Read Online Strangers in the Night by Inés Saint - Free Book Online Page B

shame, she really does have it all. She’s scary smart — ”
    “Scary being the operative word,” Cate interrupted.
    “And she’s wicked funny,” Keila continued.
    “Wicked being the operative word,” Cate added.
    “Oh, and she’s freakishly perceptive.”
    “Let me guess, freak being the operative word?” Tyrone cut in. “What about you? Are you a smart, beautiful man-hater like Cate and Tania?” he asked.
    “I’m not a man-hater!” Cate protested, and then, with the devil’s glint in her eye, she said, “And hate implies passion. Keila here has recently been semi-dumped for showing a lack of passion. So no, she doesn’t have the nature for man-hating in her.”
    Keila’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe Cate had just shared that bit of information! But why her eyes went to Jake instead of to Cate, she couldn’t say. And why her stomach flipped all over the place when Jake looked back at her, a disbelieving eyebrow raised, stumped her even further. With one cold and quick, “See you next week,” she left, ignoring a knowing look from Cate.
    Filip was across the street and he offered Keila a tour of The Chicago Youth Project.
    When they were finished with the tour, Keila walked in a circle in the middle of the blue and beige rec room, taking it all in. Everything around her spoke comfort and purpose; the worn sofas and pool, ice hockey, and foosball tables, the private rooms in which children received tutoring, and outside, the basketball court and park. Filip had said there was a second, very colorful center in Pilsen, and Keila wanted to see that one, too.
    Impassive, yet caring? Distant, but involved? No, she didn’t understand Jake. All she knew was he unnerved her. When he’d been standing close to her, arguing so calmly, she’d been torn between pounding him on the chest or tugging hard on his shirt to pull his lips onto hers to get him to listen to her again, the way he had when they’d been talking about the city, both seemingly enveloped in a strange, delicious cloud of intimacy.
    A little while later, as she walked toward her stop, she caught sight of Jake, Tyrone, another man and a few teenage boys, playing football. Apparently, it was shirts vs. skins. And, because life was unfair as of late, Jake just had to be skins. And, because life was unfair as of late, he just had to be ripped. Breathless and flustered, she thanked God she wouldn’t see him for a full week.
    • • •
    Keila forgot all about her frustrations the next day. She’d finally be rehearsing with a full, nationally renowned orchestra. The fact that she wasn’t getting paid for it yet seemed like a minor detail. Playing was all that mattered. Her heart beat picked up as she made her way to the rehearsal hall, the sounds of musicians fine tuning their instruments filling her with contentment.
    The first person she saw when she walked through the door was Julia Hamilton. Julia looked up when the door swung open, and then quickly looked away. Everyone was gathered either in small groups or pairs, but Julia sat alone, tuning her violin.
    Michelle Moynihan caught sight of Keila and motioned her over. Surrounded by a couple of musicians Keila didn’t yet know, she said, “You’re going to love this; you’ve got your first outside gig!” She introduced Keila to a viola player named Ralph, and then to Simone, a cello player. Michelle explained they were part of a string quartet she’d been asked to put together, and she wanted Keila to join. “We’ll be playing this Friday night, though, so we’re going to have to meet every evening this week and practice until midnight,” she added.
    Keila happily agreed, relieved she’d have more income.
    “Where will we be playing?” Ralph asked.
    “We’ll be playing at a private fundraiser for mayoral candidate Jake Kelly, Simone got us the gig.”
    Keila’s heart fell. Jake was going to think she was stalking him or something.
    “Right,” Simone agreed