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."His eyes widened as he stood up to his full height, “Nice to meet you Sheridan, I believe I’ve seen you at The Diner a few times."“Nice to meet you as well, and again for the record I’m not with Mike." There was a tremor in my voice and if I were Grady I wouldn’t believe the conviction of my words.“I’ll just have a Diet Coke, please."“No alcohol? What the?" Tessa seemed flabbergasted by the fact that I didn’t want a drink.I could totally see her telling me that it was “Un-American."“I don’t drink," I turned to glance back at Grady.“Just a Diet Coke, please."“You got it," he gave me a wink before he turned to get mine and Tessa’s drinks.I perched my elbow on the edge of the countertop and looked around at the space.There were tables lined on the side of the walls so there would be plenty of room to stand around and dance in the middle.The stage was located in the very front and it looked pretty generic with a black curtain running across to shield the crowd from what was happening on stage at the present time.Grady came back with Tessa’s bottle of beer and my Diet Coke in a glass mason jar.I took it from his hand, “Thank you.Um, you wouldn’t perhaps have a piano backstage would you?"He placed a hand on his hip and it looked like he was deep in thought, “You know what, there is an old piano back there but who knows how long it’s sat there unused.I’m sure it would need to be tuned."My lips curved into a bright smile, the thought of being able to play on an actual piano again.My keyboard was amazing and towards the top of the line but it didn’t even compare to the eighty-eight keys of an actual piano.“Would it be alright if I took a look at it sometime?"“That would be fine by me, you play?" Grady responded as he grabbed the white towel out of his back pocket and began wiping off the condensation from the bar countertop.“Something like that." I didn’t really have it in me to explain my situation to him or to anyone else at the time.Mike knew, and for now that was enough.The curtains on the stage swept back, the house lights turned down, and a spotlight appeared on Toby.Tessa yanked at my arm, “Come on, let’s move a little closer."We winded our way through the bar bypassing numerous people she knew as she hooped and hollered at each and every one of them.Finding a free spot directly in the center just being a few feet from the bottom of the stage, I had the perfect view of all of the members.It was slightly comical seeing Charlie out of his Sheriff’s uniform and decked out in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.Brock was standing just across from him with his guitar slung over his shoulder as well.Toby being the front man was standing, well in the front.Tonight he was donning some black skinny jeans which appeared to be tighter than mine, I really felt sorry for his boys as I had absolutely no idea how they were breathing.And a black fitted tee with a yellow leather bomber jacket with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows.I would ask him how he was keeping from sweating, but I could just imagine him saying, “It’s all in the name of fashion, doll."My gaze then traveled to the man sitting behind the drum kit.The man who seemed to occupy my thoughts at all times of the day.Mike was wearing a pair of cargo khaki shorts and a button down plaid shirt that was rolled up exposing those amazing forearms.He actually wasn’t wearing his hat which surprised me because I hadn’t ever really seen him out of it.Of course, he didn’t wear it when he was working as a paramedic but by the time he came home, his hat was back in its rightful place atop of his head.His dark hair had a messy look going on and it would’ve been about the exact length which would have made it perfect for me to run my fingers through.And he was currently staring at me.Our eyes connected and it was as if the rest of the world diminished and we were the only two people left.I know you hear about that in movies and romance novels, but it was true.I couldn’t see the massive amounts of people circled around me, including Tessa who was dancing around like a mad woman.I had no idea that Toby was even speaking until Tessa shoved me with her shoulder and it released me from my daydream session with Mike.“Not with Mike my ass.Y’all were practically eye fucking each other.You can keep denying it, but that boy has got it bad for you."I looked back towards Mike to see that his eyes were still trained on me.Then they started playing their first song.By the time their last song rolled around Tessa and I had been dancing to their music, they were absolutely fantastic and Toby had a voice that would make the actual singers of the covers cry from embarrassment.Oh and Mike hadn’t taken his eyes off of me, not one single time.They began their last song for the night and Tessa instantly perked up looking behind her for someone in the bar.“Oh, Emmalynne will be so pissed that she isn’t here.They are covering her favorite bands newest single “Sleeping With A Friend" by Neon Trees."The last swallow of my Diet Coke traveled down the wrong tube and I instantly started choking.Tessa lightly pounded on my back until I could catch my breath.What were the odds that they were playing a song about sleeping with a friend?Mike’s gaze had zeroed in even more on me if that was even at all possible.Toby was traveling around the stage doing little twists and turns as he sang.It was a different tune for them, but the song was catchy as hell.I found myself singing along to the chorus even though I had never heard of the song or the band before now.The song actually described Mike and me perfectly, talking about how it wasn’t easy to get together but once it happened, and it would happen, it would be explosive.Then Mike had a drum solo and something completely feral and all-encompassing passed between the two of us.I was done pretending that there was absolutely nothing between us.I just knew that, in the end, one or the both of us would get our world ripped apart and our heart broken, but then there was that little chance that everything would turn out perfectly alright.I wanted to believe in that little chance.I wanted that little chance to expand into something amazing and my worrying to end up being a nonexistent glimmer of doubt.I felt completely stripped bare and all of my emotions towards this man were being brought to true light.I couldn’t hold back another second longer.This was finally it, the moment that I would give into everything that I had sworn against.The stage lights faded out and the house lights came on but dimmer than before and music began streaming through the strategically placed speakers once the band exited the stage.I didn’t know how long it would be until Mike came out and found me, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would happen.I left Tessa where she was standing and went to discard my empty glass back at the bar and as soon as I sat the glass on the counter.I felt a light tap on my shoulder and a warm breath at my ear that instantly made a shiver run down my spine, “I bet you could play this song much better on the piano."I hadn’t even noticed that “Faithfully" by Journey had come on through the speakers, I was so into my own head trying to decide the next step between the two of us.I turned around and looked straight into Mike’s eyes, the vulnerability and raw passion that was reflecting back at me was enough to take my breath away.He was so unbelievably beautiful, every single bit of him down to his deeply hidden emotional scars.I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth as he took my hand and led me to the center of the makeshift dance floor.He pulled me close to where one of his hands was curved around my waist while the other held one of my hands on his chest between us.“Dance with me, Sheridan," he said huskily [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]