There had to be a way to describe him in words, she thought as she watched him from the other side of the room.
She had gone to her friend's birthday party, knowing full well that she would probably hate every second of mingling with their rather pompous, hideously rich associates. She didn't fit into that world despite her parents' best efforts.
He looked different though. He was dressed more casually, he looked more comfortable, scanning the people around him – not judging but giving off a sense of ease, of confidence.
He was several inches taller than any other man around. He was big, obviously extremely well toned. Every now and then he would smile widely at one of the loud jokes and the laugh lines around his eyes would crinkle. As she drank her wine and watched him undisturbed, she really wished she had the guts to simply go up to him and shamelessly flirt like most of the other single women around him. They really were simply flocking to him, but he didn't look overwhelmed – obviously he was not new to the attention.
"Julie! You can't simply sit here all alone." Jade put her arm around her and kissed her cheek. "It's my birthday party and you're sitting here moping. It's terribly antisocial."
"How could I mope, one of my best friends just turned thirty." Julie grinned and turned to her. Jade was a spree of colors. Her flaming red hair, her dark green eyes and her very colorful dress almost made you dizzy. Somehow though, she managed to pull it off. She was constantly friendly and bubbly, occasionally a little snobbish – but no one really held that against her.
Jade was Julie's parents' best friends' daughter. The two had grown up together and remained good friends despite Jade being a couple of years older than her. It was hard not being friends with someone like Jade but Julie on the other hand had lost contact with almost every other childhood friend.
After refusing to follow in her parents' footsteps, as in - go to Cambridge to study law and live the life they had planned out for her - at seventeen she promptly told them that she was going to be a musician and study at the Royal Academy. Both her parents had been furious – after successfully managing to convince their other four sons to join their firm, it was inconceivable that their youngest and only daughter would be the only one to truly stand up to them.
She didn't really care, she knew she had made the right choice. Though terribly shy during her everyday life, she was an exceptional performer and was now considered one of the top classical pianists in the country. After playing her way through university in a small jazz club under her flat and winning practically every competition she entered, she was content. She could have never succeeded as a lawyer.
"God, you're right – thirty." Jade said, in a tone that said 'God help me'. "Why don't you play me something for my birthday Julie, you know how I love hearing you play." She grinned at her with all her perfect teeth. "Please?"
Julie laughed and kissed her cheek. "Maybe later."
"No, no, now." Jade started to pull her across her enormous apartment towards the piano that had been bought almost exclusively for when she would come over and feel like playing. "You know the song I love." Jade ignored her protests and swiftly pushed her down on the bench.
Julie watched her with affection as her seemingly quite drunk friend sat next to her and waited. She gave up quite quickly and started playing, for she never truly minded performing – even in front of a not-so-interested crowd.
It was the song from Casablanca, As Time Goes By. Jade had heard her play it once many years ago and it became her favorite song. And though she didn't have the best voice, it didn't keep her from muttering the words and humming the melody as she listened.
Jade left her at the piano after a few minutes. She didn't stop playing though, it was the only way she felt comfortable. She went through a few soft jazz songs when she finally noticed him staring at her. When their eyes met it was his intensity that made her both smile and blush. It was only a second before she looked away, quickly finishing the song. She couldn't believe how nervous he was making her.
Seconds later she said a quick goodbye to Jade and left.
"Happy birthday honey." Anthony kissed Jade's cheek and put his arm around her. A lot of the people had already left but he was waiting to catch her alone for just a second.
He had noticed that girl all night. She had been staring at him, though he was pretty sure she hadn't noticed that his eyes were on her just as much. She didn't seem to realize the affect she had on the people around her. Half the men kept staring though she had eyes for no one. It was when she played though that even the trickle of women who kept appearing at his side, couldn't get his attention averted from her. She was incredible.
"Tony I'm so happy you came!" Jade grinned. She was getting very drunk. "Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Of course." He smiled and the two of them sat down. He was planning on just easing in to asking her about the girl but he suspected that Jade wouldn't really notice either way. "That pianist was amazing."
"Oh I know." Jade smiled. "We were best friends growing up. Juliette has been declared many times as the most talented person alive."
He could believe that. "Do the two of you work together?"
"What?" Jade stayed blank for a second then said quickly. "Oh no, no, I told you, she's a pianist. She's in the philharmonic or the symphonic or something. She also plays at this club. She's not like us."
After getting the address of the bar she worked at he left, thinking about nothing but her.
It was Friday night and the pub was packed. Though probably not the most successful pub around, Friday nights were full until 4am. She had been playing for hours with the small house band – there hadn't been many Fridays since she was 16 that she hadn't played there. She loved Louis'.
At two she finally left the piano and went to get a drink and there, right at the bar was the man from the party last week. He was watching her, beer in hand and too long limbs spread out. God, he looked better than she remembered.
It had to be a coincidence. Despite the way he was looking at her now, he couldn't possibly remember that he had seen her before.
She blinked, looked away and found her regular glass of wine in front of her. Joey, the bartender leaned over the bar and said in her ear, "He's been here since 11 and has been watching you ever since." He grinned. Joey had become like a distant, rather odd uncle, whose sole purpose was to see her in a healthy relationship.
Though she had had quite a few boyfriends since she was 16, not one had been approved by Joey. So to have him point someone out to her like this was definitely a first.
"Hi." He had come up to her. She raised her head to meet his eyes and didn't really know what to do with herself. There he was, the most obscenely attractive man and out of all the half dressed women in the pub, it was her he was interested in.
"Hi." She answered. She was usually so much better at this. Though maybe not the best, she never felt so tongue-tied and nervous.
"You probably don't remember me," he said with a smile. "I was at Jade's birthday party last weekend." He held out his hand. "We didn't get a chance to meet, you left quite quickly. I'm Anthony."
She stared at his outstretched arm for a second. "Juliette." She finally said and took his hand. He had a very big hand, her slender one was completely engulfed by his as he slowly shook it, not letting go or looking away from her for quite a few seconds.
She blinked. "Hi." There hadn't been too many men who had looked at her with that expression so clearly on their faces. He was looking at her as though he could see her bare, as though there were no other people around them.
