Lost Love on 6th Street by Lolu Sinclair

Author:Lolu Sinclair [Sinclair, Lolu]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LOST LUST
Published: 2024-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

20

LUKE

I lean against the back wall as the band I’m working tonight, Orson Dwells, goes through their soundcheck, playing covers of Spoon songs. They’d be pretty faithful covers too if not for the fact they’re an acid jazz band with a lead singer that raps half the time.

It sounds like it doesn’t work, but trust me, it works.

It’s one of the rare gigs where everything is going as planned. The band is easygoing, Lonesome Rose is running like clockwork, and my team is all on their best behavior.

I catch Randy’s eyes at the soundboard. He’s been doing some last-minute checks for me. I lift my hand and mimic drinking while mouthing, “Coffee?”

He gives me a thumbs up, which is good enough for me. I slip out of the venue and onto 6th. There’s a stream of people walking the streets as per usual under the smeary twilight sky. The sky reminds me of Eleanor. We met under a sky just like this not that long ago. Feels a lot longer, though, the way she’s rooted herself inside me.

I pull out my phone as I walk to pick up my coffee and open my text exchange with Eleanor.

We haven’t spoken today. The last messages sent were that I was outside her apartment, and she was coming down to meet me.

I should have texted her first thing this morning, but I couldn’t find the right thing to say. At first, I was going to say, “good morning” with a little smiling emoji, but I waited too long. So I thought I’d tell her she left her hat in my car, but that didn’t feel quite romantic enough. As I vacillated on what to say, time ticked by and now it’s nighttime.

It should be simple. Just ask her out on a date. Easy. I’ve done that plenty of times before.

Except I’ve never asked Eleanor out and that’s a whole other can of worms.

She hasn’t texted me either, to be fair, but that’s not a good excuse at all. I might be as modern-minded as they come in Austin, but I still like some things traditional. I should ask her out, plan the date, pay for it, and take the fucking lead.

I’m stunted. Remembering the sheen of her eyes as she told me her fears fireside.

I replay the conversation in my head as I stand in line. How her ex betrayed her. How scared she is to trust.

It’s apples and oranges what he did and what I did. Right?

That’s the question that has me going in circles. Should I tell her now? Give her all the information so she can make an informed decision about me? Or do I keep it close to my chest and hope that enough time passes that it’s a story we can laugh about in the future?

The truth will eat at me any time she brings up Diane. I know she won’t be leaving our conversations any time soon, especially if Eleanor’s able to cobble something together for the exhibit at Reeder.

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