Fall From Grace(5)

I laughed out loud at the absurdity of the emcee, and then stopped when I noticed all the bras and underwear haphazardly hanging from the rafters on the ceiling.  Wow.

Cheering erupted as a group of three guys ran onto the stage.  The volume exploded to an ear-piercing decibel and a small lacy black bra went sailing from the crowd, landing in the hands of the fourth member of the band, who strolled, relaxed and unaffected into the middle of the stage.

Lea grabbed me around the waist and pulled me through the crowd.  “This is the band.  Come on; let’s stand on the side over here.  In a minute, we won’t be able to see through the sea of half-naked girls!”

Wobbly, she climbed back on top of the table we had occupied earlier and held out her hand for me to follow.  I followed her up and still grasping my hand, she continued climbing over the leathery cushions of the booth, right onto a wooden shelf in the wall and we plopped down on a deep-set windowsill.

I sat next to her and wondered how many times in the last six months, she sat there and listened to her boyfriend’s friend’s band play.  How long had she smiled that satisfied with her life smile?  I wondered what contentment felt like.  I shut down the thoughts again.  I was worn out, but I was definitely happy that Lea had that smile on her face.

I followed her glance to Conner, who stood in the crowd of people and looked back at her with a matching smile.  It felt as if I was in the room alone with them and I was intruding in a private moment.

The crowd was in a complete frenzy, when a rough, sexy voice poured a velvety haunting song into the microphone.  I couldn’t help but look up to see the match to the voice.  How I had been capable of not noticing him before was beyond me. He was perfection.  I couldn’t even have matched an adjective to him if I’d tried, but perfect would be the closest fit, and it still wasn’t good enough to describe him.

He was looking through the crowd with intense eyes, as if he was searching for something.  Then his expression eased into a sexy smoldering smile.  His short dark hair hung thick and unruly, cut in uneven layers. It looked tousled, as if some lucky girl had just run her hands through it backstage.  Ah, maybe that’s who it was that he was searching for.

Lean toned muscles stretched beneath the skin of his tattooed arms. One perfectly sculpted hand caressed the mic stand; the other ran through his perfect hair.  His husky voice whispered its song. It silenced the crowd as if he was a god.

What use is a tomorrow?

I’ve endured forever

There’s little hope.

I drown my sorrow.

His voice slowed and stopped; a sad melody began on a piano.  He stepped back from the mic, never taking his eyes from the crowd, leaned back and reached for a jet-black guitar.

A fast drumbeat broke through the silence, followed by a bass and his soul retching guitar rhythm took my breath away.  His voice entwined with an anguished piano chorus and the crowd roared to life.  They sang along with the words, as if it was the most popular song on the radio.

Lea nudged me, “They’re mind-blowing, aren’t they?”

It took a moment for me to find my voice. “Yeah, mind-blowing.”  Just listening to that voice was sending shivers through my body, and the way his hands moved over that guitar, holy crap!

She gave me a knowing smile.  “Yeah, the first time Conner brought me here and I heard Shane play, I thought of you.  Inspiring, isn’t he?”  She understood how much music could move me.  How many nights did I play for her to go to sleep when we were younger, for every heartbreak and every tear?