Page 50 of Not Another Love Song

At ten a.m. on the dot, a pair of Ray-Bans walked into the room carrying a Stradivarius case. There was a small chorus of congratulations from the cellos and basses that Gwen ignored. She flipped her pages, eyes firmly planted on her music stand.

She heard the chair across from her drag against the floor, and the oomph of a heavy body landing into it. Gwen tried not to concentrate on the knowledge she had about that body. How those thick thighs could hug her hips, how that chest expanded in quick rhythms when his panting breath—

“Welcome back, everyone!”

A cheer greeted Nathan. And Gwen smiled at him, her vision blacking out where a hulking figure was bending to open his cello case.

“We have some exciting changes this year,” Nathan hollered over the noise. “As we know, my wife, Ava, is now on the board of directors, making way for our Gwen Jackson to take up first chair.”

Nathan swept his hand toward her, and the room exploded into sound, cheering and whooping. She blushed, and waved, not daring to look to see if everyone was applauding.

He continued, “And our own Xander Thorne had an incredible summer. His band was on SNL this weekend—”

Loud. Loud, loud. Gwen applauded with everyone, eyes on Nathan.

Mei called out, “Yo, Thorne, what do I have to give you for Michael Che’s number?”

Nathan quieted down the laughter. “I know an email was sent out, but we’ll talk a bit later about the added concert and the performance with the Broadway League. A few structural changes to our regular concerts as well…”

Structural changes. Gwen frowned.

“But let’s jump right into it! Turn your books to the…Green Bay song.”

“Green Day!” The whole group laughed, and Nathan shook his head, muttering.

Just before Nathan cued them, Gwen’s eyes lifted without permission.

Navy T-shirt. Dark eyes. And the lips that had been on her neck just five days earlier.

It wasn’t until that moment that she realized exactly what it would feel like to sit directly across from him for an entire season. Nothing obstructing her view. Just the two of them on either side of the conductor.

His eyes swept over her, and she quickly faced Nathan, refocusing.

Just before they moved on from “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” Nathan asked Gwen if she had any notes.

They both knew that the cellos and basses were playing too loud.

She cleared her throat and said, “Xander, I think we could pull back a bit.”

“Could we?” he mumbled sarcastically.

Her eyes flicked up to him. It was the same tone he used with Ava. She stared him down and slowly raised a brow at him. “Did you need clarification?”

She heard the orchestra hush.

Something sparkled in his eyes, and his lips twitched. “No, ma’am.”

Turning back to her music, she nodded at Nathan that they could continue. Mei caught her gaze from her position in the trombones and mouthed, “Oh my god.”

At their ten-minute break, Gwen jumped up to run to the table in the corner where Nathan and Ava always set out tea and coffee, and occasionally cookies or donuts.

She grabbed an oatmeal raisin cookie just as a shadow crossed over the table. She didn’t need to look to know who it was.

“You could have told me the gig was SNL.” She glared down at the cookie. Apparently, that was all she was angry about today.

When he didn’t respond, she pulled out a ten-dollar bill she had pressed into her pocket for this exact moment, and extended it to him.

“For the tacos.”

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