The Piano Man

X. Banter

"...I'm your friend. And friends don't let friends live small lives." Faith Erin Hicks, Pumpkinheads

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X. Banter

Luckily for Sophie, her usual babysitter was available, which meant that she was able to go into work sans Maddie for the first time in a long while.

When she opened the door of the West End Piano Bar, she saw Holly and Amy setting up the tables for the night ahead. It seemed so strange to not be the first one in aside from Pete.

"Afternoon, babes," greeted Holly cheerfully. "Nice to see you on a Saturday."

Sophie returned her smile. "Afternoon, girls. I know it's odd. Let me pop my things down and I'll give you a hand." Sophie gestured to her handbag.

"We're right, Sophie," assured Amy. "Nearly done. Sort yourself out and then come and help me figure out a way to seduce the hottie piano man."

Amy looked wistfully at Noah, who was sitting at the piano with AirPods in, blissfully unaware he was being stared at. Noah looked like he was concentrating hard. He wasn't playing, but writing, as he listened to whatever was in his ears.

Sophie darted into the backroom and hung her handbag up on the hook, before returning back into the pub. She gave Pete a quick hug and came back to join Holly and Amy on the floor. Noah had still not looked up from his notes.

"Do you think I should just straight up ask him out?" Amy asked them. "I don't want to seem desperate, but maybe he'd respond to that. It's not like he's going to text me if he's not on Snapchat."

Sophie's cheeks flushed, but neither Holly nor Amy noticed. It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong by texting him, was it? Amy was only twenty, after all. Noah was probably a bit mature for her.

"I don't know, Amy. He looks busy," Sophie said awkwardly. She did wonder what it was that he was working on. He claimed to be a musician, but what exactly did that entail?

"You seem to get on with him, Sophie," Holly observed.

"Oh, Soph, would you go and speak to him for me?" Amy pleaded. "Subtle like, don't drop me in it. Maybe you could ask if he would hang back for a drink after work tonight?"

Sophie was all but given a shove in Noah's direction before she found herself walking over towards him at the piano. As she approached, Noah noticed her, and he smiled, putting down his sheet music and pencil on top of the piano and removing his AirPods.

"Hey," he said with a warm smile.

Sophie did have her own agenda that she needed to speak to Noah about before she asked him out on behalf of Amy. Oh, bloody hell, that felt weird.

"Hi," she replied. "So, your mum thinks I'm pretty, does she? How could she possibly know that when you were told to delete that photograph?" Sophie smirked, deciding to start their conversation with the banter that was forming between them.

Noah grinned, chuckling. "In my defence," he said, holding his hands up, "I never sent my mom that picture."

Sophie frowned. "She summoned it by magic, then?"

Noah turned around on the piano stool and stood up, before jumping off of the stage to stand next to her. "No, my sister was in trouble with my mom. She has the gall to have other Thanksgiving plans." He rolled his eyes with a smile. "She was just trying to dump me in it by claiming that the picture was of my girlfriend that I'd neglected to tell my mom about." He shook his head. "If a crazy woman named Joy suddenly starts blowing up your cell, don't be alarmed. Or do. Probably do be alarmed. I would be and she's my mom."