Chapter 99

The bar was buzzing around them. As Sasha held the guitar, grinning madly but not yet giving the strings an experimental pluck, Nathan leaned over to whisper in his ear. “This place doesn’t usually have live music tonight, but the owner said he’d be thrilled if someone wanted to play a few songs for fun. See over there?” Nathan pointed across the bar to a balding man by one of the registers. “Just go up to him and say who you are and he’ll get you set up on the stage.”

Sasha pulled back from Nathan, his mouth completely slack. He glanced nervously at Jim, who was beaming into his newest drink. “You want me to play? Here? Tonight?”

“That was the plan.”

“But Nate…Jim…I can’t, I mean...I’m out of practice and—”

“You’ll be fine,” Nathan interrupted. He didn’t buy for a second that Sasha wasn’t the kind of guy who could just pick up a guitar and play again.