Audrey made a face. Despite the many times that she had ridden my motorcycles, she still disapproved of them. “I think you need to crash and break a bone so you’ll understand the danger that you’re putting yourself in.”
I laced out hands together and wiggled my eyebrows at her suggestively. “I like it when you’re concerned. But let’s not turn me on this early. C’mon, I told Lucas that I’ll be coming and had him reserve us a good seat.”
Pulling her in the small café, I turned to look at her to see her looking around. Lucas’ café had a rustic theme and most of the material were made out of real wood. It always felt like a cozy haven for me, especially when I wanted to leave the house and write music somewhere else. In the past month, I didn’t have the chance to come and visit because of how we needed to turn out situation around.
“This place is beautiful,” Audrey said as I led her to a seat that had the ‘reserved’ sign on it. “How come we never came here before?”
I shrugged as I took a seat next to her. “Because I was too busy trying to turn the situation of my band around and you were following me wherever I went. I also had that house thing on my schedule so I didn’t really have the time to come here. It’s far from where I live.”
Audrey nodded as she checked the menu and just as her attention was focused on it, I stood up and headed to the stage. I had my cap on so I lowered it down even more so the crowd wouldn’t realize who I was. I knew that they might recognize me when I sing but I didn’t really care because it’s not like a recording of me singing would ever go online since Lucas banned phones.
“Sorry if I’m a little late for my gig but I’m here now and I really do hope that everyone is enjoying their time,” I said in the microphone and when I looked up, my eyes immediately meeting Audrey’s and I could see the confusion in them, “the reason why I’m late is because of my date right over there.”
I motioned to where she was sitting and her eyes widened even more and I could hear the chuckle of our small crowd. “Nah, I’m kidding. She actually arrived before I did. I just live pretty far but Lucas still lets me sing here no matter how late I am because my talent is free for him.”
In the back, Lucas waved at me and laughed, turning to one of his servers. I already made arrangements with him for the whole thing and I knew that he would get his staff to serve Audrey the food in exchange of me singing a song. I didn’t really mind since I planned on getting Audrey to come up on the stage too and get in touch with the singer within her.
I cleared my throat. “So I thought that since I’m meant to sing everyone a song, why not dedicate one to my lovely date. I hope you guys enjoy.”
I took the guitar and then began to play the first notes of ‘Grow Old With You’ as I began to sing the song, my eyes focused solely on Audrey who was trying to avoid eye-contact and tried to act like she wasn’t flustered at the fact that I was singing to her. Everyone kept glancing at her and she was failing to focus her attention to anything else other than me but she kept throwing glances at me still, the small smile playing on her lips making my heart flutter.
“I could be the man who grows old with you,” I stopped strumming the guitar and held Audrey’s gaze, hoping and praying that she wouldn’t turn away but somehow, she seemed to be stuck in a trance as she stared back at me. “I wanna grow old with you.”
The crowd burst into applause and I could even hear some clinking of glasses as if this was a wedding and Audrey was trying her best to hide her flustered and blushing face. I held my hand up to silence the crowd and their applause. “Thank you, everyone. But you know what I would love to happen most? Can I call my date to come up here?”
Audrey’s eyes widened and she began to shake her head. Lucas approached her and pulled her up and she was struggling to get away from him but Lucas pushed her to the stage. I asked him to do so because I expected Audrey to say no and I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of the crowd. The moment that she was within reach, I pulled her up to the stage and wrapped my arm around her waist so she couldn’t leave.
“What are you doing?” She hissed at me, her brown eyes bright with annoyance. “This isn’t what you do on first dates!”
“Who said this was a conventional first date?” I whispered to her as I pulled her to sit on the stool. I focused on the crowd. “You know, we just started seeing each other but we’ve known each other for a while and I never knew that this girl right here has the same affection for music as I do.”
Audrey’s eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. “I have no idea what you’re saying, Julian.”
But I chose to ignore her. “So I thought that maybe she could sing all of you a song. Guys, she’s a lot better than me, just a disclaimer.”
Audrey’s eyes widened even more and she punched me lightly on the shoulder, causing a round of chuckle from the crowd. “What are you doing, Julian?”
I leaned closer to her. “I’m forcing you to sing again to remind you of your first love.”
She stared at me. “Whoever said singing was my passion? What if it’s scouting artists like you?”
I shook my head and smirked at her. “Your Dad showed me a video of you singing and your eyes were sparkling when you were singing. You love it. Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll let you walk out of this place.”
Rather than waiting for her response, I began to strum the chords of the song I chose to sing with her and leaned close to whisper in her ear. “This is the time that you can do whatever you want. I hope you’ll choose your heart.”
As I continued to strum the chords, I watched as Audrey take a deep breath. The crowd waited for her, the same way I did and finally, Audrey took a step closer to the mic stand and opened her mouth, her sweet voice echoing in the room as she sang the song that I was playing.
All I could really do was watch. I thought I could sing along with her but it was in that moment that I realized that she had waited for so long for this moment to come and I knew that she had reached a point that she thought it never would. This wasn’t something that I could crash into because I wanted to sing with her. And I’d never seen her more alive than ever.
The sight of her made my heart flutter even more.
Maybe this is love!
23
Audrey
I felt as if I was on cloud-nine and I did not want to get off of the high that Julian put me in. It had been so long since I turned my back on my own music, on singing, and swore off of it in the name of the family business that needed me. After failing to become successful in that area- no matter how much love I had for it- I thought that maybe I was never meant to be a singer.
But even if I didn’t make it, Julian taught me that it didn’t mean I should let go of what kept my soul burning.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the front door, waiting for Julian to get out of his car. We agreed that the night didn’t have to end after the dinner we had at the café and the fun we shared there, that the night was still young and like the millennials that we were, we could Netflix and chill in my place or he could have freshly squeezed lemonade.