“You?” she asked.
“Me,” I said.
“I don’t think I’ve heard this one.”
I swallowed. “It’s not one I usually play at my shows.”
My voice sounded strangely distant, and I watched as she sat on the couch. As I moved to take a seat next to her, her sundress lifted slightly, revealing a flash of her smooth thigh, a sight that struck me as intensely erotic. I motioned toward the wine. “Would you like a glass?”
“I’m fine,” she answered. “But thank you.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be hungry.”
“I had something to eat right after we got back. But I might have a strawberry in a minute. They look delicious.”
“I bought them. I didn’t make them.”
“I’m still impressed.”
I knew I was talking around the edges of things, but it seemed to be all I could do. With my throat going dry again, I took another sip of wine. In the silence, I had the sudden sense that she was just as nervous as I was, which I found oddly comforting.
“The changes you made to the song were beautiful,” she offered.
So are you, I wanted to say, but didn’t. “You were my inspiration,” I said, trying to sound casual but knowing that I failed.
“I wondered…” she whispered, allowing her hair to fall over her face. Then: “I thought about you all day. Missing you.”
I reached out to take her hand and felt Morgan’s fingers interlock with mine. “I’m glad you’re here now.”
I sensed the expectant tension in her hand as she held mine, and I thought again about kissing her. Her eyes were half closed, her mouth partly open, but just as I leaned toward her, a phone began to ring, faint but insistent. When she realized it wasn’t my phone, she let go of my hand and rose from the couch. After disappearing into the hallway, she peeked out, ringing phone in hand. She seemed uncharacteristically flustered.
“It’s my mom,” she explained, her tone sheepish. “She’s called a couple of times and I haven’t gotten back to her.”
“You should probably answer, then.”
She reluctantly hit the appropriate button and put the phone to her ear.
“Hey, Mom,” Morgan said. “What’s up?…Yeah, sorry. I know I haven’t called, but we’ve been having a fantastic time… Nothing much. What’s that?…Is he okay?”
Turning to me, she mouthed something like Our dog got sick.
“What did the vet say?…Okay…Yeah…That’s good to know. How’s Heidi doing with it?…Uh-huh…Uh-huh…”
She said nothing for a while, then: “Well, let’s see. We rehearse in the mornings, then usually hang out at the beach or the pool. We’ve been going to hear some live music and checking out downtown St. Pete… Yeah, they’re having a great time. It’s Holly and Stacy’s first trip to Florida, so it’s been fun showing them around…”
I remained silent on the couch, not wanting to distract her.
“Uh-huh…No, we haven’t been there yet. Maybe in a day or two. We went to Busch Gardens, though. Over in Tampa?…Yeah, it was fun. The lines were short, so we were able to ride just about everything… No, not tonight. We’re going to order room service and watch a movie. It was a superlong day,” she said, making a guilty face at me.
I stifled a smile.
“Yeah, they’re here. We got some photos from the beach right after we arrived. Oh, and I also saw two manatees… At one of the parks, but I can’t remember the name… We rented kayaks and went through the mangroves, and they were right there when we turned around… No, actually, they didn’t go. I went with someone I met here…”
My ears couldn’t help but perk up.
“Yes, Mom. He’s nice… He’s a farmer from North Carolina… No, I’m not kidding… Colby… Twenty-five… We heard him singing at Bobby T’s. He’s here on sort of a working vacation…”
She turned her back to me, lowering her voice. “No, he didn’t go to college, but why does that matter?…Mom…Mom…It was just kayaking. Don’t make a big deal about it. You seem to forget that I’m an adult now…”
I could hear a hint of frustration creeping into her tone. On my playlist, one song ended and another began. I watched as she ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the roots.
“I haven’t had time to check that yet. I’ll call the apartment manager as soon as I get home, okay? I’m sure it’s not a big deal getting utilities turned on. I can figure it out… I haven’t had time for that, either… How many times have I told you that I’m not interested in a job teaching music?…Yeah…Uh-huh…I know…Sorry, I’m tired and I should probably go. They’re motioning to me that they want to start the movie… Tell Daddy and Heidi that I love them… Love you, too.”