Page 30 of Silver Linings
“You look beautiful.” His eyes dart quickly down my body and back up.
Nan always made sure I grew up with a healthy dose of self-love, and while it’s not always been easy—especially during my more formative years—it’s given me a soft sort of confidence that comes naturally to me now. But with the men I’ve hooked up with in the past, the words have always felt hollow. Do I believe they find me attractive? Yes, but in the fleeting, surface level way.
It’s never bothered me before—until now.
I can’t parse out what’s changed, so I just take another sip of my cocktail. “Thank you.” I hope he doesn’t notice my uneasiness. “So, what’s your go to karaoke song, Wall Street?”
“Mr. Brightside.” He places his arm on the booth and around my back in a covert but confident gesture.
I grimace into my cocktail. “I’m afraid that’s the most frat boy answer you could have supplied.”
“Hey, don’t judge me. It’s a good song.”
“I remember saying judgment was a very real possibility.”
He holds his hands in a supplicate gesture. “Okay, I concede. What song should I choose?”
“Oh, sweet summer child…you’re going to wish you hadn’t asked me that.” I pat his cheek in mock comfort. “They should be calling us up to the stage any minute.”
“I’m feeling a bit scared now.”
I grin fiendishly, and all my friends behind me, who hadapparentlybeen listening to our conversation, speak in unison, “You should be.”
Not a moment later, the MC calls us to the stage, and I lean in to whisper the song selection in their ear.
“You’re not even going to tell me what it is before we start?”
“It’s all a part of the experience, Wall Street. Consider it a hazing ritual of sorts.”
I grab our microphones, hand him his, and drag him out to center stage. The opening notes start to filter through the speakers, but the tv displaying the lyrics for us to follow hasn’t caught up yet, so he still doesn’t know what song I’ve chosen.
“Keep your wits about you. Your part is coming first.” I nod to the screen, where the title page reads “Lay All Your Love on Me” from the life changing 2008 classic, Mamma Mia!
He stumbles at first but catches his footing, and the crowd starts to sing along and cheer. I stand to his right, dancing coyly and getting into character, while I wait for my part to start. I’m wearing a cropped fuchsia lamé top with a plunging cowl neckline that leaves my back exposed, and every time the lightcatches the metallic fabric, it shoots a pink glimmer across the room. It is the ultimate karaoke top and sinfully sexy.
I turn and give the audience my back right before my part comes in so I can do a dramatic turn into the song. Kena isn’t the only one with stage presence, thank you very much. I take a deep breath and whip around right as my opening line starts, locking eyes with the last audience member I expected to see.
Hendrix Wells.
He looks disgustingly good in dark jeans and a fitted white t-shirt topped with a vintage leather bomber jacket.That’s just not fair.
I miss my opening line, and John places a hand on my back to get my attention. It’s hard to tell in the dim lighting of the bar, but it looks like Hendrix’s gaze narrows on that minute touch.
“Are you okay?”
Shit.
I don’t answer him with words, but I give him a nod, pasting on a smile and performing like I’m on stage at the Winter Garden Theatre. I prowl toward John, circling him as I sing into my microphone and trail my hand across his chest. I commit to the role no matter who’s watching, even going as far as to crawl across the stage like Sophie did on the beach in Greece. By the end of the song, the audience is hollering, and I’m laughing as I climb off the stage with John in tow. We make our way to the back booth where my friends are.
“I’ll be right back. A friend came in while we were performing.”
“Sure. Do you want another drink?”God, he really is nice.
“That would be great, thanks.”
I walk towards Hendrix, my heart rate picking up speed the closer I get to him. Someone to his right claps him on the shoulder and I realize he brought a friend with him. He sees me approaching and tracks my movement the whole way, hisintense stare scorching my body as his gaze scores over me from head to toe.
“So you came after all.” I stop in front of him and stare up into his hazel gaze.
