The Low Notes (14 page)

“
Are you going to drive me home or not?” she said angrily, annoyed by his consistent assumption about Kevin. It made her nervous that James could be so in tune to what was building between them. She was still wrestling with the idea of coming clean with her best friend, the lies that kept coming out of her seeming more and more normal. She had no idea how much further it might escalate. The thought scared her more than being found out.

“
I’ll drive in a minute, just listen to me,” he begged.

Nina sighed. “Fine.”

“
So we were doing the stage blocking thing, right? And, by the way, Mrs. Benson is the devil for making us do that. I think I got sunburned from being under the lights so long. Anyway, I see super hot English teacher come rolling in to the auditorium just after you bounced. He stands in the back for half a second looking all around. Then he gets this grumpy look on his face and leaves through the side doors. He's totally stalking you,” James finally finished, taking in a gulp of air. A proud and mischievous smile graced his face.

Nina took a moment to pull the useful parts of the story out in her mind. She sat staring blankly, thinking of a response. James' grin was lingering as he waited for her to comment on the hilarity of it all.

“
Well, that’s interesting and all but we just saw each other at the vending machine and he walked me back because I was asking him about an assignment. If he has some sort of scandalous feelings for me, he’s doing a good job of hiding it,” Nina said, wanting to smile herself.

James’ face fell and he started to drive out of the parking lot.

“
What a waste. If he were gay I'd be having the time of my life sneaking around with him,” James said defeated.

Nina laughed. “I’m sure if someone were to have the kind of torrid affair you’re dreaming up, it wouldn’t be all fun and games. I imagine it would be really hard to...” she felt her throat getting tight with each potentially incriminating word but she couldn’t stop. “Lie to everyone. It would be hard to lie,” she finished and stifled her remaining confession.

James shrugged, apparently bored by the conversation already. He clicked on the radio and they listened to a sugary pop song as he drove to Nina’s house.

“
Can't you just let me dream a little?” he asked with puppy dog eyes.

“
Sure, pumpkin. I just don't know why
your
dreaming has to involve me and my English teacher hooking up?”

James huffed playfully then grinned at her. She swatted his arm before climbing out of the car and heading inside.

Nina wasn't surprised by the sight of a sticky note on the mirror in the entryway. This time Greta scratched something about having dinner with girlfriends. Strolling into the kitchen, Nina poured herself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen counter to skim through the mail that had piled up.

A few coupon flyers were the only things that interested Nina until she saw a big envelope on the very bottom. She barely glanced at it, sure it would be some sort of business package for her father. Pulling it to the top of the stack, she looked at it and did a double-take.

With her lips pressed against the cool glass poised to take a sip, she stopped and starred at the white envelope and its return address. While she tried to remain calm and move slowly, she ripped the package open like a child on Christmas, shredding paper as she went.

Her breath heaved as she read the first line. Then she read it again.
The Caldwell Conservatory of Music at Caldwell-Hampton College of the Arts is pleased to tell you of your acceptance for the fall semester.
Nina flew off the barstool and leapt into the air in private celebration, squealing.

She continued to stare at the words on the page, beaming. After a moment, her face fell and she looked around the empty kitchen. She hadn’t spoken to her father in days and technically then it had only been an email exchange. She barely ever saw her sister. James was so preoccupied with his group performance and seeking out evidence of Kevin’s supposed love she’d spent little time with him outside of rehearsals and school. An unexpected tear rolled down her cheek. She had no one she wanted to share her good news with.

That was a lie. There was one person. Nina wiped the tear from her face and sniffed, ordering the rest of the moisture to stay away as she slumped back onto the wooden stool. Along with ripped up bits of paper and sorted mail, the table had one object on it Nina couldn’t help but stare at.

Her eyes grazed over her black cell phone for a moment before she snatched it off the table. She let out a sigh and felt her stomach twist as she quickly pulled up his number and hit 'call' then waited for the first ring. Shutting her eyes for a moment as she listened, she thought about hanging up. But she didn’t.

“
Hello?”

Nina gasped, her voice trapped in her throat for a second. “Hi,” she said dumbly.

“
Nina?” Kevin asked.

“
Yeah, hi,” her voice was the size of a mouse’s. She was thankful he couldn’t see her face twisting in agony as her brain reprimanded her for her actions.

Stupid, stupid, stupid,
she thought.

“
Um, what’s...h-how are you?” he stuttered.

“
I'm fantastic,” she said, feeling almost like she was talking to herself.

She heard him laugh a little, the laugh she adored hearing that put her at ease.

“
What makes tonight so fantastic?”

“
I got in to Caldwell.”

The other end was silent, stagnant.

“
I...wow! I didn’t even know you applied there. That’s great, Nina. I’m really happy for you. I’m...proud of you.” She heard the stiffness in his voice.

“
You’re the only person I wanted to tell,” she sighed.

“
Why?” he asked.

The three little words almost spilled out of her mouth but she didn’t dare say them.

“
I’m not sure,” she replied.

“
Well, you‘ve got to celebrate, right?”

Nina’s face lit up “Sure! What should we do?” she asked.

Silence.

Stupid, stupid, stupid
, she chided herself again.

“
Sorry, I know that's not what you meant,” she said through her teeth.

“
No. Of course we should celebrate,” he said pointedly.

Nina was speechless.

“
Give me an hour. Be here in an hour,” he said.

“
Okay,” Nina choked out, stunned at what transpired from a phone call she hadn’t fully thought through making in the first place. She hung up and looked around the kitchen in disbelief. A moment of silence passed and she glanced down at herself. She needed to change.

Chapter Thirty-
One

Kevin glanced at the clock on the oven then hurried across the kitchen to the table where he set two places as he paced back and forth thinking of what he needed to do. It’d been a non-stop rush since he got off the phone with Nina. Scurrying back to the stovetop, he stirred the pot of sauce and he checked the steaming vegetables.

Sasha peered up at him, her doe eyes blinking lazily as he jumped from place to place throughout the kitchen. The door let in a cool gust of air as he opened it, letting himself out to the back porch where the grill was running. The pieces were falling into place. The steaks were done and he brought them inside, plating them with the red wine reduction he poured over the top. He added the vegetables to the plates and set everything on the table, including a basket of bread, his salt and pepper shakers and the vase of flowers he had found for her. Kevin took a moment to breathe and looked at the clock impatiently at the same time he heard a knock at the door.

Sasha swished her tail back and forth as she got to the door first, pressing her nose to the window that ran along the hand carved wood. Nina bent down and scratched her fingertip over the glass where Sasha was, smiling at her sweetly. When she saw Kevin, he watched as she straightened back up.

“
Hi,” he said, welcoming her in, holding the door wide open. A shy smile crept onto Nina's face as she walked into the house.

“
That would be dinner.”

“
You did all of this in an hour? F...for me?” Nina stood staring at all of the work Kevin had put in to their impromptu party. She looked around again at the spread then Kevin heard the beep on the oven timer.

“
Damn! I knew I wouldn't have time for all of it,” he said, grabbing a green potholder off the counter before reaching into the oven and pulling out a dozen cupcakes, piping hot.

Nina gasped dramatically. “Yum.”

“
Maybe we could ice them together after dinner?”

Nina nodded excitedly as she took a seat with him at the table, each of them taking in the sight of the spread, not quite knowing what to say to the other as they began eating.

“
I knew you were a pancake master but this is rather impressive,” she said, taking a sip of water between bites.

“
Just one of those hidden talents I suppose,” he grinned at her.

“
You got me flowers,” she stated quietly, her bashful smile returning.

“
Well, yeah. You deserve flowers.” Kevin raised his glass to her for a toast and she mimicked him.

“
To Caldwell,” Kevin said, clinking his glass against hers.

When they finished, Kevin cleared the plates from the table and knocked a few scraps into Sasha’s bowl as a treat. Nina stood and he watched as she started fidgeting, picking at her fingernails.

He tried to avoid gazing at her like he truly wanted to because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He’d been too bold earlier and he knew it. Though he was starting to wrap his brain around the idea of going with whatever
this
was, he still felt completely lost on how to act.

“
Where's the frosting?” Nina said, breaking the silence. Kevin snapped out of his trance and pulled a can of vanilla whipped icing from the cabinet nearest the refrigerator, taking it, two knives and the cooled cupcakes to the table.

“
Is this too much?” he asked quietly.

Nina was standing beside him about to take a seat when she stopped and put her hand on his forearm gently and he met her eyes. They were serious, heartbreakingly beautiful pools of steel.

“
It's perfect,” she replied.

“
I'm sorry about earlier,” Kevin whispered.

He saw her cringe and then relax her face into an embarrassed smile.

“
Don't be. I...,”

Kevin cut her off, trying to save her from explaining herself, “It's alright. You don't have to say anything.”

She shrugged a bit, her lips twisting with nervous energy as her eyes roamed his face. He didn't want her to speak for fear she'd change her mind and take back her daring insinuation and run for the door. He didn't need a kiss or the feel of her skin against his. He'd take anything. He’d take dinner and decorating cupcakes, her eyes on him the whole time, anything.

He swiped his finger over the top of the last cupcake he covered and licked the sugary goop from his index finger watching as her grin grew.

She did the same, gathering a dollop of icing on her finger but she reached over and dotted it on Kevin's nose with a burst of beautiful laughter.

His mouth gaped comically. “Oh, so that's how we're gonna play?” he asked, wiping the tip of his nose then going for his second fingertip of icing. He dove for her and she squealed, backing away from him, putting her hands on his chest, slinking back into her chair. They were laughing like fools, play fighting, Kevin still trying to smear her with sugar when their eyes met and Kevin felt his face soften. He couldn't help but look at her with warmth and affection.

His eyes narrowing, he examined her face. He was hovering over her, her hands pressed lightly against his chest, his finger pointed at her face. A sigh rolled out of him as the words just slipped out without thought.

“
You're so beautiful.”

It came out in a whisper and with it her eyes softened as did her smile. Her head cocked to one side and she bit her bottom lip. He tried to think of why they shouldn't be in this position but he had nothing. It felt too right, too wonderful, to be bad. Besides, they hadn't done anything wrong. What exactly was the problem?

Nina inched forward and unflinchingly let her lips close around his fingertip, licking the icing from his skin. His brow lifted in awe and his jaw went slack as he quivered through an exhale.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“
Stop cheating!” Nina squealed, throwing down her hand of cards on the table angrily. Kevin busted out laughing, throwing his head back. Nina was fuming as she glared at him.

“
You can’t cheat at
Uno
,” Kevin said through his laughter.

“
Apparently
you
can, ‘cause
you
are,” Nina growled.

“
I can’t help it that I got all of the blue fives. You dealt the hand, remember?” Kevin chided her. She rolled her eyes and then a smile began brimming on her face as she peered at him through squinted eyes. But just as Nina’s face eased, her eyes darted to the clock and she realized how much time had passed.