The others around them, I don’t really know, but Alek must from the way he chats with them.
What the hell is going on?
Alek’s head snaps up, and his eyes lock on mine as I weave through the crowd.
“Hey,” he says, his tone full of relief as he climbs to his feet. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
“I wasn’t sure I would either.” I peer around his tables. “What’s going on?”
“You’ll see,” Alek says, turning me so I face the people sitting at the tables. “Hayvin, I’d like you to meet a few people.” Then he goes around the table with introductions. “Zeb, Perry, this is Hayvin. The love of my life. They’re old co-workers. Then you have some of the new friends I’ve made recently. Roman and his girlfriend, Brenna. Chip and his wife, Taylor. Aaron and his partner, Rigley.”
Just as he’s about to introduce the last couple, the beautiful brunette smiles widely at me, her honey-colored eyes twinkling. She wiggles in her seat. “Hi,” she chirps. “I’m Fiona, but you can call me Fi. I’m a huge fan!”
My cheeks heat, still unused to that shit, and I smile back. “Nice to meet you.”
“This big lug is my husband, Colton.”
He just nods with a friendly smile, so I do the same.
“Music lovers, trouble makers, and all of you here drinking your feelings. We have fresh meat here tonight,” the emcee crows.
Alek’s face pales, and Charlie laughs.
“What am I missing?” I ask them.
Before Charlie can answer, Alek grabs my chin between his fingers and gently turns my face towards him. “I can’t give you your words back, Hayvin, but I can give you mine.”
“What are you doing, Alek?”
He places his hand over my racing heart. “I’m going to give youmywords,mymelody,mymusic.”
I suck in a quiet breath.
Alek turns away and makes his way to the stage.
“We need to be gentle, folks. It’s his first time,” the emcee quips, causing the bar crowd to laugh.
Alek takes the mic from the emcee. He blows out a breath and brings it to his mouth. “I don’t really know what I’m doing. This is all new to me—opening up and letting everyone see inside. Maybe a story will help. It’ll explain why I’m here, why I’m about to play an instrument I don’t know and sing something I wrote that may not make sense to anyone else.”
Don’t soften. Don’t soften.
His eyes find mine in the crowd. “Then again, not much made sense in my life until my little songbird came into it.”
“I’m going to need a drink now,” I mutter, dropping into the vacant seat next to Everleigh.
“Got you, babe,” she says, sliding a Jack and Coke my way.
I empty the glass just as Alek opens his heart to a bar full of mostly strangers.
How do you get a songbird to listen to you?
You speak their language.
It seems Alek is finally seeingme.
One Day at a Time
Alek
