His goofy grin is worth hours of his twangy music, but I’ll never admit it.
After a couple of his shortened originals, he wraps it up, and we sit on the medal podium again to close out the night singing “Brother.”
At least I thought that’s what we agreed on.
Carla’s to our right, communicating with Sam again, and I wonder if she’s sending videos to Annie or how much of this show has been live on his socials. That’s a question for tomorrow, I guess.
“Get Miss Honey.” Sam nudges me before turning back to the crowd.
I’ve yet to figure out why some guitars get names and others don’t, but I know what he wants. He sets a rhythm on the keyboard and loops something with pedals, so I sling the Honey Burst Stratocaster over my neck while I wait for him to hand back the one he has. He leans down to plug in and adjust the guitar I’m holding but doesn’t take it from me.
Playing the riff from the Pink song Jace and I played the other night, Sam nods for me to echo it back. I assume he’s checking the sound, and since this guitar is more like mine, I get the notes out much clearer than when I attempted it Tuesday at The Drip.
For once, I nail it, and the crowd goes nuts.
Sammy leans into the mic. “I got a real special request here, but I’m gonna need some help. We need all the energy y’all got just one more time.” They cheer wildly. “Lu Lu came wayyy out of her comfort zone to be here with me tonight. I know fora factshe can sing the heck out of this song, so since somebody requested a color, I think she’s gotta sing this song by Pink. We ain’t got much choice now,do we, Squirrel?”
“Huh?” I must’ve been in deep concentration trying not to completely suck in front of a whole bunch of people, because I missed the part where I agreed to sing an angry breakup song at a church camp. “Wait.What?” I bark at him away from the mic. “I can’t sing that here! Who would request that?”
“Justimprovise. I’ve heard you do it. It’ll be fun, and I play this way better than Jace.” He flashes me a smile that should be his entire marketing strategy.
But I heard him.FreakingJace.
What little sun we had today is long gone, but colorful string lights glitter through the light misty rain. Everything looks sparkly and magical now that it’s dark. The temperature hasfallen considerably, and once my heart rate slows, I’m going to want my jacket.
I pull the strap back over my head, handing him Miss Honey as he returns the guitar he had. I love the Strat’s sweet sound, but me playing it is a big fatnope. Somehow, singing becomes the lesser of twonopes.
“Hey.” He leans close to my ear. “I’ll back you. But you need this. Do itbig.”
Did I plan to scream about being a rock star or call anyone a tool?
No.
But do I enjoy belting out “So What”?
Absolutely I do.
Sam’s energy is infectious, and he knows exactly how to push me. His guitar wails with more attitude than I’ve ever heard, and the power I feel welling up from within makes me wish I could scream this song at every person who ever made me feel like I had to shrink myself in their presence.
I’ve never sounded this good a day in my life, but with Sam—chef’s kiss.
My heart pounds, but for three minutes,I am invincible.
I punch the air in excitement from the top of the medal podium as we finish. Sam whips his guitar off and swings me around while the kids are still jumping and screaming.
“Don’t spin or I’ll puke!” I laugh as I smack his shoulder.
Sam puts me down and motions something to Carla as he puts the guitar back around his neck. Then he thanks everyone for coming out and strums rapidly for his finale. I vaguely hear Sam say my name and something liketell her goodbye, she’s got a tree to climb. But it’s a different voice, raspy smooth like salted caramel, that makes every other sound fade away.
“That’s my girl!”
My eyes dart to the left, frantically searching for the owner of my favorite voice. When my sights zero in on a man dressed like he just stepped out of a board meeting for a Fortune 500 company, I know my life will never be the same.
“Oof!” Jude grunts when I pounce on him, causing him to release the suit jacket over his arm. “I’m so proud of you, Lu.”
His hair was neatly pulled back before I got my hands in it. I’m sure it went well with the fitted dress shirt and perfectly tailored charcoal pants, but my inhibitions have been thoroughly released. I bury my face in his neck and inhale like I haven’t had oxygen in days.
The way I latch onto him is beyondkoala. This is a desperate, lovesick—can’t survive another minute without you—koala.
