a lot of others. Luck sometimes directs your future, but usually you have to put in the hard work, find the connections, learn the craft, and start networking while being interested enough to stick to it. I can’t do that for you. I hope you understand.”
“No need for that. No one can play like me.”
She rolled her eyes at him but faced forward to keep the car in the lane. Passing through Tacoma, she veered to avoid swinging onto the shoulder. Wow, what an ass. “Really? Is that why you’re playing gigs absolutely nowhere?”
He snorted. “You’re right about that. But only because I never tried.”
“You never tried?”
“Yeah. I only play for myself.”
“Why?”
“Something to do. I didn’t like school or playing sports, certainly not making art or reading or anything else really. I picked up an old toy set of drums at a garage sale when I was eleven, which I later upgraded with real, but banged-up ones. My parents hated it. That gave me lots of joy.” His small smile, and the remote look in his eyes as he said the word joy was… chilling. Dear God, had she just picked up a psychopath? Did he murder his parents? Rarely did Jody worry about strangers. A security car always followed her. Ross, no doubt, failed to realize she had a bodyguard covering her at all times. But still… What an odd thing to say to her about his musical gift from someone older than thirteen. Sure, an ADHD child might play loud, banging drums to piss off his overprotective parents, but this guy? Wasn’t he an adult by now?
“That’s it? Have you ever played for anyone besides yourself?”
“No.”
“Nobody? No friends? Distant relatives? Class members? Not even a parent?”
“No one that I know of. No one ever listened to me play. My parents might have heard me on occasion, but certainly not because they wanted to.”
Shit. How freaking cold. And strange. No one? Jody never heard anyone who had this particular experience before. “How did you know you were any good?”
He shrugged, tilting his head and staring outside. “I didn’t. You picked me, remember?”
Oh. Oh… she was surprised he’d say that. So he didn’t know how good he was? Zenith’s Promise opened his eyes to it? So now he assumed it? Why the odd attitude then? Puzzled to her core, she glanced his way before going back to navigating the busy traffic on the freeway.
“So, no playing with other band members?” Maybe he couldn’t. That was something to consider; perhaps common decency could either be mitigated or taught to him. Noted. Okay.
“I play with background music all the time. Using my sound system.”
Right. Not the same thing. “How did you learn how?”
“I heard what I liked and copied it.”
Something Jody never learned how to do, but not unusual amongst the folks she hung with and tried to promote. Musicians were always a unique lot to her and she found this particular client something truly special. No need to learn how to read music, some people could just listen and recreate the sounds.
“Well, you certainly caught Rob and Spencer’s attention.”
Finally. She said something that made him whip his head around to look at her. He stared long and quiet at her profile. Her hands grew clammy under his relentless scrutiny. Trying not to react, she narrowed her focus to driving.
“They actually heard me play?”
“Yes. They made the final decision. They heard you and you stuck out from the others. They even asked me about you this week.” She almost bit her tongue. No need to encourage more of his alpha-assholeness than she already witnessed. But there was also… what? No timidity about his own talent and a voiced assuredness… but he was certainly not comfortable with it. Strange. So strange. At least, she finally managed to draw a reaction from him. He finally showed some interest in what she thought was his whole purpose for coming to this city.
They fell into silence for the remainder of the drive. She didn’t even try to figure out the moody, new musician. Ugh. Disappointing. She doubted this would be a pleasant working relationship as she jiggled her butt around in the seat. Oh, well, she’d find a way to make it work and get his talent showcased somewhere.
Finally, she exited the freeway and headed to downtown Seattle where her condo, their offices and Ross’s future home awaited him. From the corner of her eye, she saw him twist his head to see the towering skyscrapers