Page 54 of Persuaded

And yet, fool that he was, Joshua felt a flicker of hope because, despite everything, Finn was free. He was free again.

By the end of that morning’s session Joshua was hot and sweaty, but on the kind of high you couldn’t get from anything other than good music and hard work. As he stood up fromthe piano and stretched his back he saw Quinton watching him through the window with an appreciative smile. A tilt of his head invited Joshua to join him.

The air was cooler as he stepped into the control booth and nodded his goodbyes to the other musicians who were heading straight to another session. A couple of them looked like they hadn’t slept in a week.

“They probably haven’t,” Quinton agreed when Joshua said as much. “You work when you get a gig in this job, darling—anytime, anyplace, anywhere.”

Joshua thought of his quiet home in New Milton, of the ocean at the end of his street, of the kids he wasn’t teaching, the concerts he wasn’t arranging. “I’m not sure I’m an anytime, anyplace, anywhere kind of guy.”

“Really?” Quinton raked a look over him. “I’ve got budget meetings all afternoon, or I’d show you exactly how to be an anytime, anyplace, anywhere kind of guy.”

Joshua blushed, but didn’t acknowledge or shut down the double entendre. They both knew what Quinton was offering, but Joshua hadn’t decided whether he was interested. He really wasn’t into casual hookups, but perhaps he should give it a go in this new life of his? It might convince him that he’d stopped pining for Finn. So he smiled instead of answering and Quinton smiled back with a speculative gleam in his eyes.

“I do, however, have time for lunch,” he said.

So they ended up back at All Bar None, at Quinton’s favorite table, and sat rather too close while Quinton spent an hour overtly flirting and Joshua tried to decide whether he liked it or not.

“Tonight,” Quinton said, setting down his napkin, “they have an open mic here—you and I should set the place on fire.”

Joshua shook his head. “I don’t know about that.”

“Oh, come on, darling, it’ll be a laugh. We’ll do Cohen again, and afterwards... My place?” He grinned and pulled out his cigarettes. “Christ, I’m gagging for a fag—as they say in London.”

“Ah—”

“A ciggy.” He tapped his cigarettes in explanation, then glanced out the window and sighed. “Bloody hell, look at that, it’s pissing down.”

The rain fell in sheets, bouncing up from the street outside. People hurried along under umbrellas, heads down, car lights reflecting in the wet pavement, irritable horns blaring.

It would be a wet walk back to the studio.

“Come on,” Quinton said, getting up and throwing a handful of bills on the table. “Let’s go. I’ll find us a cab.”

“In this weather?”

He flashed Joshua as smile as they wove their way through the crowded restaurant. “Trust me, I have a knack.”

Joshua could believe it; Quinton was nothing if not commanding. Imperious, even. It was attractive in its way, dazzling. Joshua could imagine letting himself be dazzled, embracing the distraction.

“Wait here,” Quinton said as he pulled on his overcoat. “No point in us both getting drenched.”

So Joshua waited in the crowded foyer, peering out the steamy windows as Quinton headed off to hail a cab. Inside, it was hot and humid as people shook off their wet coats and umbrellas. He wiped a clear spot on the glass and watched Quinton standing at the curb. The door opened again and Joshua made room as a guy backed inside, trying to get out of the rain and collapse his umbrella at the same time.

“Sorry.” The man turned. “I—”

Everything stopped. Joshua heard nothing but the blood pounding in his ears.

After a stunned pause, Finn Callaghan smiled. “Josh...”

It was a bright, nervous smile that sent Joshua’s heart swooping. His mouth worked and he heard himself say, “Hello, Finn.”

“I, uh...” Finn looked rattled but he was still smiling, warm and unguarded. “Wow. Uh, Sean said he’d seen you in here, but I didn’t think...” He trailed off, briefly met Joshua’s gaze, then looked down to shake the rain from his sleeves. “I’m—I just ducked in to get out of the weather.”

He didn’t know what to make of Finn’s awkwardness. “It’s pretty nasty out.” He guessed the weather was a safe topic. “They say it’s going to turn to snow tonight.”

“You’ll like that, then.” Finn’s smile softened. “You like snow.”

“I do.”

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