Page 92 of Here's to Yesterday

I sit down and squint against the brightness of the stage lights on the floor as they briefly blind me. Looking out at the crowd, I see several familiar faces from my new angle. Sitting up here on the stage and staring out at the faces of the people who have been with me since I began this wild journey a few years back makes me feelhumbled.

Giving the audience my signature smirk, I lean forward toward themicrophone.

“Hey, everyone! In case you forgot in the last thirty seconds, I’m Tucker Bentley, and I’m gonna play a couple tunes for you. I know there’s been talk of this being my last show, but the truth is, I don’t know if it will be or not. Guess it depends on how this onegoes.”

“WE LOVE YOU, TUCKER! TAKE IT OFF! TAKE IT ALL OFF!” an obviously drunk Perryyells.

I give a somewhat strained smile and point down to him. “Someone get this assholecoffee.”

The crowd laughs, and I watch Rae yank him down, attempting to rein her cousin in. Guess he’s still hitting the boozehard.

“This first one goes out to a very special person in my life,” I say into the microphone. Finding Maura in the crowd, I watch her to make sure she knowsshe’sthe one I’m talking about. “I want her to do me a favor and listen—really listen—to the lyrics. Because I mean them. All ofthem.”

She gives me a small smile, and I begin my set by clearing my throat justonce.

“One, two, three, four…,” I breathe out, watching as Maura’s face lights up because she knows exactly what song I’m singing toher.

Man, do I sing it to her. Every single word is meant for her and her only. She knows it, and she’s responding to it. I can see it in her eyes from up here on the stage. I watch as they start glistening with happiness andtears.

That’s when I feel the shift in our relationship. We come to a silent understanding that this is it. This is the moment we acknowledge how involved we really are, where we commit to one another fully. This is the moment it all becomes official. We are anus.

I love thismoment.

When I pluck the last chord, the club erupts in loud whoops and people startshouting.

“LUCKYGIRL!”

“SOMEONE BETTER GO UP THERE AND KISS HIM BEFORE IDO!”

“GO GETHIM!”

“DIBS!”

After the crowd settles, I glance down to start getting my guitar ready to go for the next song. But then I start hearing chanting. A lot ofit.

“KISS HIM! KISS HIM! KISS HIM! KISSHIM!”

I look up to see Maura making her way to the stage. She’s taking small, tentative steps. I decide to save her trouble and hop down from my stool, jumping the few feet off the stage and striding towardher.

I don’t move when I approach her. I may have met her halfway, but I’m makingherdo all thekissing.

She grabs on to my shirt and pulls me closer to her. “Everyone’s staring,” she saysquietly.

“Iknow.”

“You playedKiss Meby EdSheeran.”

I smile proudly because I knew when I decided to play it that it was her favorite song. “Iknow.”

“You asked me to kissyou.”

“I know,” Irepeat.

She comes up on her tiptoes and brushes a feather-light kiss across my lips. “If I have to,” I hear just before she settles her mouth firmly onmine.

Before I know it, her lips are gone, and she’s backing away with the cutest smirk. The crowd laughs and cheers again as Maura basically runs back to thetable.

I shake my head at her and climb back up onto thestage.

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