Page 19 of City of Love

She took a step back, her hands shaking. She was now in full panic mode, not trusting her senses at all. The guy had to be one of those actors, right? The ones who dressed up like historical figures and gave tours around Independence Hall. Did they even have an Independence Hall here?

The back of her throat tightened, threatening a sob. “No. Thank you.”

She gave him a quick nod and continued, a bit more carefully, and now with a limp, down Market Street.

Wanting so badly to run.

CHAPTER 8

Out of breath, ankle throbbing, Lexi burst through the doors of Club Deux Mondes.

Ten minutes late.

Assuming, since she was still standing there in that universe, the time limit wasn’t quite as tight as they’d made it out to be, and there was really more of a buffer built in, she scanned the scene looking for Margot. Hopefully no one would notice her tardiness and she could slip back in as if nothing had happened, in time for their departure.

No such luck. She saw at once that her cohorts from Taco Shots were nowhere in sight.

Her heart rate kicked into an even faster pace. As intrigued as she was by this world, as much as she longed to explore it, to learn about her prescience, to figure out the enigmatic Gideon Ashe… well, right now item number one on her to-do list was get back home. Underscored twice and circled with pink highlighter.

Maybe the rest of her party was gathered in the study room they’d arrived in, waiting on her. Again. She began a limping path toward the back of the club, when the bartender from earlier in the evening cut her off. “Miss Cross, we were very worried.”

“I’m so sorry.” She twisted her hands together. “It’s just that—”

“Gideon wants to see you. Follow me, please.”

Without pausing for her response, he turned and led her back through the club toward Gideon’s office.

Uh oh.

She followed like she was walking the proverbial plank, and she rehearsed her plea as she went. After all, it wasn’t really her fault she was late, was it? She’d been completely abandoned by Vik and Alana. In fact, she was the one who should be mad, damn it. Screw apologizing. She planned to complain. Because coming back to this world, and as soon as possible, meant everything to her now. It held the key to turning her life around, and if breaking the rules meant she’d now be banned from returning, it simply wasn’t fair. She’d fight for her right to come back. For her right to learn.

Lexi practiced curling her hands into fists and puffing out her chest as the bartender escorted her into the office and then left, shutting the door behind him.

And her well-rehearsed indignation dissolved into wonder.

The office, if you could call it that, was unlike anything she’d seen, and stunningly beautiful, the Architectural Digest version of a man cave. All masculine and warm, the flickering candles and reflective hammered-copper ceiling held her mesmerized. But it was the music that drew her forward into the room, and her gaze pulled to the sight of an elegant grand piano on the far side of the space, on which was being played the most joyful concerto she’d ever heard.

The notes physically vibrated up through her body, moving in a most distinct and discernable fashion from her feet up through her heart, bringing her instantly and overwhelmingly to tears. She fought back a sob, helpless to her emotional response.

Pulled by the music, she crossed the room. Whoever was playing was hidden behind a magnificent chandelier that… no… not a chandelier.

What am I seeing? She wiped the tears from her eyes.

Something rose up out of the center of the piano, from where the workings of the instrument were moving.

What is that?

She moved closer, her eyes widening as she watched the most spectacular light show she’d ever witnessed. Tiny pinpoints of light, in colors of gold, red, white and purple, swirled around each other in a fantastical display, synchronized with the notes from the piano.

Flowing up and up, dancing as they went, the colors changed, dimming and brightening with the flow of the music, then spreading across the copper ceiling and finally dissipating into the corners of the room.

Where was it coming from? There were no wires or optics that she could see.

Her throat tightened with muffled emotion as she realized that the light and the music were one and the same. And that the creator of both was seated at the piano, completely lost in a world of his own creation, fingers moving with speed and grace, his eyes soft and focused on some inner world of his own.

She took another step closer, and with that, Gideon halted his movement and everything ceased. The lights tumbled back into the piano and disappeared as if someone had suddenly shut off a fountain.

He looked up at her with distant eyes, and it felt like all the joy she had ever known in life was sucked out of her body, and she couldn’t bear to be without that music and color ever again.

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