Page 35 of Dr. Baby Daddy
I roll my eyes, but I can’t keep the smile off my face. The last few days have been good between us. I’ve gotten to see her rehearse for her Broadway show on my day off, and now I’m back at The Gilded Raven, ready to watch her take the stage.
“You’re going to do great tonight. I’ll be in the front row. Victor’s already got us a table.”
Izzy goes to give me a quick kiss, but I hold her to me, tracing her bottom lip with the tip of my tongue. She gasps when I nip her bottom lip before pulling away.
I spin her around and give her a gentle nudge toward the door. “You better get going. Otherwise, we’re not going to have our clothing on for much longer.”
She winks at me over her shoulder, swaying her hips a little too much as she walks over to the door and disappears into the locker room.
I tuck my hands in my pockets and wander over to the table where Victor is sitting. He takes a sip from the glass of whiskey in front of him and looks at me with a smirk.
As I slide into the seat beside him, a waitress puts a glass of bourbon in front of me. I glance to the bar, where Kate gives me a nod before moving on to the other patrons.
Victor leans back in his seat. “So, you’re going to introduce me to Izzy. This is new. I’ve known you for a long time, and you’ve only ever introduced me to one other woman.”
“Well, this is different.” I take a sip of the bourbon, trying to calm my nerves. “Izzy is different. And you’re not going to embarrass me when you meet her either.”
“I would never. You do a good enough job of that on your own.” Victor chuckles as I shake my head. “But just to be on the safe side, do we consider that time you went streaking after finals to be embarrassing?”
Groaning, I glare at the ceiling. “I don’t know why I bothered to invite you tonight. I should have just told Izzy that I had no friends.”
Victor’s laughter dies as the lights dim in the club and a spotlight shines on the stage. The curtains part and Izzy walks out, her blond hair pulled back in a slick ponytail. The champagne dress she wears hugs her body, leaving me thinking about how good it will look on the floor later.
Izzy takes a seat at the piano, positioning her hands above the keys. The soft smile she wears has my heart racing.
When she plays the first note, the entire club quiets. All eyes are on her as she performs the first song in her set. Izzy looks entirely at peace as she moves with the music, her fingers moving rapidly.
The song is upbeat and her smile matches. She moves onto a slower song, and the swaying of her body slows in time with the song.
As she plays, I’m enchanted. She’s the only person that exists for me in that moment. I lean forward, propping my arms on the table.
Her gaze drifts out over the crowd, and when it connects with mine, she winks. Victor elbows me lightly, chuckling as I smile back at her.
Victor leans over. “She’s amazing. I know I heard her play in the children’s ward, but this is something else entirely.”
“You should hear everything else that she’s been working on. I’ll see if she can get you a ticket to her Broadway show if you want one.”
Victor nods. “I’ve been meaning to see a show at some point.”
“Even though you’ve lived here your entire life.” I chuckle and shake my head, my focus returning to Izzy as she plays something slow and mournful.
It’s the song that she’s been practicing over the last couple days. The song is still as haunting as it was the first time I heard it. She closes her eyes, swaying with the beat of the music.
People at the table next to us have tears running down their faces. They dab the tears with their napkins. Waiters stand still, captivated by Izzy’s performance.
When she reaches the final note in her set, I stand up, clapping as loud as I can. Izzy blushes and takes her bow as the rest of the room erupts in applause. She takes another bow before leaving the stage.
A few minutes later, she comes over to the table, still wearing the dress I plan on tossing to the other side of her bedroom later. Izzy grins as Victor stands. She pulls him into a hug without a second thought before letting him go.
Izzy slides into a seat. “You must be Victor. I thought I saw you at the hospital when I was there last, but there were a lot of names to remember that day.”
Victor looks stunned by the hug, but he recovers quickly. “Yeah. The kids loved you.”
“That’s good. I plan on going back in to see them again soon. I should have a Sunday off in a couple weeks.” Izzy looks over her shoulder as Kate approaches with a couple drinks and some appetizers. “What do you say we finish these and then the four of us can go back to my place and have a couple more drinks?”
I drape my arm over the back of her chair as Kate nods and takes the last empty seat. Izzy stretches out her fingers before popping one of the fried pizza dough bites in her mouth. Her eyes close and she sways in her seat, making me laugh.
Kate takes a sip of her drink. “My shift is officially over, so that sounds good to me.”