“How old do you think I am?”
“Just asking. No need to get all huffy. I mean, you do go to bed by nine, so…”
“Bite me.”
“There’s the man my beautiful blonde friend fell for.” He laughs. I turn to sulk out the window, but I can’t do it for very long.
Just the thought that Harmony might feel for me the way I do for her makes me smile. Travis catches me grinning like an idiot out the window. This time, though, instead of teasing me, he just smiles back.
twenty
HARMONY
I’ve never gottennervous about walking out on stage before. The butterflies in my stomach have always been attributed to excitement not nerves.
For the first time ever, I’m worried. What if Beau doesn’t come, or what if I’m wrong, and he isn’t interested in a relationship at all? What if he just wants a casual thing? Can I really do casual? Do I even want to?
My fingers strum my guitar mindlessly while I wait off stage to be announced. I wish Travis had let me know what’s happening on his end. We rehearsed the entire song earlier, so I know that will be okay. I just wish I could look into a crystal ball and see the future.
“He’s going to like it, sweetheart,” Luke says, stepping up next to me. “And if he doesn’t, he doesn’t deserve you.” I smile because it’s a sweet thing to say, but it does nothing to calm my nerves. “Are you about ready?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Okay, see you out there.” The band walks out onto stage to a rowdy response. I can already tell this is going to be a good nightas far as the audience goes. I hear my name and plaster on my best smile. Stepping out on stage, I wave to the crowd. It looks packed tonight.
“Hello, Dallas!” I say into the microphone. “Thank you for joining us tonight.” Desperately I squint into the crowd. I wouldn’t see Beau through the stage lights even if he was standing in front of me. Doesn’t stop me from trying though. “Here’s one I think you’ll recognize.” Chris starts up a beat on the drums before the rest of us join in.
We always start with the first single off our recent album to get the crowd going. Through the lights, I see people singing along, swaying to the beat, and cheering. None, as far as I can tell, is Beau. I push all thoughts of him out of my mind. I need to focus on giving our fans the best show I can.
When the song is done, we roll right into the next one. I don’t speak again until after it’s finished. On the floor is taped our playlist with marks to show when I change costumes and speak.
I change shortly off stage while the band plays some instrumentals, then it’s right back on. The song comes to an end, and I rush off stage. Robin is there to make sure everything goes as planned.
I began the concert in a traditional country dress covered in rhinestones. The next outfit, though, is my favorite. It’s my ode to the very person who put me here in the first place, Kelly Clarkson.
I slide the skin-tight leather pants up my legs. The silver studded belt has already been run through the loops, so all I have to do is hook it. With a sleeveless graphic cropped T-shirt and flashy pair of boots, I’m ready.
“Everyone,” I say into the microphone handed to me. “Luke Masters on lead guitar.” I point to him. He does a riff, and the crowd cheers. Each band member follows suit as I introduce them. “As for me, I’m Harmony Ellis.” We launch into a greatnumber that Luke and Kenny wrote. The beat just makes you want to get up off that couch and dance I say.
That’s how the rest of the evening goes. We play, I sing, I change clothes, and talk to the audience. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve almost forgotten about the song I wrote until Luke nods at me.
Picking up my guitar, I climb onto the stool one of the stage crew brings me. Here goes nothing. Either he’s here, or he’s not. Either he takes the words to heart, or he doesn’t.
“This song has never been heard before outside of the band. I started writing it when I was snowed in back home over the holidays. It’s the brand, new single coming out on the new album next year.” I clear my throat and begin to play. The fans grow almost spooky silent as my voice fills the venue.
I sing for all I’m worth as the band joins in. The song is sweet and a little melancholy. It’s about how my home is not a place but a certain man I know. How he looks at me with his dark gaze, and I know I’m more than enough.
It talks about how he treats me like I’m the most amazing person in the world, and how, when I’m in his arms, everything else melts away. It’s a song about love, devotion, respect, and longing.
I can see several people in the crowd wipe at their eyes. I guess they know the feeling I get when I’m with him.
The song ends, and there’s a quiet moment before the fans go wild. I honestly don’t care if they like it or not, I wrote it for one person. I take a bow and disappear off stage. There’s no way I can stay for an encore song tonight. I’m too raw. The band will fill in for me. Handing my guitar to one of the stagehands, I head for my dressing room.
“You have a handful of fans,” Robin says quietly. “That was beautiful by the way.”
“Can you give me a minute before showing them in?” She nods and backs out of the room. I take the minute to get a drinkof water, carefully dab the sweat off my face, and change from the last sparkly outfit back into something comfortable but fan-worthy. Yep, another pair of tight pants and a sleeveless crop top. Hey, I learned from the best.
“Ready?” Robin asks, sticking her head in the door. I can still hear the band playing as the first fans come through the door. The guys will be back downstairs in a minute to meet them too.
