First and Always: The Forever Duet

by Brooke, Rebecca

  “Sorry about that,” Gina said. “She’s a little shy and she’s been watching you for weeks.” Gina slapped a hand over her mouth. “She'll kill me if she knew I told you that.”

  I ran my forefinger over my chest in the pattern of an X. “I promise not to tell a soul, but since you already did tell me, wanna give me any tips to win her over next time?”

  “Patience. It takes some time for her to warm up to people she doesn’t know.”

  “Anything else?”

  She held out her hand. “How about I give you my number? You can try with her again, or you can text me next time you guys play, and I’ll make sure she’s there.”

  I handed over my phone and let her program in the number. She handed it back to me with a smile.

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. I’ll do the best I can, but the rest is up to you.” She winked and hustled through the crowd to catch up with Christine.

  A beautiful melody started playing in my head. One that reminded of the smile I first noticed during the show. I nodded to the people as they tried to stop me to tell me how much they loved our music. I didn’t have time to stop. I needed to get home and get the notes in my head down on paper.

  Once I was clear of the majority of the crowd, I waved and ran up the stairs to get backstage.

  “Where’d you run off to?” Miles asked.

  “To talk to someone.” I picked up my guitar and placed it into the case.

  “Sure… You ran after some girl in the audience, right?” Kylee laughed.

  “Was she hot?” Dylan asked.

  “Ass, of course she was hot, but I’d like to actually take her out and see what she’s like before I make any decisions about her.”

  “So, what the hell are you doing here?”

  Kylee laughed. “I’m guessing she turned him down.

  I narrowed my eyes at Kylee. “Aren’t you the mind reader tonight.”

  “Nah, you just have that I got turned down face.”

  “Very funny. I got her friend’s number.”

  “Is it actually hers?” Dylan asked.

  “Why would her friend give me a fake number?”

  Miles bent over, holding his stomach while he laughed. “It doesn’t count if you get her friend’s number.”

  “Shut up, dick. I wanna get home and write down this music racing through my mind.” I locked the case and put in on the cart.

  They had most of our equipment already loaded and ready to take down to the van.

  “Oh, now we’re writing love songs for a girl whose number you really didn’t get. Or is this a you broke my heart kind of song?”

  “Fuck off, Miles. Or I’m locking your ass out of the apartment.” The rest of the group started laughing as we wheeled the cart through the backstage area and to the loading dock.

  I tossed the keys to Dylan to unlock the back. When the doors finally opened, we finished loading the equipment and climbed in to head home.

  I didn’t bother trying to explain myself anymore. It seemed that no one was listening. They seemed to be in the mood to give me shit about getting Gina’s number instead of hers. And maybe it hadn’t been the best way, but damn, I couldn’t get the woman out of my head.

  I shut the driver’s door behind me. “Ready? Who should I drop off first?”

  “Are we seriously not going out to get a drink?” Miles complained.

  “You guys can go out if you want, but I’m heading home.”

  “He’s gotta write his love song, remember?” Dylan snickered.

  “Make your choice. Am I dropping you guys off at your places, or am I heading back to our place so you guys can take the van out?”

  “Don’t be crabby.” Kylee leaned up between the seats. “We’re just giving you shit. If you don’t feel like going out somewhere, how about a compromise? Stop at the liquor store on the way to your place and we’ll help you write that song.”

  I eyed her in the rearview mirror. A smile lifted the corner of her lips. “Deal.”

  It was normally me giving everyone else shit, so it seemed to be a fair turn of events. The turnoff for the liquor store came up pretty quickly, and I pulled into the lot.

  “You guys grab the beer while I wait here. I’ll call it fair trade.”

  “Whatever. “Kylee rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, boys. Lover boy needs a few minutes alone to lick his wounds.” The back door slammed. I flipped her off out the front window and laughed when she stuck her tongue out at me like a child.

  With short, pink spikes contrasting against her pale complexion, she had a bad girl combination fifties pin-up look going for her.

  I glanced down at my phone and decided to test the numbers while no one was there.

  Me: Hey this is Aiden. Thanks for the number tonight.

  I didn’t expect an answer as quickly as I got one.

  Gina: Welcome. I think you have a pretty good chance. She seemed all dreamy on the way home.

  Me: Sounds promising. If you have any suggestions on what to say to get a chance, let me know.

  Gina: If I think of something, you’ll be the first to know.

  I tucked my phone back into my pocket before the idiots inside were done. Only a few minutes later the door flew wide-open.

  “We’re back with goodies.” Miles held up two six packs. Dylan had a brown paper bag with God only knew what inside.

  “Then let’s get out of here.” I started the van and pulled back out onto the road.

  The melody continued to play through my head. By the time I parked in our space at the apartment complex, the song seemed to be stuck on repeat in my mind.

  “Let’s just leave the shit in the trunk for tonight. We’ll put it in the storage locker tomorrow.” Miles suggested.

  “Fine with me.” Normally I’d argue about walking over to the apartment’s storage area tonight, but at the moment, it just didn’t seem important.

  We climbed the stairs to the second floor and Miles unlocked the door, pushing it open for everyone. The white walls reflected under the bright lights from the ceiling fan in the middle of the room.

  Dylan covered his eyes. “Shit, do we really need the beacon of light? Turn on the small lamps before that one burns my eyes out.”

  “Now who’s whining?” I laughed and switched the lights.

  “Perfect.” Dylan flopped onto the couch and grabbed a beer from Miles’s hand. He popped open the top and took a long swig of it.

  Miles and Kylee followed suit, taking different seats throughout the room. I left them in the living room to grab the acoustic guitar from the corner of my room. With a pencil tucked behind my ear and notebook under my arm, I carried everything to the recliner closest to the table in the middle of the room.

  Miles set his beer on the table and sat forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Man, you weren’t kidding about writing music.”

  “Nope, I gotta get this song out of my head.”

  Kylee pulled her legs up to her chest. “He’s already head over heels for a woman he just met. What happened when you went running after her?”

  I settled the guitar on my leg and lined my fingers up with the strings. “I asked if she wanted to grab coffee with me, but her friend said something had her spooked.”

  “Sounds like guys haven’t treated her very well in the past.” Kylee wrapped her arms around her legs as if she was trying to ward off a chill. “Been there, done that. Can’t really blame her for not wanting to put herself in that spot again.”

  I sighed. “It sucks that assholes ruin it for the rest of us. Now I have to work extra hard just to get her to give me a chance.”

  Dylan picked up the pencil off the table and twirled it around his fingers. “Any ideas on how you’re going to do that?”

  I shrugged. “Her friend, Gina, says they’re big fans of ours. I guess my best bet is to convince her the next time we play.”

  Miles’s brow lifted. “And how do you plan on making sure she’s there?”
/>
  I lifted my phone up. “That’s why Gina gave me her number. Told me to text her the next time we were playing. She promised to get her there, but after that it’s up to me to get her to say yes.”

  My fingers ran over the strings, the melody in my head coming out through my hands. I finished playing through the part I’d already created and looked up to see everyone staring at me, frozen, mouths agape.

  “What? Does it completely suck?” When no one said a word, I went to put my guitar down. No need to bother if the music only sounded good in my head.

  “Don’t,” Kylee said. “You need to finish that song.”

  “Really? I didn’t think you guys liked it.”

  Miles blinked a few times. “Didn’t like? Holy shit, I’ve never heard anything like that. Kylee’s right, you need to finish that song.”

  “Hey, that’s one way to get a woman. Write her a song.” Dylan smirked.

  Kylee rolled her eyes and chucked the bottle cap from her beer at him.

  “Ass.”

  “What? You all know I’m right.”

  I laughed and picked my guitar up. Besides Jackson, I couldn’t have found a better group of people to create a band with. They understood me almost as well as Jackson had when we played together. I missed him, but I knew we were both heading down the right path for each of us.

  I laid my hand over the strings. “Who wants to write?”

  Miles snatched the pencil from Dylan and grabbed a piece of paper. “Start playing.”

  My fingers moved up and down the neck of the guitar as I played the music, calling out the cords, then the notes. The more I played it, the more the rest of the melody started to fill in behind it.

  At the rate I was going, I’d have a song to play for Christine the next time I saw her.

  3

  One step. Then another. My legs itched to move, and I couldn’t stop myself from pacing the backstage area. Not that it could really be counted as a stage. I’d be willing to bet my high school had a stage three times the size, but we were playing, and in the end, it was the only thing that mattered.

  “Would you sit still? You’re making me twitchy.”

  I glanced over at Kylee. “She’s not out there yet.” I peeked around the makeshift curtain again, looking for Gina. When I texted her about the show tonight, I told her to get Christine up front. I had a surprise I thought might convince her to give me the time of day.

  A hand landed on my shoulder. I glanced back to see Dylan. “Dude, you’ve only seen the girl once. I can’t believe you have it that bad already.”

  “Did you see her?”

  Dylan took his bass out of the case. “Oh, trust me, we all saw the way you ran after her the other night.”

  He smirked and put the strap over his shoulder.

  “Thanks a lot, man.”

  “You know I’m just messing with you. But really, you need to get it together before we head out there.”

  I sighed and walked over to my own guitar case. “I know. I just really hoped she’d show up.”

  “Then I think you should look again.” Kylee pulled the fabric of the curtain back.

  There, front and center, stood Gina and Christine. Her eyes darting around the stage.

  “Let’s do this.” I held the guitar tightly by the neck.

  “Now he’s ready.” Miles shook his head.

  “Yes, now I’m ready. So, get your ass out there so we can start this thing.”

  Kylee stopped and placed a kiss on my cheek as she walked by. “Good luck, lover boy.”

  I winked. “No luck needed.”

  We walked out on the stage, but I couldn’t have told you how many people were in the audience. The only person I had eyes for stood in the front row, and I made sure to keep them on her through each song. At first a blush colored her cheeks. She did everything in her power to look away without any success. Even in the muted lighting I could see the way her eyes moved back to me when she thought I wasn’t looking.

  If only she knew I’d never stopped.

  When we reached the song in the set I’d been waiting for, I glanced over my shoulder at Miles and smirked. Time to show them I had this. All I’d needed was for her to show up and listen.

  The song started and I sauntered my way to the front of the stage with the microphone stand in my hand.

  Christine’s eyes rounded to saucers as I slowly lowered myself to sit on the edge of the stage. I set the microphone stand on the ground and adjusted the height of it. The guitar in my lap, I started to sing.

  Fingers moved over the strings without thought. My focus solely on Christine. Words about chances and trust leaving my lips. As the song ended, she brushed her fingers over my knee and gave me a slight nod. It was all the confirmation I needed. I took hold of the microphone stand and pushed to my feet.

  Now that I knew she wouldn’t bolt right after the last song, we could talk at the end of the show. I moved back to my original position to finish the set list.

  If I hadn’t been so anxious to get to her, I wouldn’t have noticed the time passing, but I felt every tick of the second hand as if it were my heart pounding out the rhythm.

  When the last song ended, it took all of my willpower not to drop my guitar and jump down from the stage, right at her feet. I forced myself backward with a smile in her direction.

  Put your guitar away first, I told myself.

  No need for a repeat of last time. I couldn’t get it in the case fast enough. Once the clasps were closed, I practically bolted through the small backstage area to the door.

  My feet hit the pavement, beginning my search. I didn’t have to look long. Christine hadn’t left or changed her mind. Instead she stood only about twenty feet from the door, watching it.

  Rubbing my hands on the side of my jeans, I walked over to where she waited.

  “Hey, great show tonight,” she said when I reached her.

  “Thanks. Glad you could make it.”

  She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Gina convinced me that I didn’t want to miss it. And I have to say, I’m really glad I didn’t.”

  “Me too. Does that mean you’ll get dinner or coffee with me one night?”

  She smiled and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. “That means I’ll give you my number and when you have a better plan than dinner or coffee, you give me a call.”

  She handed me the small piece of paper and turned to walk away, but I called out to her before she could get too far.

  “Does that mean when I call, you’ll say yes?”

  She shook her head, but under the building lights, I could see a slight bit of amusement in her eyes. “That means, you can call me and I might say yes depending on what your idea is.”

  And before I could say another word, she melded into the crowd and was gone.

  I opened the paper, typing the number into my phone so I didn’t lose it. Kylee, Miles, and Dylan were all waiting for me by the time I came through the backstage door again.

  “How did it go?” Dylan asked before I had a chance to let the door shut behind me.

  “I got her number.” I held up my phone and waved it back and forth.

  “How do you know it’s a real number?” Kylee asked.

  “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  Miles snorted. “’Cause she doesn’t want you to have her number?”

  Kylee shoved him in the shoulder. “What about going out? Are you guys going out sometime this week? Where are you taking her?”

  “She said to call her when I had a real plan.”

  Miles’s feet faltered. “Are you telling me you asked that woman out without knowing where you were taking her?”

  I shrugged. “I guess I’d been so focused on trying to get her here, I forgot to plan something more than coffee.”

  “Idiot.” A good sharp smack landed across the back of my head.

  “Ow. What the fuck, man?”

  “I am not a man.”

  I whirled around
and came face to face with Kylee. “Then why the hell did you hit me?”

  “’Cause you deserved it. Damn, if I were her, I wouldn’t even bother texting you back. A coffee date.” She shook her head. “It’s a first date, you need a better plan than that.”

  “Jesus, you still didn’t have to hit me.”

  Dylan picked up both the bass and guitar cases. “Come on, let’s grab something to eat and we can help you figure out something better.”

  I ran a hand down my face. This was not how I expected the night to go. I reached a hand out to take the case and followed Dylan out to the van. After a few trips we had all the equipment loaded up and ready to go.

  I tossed the keys to Miles, who drove to our favorite Thai place. Spicy noodles sounded perfect. He pulled into the parking lot and we filed out of the van in the front door. We’d been there often enough that the hostess didn’t even bother to ask how many, he just grabbed the menus from the table and walked around to our normal booth in the back corner.

  The place had created faux bamboo walls with small bamboo plants as the centerpiece on each table, along with the typical sauces along the wall.

  I slid all the way in, Kylee following behind me. Dylan and Miles took the seats across from us.

  Kylee turned to me. “Let’s talk about first dates.”

  I set me menu flat on the table. “I thought first dates were supposed to be simple. A chance to get to know each other.”

  “That depends on the woman you’re taking out.”

  The waiter interrupted our conversation to take our drinks orders, but since everyone was ready, we ordered everything all at once. The server left and Kylee jumped right back into her point. “Not all women are like me and want something simple. More often than not they want something elaborate.”

  “Where the hell did that nonsense come from?” Miles asked, his nose curled up. “I’m not jumping through fiery hoops for a woman I’ve just met. Totally different if I’ve been with her for a while.”

  “I blame the whole stupid promposal phenomenon.”

  Dylan narrowed his eyes. “Promposal?”