He looked faintly surprised. “I never thought of it that way.”
There was, in truth, no reason she should be rude to him. Apart from nerves and guilt that she didn’t really deserve, because shehadtried to get in touch with him.
Wasthatwhy he was here? Oh God.
She steeled her nerve. “What brings you to town, Jasper?”
He looked surprised again. “I thought you’d know. I’m the ‘Blue’ part of Black & Blue, my side project with Renfro Black from Powder Keg. We played a set at the Misty Cat last night. Then I’m off to Europe with Blue Room after a few NorCal gigs.”
Oh, God. Jasper’s band wasBlueRoom, after the lyric in that David Bowie song, “Sound and Vision.” Black & Blue!
Oh, shit shit shit. How hadthatescaped her?
Oh right: she’d been riding Principal Gabe.
The hypervigilant part of her brain had kind of been anesthetized by fantastic sex and giddy infatuation.
And she’d been busy being a mom.
And then the last part of what he’d just said registered:
He’d been at the Misty Cat for sound check.
Which was when Annelise was there yesterday.
And he was the guy who’d taught Annelise a new chord.
And just like that, her heart was in her throat.
Honestly. Did the universe have to pack two moments of truth into one weekend?
“You own this place now?” He looked around, wonderingly, frowning faintly, as if he was puzzling out what a flower shop precisely was.
“Forgive me, Jasper, I’m afraid you caught me at a bad time. It’s nice to see you again, but I have to get these arrangements out to the van for delivery. So...”
Now that was purely chicken-shit, and she disliked herself for it, because it spoke to who she was when backed into a corner. Apparently she was willing to just attempt a dodge on the off chance she got away with it.
She couldn’t imagine Gabe ever doing that, but then, Gabe was six foot a jillion, and he’d never gotten knocked up by a rock star.
Or had a daughter all to himself for ten years.
She desperately wanted Jasper to leave.Leave us the way we are, she urged him, as if he were a tarot deck she was clutching. Willing her question into him.
And yet she’d never forgive herself if he did leave.
He just smiled, a bemused little smile. “Literally no one has ever told me to go away in at least a decade.”
“I’ll give you a second to Google what those words mean, if that helps.”
He glanced over his shoulder, as if he was reflexively looking around for an assistant to do the Googling for him before he caught himself.
And then suddenly, something about his posture signaled... intent. He was here for a very specific reason.
He drew in a deep breath. Like he was steeling his nerve.
Portent gusted through her soul and her stomach turned like a chicken on a spit.
“Okay. Listen. I didn’t just come in for old times’ sake.”