by Robyn Amos
“I’m listening….”
Chapter 14
Lilah and Angie stood on the curb in front of the hotel as a battered, old, navy sedan pulled to a stop in front of them.
“I think this was a mistake,” Angie whispered.
Lilah nodded. Since the two of them were going downtown for karaoke that night, she’d decided to use the car service Maureen had recommended. Sanjay Mumbari had been polite and friendly on the telephone, so she’d felt pretty good about hiring him to drive them to the bar.
Sanjay bounded around the car to open the door for them, his enthusiasm apparent in the wide toothy smile that glowed against his dark features. All the two women could do was smile back and climb in.
“Don’t you ladies worry. I know this city like the back of my hand. I’ll get you to your destination quickly and safely,” he said after they were situated in the back seat.
“I’m sure you will,” Lilah replied with false optimism. They’d agreed on a flat rate over the phone, so at least she didn’t have to worry about getting ripped off. That had to count for something.
“Sanjay, how old is this car?”
“Angie!” Lilah poked her friend.
“It’s a 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. I know it’s not the height of luxury and style, but it’s only temporary.”
“I wasn’t trying to be rude,” Angie was hasty to add. “It’s obvious that you keep it very…clean.”
“Please don’t let the exterior fool you,” Sanjay said, the enthusiasm drained from his voice. “Even though it’s ten years old, it’s in top condition. But if you have concerns, my brother owns Mumbari Limousines. I could give you his number if you don’t find this ride satisfactory.”
“Sanjay, if your brother owns a car service, how come you don’t work for him?” Lilah asked.
“My brother doesn’t believe in nepotism. He says I need to make my own way in the world before I have a job in his company handed to me.”
“Hmm, if you ask me, that’s kind of harsh,” Angie said.
“Oh no. This is the only way I know to prove myself to him. I only have one car, and it’s not new, but I’ve invested a lot of time and money replacing parts and making sure it runs smoothly. And I’ve memorized all the shortcuts and traffic hazards in the city. I promise, what my vehicle lacks in luxury, I will make up for in quality of service. Can I offer you ladies some bottled water?”
Both Angie and Lilah were swayed by Sanjay’s earnest attitude. The ride passed safely and smoothly as the three of them chatted. By the end of the journey, Lilah had promised him her exclusive business for the rest of her stay in New York, and Angie had taken a stack of his cards to pass out at the theater where she worked.
“This place is cute,” Angie said, leading Lilah into McShanahan’s Bar. It was an old Irish pub but the feature attraction was karaoke.
The karaoke platform at the far end of the main room was set up like a concert stage with two large screens for the audience and lots of colorful swirling lights. There was a DJ booth to one side where the singers signed up and chose songs.
It was a much bigger production than the mike stand in a corner that Lilah had been expecting. At that moment a petite blonde and a large Black man were doing their own spirited rendition of “Ebony and Ivory.”
Angie started searching for an empty table. It was still early, so the bar wasn’t crowded. “This is going to be so much fun. Are you ready for this?”
“Just as soon as we get those appletinis flowing. Thank God you’re the only person I know here.”
Angie stopped in her tracks, causing Lilah to slam into her back. “I’m not so sure about that.”
Lilah looked around Angie to where she was pointing. With a prime seat right in front of the stage sat none other than Tyler Martin. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was surrounded by four gorgeous women.
Lilah just stood in the middle of the floor staring. Angie turned around to face her. “Should we go over and say hi? Maybe he needs two more girls to complete his harem.”
“No,” Lilah said stiffly. “Let’s just sit back here.”
She parked herself on the nearest chair, at the nearest table, which thankfully was free. They were much farther back in the room, and Tyler would have to turn around to see them because his seat faced the stage.
Angie pulled up a chair. “I still think we should say hello. If Tyler gets up to sing or goes to the bathroom, he’ll see us and wonder why we didn’t come over.”
Lilah’s entire body felt numb. “Maybe we should just leave.”
“What?”
“There’s got to be other karaoke bars. This is New York City.”
“Everyone thinks the city has two of everything and they’re often wrong. There are probably other places to sing karaoke, but this is the karaoke bar in New York. Why are you trying to run anyway? Is it those women? Maybe they’re all coworkers or something.”
“He’s self-employed.” Lilah took a deep breath. She had to pull herself together. “Besides, I don’t care that he’s up there with a bunch of women. I just don’t want to sing staring right into his face.”
“Okay, we can leave if you really want to, but I think you should just go for it. We’re here. You two are just friends, right? You just got finished telling me that you didn’t have room in your life for anything more.”
Lilah shrugged. When had she become so wishy-washy? She used to be a pretty decisive person. When she wanted something, she’d write it down and she and Angie would hatch out a plan on how to get it.
She’d gotten a number of things in life that way. She was homecoming queen in college because she and Angie, sick of the type of girls who’d won in high school, had launched a campus-wide campaign for votes.
She’d picked Chuck out at a fraternity step show and had decided he was the man for her. She and Angie had spent a lot of time loitering around the poli-sci building until he’d noticed her.
And when she’d wanted a lavish fairy-tale wedding on a shoestring budget, it had taken a year and half of saving, and a lot of ribbon, glue and beads, but she’d made it happen.
Now, here she was, a shadow of her former self, and she was letting her failed marriage rule her life. She was acting as if she owed the world something, instead of just taking what she wanted. The way she used to.
At the moment all she wanted was to sing one song at this karaoke bar. Tomorrow, she wanted to have a small, simple date with Reggie Martin. Why was she waiting for Tyler to set something up? Why didn’t she just take what she needed? It was time to cut out the middleman and go get what she wanted.
And after that was done, she would go after what she really wanted and enlist Tyler’s help with Item 38.
Tyler tried to casually look over his shoulder. Lilah had arrived, and for a minute or two, he was afraid she was going to walk right back out the door. He was starting to worry that this plan was a bit too drastic, but it was too late to turn back now.
“Which one is she? The tall sunflower or the petite yellow rose? No, don’t tell me. The rose is definitely more your type.”
“Keira, you certainly have a way with words,” Tyler said.
Keira Theophilus, gorgeous with her wild curling black hair and olive skin, lived in the apartment across the hall from Tyler, and she ran The Manhattan Underground, a weekly lifestyle and culture newspaper for New Yorkers.
She’d been the first to agree to help with Reggie’s plan. To set the stage, he’d let Keira read Lilah’s blog, and she’d been impressed enough to promise the blog a mention in the next issue of her paper.
Since Tyler hadn’t wanted to look like he was on a date, he’d enlisted the help of several female friends as Reggie had suggested.
It had been short notice, and Tyler had been skeptical about finding anyone willing to help. But as soon as he let the girls know he needed assistance winning a woman’s heart, it was amazing how quickly they’d all gotten on board.
Rounding out the group o
f ladies was his accountant, Sarah, an elegant woman with mahogany skin and a close-cropped natural hairstyle, his office assistant, Jenny, a perky twentysomething who’d brought along her hipster friend Christina.
“She’s lovely, don’t you think?” Sarah asked Jenny.
“I approve. I definitely approve.”
“She’s cute, but keep in mind, if things don’t work out with her, I’m available.”
Jenny kicked Christina under the table.
The quartet of women had been feeding him tips all evening to prepare him for this moment.
“Pretend not to notice her right away—”
“—but when you finally do, make sure you look thrilled to see her.”
“And compliment her on her hair or her clothes.”
“—but not both. That’s trying too hard.”
Jenny waved at the DJ, who nodded back at her. “I hope you’re ready for this, because you’re up next.”
Jenny was an obsessive planner, and since she’d wanted his singing debut to be timed to perfection, she’d put his name in early and conspired with the DJ to work him in at her cue.
At this point, Tyler wondered if there was anyone in the entire bar that wasn’t colluding with him to get Lilah’s attention. The best thing about having women on his team was that they really knew how to rally the troops.
As the “Ebony and Ivory” couple clambered off the stage, the DJ called him up. Tyler took a deep breath, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. Was he really going to do this?
The women at his table whooped and clapped, giving him a boost of confidence. He could feel Lilah’s eyes on him, even though he hadn’t turned around to see her.
This was it—his grand gesture. If it didn’t work, he would wave the white flag.
The first familiar cords of “My Girl” started, and the girls’ advice started playing in his head.
Maintain eye contact with her so she knows you’re not singing to someone else.
It’s not about the singing, it’s about the attitude.
With his heart hammering in his chest, Tyler looked out across the room and focused on Lilah. She was staring up at him with a stunned expression on her face.
He took a deep breath and sang the first verse. It came out fairly smoothly and in tune. Okay, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, he thought after making it through the stanza. Feeling more confident, he put a little more power behind the chorus, and his voice cracked on the first note.
So much for the singing, time to kick up the attitude. The women at his table cheered encouragement and Tyler threw his body into it, dancing from side to side and snapping his fingers.
When it was time for the chorus again, he sang at the top of his voice, pointing across the room to Lilah. The audience went nuts, clapping and cheering for him.
Tyler knew his voice was terrible, but as he stood on stage with the crowd cheering him on the more he messed up, he got a bit of insight into his brother’s world. This was what it felt like to be adored by strangers. No wonder Reggie was addicted to it.
Tyler sang right at Lilah, watching Angie clapping and punching her friend in the shoulder. Lilah stared back at him with a shy, goofy smile, looking helpless to hide her pleasure.
Tyler knew he had her then, so he went in for the big finish. Microphone in hand, he started making his way down from the stage to the back of the room. As he passed through the crowd, everyone stood, a few people clapped him on the back for encouragement.
When he was in front of Lilah, he sank to one knee and sang the last verse. “My gir-rl!”
After returning the microphone to its stand, Tyler came back to Lilah’s table and pulled up a chair. “When you said you had plans tonight, I had no idea that you’d be here, too.”
“I’m just glad we got here just in time for your performance. You were great,” Angie said.
“And you must be deaf,” Tyler said, laughing.
“Well, you displayed great showmanship.”
“As you can see, Reggie got all the musical skills in the family. There was nothing left for me. I did that on a dare. I must admit though, when I saw you in the crowd, I got motivated.”
Lilah giggled, feeling foolish without really knowing why. “You definitely entertained us. And your friends…It was a great idea to bring your own cheering section.”
Lilah hoped her statement wasn’t too obvious. She wanted to know who all those women were, but she didn’t want to sound jealous.
He couldn’t have been dating any of them, because he hadn’t been shy about focusing his affections on her. He was clearly making a move. He’d called to ask her out on a date. And now, he just finished singing to her.
“Yeah, can you believe it? Somehow I ended up tagging along on my neighbor’s girls’ night out. When she asked me to come out with her friends, I had no idea I’d be the only guy.”
“Lucky you.” Lilah punched his arm playfully, noting the hard muscles underneath his sleeve.
“Yeah? Well, you’re the one I really wanted to spend the evening with. Looks like fate wanted us to spend it together, too. Here we are.”
Angie muttered something under her breath about being a third wheel and got up. Lilah didn’t look up, she was already lost in Tyler’s eyes.
“After that performance, how can I go up there? The crowd will boo me off the stage.”
“Did you hear my singing? It was awful.”
“Not awful, but even if every note wasn’t on key, you certainly won over the audience.”
“Look at you. All you have to do is flash that sweet smile and they’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand. You just have to commit to it.”
Before Lilah could answer, her name was called out. “Wait a minute. I didn’t even sign up for a song yet.” She looked over at the DJ booth and Angie waved back at her.
“Oh no.”
“Get up there,” Tyler said.
Lilah reluctantly got up from her seat and started for the stage. As she passed the DJ and Angie, she called out, “What am I singing?”
Angie just grinned wickedly. “You’ll see.”
Lilah took the stage and she heard the first strains of “Nasty Girl,” an eighties song by Vanity 6, start playing.
Lilah could feel the heat racing up her neck to her face. This was by no means the type of song she would have chosen for herself. But she was on stage now, the song was gearing up. She had only one choice.
Sing!
Lilah was a terrible friend. While Angie was on stage singing her heart out, Lilah couldn’t pull her attention away from Tyler.
During her own performance, Lilah wouldn’t have made it through the embarrassment without Tyler’s encouragement. He and his friends stood right in front, cheering her on. Inspired by his own fearless performance, Lilah had closed her eyes and pretended she was singing every lyric to him.
And they were provocative lyrics. Now, sitting across from him, they were still all she could think about.
He looked handsome in a dark blue sweater and jeans that hugged his muscular thighs. Even from across the table, she could smell the cologne that she’d begun to identify with him.
It would be so nice to…Wait, before she indulged that train of thought, she had some business to take care of. She had to take contacting Reggie into her own hands. If she crossed off her primary list item, it might actually give her confidence to take care of some of the other more daring things.
“Tyler, can I ask you a favor?”
He smiled at her, showing his gorgeous straight white teeth. “You can ask me anything.”
“Do you think you could give me Reggie’s cell phone number?”
Tyler blanched. It was truly rare to see all the color drain from a Black man’s face.
“I know that sounds presumptuous. But we did go to high school together, so it’s not like I’m a complete stranger. I was just thinking, he obviously wasn’t moved hearing of my situation secondhand. Maybe if I could plead my own case, I
might be able to convince him….”
She let her words trail off, watching the tension in Tyler’s face. Had she upset him? His lips were tight and she could see a vain pulsing at his temple.
Tyler took a long swig from the beer bottle in front of him and regained his composure. “I’m sure you could have him wrapped around your little finger with just a few words,” he bit out.
“I’m not saying that. It’s just—”
“No, it’s true. I remember when you were in school, my brother came in late from track and wanted to blow off the tutoring session. You managed to make him feel like his entire future depended on his spending as much time with you as possible. That was very clever.”
Lilah paused, unsure whether or not that was a compliment. “I wasn’t trying to be clever. I just wanted—”
“Reggie’s schedule is crazy this week. Even though you’re a friend, as his business manager, I just can’t give out his number without his consent. Let me call him now and ask him.”
Tyler stood and walked in the direction of the bathrooms, dialing numbers on his cell phone. Reggie was still first on Lilah’s mind. It was getting harder to hide his exasperation with that fact. Maybe she needed to see Reggie just to remind her what he’s really like.
“Yo.”
“Reggie, I need—”
“Tyler! How did it go with the mystery girl?”
Before they’d hung up earlier, Reggie had begun to ask questions about the woman for whom Tyler was going to such great lengths. He’d rushed off the phone without giving his brother a straight answer. But now his interest was piqued. How would Tyler explain that Reggie’s high school tutor was his mystery woman?
He rubbed his temple. Suddenly the entire scenario seemed to be snowballing out of control. This wasn’t going to work. He couldn’t ask Reggie to meet Lilah yet. He needed more time to straighten this out.
“Things are going fine. I was just wondering what you were up to.”
Reggie laughed into the phone. “Your evening can’t be going that well, bro, if you’re wondering what I’m doing. Do you need a wingman?”