by Maya Hughes
“What?” he choked out. Keira let out another belly laugh, that gave her a small twinge in her side.
“Just kidding. Well, not entirely kidding. He has posed nude for me before.” She’d been short a model, he stepped in to pick up some extra cash and Keira loved to bring it up. Mark would never live it down.
“Seriously?” Eric’s eyes were so wide, she thought he might pull a muscle.
“I mean, I do run a figure drawing class where we use nude models and he has modeled for the class before.”
“Wow, I wouldn’t have thought Mark would go for something like that.” His eyes sparkled, even under the dim bar lights and she fought the urge to let out a sigh.
“I’ll admit it was a moment of temporary insanity on his part that I took advantage of, but he did a great job,” she said, laughing.
“I’m sure he did. More power to him,” he said, raising his glass in the air in a salute.
“You made it!” They both turned and looked over their shoulders as the man of the hour entered the bar from the back. Mark gave Eric a hug and gave Keira a hug and kiss on the cheek. She tried not to get misty at the thought of Mark leaving so soon.
“I wouldn’t miss your going away party. Can’t believe you’re moving to NYC to start up a new bar.”
“Neither can I. It’s more following Jen for her art fellowship. We will see how well I do with starting a new place in New York. I can’t say it’s not scary.”
“Can’t be as scary as when you modeled for my class,” she said, taking a small sip from her glass. Mark rolled his eyes.
“True, but I have to say that without that, I wouldn’t have met Jen. It seems that once she saw me au naturel she couldn’t resist.” Mark flexed his muscles. Eric chuckled and it was Keira’s turn to roll her eyes. Taking another sip, it hit her in the gut like a punch. Maybe water would be a better choice for the rest of the night.
Eric sat stranded in a sea of people after Mark headed back to his office to sort out a few last-minute things. He’d grabbed Jen’s hand and pulled her up to his office like there was fire nipping at their heels the second she walked into the bar. Not that he could blame Mark, his girlfriend would turn most guy’s heads. Her take no prisoners attitude did it for Mark. Jen was pretty, not as hot as the bohemian woman with the flowing light brown curls who sat down next to him, but still, he could appreciate a good-looking woman.
Keira caught him off guard from the minute she walked into the bar. When she paused in the doorway and took his breath away. She reminded him of that girl in high school that everyone loved, who always had a smile for anyone. Her big cloud of curly hair flowed down around her shoulders and the lights behind her lit it up giving her an ethereal glow. A song came to mind the moment he’d laid eyes on her. The lyrics played on the tip of his tongue and his fingers itched for his notepad the whole time he sat next to her. He drummed his fingers along his legs.
He couldn’t believe how quickly it hit him. His music and love life had all but shut down since the Talia debacle, not really interested in writing or getting involved with anyone. Looking at her out of the corner of his eye as she hopped up on the stool, he couldn’t help but smile. An energy shot through him when they were only inches apart on the stools. In her flowy skirt and top that hinted at what it covered up, she was the kind of girl he’d never had the balls to go up to in high school. She was definitely the girl guys were tripping over themselves to get a chance to speak to and she had no idea what she did to them.
He introduced himself and couldn’t help but get distracted by her full pink lips as she sipped her drink, laughed with Mark or talked to him. So much so, that there were a few times, she had to repeat herself because he was entranced. Her light green eyes and the chestnut waves around her shoulders pulled him in so deep that he’d forgotten how to speak. She stared at him expectantly and he hadn’t heard a word. He shook his head to clear the distracted fog that clouded his mind.
“Sorry, could you repeat that?” He knew the flush was working its way up his neck.
“What’s it like traveling all over the country on tour?” She asked, her eyes sparkling.
“It’s hectic and boring all at the same time.” A frown creased her mouth and her brow furrowed.
“Really? I would have thought it would be exciting.”
“Touring with Uncharted is much different than when I was on my own. With Uncharted it’s going to be a whole new level. I was driving an old beat up van, driving all night to get from one place to another for a show that might have ten people there to see me and fifty who were pissed I wasn’t the usual house band.” He held up his finger for another beer from Charlie.
“It kept me on my toes because I was always on the move. On the big tour, it’s a lot of hurry up and wait. We’re packed into the bus every night after the show. You crash in a bunk, wake up in the morning and have ten hours to kill before the show. We do sound and lighting checks, then wait some more.”
“Do you get to sightsee?” She said, taking a small sip of her water. Her lips glistened in the light of the bar and he couldn’t help but want to run his finger over them or even better, lick that water off. Shaking his head, he tried not to drift off to his own little dream world, where a reel starring Keira currently played.
“No, not really. The venues where we play aren’t always central and getting around can be tricky. And I’m the opener, I do not want to screw something up and be late. I need to be there at all times in case they need me for something.”
“That sucks,” she said, her eyes straying from his. His riveting storytelling skills lacking, she looked distractedly behind him. He needed to get things back on track.
“The payoff is the show. Getting up in front of a crowd gives me a high like nothing else can, but when I’m opening the reception isn’t always the best…” He drifted off, not wanting to turn into a poor me sob story. She laid her soft warm hand over his on the bar and gave it a small squeeze.
“I guess I never thought about all the other stuff that goes on with the tour. We only ever see the on-stage part of it. I hadn’t thought about how that would be going from place to place and how it might be if you’re not the main attraction.”
“Don’t worry about me. I get to do what I love and get paid for it. You can’t really get any better than that,” he said, turning his hand over in hers, so he held her hand in his. Her pulse raced under his fingers and relief washed over him to know he wasn’t the only one affected by their talk. She cleared her throat and gingerly pulled her hand out of his and put it up on the bar, resting her other hand on the side of her face.
“Enough about me. What do you do?”
“I’m a teacher.”
“That’s cool. Little kids?”
“Mainly adults. Community courses over at the university.”
A large group of people came pouring into the bar right then. Checking his phone, a punctual bunch, they were right on time for the party to start. Friends stopped by to say hi to Keira and drew her attention. She smiled at him over their shoulders.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you perform. I’ll be front and center,” she said, hopping off the stool to greet the new arrivals. Hugs, kisses and excited chatter flowed from all the groups around him.
There he was back at the bar on his own, surrounded by people he didn’t know and the one person he’d really wanted to talk to had been snatched away by other party goers. Nursing his drink, he waited for his cue from Mark that it was time for him to hop up on stage. There wasn’t a backstage or he would have gone back there to hang. He was itching to start playing. That was a guaranteed way to get comfortable in a crowd of people. Start playing up on stage and every doubt he ever had dissolved away and it was nothing but him, his guitar and the music they made together.
4
Mark grabbed the mic letting everyone know they had a very special guest joining them tonight. Keira tried to be as nonchalant as possible, as she slid away from the conver
sation going on around her, to get a prime spot right at the front of the stage. Eric stood up on stage, fiddling with his sound equipment before swinging his guitar across his back and grabbing the mic. She was finally going to see him up close and personal.
“Hi Everyone, I’m Eric Newcastle.” A wave of cheers and whistles came up from the crowd behind her. She licked her lips, stuck two of her fingers in her mouth and blew out a high-pitched whistle. Eric startled, smiled, and winked at her. Her heart fluttered and goosebumps broke out all over her arms. Her legs bounced as she stared up at him wide eyed. It was finally happening. She couldn’t believe after every time she missed him, he was right there in front of her. The urge to reach out and touch him was nearly overwhelming. She fisted her hands in her lap, so she didn’t make an absolute fool of herself.
“I’m glad I could be here for Mark and his lovely girlfriend Jen’s last party before they leave town. I hear they will be moving to NYC.” A round of boos ripped through the crowd. He nodded in agreement and motioned for everyone to settle down. “I know. I know, but here’s the thing. Mark told me when I got here that all his friends will now have two locations for free drinks, one on each coast,” he said with a big smile and cheers erupted from the crowd.
“I never said that!” shouted Mark from the back of the bar and everyone laughed.
“Maybe not free, but at least a discount?”
“Only if you perform,” Mark shouted again.
“Fair enough,” he called out to Mark. “Tonight, I’m going to play a few songs, maybe take a few requests and we’re going to have some fun. And if you happen to like Uncharted,” a few whoos came from the crowd. “I’ll be back on tour with them for the rest of the summer, so if you’re in town where we are playing, be sure to grab some tickets I’ve heard there are plenty left.” Everyone clapped and he finished arranging everything on stage. He stepped on the foot pedals to check his sound levels, tested the mics.
“You guys ready?” he said, looking out over the crowd before his eyes settled on Keira. She gripped the seat of her chair, feeling a little woozy.
“Yeah!” Keira screamed loudly, maybe a little too loudly as the people around her shot her a glance and Eric chuckled on stage. She ducked her head and curled her shoulders in a bit. Okay, maybe she should tone it down a bit.
“Okay, this first song is called Take My Love.” A smattering of applause came from the audience, since most of his songs were unknown until the album release. Even without the lights and a huge sound system, the pulsing and pounding of his music coursed through her. She sang along and rocked in her seat, pushing back the temptation to get up and dance. Everyone else in the room started to get into it too. When a chorus would repeat, people would join in and soon she wasn’t the only one singing along. Five songs into the set and Keira couldn’t stay still. Sweat rolled off her as the room seemed to be getting hotter and hotter with each song.
The music ran through her, the rhythm had her swaying in her seat, her arms moving to the beat and his voice touched her deep down. The lyrics spoke to her, the struggle of his family, growing up with nothing, but having a mom who wanted nothing but the best for you and was willing to sacrifice to make it happen. Then there more upbeat ones that belied the betrayal of love lost and friendships left behind. The ache hit her so keenly, it was like a window into his soul. She peered up at him in even more awe than she’d had before. She couldn’t imagine being able to make someone else feel this way with her art. She hadn’t touched her camera for months, not since she pulled out of the gallery opening.
When he performed at the festival she went to, she’d been hundreds of people back from the stage. Now she got to see him up close, working the foot petals to change between music processors and loop the music to create a full band sound. He was a one-man band, playing the melody, rhythm and singing all at once. His level of concentration alone was awe inspiring. And his lyrics blew her away. Whether it was a dance beat or an acoustic song, he painted a picture of his life at the time of his music so vividly, she kept forgetting the only conversation she’d ever had with him was about twenty minutes ago.
He hit an off note and the looped music continued to play. A commotion broke out back near the kitchen and he jumped down off the stage, whipped his guitar off and thrust it at her. She grabbed it from him and turned in her seat and tried to get a look at what was going on. People crowded around toward the back and a few people parted and her stomach dropped. Rox was sitting in a chair with blood pouring down her face. What the hell happened? She jumped up, set the guitar down on the stage and ran over pushing her way through the crowd that formed around Rox.
Jen and Mark crouched down next to her and kept asking her questions. Someone got them the first aid kit and they dug through it, pulling out different things. Keira had a sinking feeling in her stomach about this. Things had been going wrong in the bar lately, they’d thought it was Mark’s ex-wife exacting her revenge after the divorce, but maybe this was something different. Maybe they weren’t targeting Mark, but Rox. Liam came bursting through the kitchen door cradling his hand. What happened to him? Keira dashed over to the bar to try and be useful.
“Charlie, can you get me some ice in a towel? It looks like Liam hurt his hand and something happened to Rox, I don’t know what.” Charlie peered over the bar and come around, handing over the towel filled with ice and she tapped Liam on the shoulder and held it out to him. He gave her a grateful smile before covering his bloodied hand in the towel.
The commotion died down when they got Rox’s head wound cleaned and it was only a small cut. She still didn’t know what happened, but at least it didn’t look serious. Breathing a sigh of relief, the tight ball that had formed in her chest at seeing Rox covered in blood loosened so she could breathe normally again. Someone turned on some low music and everyone started to head back to their own conversations when Rox, Jen and Mark headed into his office upstairs and Liam followed them up a little later. Eric sat awkwardly on the edge of the stage.
“I hope she’s okay,” he said, absently strumming his guitar.
“I’m glad once they cleaned up the blood on her head the cut didn’t look too bad. I still have no idea what happened, but it looks like Jen and Mark are taking care of her,” she said, following his gaze. “You’re back on tour after tonight?”
“Yes, back on tour with Uncharted starting tomorrow.” His fingers moved deftly over the strings, but he didn’t even seem conscious of what he was doing. He played a melody to a song she knew, but couldn’t quite place. As she wondered about the dexterity of those fingers, she squirmed in her chair. She still couldn’t believe she was speaking to him in the flesh. She tucked her hands under her legs to resist the urge to reach out and run her finger across the body of the guitar. With him sitting on the edge of the stage and her chair down front, their knees were only inches apart. She needed to get it together before she freaked him out.
“How long have you been playing?”
“Since I was about four. My dad taught me. We’d sit down and play almost every day. Some days he’d get home super late, like two in the morning, and he’d come and sneak me out of bed to jam with him for a bit. It was our time together.”
“That’s cool you had something special with your dad.” Keira thought back to her father giving her the first camera she ever used. A pang hit her as she wondered if he would be proud of her and of what she’d become. Probably not. He always thought she’d be a world class photographer and artist, but here she was, a community class teacher who couldn’t even get up the balls to show anyone her work.
“What’s this?” he said, glancing down at her bag on the floor. Her photo book peeked out of the bag that she’d knocked over in her haste to get to Rox.
“My photo book.”
“I thought you said you were a teacher.”
“An art teacher. And I also draw and take pictures,” she said, bending to close the flap back over on her bag. She did not need to have him l
ook at her photos. She hadn’t shown them to anyone but her sister.
“May I?” He gestured toward the book. Her hand froze. She took a deep breath and the stomach churning was back. A bead of sweat broke out across her brow, but she wiped it off and she handed the book over. He flipped through the pages and Keira watched his face, taking in his reactions to each picture.
Her sister recruited her to take some pictures of the two of them. They’d been through a lot and moved to a new house and her sister, Izzy wanted to do something fun with the three of them. Some were just silly pictures she’d taken with her sister and niece, while others were more artistic shots, but that small ball of nervousness that showed up whenever someone she admired looked at her work, was tight in her chest. It stayed there until a smile spread across his face when he got to one of the pictures she’d taken of her niece. The little diva was wearing a cowboy hat, mermaid tail flipped up in the back and star sunglasses laying on her stomach on a picnic blanket.
“Cute kid.”
“She’s my niece. The little monkey loves to dress up and goof off.” Her niece had been through a lot for someone so small, but she always had a smile. She could charm the pants off anyone and definitely knew it.
“Perks of being a cute kid. These are amazing. Your eye is…it takes something I think I’ve seen a million times and makes it completely different,” he said, handing the book back to her.
A commotion kicked off behind them as Rox came barging into the room from upstairs. She made a beeline straight for them, practically knocking Keira over trying to get to Eric.
“I need you to get back up there and play.”
He hopped up on the stage. “I don’t care, as long as it gets everyone dancing and keeps everyone occupied.” He gave her a small bow and she stormed off back into the kitchen.
“Ask and ye shall receive.” He called out, but she was already slipping back into the kitchen. He glanced down at her and she shrugged. Rox wasn’t the type of person who liked to be the center of attention and she wouldn’t want to ruin Mark’s night. Better to go along and give her some space. Someone turned off the background music and Eric grabbed ahold of the mic.