Trembling With the Strings

Hitting The Scene

“Slow day, huh?” Rosalina, one of the other employees (and Toni’s cousin), asked me, sighing deeply as she sat at the check-out counter. “All I’ve sold is a set of strings.”

I smiled apologetically. “I haven’t sold a thing.” I glanced over to Toni, who was talking with one of his employees (and Rosalina’s brother), Gregory. “I’m going to get fired.”

“No one’s coming in, Grace. And Toni doesn’t like firing people unless he really has to. Since I’ve been here, no one’s been let go, so don’t sweat it.”

Rosalina flipped her long, straight black hair and planted her face on the countertop. She grumbled something into the marble, but I didn’t strain myself to hear her. I had started working at Toni’s music store about a month ago, but Darius had never stopped by. I saw him every day when he came to pick up—or drop off—Kai. We were at the awkward stage of a canceled engagement. It seemed like there was so much that needed to be said, but neither of us wanted to say anything. Marty seemed happy enough whenever I saw him, and I actually had never seen him so happy. I hadn’t heard from Marcy or Drakken in a while, but perhaps that was for the best.

“Oh, my gosh! I totally forgot!” Rosalina shouted, jumping out of her seat. All drowsiness was gone, and her blue eyes were shining brilliantly. “Guess what I’m doing tonight! Go on, guess!”

“I don’t know,” I told her, smiling. “What?”

“I’m going to a local club later tonight. Some local bands are playing, and I hear they’re all really good! I’m so excited!”

“It sounds fun,” I told her, laughing at how energetic she was. I could feel Toni and Gregory staring at us, but she didn’t seem to care.

“Oh, Gracie, you should go. It’ll be fun!”

“Oh, I really don’t think—”

“What are we talking about now?” Toni asked us, suddenly right beside me.

“I’m trying to get Gracie to go to the club with me,” Rosalina pouted, making a strange face. “Know what? We can all go! We can call it…advertising our merchandise. Yeah, that’s it!”

I opened my mouth to decline again.

“That sounds great! I say we go. Gracie, I bet you haven’t been out in the scene for quite some time. You’re always here,” my boss teased, smiling down at me. “Come on, it’ll be my treat. Gregory, of course, is welcome, too.”

Gregory merely shrugged with a small smile, being a man of many words, like usual.

“Fine,” I muttered. “So when exactly does this start?”

“Oh, well, in like ten minutes. Toni, do you think we can close-up early?”

Toni twirled the store keys around his fingers, excusing himself from our group circle and striding gracefully to the door. He opened it carefully, gesturing to it with an open hand. Rosalina grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. Gregory followed us, and Toni joined us after locking up.

“Rosie, can you take Greg?” Toni asked Rosalina nonchalantly, running a hand through his thick chestnut hair. His blue-gray eyes met her ocean eyes, and she grinned.

“You’re going to take out the Jaguar, aren’t you?” she asked teasingly.

“The baby hasn’t been out for so long, Rosie. Poor thing. Grace, have you ever been in a Jaguar?”

“I don’t think so,” I told him, watching him carefully. “What are you up to?”

“Absolutely nothing!” he told me, sounding genuinely appalled.

He grinned, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the house next door. It was certainly a modest brick house, but my opinion changed when the small garage door opened to reveal a black, luxurious car model. My jaw dropped as he pulled me to the passenger seat, helping me get inside.

“You like?”

“I—It’s gorgeous,” I told him, carefully buckling my seatbelt. “How can you afford this?”

“I work hard, and my parents gave me a pretty nice inheritance. Being an only child has its perks.”

“I wouldn’t know, but I love my brothers,” I told him, jumping in my seat as the engine started. “I can’t imagine not having them.”

“They’re very lucky to have you,” he told me, turning to look at me as he pushed on the brakes. I glanced up to the red traffic light and back to him.

“I think it’s the other way around, but thank you.” I smiled gently, not able to pull my eyes from his blue-gray ones.

He reminded me so much of Darius! That look in his eyes… I had seen that look when Dray and I had stared into each others’ eyes. I missed it. It was the look he always had when he was about to kiss me and tell me he loved me so much. And then I’d tell him…

“I love you, too.”

“What?” Toni asked, snapping upright and bringing me back into reality.

“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry! I don’t—my mind was on something else. I—!”

“It’s okay!” he promised, laughing and returning his gaze to the road. “I just—Who were you thinking about?”

“Oh, my brothers,” I lied quickly, sighing inwardly. “They’re my world.”

He’s my world.
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Sorry for the lack of updates, but my next chapter is about halfway done, so I hope to have it up tomorrow :)