Days passed and Sarah regretted the fact that she had not bumped into her alluring new neighbor. The amount of time she had spent thinking about him was considerable, though she hated admitting it. Actually, she was daydreaming when one of her coworkers at Miller's elbowed her.
"Shift's over. The rest of us are going out for a drink to celebrate the end of inventory and late shifts, you should come," insisted the girl called Anne, enthusiastically. Normally Sarah would refuse, but she didn't feel like going home and complaining to Loki about the day just yet.
"I suppose that I could use a drink after staring at these lists all day," she yawned.
"Great!" clapped the over zealous assistant bookseller.
Anne, Mary, Maria, and Sarah tidied the shop, locked up, and walked in a giggling gaggle down the street. They entered a basement-like bar off the side of the road. A weathered sign displaying the name "Puck's" in bold black letters hung above it. Descending into the humid little nook, the girls heard the rousing sounds of acoustic music swell from within. The bar was dimly lit and cozy, Sarah ordered a cider and sank into the corner of a table they had staked out. Applause sounded around the bar as one musician was exchanged for another. Sarah sipped her cider, partially listening to the chatter of the other women, partially examining the people close by her at other tables, when she heard a sorrowful, yet beautiful voice rise above the general clamor of the crowded room. People quieted, listening to the man sitting on the plain wooden bar-stool in the corner of the room, as he strummed the guitar.
I'll paint you mornings of gold.
I'll spin you Valentine evenings.
Though we're strangers 'til now,
We're choosing the path
Between the stars.
I'll leave my love
Between the stars.
Sarah's heart nearly stopped and blood surged to her face. She was afraid her reaction to the song and its singer were obvious to everyone in the room, though they only had ears and eyes for the musician. They were entranced by him. Her red face was well hidden by the poor lighting, and once she realized no one was paying any attention to her whatsoever, she relaxed and watched along with them. After a few more songs, Jay stood up from the bar-stool, to the general appreciation of his audience. Another man patted him on the shoulder as they switched places and the new music-man struck up some cheerful tunes. The room became noisy and chaotic once again. Sarah followed Jay's journey to the bar with her wide eyes. Unencumbered by coat and case, the man moved swiftly. He wore a white button-up shirt layered with a vest and dark jeans tucked into ankle-high hipster boots. Women in the bar noticed when he was near.
Continuing to stare because she believed herself hidden, Sarah watched as he laughed with the bartender and popped the top off a green bottle. He turned around resting his elbows on the bar and listened to his comrade, until his eyes darted in her direction, landing on her face. His smile slipped for a moment, but quickly returned as he crossed his arms over his chest, keeping eye contact with her. He cocked an eyebrow and waited. Sarah wanted to melt into the floor. Her coworkers noticed the deer in a headlight look she wore and followed her gaze.
"Sarah, is the hot guitar player staring at you!" whispered Anne loudly.
"Damn," Sarah cursed. "I have to go over there," feeling stupider by the second, Sarah pushed her chair back and kept her head down as much as she could without tripping over things until she stood next to the source of her discomfiture.
"Good evening, Ms. Williams," Jay spoke into her ear once she was close enough, which was the only way she would hear him over all the noise. She could feel the other shop girls watching her.
"Hi, Jay," she squeaked, feeling ridiculous.
"Were you staring at me?" his grin was wild with playful delight, so much so that she couldn't help smiling in return.
"Geeze, you don't have much of an ego do you?" she shot back.
"Uh, you wound me with your words, my dear," a pitiful expression raced across his face.
"I'm sorry...I didn't…" she stuttered, until the mischievous light reappeared in his marvelous eyes. She stopped and shut her mouth, not wanting to fall prey to him again.
"Can I walk you home?" he asked earnestly after a moment. Sarah felt an unfamiliar feeling tug at her in response to the tone of his voice, the look on his face. It was possibly the first time the man had seemed serious.
"I would appreciate that," she didn't even bother to add paltry pleasantries such as 'if it's not a bother,' or 'if you don't have anything better to do.' She somehow knew that he wouldn't have offered if he didn't want to. "Just let me tell the girls I work with," she returned quickly to her table and grabbed the coat off the back of the now vacant chair.
"Are you leaving with the sexy singer!" Anne squealed in her usual manner. Sarah nearly died of humiliation, she fervently hoped that Jay did not overhear the exchange.
"It is not what it looks like, I will tell you tomorrow," she said between gritted teeth and hurried back to the bar where Jay waited with his coat already on. He placed his hand on the small of her back as they climbed the steps back out of the bar, a move that made several women envious, and the ones at Sarah's former table giddy with gossip.
Jay and Sarah emerged into a frozen world, lit by the dull gleam of foggy streetlights. The wind whipped around a corner sending new fallen snow propelling into them.
"Ah, geeze!" Sarah gasped indignantly. "When did it get so freaking cold!" Jay crinkled his nose in amusement at her antics. She wrapped her arms about herself and huddled into her coat.
"Well, you need to wear your coat correctly for this weather, dear girl," he stepped close beside her and brought his hands to her collar. He pulled the collar up so that it wrapped snugly around her neck and buttoned the remaining fastenings. "You look a little silly, but you'll be warmer. Now, let's get out of here," he grabbed her hand, pulling her across the street. They walked quickly the seven blocks to the apartment building, neither said a word nor did either extract their hand.
Jay tugged her up the three flights of stairs, dodging several slightly drunken people who had wondered from a loud party on the 2nd floor. Sarah was nearly panting for breath when they stopped in front of her door, the hall was blessedly deserted. She quickly undid the buttons on her coat, which at the moment was suffocating her. Shrugging the coat off she dropped it on the floor and leaned into her still locked door. "Was it necessary to run the entire way? Surely my company isn't that tiresome?" she smiled while trying to regain control over her breathing.
"Not tiresome at all," Jay replied calmly, he didn't seem phased by their recent exercise. "I just didn't want you to freeze to death. I am very chivalrous, girls like that sort of thing I hear," his gaze was again mischievous.
"If you say so," she watched as he leaned his shoulder against her door frame.
"What were you doing in my bar, Ms. Williams?"
"I worked late doing inventory in the store and went for drinks with the girls afterwards, I didn't realize it was your bar. I am not a stalker," she rolled her eyes good-naturedly at him.
"I didn't think you were, but I was a little surprised to see you there," his voice was low, a hum that matched that of the florescence bulbs above them.
"You sing like an angel," she said sheepishly, staring at the wall directly in front of her instead of the man close beside her.
"I hope not," he chuckled, pushing away from the door frame and coming to stand between her and the view of the wall she was favoring.
Sarah, rather bravely, reached out and touched the intricate button on his vest, then looked up into his face. Jay saw short-lived promises of pleasure written across that sweet, longing face. He couldn't give in to her, no matter how much he wanted to, not yet. Sighing inwardly, he took her hand in his own, and brought the back of it to his lips.
"Goodnight, Ms. Williams," he grinned wolfishly, and walked down the hall and back up the stairs to his own floor.
"It's Sarah," the momentarily disappointed girl murmured to herself. She turned around and let her forehead bump into the loft's door as she turned the lock. Loki sat looking accusingly at her from the arm of the sofa. It was past dinner time.
Jay's reception, once he entered his own apartment, was less than cordial. "What have you been up to, you great rat?" asked Hoggle, standing by the window.
