Outmatched in October (Spring River Valley Book 10) Read Online Free PDF Page B

through the song, but we didn’t want to interrupt you. The job is yours if you want it.”
    “Just like that?” She hadn’t planned for the question to sound accusatory. If it was going to be this easy, she could have phoned it in.
    “It’s not like we have a dozen applicants. I heard about you . I saw you. I liked you. This part is just a formality.”
    “Oh…”
    The spotlight went out, and the piano player rose from his bench. “Welcome to Eclipse,” he said before leaving the stage, as though it was a done deal. Did everyone expect she would say yes without giving the matter any thought?
    Jacob led her to the narrow steps and down from the stage. All but one of the partners had left. Claudia vaguely remembered one of their names might have been Anthony, but she wasn’t sure. The man took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Bellisima!”
    “Thank you.”
    “She hasn’t said yes yet, Dino . Give her some room to breathe.”
    Dino? Claudia didn’t remember being introduced to a Dino. Then again, she could barely remember breakfast. The day had been such a whirlwind.
    Dino said something else in Italian that ended in Ciao! , kissed his fingers, and left the table. Claudia eyed Jacob suspiciously. “What did he say?”
    “He said he’s not worried you’ll say no because you belong on that stage. I have to agree. I hope you do too.” Jacob pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit. Once they’d settled at the table, he took her hands in his, an intimate move that her heart racing. “I don’t expect you to make any hasty decisions. You have a job and a life in Spring Valley.”
    “Spring River Valley.”
    “Big name for a small town. It’s a heck of a commute to the city, don’t you think?”
    The drive had taken several hours on the highway. It certainly wouldn’t make sense to try to keep her apartment with Lily and work in New York. A decision to take the job would mean a huge upheaval, leaving everything she was familiar with. “I’m not sure I can afford an apartment in Manhattan.”
    “I can help with that. You don’t even have to live in the city. There are plenty of nice places across the river in Jersey, and the commute would be less than an hour. You can still be a small-town girl if that’s where you’re comfortable.” He was still holding her hands, making the question of comfort more pointed.
    She wanted to extricate herself, but in a way , the contact felt like an anchor. If she held on to Jacob, at least she wasn’t completely alone. “Can I have a few days to decide? I’d have to make a lot of plans, give notice at my job. Maybe we could arrange a trial run?”
    Jacob’s expression sobered. “If that’s what you want. I know this is a big step, but if you want a singing career, I assure you, Eclipse is a perfect stepping stone. There are record producers in here every week, judges from those television singing competitions, Broadway casting directors. I almost hate to tell you about it, because I predict that even if you take the job, it won’t be long before someone else tries to steal you from me.”
    The idea of being discovered should have excited her, but she shivered instead. Did she really want a singing career? All her life she’d dreamed of it, sort of like people dreamed of winning the lottery. It had never been something she’d planned for, just something she would welcome if it happened by accident…and here was that accident waiting for her to take advantage of it. “I’ll come back next in two weeks, and we’ll see how things work out.”
    “What if I add twenty-five percent to the salary we discussed, right now, if you give me a definitive answer?”
    “It’s not the money, Jacob. It’s…” Owen. It’s Owen.
    Jacob let his fingers trail away from hers. He sighed. “I don’t want to push you. I’d rather it took you a while to be really sure than force the issue and have you regret it. I can guarantee you won’t regret it, though.