by Strauss, Lee
“Hi, Sebastian,” she said. She wore Capris and a nice shirt and her brown hair was pulled off her face in a low ponytail.
“Looks like Spain’s been treating you well,” Sebastian said in greeting. “How are the fish?” Leah was a marine biologist and worked at an aquarium in Mallorca.
“Spain is great,” she replied in Spanish. “So are the fish.”
Sebastian knew a little Spanish, enough to make out what his sister said. He didn’t bother trying to respond. He’d stick to German, thank you very much.
“What brings you here?”
“Just visiting. I have three weeks off, so I thought I’d drop in to see the family. You know how gleeful that is.”
Sarcasm was a family trait they shared. “We’re the happiest.”
Leah made herself comfortable in one of the chairs and pointedly stared at the surrounding mess. “I’ve heard you’re doing well.”
“It’s been a wild year.”
“Yvonne must be ecstatic. Finally, all those years of putting up with your craziness is paying off.”
“We broke up.”
Leah snapped to attention. “Really? Now that you have a taste of fame, you let her go?”
Sebastian stiffened, and the phony smile he’d been flashing his sister’s way disappeared. “You know, Leah, that’s the thing about you and Mom and Dad. Always believing the best of me.”
“What?” Leah’s dark brows jumped. “She dumped you?”
“She cheated on me. With Karl. Then I dumped her.”
“Oh, Scheisse, Sebastian. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well.”
“So anyone else on the horizon? A brunette perhaps?”
“Great. You follow the tabloids. All that feigned interest in Yvonne, was just you digging?”
“Okay.” Leah pulled her ponytail over her shoulder and played with the tip. “I admit I’m curious. Who’s the new girl?”
None of this was any of his sister’s business. Sebastian blew out in frustration and answered anyway. “She’s just a friend. Someone I write songs with.”
“She looked like more than a friend in the pictures. You were smiling, Sebi. I haven’t seen you smile like that in years.”
Sebastian blinked. Leah was right. Of course, he smiled when he was joking around, but mostly that was an attempt to hide the fact that he actually wasn’t happy. Yesterday with Eva he felt genuine happiness.
“She’s a great girl and I like her. But we only just met a little while ago.”
“Yeah, how’d you meet?”
Sebastian chuckled. His sister was a diehard romantic. “I saw her play at the Blue Note. She’s good. I asked her if she wanted to write with me. She said yes. The end.”
Leah pouted. “That’s all I’m going to get?”
“Yes, so stop probing. What about you? You still with that lug?”
Leah’s expression fell. “No. I’m single. Otherwise, I’d be vacationing on the beach in Mallorca instead of coming back here to visit my brother who’s still not talking to our parents.”
“They’re not talking to me.”
“Someone has to make the first move.”
“They kicked me out. Told me not to come back until I was ready to go back to school. I’m not going back to school, Leah, so I guess we’re at a stalemate.”
“He’s not well, you know.”
“Who?”
“Papa.”
“I’m assuming his fingers and hands still work well enough to pick up a phone.”
Leah sighed. “Fine. No one can say I didn’t try.” She stood and slung her purse strap over her shoulder. “I gotta run. Give me a hug, okay?”
Sebastian gave into her request begrudgingly, though if he were being honest, his sister’s embrace felt good. Leah had sided with her parents when the ultimatum had been thrown down, but had since softened her stance. She hadn’t exactly apologized, but she’d held out an olive branch on more than one occasion. Like she had by coming by today.
Now Sebastian cleaned up the flat in anticipation of Eva’s arrival. He left briefly to pick up Indian takeaway and sat on his balcony to eat it. When he finished, he tossed the containers into the paper receptacle, and then went to brush his teeth. He put on a fresh T-shirt for good measure. Then he returned to his chair on the patio where he had a view of the street Eva would travel down to get to his place.
He sat up straighter when he spotted her turn the corner. She wore a red floral skirt and a white blouse. Her hair hung straight and shiny, like it usually did and a pair of sunglasses rested on her cute nose. She walked unevenly, gripping her black cane, but honestly, it was the last thing he noticed. It was like he’d stopped seeing the cane and the limp at all.
He stood and called out when she was close enough to hear. “Eva!”
The smile that crossed her face when she looked up and saw him made his legs feel shaky. He watched her slow ascent to the front door and then rushed inside to release the lock of the main door. Listening to her uneven, slow climb up the steps, it was the first time Sebastian wished his building had an elevator.
“Hey,” he said when she reached the top.
“Hey,” she answered.
He had water and sodas sitting out on the coffee table knowing she’d be thirsty from her trek.
They stood staring at each other for an awkward moment. Sebastian was surprised by the emotion he felt at seeing her again. Excitement. Anticipation. Joy?
“Here, have a seat,” he said, waving at a chair. He had to look away for fear that his face would give away his feelings in an embarrassing fashion.
Eva gracefully sat in the chair Sebastian had indicated and helped herself to a glass of water. Sebastian had placed a guitar stand with Eva’s choice of guitar in it within reach.
“I wanted to thank you again for yesterday,” she said. “It was fun.”
“Yeah,” Sebastian said, staying cool. “Not a bad way to blow an afternoon.”
“We made the news,” she added. “But you must be used to that kind of thing.”
Sebastian settled into the chair adjacent to Eva, about an arm’s length away, and placed his guitar on his lap. “I don’t think it’s something you ever get used to. It’s just there. Sorry, you had to go through that, though.” He studied her. “You didn’t get in trouble, did you?”
Eva shook her head. “My parents haven’t put the pieces together. But my sister recognized my dress.”
“And…”
“She’s cool.”
“Good. Well, let’s see if our outing helped the muse.”
They strummed and picked out the tune, reviewing the lyrics they’d come up with before.
“Do you have anything else?” Sebastian asked.
Eva pulled a folded piece of paper out of her small shoulder bag. “I wrote this down yesterday.”
Sebastian read Eva’s cursive scribble.
“It’s to go along with our theme from before,” Eva added quickly. “About the person looking for something outside of themself and thinking they might’ve found it. Except they’re not sure. Her memory… or his… isn’t very good.”
“Sing it for me.”
Eva brushed her fingers across the strings and closed her eyes.
You were the reason I had awakened
I had placed you imperfectly
Like an unremembered memory
Oohhhh
I can’t say what lies beyond my flesh and bone,
But for the pull here beneath
I reach to the sky
“And he… or she… finally realizes that being alone, hiding inside oneself isn’t the answer.”
Sebastian wondered if she was referring to herself, or to him. Maybe both. He jazzed up the beat and had her sing it again. She came to the end, but Sebastian felt something was lacking. It needed more. He leaned forward to mention it, but stopped when he noticed the way Eva watched him, her eyes wide with curiosity and inspiration. She radiated pure joy and anticipation a
s they created together. His heart warmed and longed for her. He wanted more than flesh and bone. The space between them sizzled and his gaze moved to her lips once again.
He bravely sang out the only thing on his mind:
All I wanna do is find love
All I wanna do is find love
All I wanna do is find love
Forever now
Eva’s lips parted slightly, and Sebastian imagined she was as surprised by his declaration as he was. He reached over and tucked the hair that stubbornly wanted to cover her pretty face behind her ear. She shivered at his touch, and heat exploded in his chest. His fingers moved to the back of her head, and he gently pulled her forward. She didn’t resist. He closed his eyes as his lips found hers.
Eva was experiencing her first kiss, and her first kiss was with Sebastian Weiss! Was she doing it right? Sebastian was experienced. Oh, God (sorry, Mama), what if she was doing it wrong?
Another part of her brain told her to relax. Kissing was an instinct for humans. It wasn’t something you had to study and learn. It was just lips… and tongues.
Oh my God , (sorry Mama!) the tip of his tongue brushed against hers. She moved her lips in rhythm with his. See? Kissing was easy. It was just another type of music, their mouths another kind of instrument.
He pulled away gently, and she held her chest, trying hard not to pant like a thirsty dog. Now what? Was she supposed to say something?
He smiled and rested his chin on his guitar. “Sorry about that.”
Eva’s heart stopped. “You’re sorry you kissed me?”
“No, Eva, I’m not sorry I kissed you. I’m sorry I surprised you. I should’ve asked you first.”
“Oh.”
“Next time I’ll ask.”
Her smile returned. So he planned on a next time. That sounded good to her.
“Let’s finish this song,” he said.
Eva stared at her feet. How was she supposed to concentrate on the song now? She pinched her eyes closed and tried to concentrate on lyrics and melodies, but all she could think of was how her lips still tingled from the kiss.
“Are you all right?”
She snapped her eyes open, worried she was making a fool of herself so soon afterward.
“Yeah, fine. Really good actually.”
He grinned. “I’m having a hard time concentrating now, too.”
“I probably should head home anyway,” Eva said. If she got back too late, her parents would get concerned and start asking questions.
“I’ll walk you.”
Sebastian propped his guitar up against the sofa while Eva put hers in its stand. She retrieved her cane and glanced toward the door. For her to get to it, Sebastian would have to move so she could scoot by. His eyes glistened as he stared down at her, like he knew he had her trapped.
“I like you, Eva,” he said, not breaking his gaze.
Eva’s heart fluttered. These were the kind of words she’d dreamed of hearing from Sebastian, but she never dared to believe it could happen. She wasn’t the kind of girl a guy like him usually went for.
“I didn’t think I…”
“Was my type? Me, neither. I’ll be honest. But I like you. You’re sweet and cute and talented. You get music and songwriting. You understand what it’s like to dream, but you’re still grounded somehow.
“Also, it’s nice to be with a girl who’s not throwing herself at me. Not that I wouldn’t like you to throw yourself at me—I actually would like that—but I like that we have something more than that, something deeper.”
Eva’s legs trembled, and she almost lost her balance. Sebastian stepped closer, placing a hand on her back, preventing a humiliating tumble.
“I got you.”
“Uh, thanks.” She felt silly and wondered if Sebastian ever planned on moving out of the way. Apparently not.
He leaned in and whispered hotly into her ear. “I said I would ask you next time so this is it. Can I kiss you?”
Eva nodded mutely. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to say no to that question. Ever.
He swept her hair behind her ear and surprised her by trailing kisses from her earlobe down her neck. Her nerves shot off and she grabbed his shoulder, certain she would collapse otherwise. A soft moan escaped her lips as he worked his way under her chin, until finally, his lips landed on hers. She responded eagerly, totally getting what all the fuss was about now. She never wanted Sebastian to stop.
He moaned and pulled her tight. “You taste really good.”
She giggled. “I like you, too.”
“Okay, I have to stop now or… I might not let you go home.” Sebastian took her free hand and led her out of the flat and carefully down the stairs to the street below without letting go of her hand once.
He kissed her quickly before pushing the door open. “One for the road.”
And then he released her hand and tucked his fists in his pockets.
Right. He was a celebrity. She remembered how she’d been photographed with Sebastian the day before and all the speculation it had caused in the entertainment world. She understood how he’d have to watch himself when he was with her in public, but somehow it pinched a little.
Sebastian chatted, keeping the conversation light, and Eva nodded in all the right places. Her mind was going a million kilometers an hour: what were they now? Friends? Better than friends? Boyfriend and girlfriend?
It didn’t matter to her. She felt insanely happy. If she weren’t holding on to her cane, she’d float away through the trees.
Sebastian liked her. He kissed her. Twice! She breathed in deeply as she remembered how his lips traced her neck and set her on fire.
“Eva?”
She blinked at the sound of his voice. Had she really been daydreaming about Sebastian in his presence? If she wanted to continue to impress him, she had to be more mature about things and not act like a silly schoolgirl with a crush.
They turned left at the corner and Sebastian nodded with his chin. She looked for what he was motioning to. Then she saw it. Or rather, she saw him.
“Oh, no.”
Sebastian spoke under his breath. “He doesn’t look happy.”
It was her papa heading toward them. She didn’t know if he was just out for an evening stroll or if he’d been looking for her. Either way, Sebastian was right. He didn’t look happy.
“Hi, Papa,” she said when he reached them.
“Eva.” Papa stood in front of them, and his bushy brows furrowed as his dark eyes flickered between Eva and Sebastian. His thick shoulders straightened as he puffed out his barrel chest. “What are you doing?”
“I was just out for a walk and ran into Sebastian. You remember, he came to the soup kitchen once.”
“He didn’t eat any soup.”
“Yeah, he came to talk about my song.”
Papa narrowed his eyes and pierced Sebastian with his gaze. “I trust you got the information you needed?”
“Yes, Herr Baumann. Eva’s been very helpful.”
Eva would’ve burst out laughing if the situation wasn’t so awful.
“I was just walking her home,” Sebastian added.
“How gentlemanly of you. I can walk her from here. Thank you.”
Eva blushed with humiliation. “Papa!”
“What? Shall he accompany the two of us? The sidewalks aren’t that wide.” He pressed against her elbow prompting her to start walking.
“Auf Wiedersehen,” Papa said tersely to Sebastian as he turned his back to him.
Eva threw an apologetic glance over her shoulder. Sebastian raised his thumb and little finger to his ear, signaling he would call her.
Herr Baumann was a big man. He had a broad back with a thick waist and stump-like legs that shuffled to match his daughter’s slower gait. He rested a thick hand on Eva’s shoulder protectively.
Sebastian stroked the shadow on his chin as he watched them walk away until they disappeared in the crowd. He’d never had to deal with a g
irl’s father before. Yvonne’s parents just pretended he didn’t exist. They let their daughter date whomever she wanted as long as she was home by midnight, and they never bothered her with questions about what she did when she was out.
His own father hadn’t been part of his life for the last three years.
This was unfamiliar territory and Sebastian was unsure of how to manage it. What he did know was he wasn’t going to let Eva’s father push him around. Even if he was a pastor. Especially if he was a pastor.
“Sebastian!” He turned toward the female voice calling him. A pretty girl with long blond hair and large breasts that were about to break free from her blouse waved wildly. He didn’t know her. Two other women saddled up beside her. The leader and her friends. He’d seen this group of three many times on his tours.
They ran across the street and he considered dashing away, but decided that would be unnecessarily rude.
“Oh my God, it’s really you!” she gushed.
Sebastian nodded politely. “Hello.” Normally, when fans approached him on the street they asked him to autograph something. He was afraid to offer in this case. There was a good chance the exposed skin would be the choice spot. It had happened before, and it was an awkward situation he’d rather avoid, especially in the middle of the street.
Instead the buxom blond waved toward the Mexican restaurant halfway down the block. “We’re just going to lunch,” she said. “Come with us!”
He was going to say no, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to do a little PR, especially after the bad press his band had been getting.
He plastered on his rock star smile. “Sure, ladies. Lead the way.”
The large, street-side windows were slid open in the summer, giving the illusion that there was no outside wall at all. Sebastian took the seat nearest to the door so he could make an easy getaway if necessary. The blond brushed her breast along his back as she maneuvered for the chair beside him. He groaned inwardly. This was a bad idea. He should’ve known better.
The three women started asking questions all at once.
“I read you broke up with your girlfriend.”
“I hope that mystery girl is a hoax? Is it?”
