Infinite Cashback System

Jordan sat on a plush burgundy bench in a small waiting room lined with framed gold records, sheet music, and what looked like autographed photos of people who might have been famous before he was born. The receptionist, a woman in her sixties with silver hair pulled into a severe bun, typed aggressively on an ancient desktop computer, occasionally shooting him suspicious glances over her half-moon glasses.

He checked his phone again. Four-thirty. Chloe had been in her lesson for forty minutes.

"She’s usually done by now," the receptionist said without looking up from her computer. "Miss Karina runs long when she finds a student interesting."

Jordan nodded, unsure if this required a response. He’d never sat through one of Chloe’s singing lessons before. When she mentioned having a lesson scheduled today, he’d offered to drive her rather than making her use her own gas. Then somehow he’d ended up waiting in this stuffy little room that smelled like artificial lavender and old books.

Chloe had been oddly nervous about him being here. "My singing isn’t like karaoke," she’d said on the drive over. "It’s more personal."

Jordan had reminded her that he’d already heard her sing at karaoke, and she’d been amazing. The memory of her voice wrapping around those Korean lyrics still made his skin prickle. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"That was different," she’d insisted. "That was just for fun."

But Jordan had seen something in her eyes when she sang—something alive and electric that made her entire face transform.

The door at the end of the hallway opened, and a woman in her forties with platinum blonde hair cut in a sharp bob emerged. She wore a flowing black dress with bright silver jewelry that clinked when she moved.

"You must be Jordan," she said, her voice carrying a hint of an accent he couldn’t place. "Chloe has been hiding you from me."

Jordan stood, towering over the petite vocal coach. "Nice to meet you, ma’am."

"Please, call me Karina." She beckoned him. "Come, come. Chloe is too modest. I want you to hear what your girlfriend can do."

Jordan followed her down the hallway, past framed certificates and more gold records, into a room with soundproofed walls. A sleek black grand piano dominated the space, and Chloe stood beside it, her cheeks already pink.

She looked up as Jordan entered, and the color on her face immediately deepened to a dark rose.

"Miss Karina—" she started.

"Hush, child. I want him to hear." Karina sat at the piano. "The Adele piece we were working on."

Chloe shot Jordan an embarrassed look, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The piano began, soft and melancholy, and then Chloe opened her mouth.

The world outside of her voice simply ceased to exist.

Her voice was... fuck. It wasn’t just good. It wasn’t just better than karaoke. It was something else entirely—a voice with a smoky texture in the low notes and a raw, breaking quality that made the lyrics feel less like a song and more like a confession.

She sang "Someone Like You" with such raw feeling that Jordan found himself leaning against the wall for support.

When she hit the chorus, her voice soared, powerful and pure and utterly captivating. Jordan forgot where he was. He forgot who he was. All that existed was Chloe, standing there with her eyes closed, pouring her soul into the lyrics.

The song ended, and Chloe opened her eyes, looking directly at Jordan. He realized his mouth was hanging open.

"Holy shit," he whispered.

Karina clapped her hands together once. "Good, yes? Your girlfriend has a gift. She is being stubborn about pursuing it seriously, but perhaps you can convince her."

Chloe tucked her hair behind her ear, looking anywhere but at Jordan. "I’m not being stubborn. I’m being realistic."

"Talent like yours is wasted on realism," Karina scoffed. She turned to Jordan. "Do you sing as well?"

"No," Jordan said automatically.

"Yes, he does," Chloe countered, finally looking at him. "He’s amazing. He brought the house down at karaoke."

"That was different," Jordan said, echoing her earlier words.

"Wonderful!" Karina patted the space next to her on the piano bench. "Show me."

"I really don’t—"

"Jordan." Chloe’s eyes sparked with mischief. "You made me sing. It’s only fair."

He was trapped, and she knew it. With a sigh of defeat, Jordan crossed to the piano.

"What should I sing?" he asked, hoping his discomfort wasn’t as obvious as it felt.

"Something simple." Karina tapped her chin. "Do you know ’Fly Me to the Moon’? Frank Sinatra?"

"Yeah, but—"

Karina’s fingers found the keys, and the familiar intro filled the room. Jordan shot Chloe a panicked look, but she just smiled encouragingly.

Fuck it. He’d faced worse than singing for his girlfriend and her vocal coach.

He opened his mouth and let the Alluring Whisper take over.

"Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars..."

The effect was immediate. Karina’s fingers stumbled on the keys, and she recovered quickly, but her eyes widened. Chloe’s smile vanished, replaced by something darker, more intense.

Jordan continued, focusing on keeping his voice steady. The trait did most of the work, smoothing out his natural tone into something richer, more resonant. He wasn’t Frank Sinatra, but he wasn’t half bad.

When he finished the first verse and chorus, Karina lifted her hands from the keys, staring at him.

"Where did you train?" she demanded.

"I didn’t."

"Impossible. That voice—" She shook her head. "The tone quality alone... Have you considered pursuing music professionally?"

Jordan laughed. "No."

"You should." Karina stood abruptly. "Both of you should. Such waste of natural talent! It offends me."

Chloe was still staring at him, her lips slightly parted. Her eyes had that same look they’d had at karaoke—hungry, almost predatory.

"I’ll leave you two to discuss," Karina said, gathering her sheet music. "Chloe, same time next week. Jordan, think about what I said."

She swept out of the room, leaving Jordan alone with Chloe.

"So," he said, breaking the silence. "That was awkward."

Chloe crossed the room in three quick steps and kissed him hard, backing him against the piano. The keys jangled discordantly as his hips hit the edge.

"Mmph?" Jordan managed, his hands automatically finding her waist.

She pulled back. "Do you have any idea what your voice does to me?"

"I’m getting an idea." He grinned, cocky now that he understood her reaction.

"Don’t get smug." She kissed him again, softer this time. "Why didn’t you tell me you could really sing?"

"I didn’t know I could, honestly. It’s... recent."

Not a lie. The Alluring Whisper trait was very recent.

"Well, it’s sexy as hell." She stepped back, straightening her shirt. "But we should probably get out of here before Miss Karina comes back and tries to sign you to a record deal."

Jordan checked his watch. "Shit, we need to get ready for dinner. My parents are expecting us at seven."

The reminder of dinner with his parents dampened the mood instantly. Chloe’s smile faded, and she reached for her bag.

"Let’s go, then," she said, her voice tight.

They drove back to the Cooper Garment Lofts mostly in silence. Chloe stared out the passenger window, her fingers twisting the strap of her handbag into a tight knot. She hadn’t said a word since they left.

When they reached his apartment, she followed him inside rather than going to her own unit. They’d fallen into an easy rhythm over the past week, spending more nights together than apart. Her toothbrush sat next to his in the bathroom. His shirts occasionally ended up in her laundry.

"I’m going to shower," Chloe announced, dropping her bag on his kitchen counter.

"Want company?" Jordan waggled his eyebrows.

She laughed despite her nervousness. "No. We’ll never make it to dinner if you join me."

Jordan couldn’t argue with that logic. While Chloe showered, he laid out his new clothes on the bed—the navy slacks and button-up that Alexis had helped him pick out. He paired them with a silver tie that Chloe had knotted for him at the store. The outfit looked sophisticated, adult. Like someone who had his shit together.

He hoped his parents would buy it.