Eyelashes | ✓

[14] The Pianist

A week had passed and Declan had yet to ask Jo out again. Really, he had yet to even speak to her since the date.

He'd drowned himself in his work so that he had time to think. It sounded contradictory, but he tended to think a lot while playing classical and overplayed pieces on the piano.

For example, today he was playing a long shift with only a few breaks. He couldn't count on two hands how many times he had played Clair De Lune since he started playing.

He played a shiny black grand piano at a fancy four star restaurant in the city. It was the only gig he could find playing the piano, and the piano was basically the only thing he was good at.

His fingers flew along the keys, creating a melody of notes that filled the restaurant. He was dressed in a crisp black suit — thankfully without tails — his hair styled elegantly but still slightly messy, just how he liked it. He had no sheet music in front of him, he had no need for it when all of the music he played had been engraved in his head since the tender age of six.

Declan was what one would have called a prodigy. His parents — who were also musically inclined — had gotten him in violin lessons when he was five, only to realize that Declan was very hard to teach. So hard that Declan has broken his violin out of frustration. So his parents decided on a bigger instrument that he couldn't break easily, the piano. Although it had a rocky start, Declan began to grow a liking towards the piano. It was interesting to him, how at the single push of a key, a note could play, and at the push of another key a different not sounded. At his young age, he believed it to be magic.

As time progressed, Declan devoted himself more and more towards the piano. It had become his life, probably too big a part of his life. He had no social life up until he met Cal in his sophomore year of high school, and Cal has helped him see how much of his life the piano was taking up.

He still took lessons and enjoyed the piano, but he also was out living life like he should have been. Cal had been a blessing in his life, and he would be eternally grateful for him. He was like a brother to Declan.

Declan looked around the restaurant as he played, his eyes flicking over table after table, frowning at those that were full of people on their phones and quirking his lips at those who were engaged in a healthy conversation. 

But then his eyes caught on a family that was just seated, and his breath was knocked out of his chest. Thankfully, he had just finished a piece, so he didn't noticeably mess up. His eyes watched the brunette girl as she sat at the table, thanking the host when she placed a menu in front of her. Jo was here. 

Declan started his next piece, and as soon as he played the gentle beginning chord, Jo looked up and met his eyes. Surprise filled her features as Declan gave her a small smile. She hadn't known that he played piano, but she most certainly found that hot. 

Jo quirked her eyebrow at him, mouthing a hello. He simply gave a grin in response. 

Tonight Jo wore a dark red off shoulder dress that hugged her until her waist before flaring out. Nude heels adorned her feet, making her legs look amazing. Declan swallowed. 

All throughout dinner Jo and Declan exchanged funny looks, both of them aiming to make the other laugh. Declan had succeeded numerous times, causing a large grin to grow on his cheeks when her parents asked what she was laughing at. Declan played piece after piece until his shift was over and he was being replaced by another pianist. 

When he got back to the break room to get his things, he immediately grabbed his phone and texted Jo. 

Have time to meet me after dinner?

He contemplated his message for a few seconds as his thumb hovered over the send button. Was is too bland? Did he need to spruce it up a bit? He clicked send before he could contradict himself even more. Jo responded within seconds. 

I was hoping you'd ask. 

Declan barely refrained from squealing like a teenage girl at a One Direction concert. 

Meet me by the valet at the front when you're finished. I'll make it quick so your parents don't suspect anything. 

I have time. I drove myself here so I can go to Lily's for the night. I'm yours for as long as you'd like. 

Declan cursed under his breath, his heart racing and his stomach feeling weird. How could Jo do this do him at a simple sentence? Declan didn't understand, but he wasn't complaining. 

Ten minutes later, Declan was leaning against the brick wall by the valet. The door opened and Jo's parent came walking out arm in arm, Jo and her sister walking out behind them. Jo's eyes met his before turning back to her family. She said goodbye to them, and soon she was walking towards Declan, her stomach flipping with both nerves and butterflies. 

She stopped in front of him, Declan's eyes wide in awe. She was utterly beautiful. He swallowed once again. 

"Hi." He said, suddenly shy. 

"Hi." She returned, a grin on her face. She mentally thanked her sister for dressing her tonight. She could never have put together such a good outfit. "You clean up nice." Very nice.

Declan grinned. "I can definitely say the same about you." He looked behind him to the path that led to a garden behind the restaurant. "Care for a walk? I promise there won't be any broken plates or flying footballs this time."

Jo laughed, hooking her arm in his. "Good. I'm not so sure I could laugh that hard with this full of a stomach." 

As they walked leisurely around the building, guilt began to fill Declan's stomach. How could he just act like he hadn't ignored her for the past week?

He opened his mouth to speak. "Sorry for not calling or texting or anything this week." He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. "I was nervous. I thought that I had messed up the date with everything that had happened." 

To his surprise, she smiled. "You didn't ruin anything, Duck Land. You might not believe me but I've had worse dates." 

"Worse?" He asked in disbelief. "How?"

"Well for one you didn't try to sleep with me after the date, so that's a big plus. Also, I've never genuinely laughed on any date other than ours. And you actually took me to some place that wasn't a fast food joint." 

Declan crinkled his nose. "Who the hell takes a girl on a date to a fast food restaurant?"

"A lot of guys, unfortunately." 

Declan shook his head in disbelief. Then it crossed his mind that now would be the perfect time to ask her out again. They were now seated on a concrete bench in the garden surrounded by flowers. Fairy lights lit up the garden, and thankfully there weren't many other couples out here. 

Jo leaned her head on his shoulder just before Declan opened his mouth. "Well, since our last date was absolutely magical and the best you'd ever had, would you want to go on another one? Say on maybe Saturday?" 

Jo couldn't contain her large grin. "I suppose I could spare some time." 

Declan grinned hard and hugged her closer to his side.