Cut Loose

by Julia Wolf

  My shoulder-length hair was poker straight, so I only bothered to dry it halfway because no matter how much I styled it, it always ended up looking the same. When I blinked, my heavy bangs tangled in my eyelashes. It had been time for a trim for two weeks.

  I dressed in my uniform of all black: loafers, cigarette pants, and a ruffle tie-neck blouse with subtle polka dots. Everyday I dressed in some variation of the same theme: professional and streamlined but always all black.

  After lining my eyes in— surprise— black, I swiped on nude lipgloss and then I was ready. I gathered my bag full of sheet music and walked back down Main Street once more to begin my favorite part of the day.

  I met Abe six years ago when I opened Salon 410 on Main Street. Our town, Tiber City, was small but I wouldn’t call it a small town. We were only twenty minutes from Baltimore, and most of the business owners commuted from the city, bringing with them hip, artistic, open minds.

  I let myself into the shop and inhaled deeply. The distinct smell of old wood, lemon polish, and vintage sheet music filled the air. Abe had given me a key when I moved to my apartment six months ago, urging me to come in and play whenever I liked.

  . In my old house, I’d had my own piano, so I used to only stop by Abe’s shop when I had free time during the day. But I’d moved unexpectedly and hadn’t been able to take my piano with me. Not that I would have been able to cram it into my tiny apartment.

  I sat down at the baby grand piano in an alcove near the window. He had several other pianos to choose from, but this was my favorite. The sound it produced by this beautiful instrument was so clear and lovely, I’d gotten spoiled playing it everyday. It would be hard to go back to a plain old upright like I used to own.

  I’d grown up playing strictly classical. My mother insisted upon it. Over the last year I’d been experimenting with learning popular music too. I felt almost edgy when I played a Coldplay song, which even I could admit was ridiculous. But it was so far outside my comfort zone there was something rebellious about it.

  I pulled out a new sheet of music from my bag. After the frantic morning I’d had, I wanted to play something fun. Lately I’d been teaching myself music I heard on the radio. My catalogue of pop songs was constantly growing. These days I much preferred to play Pink over Pachelbel.

  After practicing my latest Top 40 pop song, I let myself get lost in “Hallelujah”. I closed my eyes and sang quietly along as I played. It was a slow song and I’d played it enough I didn’t need to look at music or the keys. My fingers knew where to move from sense memory.

  “What the hell are you doing in here?”

  I jumped at least a foot off the bench and smashed my hands down on the keys, making a horrible, discordant noise. That was not Abe’s voice and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I turned around slowly and frowned at the man standing just inside the door.

  He raised his eyebrows when I faced him. “Ah, I know you.”

  My cheeks heated because I knew him too. I had only met him once, but our encounter had been beyond humiliating.

  “Hi, Charlie,” I said quietly.

  He walked into the shop, closer to where I was sitting.

  “So are you going to answer my question, Miss Eliza?”

  I grabbed my sheet music and stood, holding it in front of my chest. “I should ask you that. Why are you in Abe’s shop? I know I locked the door behind me.”

  He stepped closer. “Interesting…”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “No, it isn’t. But then, you haven’t answered me and I asked first,” he said.

  He was too close and too attractive and I couldn’t think. “I was playing the piano,” I managed to get out.

  “And you have a key to the shop?”

  I nodded.

  He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “Are you always this easy to talk to?”

  I nodded again and this time he laughed.

  “Okay, here’s the deal: yesterday evening I bought this business from Abraham.”

  I gasped. “What?” Abe had listed his business along with the rest of the building for sale months ago because at seventy-five, he was more than ready to retire. But since it had been on the market for so long, I hadn’t let myself worry about what would happen when someone actually bought it.

  “I’m sure you knew it was for sale, right?”

  “Yes, but Abe never mentioned anyone was interested.” I sat back down on the bench and looked up at him. “You really bought it?”

  “I did.” He tucked his hands in the pockets of his worn jeans and rocked back on his heels as though he had not a single care in the world. Charlie was so outlandishly handsome it was hard to look at him. With his full sleeves of tattoos and sleek black hair, he looked like he belonged on stage at a rock concert instead of standing in the middle of a dusty, small town music shop.

  I moved around the bench and gathered my things. “I’m sorry for the intrusion then. Abe let me play his pianos before he opened the shop, but I understand I won’t be able to do that anymore.” I held the key out to him, but Charlie just stared down at it.

  “You didn’t intrude, Eliza. I was just surprised to see you here.”

  I stepped closer to him with the key in my open hand. “Just take it. I wouldn’t feel right coming here.”

  He pushed my hand away and the instant his skin touched mine my knees went weak. But that was silly. It had just been way too long since a man had touched me in any way, so my body would have responded to practically anyone of the male variety.

  “Keep it,” he said.

  I shook my head. “I can’t.”

  He groaned. “You’re a frustrating woman. Not what I wanted to deal with this morning.”

  I straightened my back and raised my chin. “I’m sorry you had to deal with me this morning. It won’t happen again.” I quickly moved around him and placed the key on the ledge next to the door.

  “That’s not what I meant!” he called after me, but I was already walking out the door.

  Unfortunately, my salon was just diagonally across the cobblestone street from the music shop, so when I went inside and glanced out the large picture window, I could still see Charlie watching me. I turned away and went into the back room to hide.

  And just like that, the routine that had kept me sane all these months had been blown to smithereens.

  Cut Free by Julia Wolf

  Coming August 2018

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