Page 8 of Call and Response

Now though, she was clearly in star mode. The oversized athleisure and ponytail she’d been in before was gone, replaced by big, free hair framing her pretty ass face, fitted jeans, and a purposefully destroyed t-shirt hanging off a bare shoulder.

She was already fine dressed down at UG, but now… damn.

“Ah!” she shrieked happily when she looked up from her laptop to see me headed in her direction. “You really came!”

My eyebrows dropped. “I said I would, didn’t I?”

“Well, yeah, but you seemed a little nervous about it. So I’m glad to see you,” she said, standing up to hug me. “Ohhh, you smell good as hell,” she groaned, taking a deep inhale before she stepped back. “I appreciate how easy you’re making this for me.”

“Easy?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “You’re fine, you smell good, your voice is like butter. You’re contributing to my vibe, you know?”

“Oh. Uh… yeah,” I agreed, not knowing what else to say.

She frowned. “But you’re awkward as fuck—which is a vibe killer, and not at all expected—what’s going on?”

Shit.

“My bad,” I told her, shaking my head as I glanced around at the improvised stage. There was a tracklist pulled up on her computer and she was talking about me adding to her vibe, when… “I don’t even know if you can sing,” I admitted. “So I’m not feeling the breeziest.”

Her head jerked back. “You don’t think I can sing?”

“That’s not what I said,” I quickly corrected. “I said I don’t know if you can sing. There’s a difference.”

“There is a difference. And you’re kind of an asshole,” she snapped. “But let me dispel your concerns.”

Eyes narrowed, but not dropping contact, she picked up a guitar from nearby. I expected her to take a seat with it, there was a stool a few feet away. Instead, she got right in my face, maintaining that eye contact as her fingers strummed an impressively complicated riff.

And then she opened her mouth.

If I wait on you to see what I see, feel what I feel

I’m looking at overgrown yards, broken wheels

Letting life pass by, missing good meals

Cause

You feel unsure

You’re insecure

“Love’s” premature

But I’ve got the cure for you

You stay here

Immersed in your fears

While I disappear

You’re made yourself clear

So I’ll make it easy for you

I’ll be brave enough

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