Page 58 of Metal & Mud

"Is that why you're here?" Sabby asked, and Brian grinned.

"Let's just say a certain PFC has been caught practicing on duty for the past few days," Brian said. "To the point that everyone had to tell him to shut the hell up and do his maintenance. Now, I'm just here to relax some, but the rest of those boys? You better show out, Hollywood."

"Ah," Sabby replied, giving Logan a glance. "Practicing, huh?"

"I gotta do my part," Logan declared. "Although I've got some bad news. Most of the slots were filled, the only spot I could get two songs back to back is in about fifteen minutes."

"But Jess?—"

"I already texted her, and asked Carter to film it using my phone if she can't make it," Logan said. "Don't worry, Jess will get a full earful."

Their mozzarella sticks had barely arrived at their table when the previous singer, who'd decided tonight was the night of all nights to dress up in his country-boy finest and do his best Alan Jackson impersonation, finished. Swallowing her sudden nervousness, Sabby and Logan took the stage.

The heat of the spotlight washed over Sabby, making the leather jacket she'd chosen feel even warmer than it already was. The corseted top underneath hugged her curves, contrasting with the black frilled skirt that swirled around her thighs. Each step she took in her knee-high platform boots made her feel powerful, especially with the fishnet stockings creating patterns of shadow on her skin.

Beside her, Logan looked absolutely edible in those black jeans that hugged his muscular thighs just right. His black collared shirt was unbuttoned just enough to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of his chest, the fabric straining slightly against his broad shoulders as he moved. When he ran his hand through his short military haircut, the scent of his cologne—something woodsy with a hint of spice—drifted to her, making her heart beat faster.

"Hey guys!" Sabby greeted the crowd, and there were a few whistles and cheers. She felt at home, and she was glad to be here. "Tonight I've got something special for you. I finally convinced my man, the sexiest soldier in all of Virginia, to do a couple of duets."

"What do you mean? You didn't invite me to sing!" Carter Max called from his seat, and there was plenty of laughter. But unlike when people were laughing at or booing her singing, this was good-natured, and that made all the difference.

Sabby gave a look to Logan; they were ready. They'd chosen a powerful song that meant a lot to both of them for different reasons. Logan took the first verse, his voice filled with emotion. Sabby felt a shiver run down her spine as she watched him, feeling proud and a little in awe of how vulnerable he was willing to be for her. When she took over before they harmonized on the chorus, something magical happened.

It was the best she'd ever sung. Restrained by Logan's throaty tenor, she kept within a more comfortable range, and their voices lifted over the entire cafe. When their eyes met during the chorus, the connection between them felt almost tangible, as if they were creating something beyond the music.

And the applause lifted her away. Pulling her eyes away from Logan, she saw that almost everyone was applauding, but before Sabby could let herself feel anything about it they started up their second song. It was an older one, slow and emotional with so much eighties cheese in it that it made their mozzarella sticks look like vegetables.

But dammit, she was ready to cheese, and singing a classic power ballad duet was the closest she could get to a romantic duet from a legit metal god.

Logan sang, and Sabby could see a couple of cell phones going up, their lights shining in a 'fireflies' style that had replaced the classic 'lighters in the air' salute from music fans. Best of all, as Sabby launched into her second verse, she could see a new face in the crowd.

Jess. She was grinning, her hand up and giving them the devil's horn salute as she swayed her head back and forth in time with the music. It powered Sabby through the second half of the song, and even Logan was able to adjust slightly, his voice acquiring the almost metallic strain that worked perfectly for the song.

"—close your eyes for me," Logan finished, and the crowd's applause washed over them. Sabby could feel tears in her eyes, but those tears turned to smiles when Logan pulled her close and kissed her deeply.

She loved how he never hesitated to claim her publicly, to acknowledge their relationship despite the military culture that often kept relationships discreet. Each kiss felt like a promise, a declaration of his feelings that made her heart soar. When their lips parted, she stepped back to leave the stage, but noticed that Logan still had a microphone in his hand.

"Logan? Did you sign up for a solo song?"

"No," Logan replied, looking into her eyes. "I just needed to apologize first. You asked when we came in and saw everyone if we had a company event or something. And I... well, what I said was we didn't have a company event. But I did ask everyone to be here."

"Why?" Sabby asked, her eyes opening wide when Logan got down on a knee. From his pocket he pulled out a box, opening it to reveal a humble but beautiful red ruby ring. "Logan?—"

"Sabby Adams, will you be my duet partner forever?" Logan asked. "Will you bang heads with me until we're old and gray? Will you be the Morticia to my Gomez, my muse, my purpose, my love and my wife? Will you marry me?"

Her heart felt like it might burst from her chest as she looked into Logan's eyes, seeing all the love, hope, and promise there.

The world around them seemed to fade away as she whispered, "You had me at duet." Then louder, as tears streamed down her face, "Yes, yes I'll marry you."

The crowd roared, and when Sabby bent down to kiss Logan the cheers were even greater. She could feel his hands in her hair, the warmth of his body against hers. In a moment Logan had her swept into his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her off the stage and towards their seat. She only let go when they got to their table, and she found Jess along with Major Kirk there.

"So we'll talk about this on Monday," Major Kirk said to Logan before offering him a hand. "You did well, though. Sabby, if you can stop by Monday afternoon too, we can talk about getting your mural up by the end of the year. Congratulations."

Major Kirk left, and Sabby looked at Jess, who was openly crying. "Jess?—"

"Shut up, I'm crying because I'm happy," Jess said. She hugged Sabby, then Logan. "Guess you're good enough for my sister, Hollywood."

"You're always going to be my fire team leader, Jess." Logan hugged her back. "Thanks for keeping the secret."

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