ME, CINDERELLA?(13)

“Valentina.”

The brief pause before my look of recognition must have given me away, but he seemed not to notice. He was lost in himself.

“Yes?”

His eyes lowered, unwilling to meet mine, and his fingertips ran along the ivory keys slowly, tentatively.

“You play beautifully.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brass key. He handed it to me, turning his head up, and my lips parted when he pressed his palm on top of mine. His eyes were fierce, demanding, as though he had made up his mind about something.

“What’s this?”

“The key to this room. So you can become great a bit more quickly.” He smiled, his hand still on top of mine. “I’ll let the music professor know you’re allowed to play.”

“I—I don’t know what to say.” It was the most fabulous gift I’d ever received. I thought of how all the music majors would gape as I walked by them to the midnight piano room. How I would sit down at the keys, the deep, rich tones of the Bosendorfer flowing from my fingertips. Mine!

“Say you’ll practice this piece. I’ll leave it for you. You have a talent for the melody.”

“Thank you.” My voice was a whisper as I turned the key in my hand. I could not understand why he treated me so kindly. He brought one finger up under my chin, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. His touch weakened every muscle in my body.

“Promise me you’ll keep playing.”

“Of course.” At that moment, I would have done anything he asked. I wondered why I trusted him. Perhaps it was because he trusted me. Even though I had lied to him. In that instant, I wanted to take it back, to tell him my real name, but I did not know how.

“It’s easy for mathematicians to lose touch with the world around them. Too easy.” He smiled, but there was a sadness in his eyes.

“I’ll practice a lot. I love the Gymnopedies,” I said. And now I had an excuse to learn them.

Eliot reached over and closed my hand around the key, his long fingers covering mine. My heart beat fast as he brought both of our hands up to his bent head. His lips pressed against my knuckles and I felt the heat radiate from my fingers through my entire being as he kissed my hand. An emotion I could not let myself feel pooled inside of me, and I ached with it. Stranger still, I felt his desire through his hot lips on my fingers, even as he released them.

“The Gymnopedies—they’re not hard to get right, just hard to get beautiful. The spaces in between the notes…”

He meant something more than the music, I could tell. I clasped the key in my hand tightly.

“May I take you out for a coffee?” he asked. “Let me repay your generosity.”

“Now?” I wanted to go with him, would have gone with him, but it was so late, and the test for the internship prize loomed in my mind.

He shrugged. “Whenever you wish.”

“Um, yeah,” I said. “Maybe some other time. It’s just that I have a test tomorrow.”

“On a Sunday?” He raised his eyebrows.

“It’s a special thing, for some internship.” I saw a strange look pass over his eyes, but it was gone before I could name it. He rested his hands on his lap and looked back at the sheet music.

“Good night, then,” he said, nodding slightly in my direction. The room felt colder, his voice flat, and I wondered if he had changed his mind about me. Maybe he thought I was lying about the test. I paused before turning to leave.

“Good night.” I left him there, sitting alone at the piano. As I walked through the music hall, I could hear the Satie floating through the air at my back, the ghostly notes finding their way to me in the darkness.





The next day I met Mark in front of the auditorium, the events of the previous night still playing through my mind like a vivid dream. I fingered the small brass key in my pocket. Maye it would bring me good luck on the test. Above us in the sky, gray clouds gathered menacingly, and the wind whipped through the campus, tossing the treetops from one side to the other. With my red hoodie pulled tight over my dark hair, I took the steps two at a time on my way up.

“Ready?” Mark stood on the steps under the awning, waiting for me.

“I’m never ready for these things.” Even after years of being at the top of my class, my stomach still turned over at the thought of being tested. Of being judged, and found wanting. Right now every nerve in my body stood on high alert.

“Don’t worry, you’ll do fine.”

“Where’s Quentin?” A few students filed into the auditorium, but Quentin was nowhere to be seen.

“He’s already inside. Wanted to get there early and sit in front. His roommate said the guy who won last year sat in front.”