Page 22 of Doc Rock
“You’re not the one smuggling a basketball up their shirt,”Clara grumbled.
Mai was still a little tongue-tied around Taylor. He was a lovely guy.It wasjust tough when you hadwatchedall the Superman movies and seen him in the suit and, at times, his birthday suit, to look him in the eye without blushing.
Clara grumbled some more before relaxing into his embrace, letting him keep his hands on her stomach.
“Did you hear Mai sing? She’s amazing.”
“No. I missed it. I’m looking forward to hearing you play. Thanks so much for doing this. It makes it so special to havea friend of Clara’s singing.”Taylor’s eyes twinkled, making Mai blush. He really was very handsome.
“I love playing. I’ve not done it in public for a long time, and I’ve missed it. So you guys are doing me a favour,”Mai said the words and realised she actually meant them. Itfeltfantasticto play for Clara.
“You're so talented. You could go professional.” Clara nodded enthusiastically.
“Being professional is about more than talent,”Mai said quietly.
“Hey guys,”Sadie called as she walked into the garden, waving energetically with one arm, the other slung around George, her husband, who clutched a giant teddy. Their two children were dashing in front of them.
“Oh my.”Clara’s eyes widened when she caught sight of the teddy bear.“We said no gifts,”she muttered to Taylor.
“Has Sadie ever listened to you?”Taylor leaned down and kissed her hair.
“Never.”Clara rolled her eyes and waved back at her friend.
“I’ll start to play now,”Mai said, then greeted Sadie.“Hey, Sadie.”
“Mai!”Sadie exclaimed happily.“It’s good toseeyou. I didn’t think you’d make it. We’ve only ever been able to persuade you to come to the pub quiz.”
Mai had spent so long keeping to herself that she still found it hard to say yes to invitations, even when the other doctors had been so welcoming to her since she arrived in town.
Lifting up her guitar, she shook it and said flatly,“I’m only here as the hired help.”
An outraged squeak escaped from Clara, and Sadie looked horrified.
Mai’s straight face broke.“Not really. I offered to play while everyone’s arriving.”
“I didn’tknowyou were a musician,”Sadie commented.“Oh, this is George.”She gestured to the man on her arm, who was trying to keep up with his wife and not drop the ridiculous teddy.
“Nice to meet you, Mai.”George jiggled the bear at her, then turned to Clara and Taylor.“I’m so sorry about this. The bear was Sadie’s idea.”
“Me?”Sadie kept a straight face for a second before cracking.“Yeah, I couldn’t resist it,”she chortled.
Gloria chose that moment to stroll out of the glass doors at the back of the house, her flowing kaftan wafting around her in the breeze, even as her perfectly bobbed silver hair didn’t move.
She sipped on the champagne clutched in her hand and waved with the other, some amber liquid sloshing over the rim.“Darlings.”
“Mom, it’s a baby shower, go easy on the champagne. Please don’t be a menace,”Taylor grumbled.
“Darling. I take great offence at that statement. This is my first glass,”Gloria drawled.
“What’s to take offence at? It’s true, your first glass always leads to the fifth one. I will nevergetover finding my mom and wife rolling drunk, talking about things that no man wants his mom toknow.”Taylor shook his head at Gloria, but she didn’t look embarrassed at all and only chuckled.
Clara blushed and leaned into his chest, tilting her head up to him.“Sorry about that. On the bright side, I can’t drink with your reprobate mum while I’m pregnant.”
“Thatis a small mercy.”Taylor shook his head again and rolled his eyes.
A few more people wandered around the side of the house, and Maifigured she should extract herself from the conversation and start playing.
She asked Clara,“How long did you want me to play for?”
