Bring Me You

by Ryleigh Andrews

  The lights on the stage went out, and with that the volume in the club got louder and louder. The crowd was excited. People screaming, hollering. It kind of felt like the crowd before one of his kick-offs.

  “Get ready to enjoy the show,” Luke hollered over the applause. Ethan turned to face the stage in its current blackness. He could barely make out the movements on stage, but he knew the band was getting into place.

  Ethan couldn’t tell what happened first—Mia’s voice surrounding him or the spotlight showing him her beautiful face, her smoky eyes surrounded by her long black lashes, and her nude lips.

  He didn’t really hear the exact words, though he knew she was singing without the music. She captivated him. The drums started, the guitar following and then the bass. The tempo changed and the stage lights burst on and she began to move about the stage, almost like a slither. As she sang, a wicked smile came to her face as she scanned the crowd.

  She wore tight black pants and a light pink leather jacket over a white T-shirt. Maybe it was her heeled demi boots, but she appeared much taller on stage as compared to sitting across from him on the sofa.

  Her voice was as sensual as her movements. Much different than her almost sweetly angelic speaking voice. Her singing voice had a sexy raspiness to it, not high pitched, but deep. It was gritty. Raw. Seductive. As the song continued, he found out that she could belt out some long high notes, too.

  If asked, he couldn’t say what her vocal range was—alto, soprano—he didn’t know. All he knew was that he fell in love with it.

  The first song ended and the crowd cheered wildly. Her smile was wide as she secured the microphone back on its stand.

  “Good evening, Indianapolis,” Mia yelled. The large crowd roared back. “How are you all feeling tonight?”

  She paused again as the crowd cheered. “I’m glad you could all make it out tonight. It’s been awhile. I thought you might have forgotten about me,” she jested with a wink. The crowd roared back its answer.

  “Here’s a song I think you might know,” she said and the band began to play.

  Ethan saw none of the shy girl she showed him. She exuded confidence. Not one person was bored. The audience sang along, danced or really bounced in place because the club was packed. She bounced along with them. The energy she had amazed him. He didn’t know too much about the music world but he knew she was special.

  They only took a break when the songs changed. During one of those song breaks, Mia walked to the side of the stage and took the offered guitar. She slipped it around her and made her way back to center stage. The guitar made her seem so tiny. He saw her nerves a little here. As she adjusted the guitar, she moved her neck side to side like she was working out the tension in her muscles.

  “So, the band decided that I needed to bring more talent to the table. I’m very proud to say that I wrote this next song with this here guitar—all by myself. This is called ‘Sunrise.’”

  “Take him anyway I can …” She looked directly at him when she sang that line. The song was mellower than the previous two, a very nice beat to it, emphasizing her guitar and softer vocals.

  Mia played a couple more songs on the guitar before someone came out and took it from her. She headed to the left of the stage where a small piano had been moved into place.

  “Can I tell you a secret?” she asked as she situated herself on the bench in front of the piano, adjusting the microphone. The piano dwarfed her. She looked so delicate next to it.

  “This,” she said, pointing to her piano, “is where I feel the most comfortable.”

  She put her hands on the keys, playing a few notes. “This is ‘Chasing Time.’”

  The song was haunting—so different from the others, much slower. It was absolutely beautiful. Her voice melodic/angelic. Ethan liked this side much better—though in the others he could sense her crassness, her humor. With this song, he felt like he held her heart in his hands.

  Mia stayed at the piano for the next song, “Can’t Replace Me.” For the first minute of the song it was just her and her piano, her long fingers gliding over the keys, until she got to the chorus, then the band joined her, quietly singing backup on the chorus. He saw her lose herself into the song.

  Chills coursed through his body as the entire band started singing with her, overshadowing her voice with their intensity as she fought the emotions up on stage.

  Then it was just her and the piano again, her voice full of emotion. “I will guide you home.”

  “Thank you,” she said humbly. She rubbed her forehead and he could sense that she was uncomfortable. About what, he did not know. “We haven’t played this song live before. Tonight it’s dedicated to a beautiful little girl, Kaitlyn, and her daddy—my best friend—Luke. This is ‘Everywhere You Go.’ Hope you enjoy.”

  Ethan looked at Luke and saw his tearful eyes locked on Mia. Her voice was beautifully loud and clear, though her voice cracked once as she sang “baby, baby.”

  At the end of the song, she blew a kiss to Luke. “Thank you,” she said, rising from the piano. The crowd erupted in ovation.

  She stepped away from the piano and it was quickly moved out of the way at the same time that two stools were brought to center stage. Ethan was surprised as Todd and Clark walked offstage. Mia took off her pink jacket and traded it for the acoustic guitar.

  “Okay, as you can see, the rest of the band is in need of a break, so it’s just me and Marty. I guess they figured since I can now play the guitar …” she stopped as a Nerf ball thrown from offstage hit her. She turned to them, smiled and flipped them off. “Anyway, we’ve changed the following few songs up a bit. Some of you might know them. Hopefully you like them in their new state. Here’s ‘Slow but Sweetly.’”

  Ethan fell for Mia all over again. She was a beautiful writer. Her songs tugged at his heart. Hell, she had been tugging at his heart since the very first time she smiled at him.

  He stood captivated the rest of the show. He doubted he even moved. His eyes remained fixed on her. The band came back after she played three songs with just the guitarist. The last songs of the night showed to everyone what an incredibly sexy woman she was. Damn! She was so hot!

  These songs were not new to this crowd. They sang along with her. The last song had so many sexual references. She sauntered on the stage, that ass of hers working it.

  The tempo slowed and she sat herself down on the edge of the stage, singing to the crowd. She leaned back, laying on the stage, her hand sliding over her breasts and down between her legs as she sang. Fuck. The tempo kicked back up and she jumped off the floor, singing and sauntering back to her microphone stand to finish out the song.

  He was sad when she said goodnight and the stage lights went out. He must have shown his disappointment because Luke leaned over. “Oh, there’ll be an encore. Don’t worry.”

  The crowd screamed and yelled for more. He and Luke joined them—he definitely wanted more of her.

  After a few long minutes, the stage lights came back on and he watched Mia and her band walk onto the stage again. Her piano was back in front. She beelined it to the bench and quickly sat down.

  “Thank you,” she said, letting the crowd settle down before she started playing.

  No, it couldn’t be, he thought. She was playing “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney. A song he actually knew. Damn James Bond.

  The lights flashed bright then she tore into the piano. The other songs she played on the piano were slow—this one showed how well she could really play.

  She pushed away from the bench as she played harder—he heard the piano above all else.

  After she ended that song, the crowd roared with their applause.

  “One more and it’s time for us to go.”

  She stayed at the piano and her beautiful fingers slowly glided over the keys.

  “Over here. My heart is failing – it’s no cause for concern …”

  The song was a cry for help. He was surprised that she
could write something like that. He knew it was just a song but the undertones of suicide were definitely there. As the song progressed in desperation, the music volume increased right along with it—first the drums, then the guitar and the bass, and finally the backing vocals of her bandmates.

  “... Do you hear me screaming? It won’t change a thing …”

  The song ended and she smiled and then spoke into the microphone one last time. “Thanks for having us. Goodbye.”

  And with those words, Last Star walked from the stage. The house lights came on and his first Mia Devereux concert experience was over. He was fucking amazed.

  “Wow!” he said and Luke nodded, stunned.

  “Wow is right! Damn, I think that was her best show ever. Let’s go get another beer,” he said, walking towards the bar. “There will be a DJ after eleven thirty. She’ll meet us out here.”

  Mia

  Mia quickly washed up and changed her clothes. The band was already out at the bar. She took forever, being the only female. She had never been so impressed with herself or the band. That was fucking brilliant. She really hoped Ethan and Luke enjoyed the show.

  She was pulling up her jeans when she heard the rap of knuckles on the door. She quickly zipped her pants up as she opened the door. She did not recognize the man. He looked a little overdressed in a suit for a bar. Oh, fuck, she thought, realizing who this might be.

  “Hi, you’re Mia, right?”

  “Yes.”

  He held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Tommy Dirickson from TBD Records.”

  “Holy shit!” she exclaimed, rubbing her forehead briskly.

  “So my reputation precedes me then.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, belatedly taking his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise. You and your band played one hell of a show tonight. I’m impressed because I saw you guys a month ago in Chicago—I really liked your stuff then, but I wanted to see you one more time. You guys were bloody brilliant tonight.”

  She was incapable of speech—she just stared at him.

  “Mia, I’d like to sit down and meet with you and your band next week, get the ball rolling as the saying goes. What do you say?”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not,” he said, chuckling.

  “Well, it looks like I should say that it would be great to meet with you next week.”

  They exchanged contact information and he turned to leave. “Your life is about to change, Mia Devereux.”

  He smiled and shut the door behind him. Mia stared at the closed door in shock. Then she finally let the happy dance she’d wanted to do be free. The break they had been hoping for was finally about them.

  Shit!

  She needed to go tell the guys!

  She raced from the dressing room, breaking into a run in the hallway. She skidded to a stop to gather her composure before she entered the bar area. Her eyes scanned for any of her bandmates, but only saw Luke. She made her way through the people unnoticed, which happened to her a lot.

  There were a hoard of girls surrounding Luke and Ethan. Mia would have to deal with that feeling of jealously later. Must find her boys! She continued to search the bar. Where the hell was—ooh! She spotted Marty.

  “Marty!” she yelled. He looked up from the pool game. She waved frantically at him.

  “Where’s everyone else?” she asked once she reached him. He jerked his head over to the couch where Todd and Clark were talking to a couple of pretty girls. Mia grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the others despite his protests.

  “It’ll be worth it, believe me.”

  “Hey, Mia, get a drink and join us,” the drummer, Todd, yelled jovially, patting the seat next to him.

  “Not now. I’ve got something to tell you all.” She took a deep breath. Here she goes! “While I was in the dressing room, Tommy Dirickson from TBD Records paid me a visit.”

  The eyes on all of them went wide in unison.

  “He wants to meet with us next week.”

  They interrupted her with shouts of joy. They enveloped her in a group hug, smushing her between their tall bodies.

  “Holy Fuck!” Marty screamed.

  “I know!” she screamed back.

  “We need to celebrate!” Clark, the bassist, exclaimed, taking her hand and heading over to the bar.

  “I know!” Mia exclaimed again. She scanned the bar. They must have made a commotion. People were looking at them. She caught Luke’s eye and all she had to do was nod at him and he broke into a huge smile. They made their way to each other. He opened his arms which she happily jumped into. He held onto her tight and spun them in circles. She loved being able to share this moment with her best friend.

  “It’s happening, Luke. It’s finally happening.”

  “Congratulations, sweets. You totally deserve it,” he said against her ear, before planting a huge kiss on her smiling lips. “Come on, we need to get you a drink.”

  She let herself be enveloped by the celebration fervor. Luke led them to where he had been with Ethan.

  “What’s all the commotion about?” Ethan asked, his eyes on her. She couldn’t speak. She looked to Luke who spoke for her.

  “That record exec was here tonight and wants to meet with them.”

  “Oh my God, Mia! That’s fantastic!”

  “Isn’t it?” she asked, still in shock. Marty pushed a drink into her hand and then proceeded to make a toast. She downed the drink and motioned the bartender for two more. Her brief distraction from Ethan allowed the slutty girls their chance. They were really starting to piss her off. To top that all off, he was being nice to them. She couldn’t believe how jealous she felt and that was canceling out her happiness about the potential record deal. Not cool.

  Mia finally got her drinks from the bartender and slammed one right down, feeling the alcohol burn her throat. The other she held in her hand. She exhaled and made her way back over to where Ethan stood at the bar.

  She edged against the bar behind him, his back to her. With an encouraging drink from her replenished glass, she slid her hand from his hip down his thigh. She felt him flinch and smiled at herself.

  He quickly turned around and smiled down at her. “Hi, suga.”

  “Hi,” she replied, her hand now on his other thigh, her fingers teasing the fabric of his jeans. Mia almost lost her nerve but then saw his inviting smile. She casually moved between his legs. Her hands slid up the top of his thighs before she leaned in to kiss him. The kiss was soft and she let her lips linger before pulling back.

  “I’ve wanted to do that for days,” she said satisfactorily.

  “Same here,” he said, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

  “How are you enjoying your evening so far?” she asked, her hands now near the middle of his waist.

  “Besides the fact that I could go for some more of those delectable lips of yours on mine, my evening is going really well.”

  Mia toyed with her bottom lip as a smile crept on her face before leaning in to kiss him again. Putting his large hand to her waist, Ethan drew her to him, her arms loosely encircling his neck. His lips parted hers, slowly exploring her mouth. She was glad he held her because he made her knees weak. Ethan eventually moved his mouth from hers, his eyes gazing into hers.

  “Would you consider continuing this later?” he asked.

  “Hell, yes,” Mia replied. Finally, she thought.

  She heard her name shouted from down the bar. She didn’t want to break the eye contact with Ethan but her name was called again. Smiling in apology, Mia turned around to see who was trying to get her attention. An endearing smile came to her face when she saw Clark being dragged to the dance floor, desperately in need of assistance.

  She returned to Ethan. She stood on her tiptoes and touched her lips to his. “I’ll be back.”

  The rest of the night, they celebrated: lots of dancing, drinking and laughing. She would definitely have to add this to he
r top ten best nights ever.

  Towards the end of the night, she stood between the seated Ethan’s legs, resting her forehead on his chest, just a little drunk and a whole lot tired. Luke came over to congratulate her and say his goodbyes. He winked at them as he left.

  After the DJ finished up his extended set, the rest of the band left. Mia helped with packing the van before heading back to Ethan. She grabbed her coat and slipped it on and started to go but turned back and grabbed her bag. She was always forgetting that. As she returned to the bar, Ethan rose. She couldn’t wait to get back to her hotel room. She might be tired but she wanted this man with a fierce hunger she had never experienced before. Her stride was confident. Mia knew he wanted her. She wasn’t afraid. No, excitement fueled her body.

  Ethan traversed the last few feet between them. “You ready?”

  She looked up at his handsome face, focusing on that delectable chin of his and simply nodded. He took her hand and led her out of the club to hopefully a fantastic night to come.

  “Want me to get a taxi?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “It’s not too far to the hotel if you’re up for a walk.”

  “Okay, then, let’s go.”

  The walk provided her much needed time to clear her head of all the wonderful chaos from earlier and it also allowed her to simply be with him, to enjoy the quiet stroll along the dark streets with him. The evening so far had been quite loud and chaotic, though all for good reason.

  Mia and Ethan walked slowly, her hand enveloped by his, silent as they ambled down the streets of downtown Indianapolis. The city was asleep, except for the occasional car passing them by.

  She looked up at him, regarding his strong face. He caught her studying him. Mia liked how his features softened when he smiled. Ethan stopped them in the middle of the dark sidewalk and pulled her to him, like a movement in a dance, wrapping her in his embrace and claiming her mouth in a searing kiss. Her body erupted with his intensity.

  She could not get enough of this man and doubted she ever would. The strong grip she had on that thought left her feeling odd. No, not odd—right.