“I ought to get your quantity,” Natalie instructed once more as she launched her seatbelt, the sound of the rain thumping towards the automotive virtually swallowing up her phrases. “To go get my automotive tomorrow.”

Sienna stared at her for a second, learning her. “Why did you ask me earlier than?”

“To your quantity?”

Sienna nodded. “Yeah.”

Natalie took a deep breath. She didn’t know easy methods to clarify it with out sounding determined, so she simply instructed Sienna the reality. “Actually? I don’t know the final time I heard somebody sing one in every of my songs, and so fantastically at that. I had no concept who you have been. I suppose I may have requested round tomorrow, however I don’t know,” she mentioned with a little bit of a shrug. “I couldn’t stroll away with out asking. And it’s not all about me. I want I’d seen your set. I simply wandered in the direction of the stage after I caught that acquainted melody, even when it did sound fairly totally different on the identical time.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” Sienna mentioned with a touch of a smile.

“Are you kidding? I like what you probably did with it. And, please, don’t apologize. I’m nonetheless simply shocked that I bought to listen to my track once more. However yeah, I simply wished the prospect to possibly purchase you a drink or… I don’t know.” Natalie made herself cease speaking. She was being solely trustworthy, and within the course of, she’d managed to make it sound like she was making an attempt to ask Sienna out. Which was not her intention. Not that Sienna wasn’t a really enticing girl.

Sienna slid her cellphone out of the pocket of her shorts and handed it to Natalie. “Give me your quantity. And I’ve to apologize for all of that. About not figuring out who you have been. I’m so embarrassed.”

Natalie added the previous few digits and saved her title to Sienna’s cellphone, handing it again to her to seek out Sienna’s cheeks just a little flushed. “Why? Truly, maintain on.” The rain hadn’t let up one bit. It was most likely worse. “Why don’t you are available for some time? Let the rain ease up a bit. Until you’ve gotten someplace to be?”

“No. Nowhere to be.”

Natalie took her keys out of her pocket and flung the door open, dodging the puddles as she jogged the few ft as much as her entrance door and beneath the quilt of her porch. She unlocked the door, holding it open for Sienna as she flicked on some lights, leaving her muddy sneakers contained in the door. Sienna did the identical.

“Can I get you one thing to drink?” Natalie requested as she motioned for Sienna to sit on the sofa. “I do know you continue to have to drive dwelling, however I’ve beer and wine, or I can placed on a pot of espresso.” She turned on the ground lamp within the nook of the room, casting a heat mild throughout the dwelling space.

“A beer can be nice,” Sienna mentioned as she took a seat, throwing her arm over the again of the sofa as she angled her physique to maintain speaking to Natalie as she entered the kitchen. “No matter you’ve gotten is okay.”

Natalie took two beers out of the fridge and opened them, handing Sienna hers whereas she left hers on the wood espresso desk. “I simply wish to go clean up,” she mentioned, operating a hand by her damp hair.

“Certain. Take your time.” Sienna took a sip of beer as Natalie climbed the steps simply off the lounge and as much as her bed room.

Natalie checked her reflection within the toilet mirror, shocked to see that her make-up was nonetheless intact, though her hair was just a little unruly. She took her hair dryer out of the drawer and turned it on for just a few seconds, grateful for Sienna’s provide to drive her dwelling, as a result of she’d most likely solely be attending to her automotive now. She’d have been soaked by, after which have to sit down in that visitors in her moist garments.

Natalie took one final look within the mirror now that her hair was dry, stopping herself from touching up her make-up. Why was she being this explicit about her look?

Natalie blew out a breath as she switched off the toilet mild. She couldn’t bear in mind the final time she was within the presence of somebody who may respect her music. She most likely simply wished to make impression. That was all it was.

She slid her hand alongside the sleek pine banister as she descended the steps. Sienna’s eyes have been glued to her cellphone, and Natalie didn’t suppose a lot of it, figuring out how youthful folks have been, all the time checking social media or messaging somebody, however when Sienna appeared up as Natalie padded throughout the carpet, Natalie knew one thing had modified.

“The whole lot okay?” Natalie requested, noticing how pale Sienna appeared, and she or he was afraid of what Sienna may say. That possibly somebody she knew had been in a automotive accident or one thing like that. She appeared shell-shocked.

“Yeah.” Sienna put her cellphone face down on the espresso desk and took one other swig of her beer. “Yep. All good.”

Natalie studied her as she picked up her beer and sat on the loveseat, leaving Sienna alone on the sofa. After which it dawned on her what could be occurring.

Natalie took a sip of beer, ready to see if Sienna would say something, however she nonetheless appeared like she’d simply seen a ghost, her eyes unable to satisfy Natalie’s.

“You Googled me, didn’t you?” Natalie requested softly.

Lastly, Sienna’s eyes met hers, an virtually painful look on her face. “I had no concept,” Sienna mentioned with an exhale, shaking her head as she spoke. “None.”

Natalie held her gaze, not solely certain if Sienna was referring to the truth that Natalie was concerned in a scandalous affair or that it had ended her profession simply when it was actually taking off. That that was the rationale why there had been no new music within the final eighteen years. “You had no concept about which half?”

Sienna visibly swallowed. “I had that field of CDs along with your three albums in it, and I suppose I by no means actually thought of why there hadn’t been extra, why I by no means had an opportunity to go see you on tour as a young person. After which I discovered different artists to hearken to, to study their songs.” She sighed. “I had no concept about any of it. I had no concept why.”

“And now that you just do?” Natalie requested, curious to seek out out extra about this very actual, virtually visceral response from a whole stranger.

Sienna’s eyes glistened. “I can’t consider your profession ended like that. I’m simply studying previous information headlines, scrolling from one to the subsequent… However was it true? In 5 minutes, I got here throughout simply as many articles with Amelia Hart denying all of it as I did of reporters claiming it was all actual, backing it up with pictures.”

Natalie crossed one leg over the opposite. “What do you suppose?”

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