Rich: I don’t know. I’m not a big fan. Plus they look like they’re a wannabe rocker group from the 80s…

My frown seemed permanent as I slipped my phone back into my jean pocket, and I only briefly glanced at the stage. The band that played was good- not great- and their look reminded me of years I wanted to forget. Leaning on the bar, I crossed my ankles and palmed my beer as the indie-rock song blaring through the speakers began to fade.

Clapping sounded all around me, and I necked my dark green bottle of its contents to heave a sigh. Tonight had been a bust, and the urge to leave was creeping up on me. Glancing around, my gaze narrowed as it landed on an obviously tipsy, young woman strutting towards the stage stairs. A soft vibration tore my attention away, and I pulled out my phone to find a new text message waiting for me.

Cadence Sec: Whatever you say, boss. I’ll cross them off the list.

“Yeah- you do that.” Grumbling to myself, I brought my bottle to my lips once again. There were a few other bands lined up for tonight, but that one had seemed the most promising.

It wasn’t a good sign.

“Okay- okay- okay. Lilly, please- play the piano for me. Any song. Everyone wants to hear you play.” The squeaky, slurred words blasted from the speakers hanging from the ceiling, and my attention was once again drawn to the stage. The tipsy girl was trying to drag her friend up the stairs, and a smirk picked up the corners of my mouth. My gaze went to the brunette’s hands, and I could instantly tell she’d spent a lot of time at the keys. Setting my beer down, I tilted my head back to watch the scene before she finally made her way to the piano at the far edge of the stage.

Even from a room away, I could see how red Lilly’s face was, and her back was ramrod straight when she sat down. The hairs on my arms rose before she played a single note, simply caressing the keys in the way someone would touch a lover. Pursing my lips together, I downed the rest of my beer and set it on the bar before making my way closer to the stage.

“-ah, yeah. I like that song- I know the words.” I barely managed to catch the conversation on stage, but my heart slowed dangerously when Lilly turned to the piano. Dropping into an empty chair, I propped my elbows on the table to hold my face in my hands.

After three decades in the industry, I knew to listen to my body- and my body told me I needed to sit for this.

The melody was haunting, beautiful, and I didn’t register anything else around me. From under furrowed brows, my eyes narrowed on Lilly as she swayed back and forth to the tune. Her fingers moved gracefully, floating over the keys, and I didn’t dare blink for fearing of missing a single stroke. Covering my mouth with my hand, I had to keep my jaw from hitting the table.

When the song was over, people clapped and cheered, but I worked to get my heart out of my throat. Pushing myself up roughly, I strode around the table and up to the stage as Lilly and her friend spoke through their wide smiles. Rubbing my clammy palms together, I took the stairs quickly to come up right next to the piano.

“Excuse me-“ Clearing my throat roughly as Lilly whirled around, I smiled at her big, sparkling eyes before speaking up. “I’m Richard Mocera. Do you have a few minutes to talk…?”

“Uh- uh… sure?” Her red dress rustled lightly when she stood up, and I held out my hand to help her off the stage. She kept her eyes on me, not even looking back at her friend, and we made it a few feet before she found her voice again. “I’m sorry- uh- I’m Lilly… What are we talking about?”

Against my palm, Lilly’s fingers shook slightly, and I pulled out a chair for her at some random, empty table. Seating myself across from her, I gave her a once over discreetly and had to hide a grin at her choice of shoes.

At least one of my labels would benefit from someone like her, and that notion brought me an excitement I hadn’t felt in years.

“Your piano skills… they’re very good. Have you ever thought about becoming a professional?” Getting right to the point, I leaned back and crossed my legs under the table as Lilly’s flustered expression became dumbstruck.

“I- are-… N- no… I’ve never considered it…” The lights above us brightened, and I cocked my head as Lilly really came into view. Her long, lean face was flawless and tanned, and her plump lips were absent of stain as she licked them nervously. “I want to be a doctor, not a pianist… my parents- they made me take lessons.”

My brows shot up at that, and Lilly set her phone on the table to pick her unpainted fingernails. The more I stared at her, the more I couldn’t help but feel like there was something about her. Something pure and sweet. Leaning in to clasp my hands against the tabletop, I smiled in a vain attempt to ease her nerves.

“Lilly, you don’t get that just by taking lessons. I just wanted to know if you knew how good you were, and if you wanted to pursue it. Here-“ Pulling out a card from my jacket pocket, I slid it across the smooth surface until it touched her fingertips. “Take my card. It can be a side gig if you ever need some cash. After all, medical school is expensive.”

Eagerness wasn’t strong enough a word to describe how badly I wanted Lilly to take my card, and I held my breath until she did. On the table, her phone buzzed before lighting up, and we both glanced down automatically. The e-mail notification that popped up was the only thing on the screen, and I cocked my head before she swiped the device into her lap.

But I saw it- the e-mail was addressed from Jewel In The Crown and titled Auction Underway.

“Um- I’ll… I’ll think about it. Thank you for the offer, Mr. Mocera-“

“Please- call me Rich.” Cutting Lilly off, I smiled at the discomfort on her face; obviously she’d never been praised for her pianist skills. “So, you want to be a doctor… you know, a lot of people that play instruments do really well in practical fields. I play quite a few, and it’s helped me as a businessman. What kind of doctor are you going to be, if you don’t mind my asking?”

This new feeling in my chest finally found a name as I shifted the subject- desperation. I hadn’t felt such a thing for a musician in years; the white hot need to work with someone had never burned so brightly before. Across the table, Lilly seemed to relax a little now that I wasn’t pressing her, and I rolled my jaw absently at that observation.

“Um, a pediatric doctor. Me and Kayla- my friend over there- are enrolling at SBU next semester.” Pointing to her friend chatting up a young artist from a band a few feet away, Lilly propped her elbow on the table to hold her chin in her hand. “My parents don’t really support my decision, though, so I deferred a year to save up some money.”

“You work a day job, then?”

“Oh- not anymore. I got laid off after the holiday season ended. I went and took a few prerequisites that I had already planned on taking, so I didn’t bother trying to find another job.” My mind flashed back to the e-mail I’d peeked on, and I nodded firmly as Lilly twisted in her seat. The conversation was dwindling, and there wasn’t a time I could remember that I wanted it to keep going. Artists I spoke to were more than enthusiastic about calling me or droning on and on about how they spent their entire lives working for that moment. Most of the time, I got bored a quarter of the way through and couldn’t get away fast enough, but not this time.

I wanted to get Lilly talking again, even if it wasn’t about music. I wanted to listen to her play the piano again.

“Well, if you ever want to put your pianist skills to work, give me a call, okay, Lilly? It was truly a pleasure to meet you.” Choosing to back out before I creeped her out, I pushed myself to my feet to tug absently on my button down. Smiling when Lilly stayed in her seat, I shoved my hands into my pockets to search for my phone. “I hope you’ll call…”

“I’ll think about it and let you know.” Taking that answer, I nodded before making my way towards the exit. There was no reason to stay, and I paid my tab at the bar before heading for the door. Bursting out onto the sidewalk, I took a deep breath that inflated my chest as far as it could.

Absently pulling my phone out of my pocket, I wandered down the sidewalk as I navigated my way to my browser. My thumbs worked fast, typing firmly against the touch screen as Lilly’s e-mail clung to the forefront of my mind.

Jewel In The Crown- Welcome to the sexperience of a lifetime! Click here to learn about our virginity auction services. Click here to learn about our sadism/masochism match services. Click here to-

“… No God damn way…” Lilly is selling her virginity to pay for medical school.

The discovery was shocking; I didn’t think things like this were still around. Not only was it illegal, but it was dangerous. Forcing a deep, calming breath into my lungs, I held it for a long few seconds before heaving a sigh. Lilly’s face flashed in my mind’s eye, and I reached to scratch my jaw roughly as I weighed my options.

Both were stupid, but it’d been a while since I’d done something stupid.