Page 10 of Lucky Break
My cheeks heat under his pointed stare. Of course I remembered. I memorize everything about this man. “Maybe wait and see what it is first.” I tease, reaching for humor to break the tension that builds whenever our gazes collide. Maybe Mercury is in retrograde. He’s not a cheater, though, and neither am I. But I can’t deny I’m conflicted. Because holy hell do I want to kiss him.
“I’m sure it won’t compare to what Celeste got you.” I voice the reminder of his girlfriend for his sake as much as mine.
“God I hope so.” His lips pinch as if they’ve tasted something sour.
Oh great. She’s probably already given him something expensive and flashy. Not that it should matter what she got him. They’re dating. Still, I hate that I’ll always feel a little inferior to her. “Some of us have to stay budget friendly.”
Callum’s smile falls, his stare holding mine. “Celeste and I broke up.”
His words are the very ones I’ve wanted to hear for years. Still, they come as a shock.They broke up?My mouth falls open. “On your birthday?”
“This calls for another drink.” Popping up from the couch, he retrieves the bottle of Jameson and pours himself another, then tops off my glass. He sits back on the couch and holds his glass to mine, clinking our glasses before taking a drink. I take a sip; the sharpness of the liquor should serve to distract me from the news Callum dropped, but it doesn’t.
“What happened?”Didshebreak up withyou? Are you sad? Do I have a chance this time, or will you move on and fall for someone else?
“She broke up with me, but I don’t think she even remembered it was my birthday.” He laughs, though it lacks his usual humor. “She was too busy listing all the ways I’ve disappointed her.”
I wince. “Ouch”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.” It’s bad that I want to celebrate. She never appreciated him. Not the way she should have. Though, I don’t wish him any pain. “Are you okay?”
“Surprisingly? Yeah.” He scrubs a hand over his jaw and smirks. “I mean it probably has a little to do with the Guinness and Jameson, oh and the fact that the owners of freaking Detour Records stopped in to see my show.” He bugs his eyes and flashes one of his devious grins.
I bite my lower lip in an impossible attempt to rein in my smile.
“Curious, isn’t it?” he says, his eyes narrowing.
“What’s that?” I pretend to look for his gift in my bag, even though I know exactly where it is.
“Just that I’ve been playing at the Twisted Goat every Thursday night for the last two years.” He leans closer on the couch.
“Mmmhmm.” I should have known he’d figure it out.
“And I don’t think I can recall one time a music industry executive stopped in for a drink, let alone anyone famous.”
“Lucky break,” I mutter under my breath and pretend to keep searching for his gift, even though the box is at my fingertips.
“On my birthday?” He raises his eyebrows.
I don’t know why I’m embarrassed to admit my involvement. He’s obviously grateful, and excited. But there’s a part of me that worries he’ll find my actions desperate or self-serving. I didn’t do it for recognition. I did it because he deserves to be playing much bigger gigs than this neighborhood bar. He deserves to have his own album.
“You promised me a present.” His gaze darts to my lips, as if he wants to kiss me, just like he’s been doing all night. Something he can do now that he and Celeste broke up. Hell, maybe I’m not hallucinating.
“I did.” My fingers wrap around the box and I hesitate. My nerves bubble to the surface.What if he doesn’t like it? What if he thinks it’s stupid? What if he thinks I’m stupid for giving this to him?
“Finally lose something in there?” Callum’s forever complaining about how long it takes for me to unearth my keys from inside my purse. I could let him think I’ve finally lost something to the abyss that is my unorganized purse, but then I’d have to hear about it forever.
Fuck it. I can’t back down now. “Here.” I shove it into his hands.
His brows lift, his eyes going wide at the small box wrapped in paper and ribbon. Almost as if the sight of my present catches him off guard. He takes it into his hands, turning it over before whispering, “I think you’ve given me enough tonight.”
I want to give him more. I want to give him everything. “Just open it.”
He concentrates on loosening the ribbon and removing the paper wrapped around the small box without tearing it, almost as if he wants to savor the anticipation of what’s inside. He holds the box up to his ear and shakes it. His brows lift, a smile on those perfect lips as the contents inside rattle around. “Too light to be a box of rocks.”
I exhale a rush of breath, my anxiety building with each passing second. “Oh my god, if you don’t open it, I’m taking it back!”
