Page 28 of Not Another Love Song

A buzzing sound to her left pulled her attention. The thirty or so guests who had shown up were applauding.

She was slammed back into the present, realizing that they’d just gone rogue on the wedding set list, in a way. She found Ama in the crowd. She was jumping up and down, joining the applause.

Gwen looked back to Xander. There was that barely-there smile again. She tore her eyes away and turned the page, but then suddenly he started “Every Breath You Take,” which was four songs ahead.

He watched her, not needing the music. And she understood.

She lifted her bow, not needing the music either.

That’s how they played the rest of the wedding. The bride walked down the aisle to Elton John, and Gwen held Xander’s gaze the entire time, neither of them needing anything but each other. When the ceremony began, Gwen’s heart was pounding, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She felt like she’d run miles. Or like she’d…well.

Her body pulsed, and she knew Xander’s eyes were on her the entire ceremony. She could feel his gaze like a fingertip trailing down her spine, lower and lower, closer and closer to where she wanted him.

When Gwen took the cue from Ama to start the recessional song, she nodded at him, and they started “All You Need Is Love.” It was a ridiculous song to be playing while she felt tight and itchy, like she desperately needed some alone time.

She glanced at Xander in the middle of it, and he was playing lazily, but with precision. His fingers were loose on his bow, and his body rocked with the music. She stared at him, trying to memorize the way he could make music look so easy, even as a delicious drop of sweat rolled down the side of his neck.

When the song ended, Gwen couldn’t meet his eye. A few of the guests came over to shake their hands, and then she started to pack up. When she couldn’t take the silence anymore, she said, “To be honest, I liked Mac and Sonya’s selections better.”

There was a pause as he popped open his case. “Why?”

“Sonya and Mac had some good substitutes for love songs. I guess I don’t like songs about love that much.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t really…They don’t feel real.” She gestured to “Your Song” by Elton John, the bride’s processional. “It’s like ‘I wrote you this song to tell you I love you. By the way, I also hope to make millions off of it, so thanks, sweetheart.’ It feels very transactional.”

She glanced up at him, and he tilted his head, watching her. She continued, “I guess I like ‘Creep’ because it’s like, ‘I’m a weirdo and you ran out on me; at least I ought to make money off of it.’ I don’t know. Maybe I’m not explaining it well.”

“Anti-love songs,” he said.

Her eyes snapped up to him. That’s exactly what she called them herself. “Yeah.”

His tongue brushed across his lower lip before he pressed his lips together. She felt her skin heat.

She had to look away from his mouth. “They have better orchestrations anyway,” she added.

“You just like minor keys,” he teased, putting his music binder away.

She laughed. “Maybe.”

Xander stood, tugging the cello onto his back. She waited for him to say something. She would even take a critique at this point.

“Excellent, you two!” Ama popped up behind him. She handed him an envelope that presumably had his money and tip. She extended one to Gwen too. “Like, I know nothing about what you just did, but I think it was the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Even Elliot said you were good. And if you knew him, you’d know that speaking out loud only happens for a reason.”

She brought Gwen in for a tight hug, asking if she had time for drinks when she was back in New York next month. Gwen answered, watching as Xander walked away through the cherry blossoms.

“Thank you so much for thinking of me, Ama. This gig was great,” Gwen said.

“Sure! And actually…” Ama checked over her shoulder and whispered, “it was Xander who requested you.”

She lifted her eyebrows in a way that Gwen thought was supposed to mean something, but she was still stuck on the previous words.

“He…I thought you said the bride and groom wanted more sound.” Her chest started to squeeze.

“They did.” Ama smiled. “After Xander Thorne, cellist rock god, said he needed a violin.”

“And you…you called me because I’m the only one you knew…” She trailed off.

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