Page 8 of Dust and Desire
There was something in his voice, a note of personal experience that made me look at him more closely. What was he running from?
“Alright Reyes,” Colt said, slapping the table and startling us both. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“You’re on,” Alex replied without missing a beat.
He was much smoother than I was. It took me a moment to snap out of my spiral, to come back to the diner and the present. It was soeasy to get stuck in the past without realizing it sometimes. However, the gorgeous view I was afforded as Alex and Colt walked to the karaoke machine was enough to bring any man back to his senses.
“Christ,” Eli sighed. “I never get tired of watching that man walk away.” He glanced over at me with a sly knowing grin. “Not bad, huh?”
“I… uh…” I stammered.
And thankfully I didn’t have to finish my thought because the music started up, both Alex and Colt taking up their microphones to get the night underway.
The opening guitar riff of “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” blasted through the diner’s speakers, and I nearly choked on my beer. Of course they’d pick that song. The irony wasn’t lost on me, nor on anyone else at the table, judging by the hoots and hollers that erupted.
Alex grabbed the mic first, launching into the opening verse with surprising confidence. His voice was rich and smooth, with just enough roughness around the edges to make it interesting. But when Colt joined in for the chorus, their voices blended in a way that sent shivers down my spine.
“Damn,” Dakota whispered, leaning across the table. “New guy’s got pipes.”
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Alex. He moved with an easy grace, completely uninhibited as he played to the small crowd. When he caught me staring, he winked, actually fucking winked, and my face burned hot enough to fry an egg.
“I think someone’s got an admirer,” Eli said under his breath, nudging me with his elbow.
“What? No,” I protested weakly. “He’s just being friendly.”
Eli gave me a look that said he wasn’t buying it. “Friendly is asking how your day was. That—” he nodded toward Alex, who was now singing directly at me, “—is a man making his intentions crystal clear.”
I sank lower in my chair, desperately wishing I could disappear. Not because I wasn’t interested, God help me, I was about as lonely as they came, but because I had no idea what to do with that interest. It had been so long since I’d navigated anything resembling flirtation that I felt like I was drowning in unfamiliar waters. The last person I’d ever dated was my ex-wife.
The song ended with both men striking dramatic poses, and the diner erupted in applause. They high-fived, competitive tension momentarily forgotten in their shared triumph, before making their way back to our table.
“Your turn,” Colt announced, dropping into his seat beside Eli. “Who’s up next?”
“Dustin hasn’t gone yet,” Alex suggested, sliding back into the chair beside me. He was slightly breathless from the performance, a fine sheen of sweat making his skin glow under the diner’s lights. “I bet he’s got a great voice.”
“Oh, I don’t—” I began, but Dakota was already nodding enthusiastically.
“Come on, Dustin! You can’t just watch all night.”
“I’m more of an observer,” I insisted, clutching my beer like a lifeline.
“I’ll go with you,” Alex offered, his voice dropping lower so only I could hear. “We can do a duet.”
The thought of standing next to him, sharing a microphone, possibly brushing against him in the small space by the karaoke machine… it was both terrifying and exhilarating.
“I really don’t sing,” I managed, hating the tremor in my voice.
Alex leaned closer, his shoulder brushing mine. “Everyone sings,” he said softly, his breath warm against my ear. “Some just need the right... motivation.”
The way he said “motivation” made my mouth go dry. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore how his proximity was making my heart race. The scent of him, sweet and rugged at the same time, was intoxicating.
“I think I need another beer before I’d consider that kind of public humiliation,” I said, draining what remained of my first.
“I can arrange that,” Alex replied with a grin, signaling to Dolly for two more. His eyes never left mine, and I found myself unable to look away, caught in his gaze like a deer in headlights.
Across the table, Logan and Dakota had launched into a spirited rendition of “Islands in the Stream,” their voices blending together with the ease of a couple who knew each other inside and out. I watched them, a pang of envy twisting in my chest. They moved around each other with such natural grace, anticipating each other’s movements, sharing secret smiles. It was the kind of connection I’d never had with Alicia, the kind I was beginning to think I’d never have with anyone.
“They’re good together,” Alex observed, following my gaze.
