First Position by Prescott Lane Read Free Book Online Page B

took off her boots, rubbing her feet.  Tomás brought water and some pretzels, placing them on the coffee table, then walked a few feet away to give Emory her space.  The men exchanged a worried look.
    “What did that shit head do this time?” Wesley asked. 
    “Nothing, nothing,” she cried.  “I don’t want to talk about him.” 
    “OK,  we don’t have to right now,” Wesley said, pointing to the food and water.  “Are you hungry?  Thirsty?”
    “No, I’m just. . . .”  Emory couldn’t complete the thought, lifting her hands to her face to hide her tears.
    “Tell me what happened, honey.” 
    “Nothing.  Nothing happened.  He’s getting divorced.”
    Wesley raised his eyebrows.  “And?”  Emory shook her head, without any answers or explanations for her emotions.  Tomás motioned to Wesley to offer her the food again, and Wesley gave him a snide look, then turned back to Emory.
    “Why don’t you go take a hot bath and lay down for a little while.  You’ll feel better.”  Emory nodded and rose slowly, walking to her room.
    When the door closed, Tomás asked, “What was that all about?  She probably should have eaten something.”
    Wesley rolled his eyes.  “Will you stop with the food?  Isn’t it obvious?  She’s still in love with him.”
     
    *              *              *
     
    A few hours later, Emory woke to her phone ringing but didn’t answer.  She saw several missed calls, all from the same number.   Eric !   Her heart sank, hoping they were from Mason, but she could only blame herself.   You left this time.
    Wesley entered her room and sat down on her bed.  “Feeling any better?” 
    “A little,” she said, “but Eric has called several times.  I can’t deal with him right now.  I’ll call him back in a few days.” 
    “Good.  Especially because tonight, we’re going out.”
    “Where?”
    “To the nightclub where Tomás has been painting that mural.”
    “The unveiling is tonight?”
    “Yep, and you are coming to celebrate with us.”  Wesley smiled mischievously and gave her a wink.  “Put on something hot.”

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    An hour later, they were in a a high-end, two-story nightclub welcoming Charlotte’s finest art patrons, there to see the unveiling of Tomás’ mural, an homage to the history of North Carolina.  Tomás was a self-taught artist, having never received any formal training, but his talent and creativity were second to none, specifically chosen to paint the mural.  He spent the evening receiving congratulations from one patron after another.  Wesley and Emory passed the time together, drinking and laughing, though she sensed he was distracted in some way, his eyes scanning the crowd as a jazz band set up to perform.
    Wesley caught the attention of someone on the second floor.  “Damn, I forgot I have these special passes to the VIP section upstairs.”  He whipped them out of his pocket.  “Want to go check it out?”  Emory nodded excitedly, then walked towards the stairs together, arm in arm, flashing their passes to an attendant, and proceeded up.  Emory got to the top step, and her mouth dropped.  At a table on the other side of the room, in gray, pinstripe slacks and a white shirt with the top button undone, Mason sat alone.
    “You’re welcome,” Wesley whispered.
    “Wesley Charles Henderson, what did you do?”  She dragged him a few steps down. 
    “Helping you out.  You obviously still care for him.” 
    Emory poked him in the chest.  “So what’s he doing here?” 
    “He showed up at the studio today while you were napping.”
    “What?” Emory asked, shocked.
    “You told him we live above my dance studio, and Google did the rest.” 
    “What did he want?”
     
    Wesley rolled his eyes.  “You, stupid!  He wanted to see you, and I told him no.  I thought he might kick my ass, but he said he understood.  He said he was leaving town in a few days and needed