Why would I change my mind now? Nothing is different.”
“Nothing…? I mean, you let…?” Cary choked out. “You… you mean you knew ? Before David?” He was sure he wasn’t making any sense. His head pounded and his stomach did somersaults and backflips.
“I’ve known all along, Cary.”
“Shit.”
Antonio laughed, a warm and inviting sound that made Cary’s knees wobble. “Why don’t you sit down.” Antonio gestured to the couch. “We can talk.”
Cary did as he was told. “How…? When…?”
Christ! Get it together.
“I heard you play before we met. Several times. I thought you looked familiar when I found you that night, but you were pretty banged up. I realized who you were while I was waiting with you in the hospital.” He chuckled, then added, “And when I heard you humming the New World Symphony in the bathroom that first night, I was sure I was right.”
Cary opened his mouth to speak but decided against it. What could he say, anyhow?
“I go to a lot of concerts because of my work. I heard the Brahms Double Concerto you performed with Alex at the Milan Auditorium and the recital you played in July.”
“Wait a minute.” Cary struggled to put the pieces together. “What did David mean about a contract? I thought you did business law.”
“Perhaps I should have explained it better. I help musicians and artists with their businesses. I handle all of David and Alex’s European contracts. I’m what you Americans call an entertainment lawyer.”
“So when we heard David conduct…?”
“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to upset you. I had hoped you’d just tell me the truth on your own, but when you didn’t, I decided to push you a little. It was a mistake.”
“If I didn’t already feel so bad about lying to you all these weeks, I’d be seriously pissed.”
“After the concert,” Antonio added, “I knew you wanted to tell me the truth, and I felt terrible for putting you in that position. I could see how horrible you felt. I spoke with David a few nights ago. I asked him what I should do.”
Cary knew his mouth was hanging open, but he didn’t care.
“He was the one who suggested making up the story about dinner. He was worried about you.”
Cary made a mental note to call David and apologize again. “You certainly surprised me.”
“He cares a lot about you,” Antonio said. “He talks about you. And when I called him from the hospital—”
“You called David Somers from the hospital?” Cary couldn’t quite wrap his brain around it.
“Yes. I wasn’t sure what to do, and I knew David was in Milan. He suggested I keep an eye on you just to be sure you were all right. But Cary, why didn’t you just tell me who you were to begin with?”
Cary felt his gut tense at the look of hurt on Antonio’s face—he knew he was the cause of it. “It’s a long story.” Oh, he so didn’t want to do this!
But what difference does it make now, anyhow?
“We’ve got plenty of time,” Antonio said. He leaned back against the pillows and waited patiently.
“I guess I owe you that, don’t I?”
“No,” Antonio responded. “You don’t owe me anything. But I’d still like to know.”
Cary absentmindedly scratched the skin on the inside of his left arm, just under the edge of the cast. How had he ever thought this— any of this—was okay? The broken wrist? The weeks away from practicing? The lies? He had only himself to blame for all of it.
“I’m the worst kind of self-centered asshole,” he said at last. “I play my music and I do fine. But when I’m not playing… let’s just say I’ve been in trouble a few times.”
“You were coming from a bar when I found you?” There was no judgment in that resonant voice, just patient understanding.
“Yeah. And not the reputable kind you go to.”
“I’ve been in my share of dives.” Antonio met Cary’s gaze unflinchingly. “We all have, I think.”
Cary ignored this and plunged forward.
“Nothing…? I mean, you let…?” Cary choked out. “You… you mean you knew ? Before David?” He was sure he wasn’t making any sense. His head pounded and his stomach did somersaults and backflips.
“I’ve known all along, Cary.”
“Shit.”
Antonio laughed, a warm and inviting sound that made Cary’s knees wobble. “Why don’t you sit down.” Antonio gestured to the couch. “We can talk.”
Cary did as he was told. “How…? When…?”
Christ! Get it together.
“I heard you play before we met. Several times. I thought you looked familiar when I found you that night, but you were pretty banged up. I realized who you were while I was waiting with you in the hospital.” He chuckled, then added, “And when I heard you humming the New World Symphony in the bathroom that first night, I was sure I was right.”
Cary opened his mouth to speak but decided against it. What could he say, anyhow?
“I go to a lot of concerts because of my work. I heard the Brahms Double Concerto you performed with Alex at the Milan Auditorium and the recital you played in July.”
“Wait a minute.” Cary struggled to put the pieces together. “What did David mean about a contract? I thought you did business law.”
“Perhaps I should have explained it better. I help musicians and artists with their businesses. I handle all of David and Alex’s European contracts. I’m what you Americans call an entertainment lawyer.”
“So when we heard David conduct…?”
“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to upset you. I had hoped you’d just tell me the truth on your own, but when you didn’t, I decided to push you a little. It was a mistake.”
“If I didn’t already feel so bad about lying to you all these weeks, I’d be seriously pissed.”
“After the concert,” Antonio added, “I knew you wanted to tell me the truth, and I felt terrible for putting you in that position. I could see how horrible you felt. I spoke with David a few nights ago. I asked him what I should do.”
Cary knew his mouth was hanging open, but he didn’t care.
“He was the one who suggested making up the story about dinner. He was worried about you.”
Cary made a mental note to call David and apologize again. “You certainly surprised me.”
“He cares a lot about you,” Antonio said. “He talks about you. And when I called him from the hospital—”
“You called David Somers from the hospital?” Cary couldn’t quite wrap his brain around it.
“Yes. I wasn’t sure what to do, and I knew David was in Milan. He suggested I keep an eye on you just to be sure you were all right. But Cary, why didn’t you just tell me who you were to begin with?”
Cary felt his gut tense at the look of hurt on Antonio’s face—he knew he was the cause of it. “It’s a long story.” Oh, he so didn’t want to do this!
But what difference does it make now, anyhow?
“We’ve got plenty of time,” Antonio said. He leaned back against the pillows and waited patiently.
“I guess I owe you that, don’t I?”
“No,” Antonio responded. “You don’t owe me anything. But I’d still like to know.”
Cary absentmindedly scratched the skin on the inside of his left arm, just under the edge of the cast. How had he ever thought this— any of this—was okay? The broken wrist? The weeks away from practicing? The lies? He had only himself to blame for all of it.
“I’m the worst kind of self-centered asshole,” he said at last. “I play my music and I do fine. But when I’m not playing… let’s just say I’ve been in trouble a few times.”
“You were coming from a bar when I found you?” There was no judgment in that resonant voice, just patient understanding.
“Yeah. And not the reputable kind you go to.”
“I’ve been in my share of dives.” Antonio met Cary’s gaze unflinchingly. “We all have, I think.”
Cary ignored this and plunged forward.
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