown by; I’d taken on twelve-hour shifts instead of my usual eight, and was starting to get antsy. It’d been three days since I’d seen Reid, and I found myself pacing my house like a crack addict searching for a hit.
Pathetic.