I kept on singing.
When I was finished, I jumped when I heard the cheer, and my eyes flew open. The eight guys were on their feet, clapping, and I let out a startled laugh. Looking behind the bar, I saw Sheryl wipe her eyes, and with a huge smile, I turned to Wade.
“I did it! And Sheryl’s crying!”
“You almost mademecry,” Shane said gruffly. “Jesus, you can sing.”
Pressing my lips together to fight the giddiness, I couldn’t help it — I started laughing.
“Tell me what you want, Mia, I will play it, girl,” Wade said seriously. “If I can’t play it, I will learn it.”
“‘Precious Lord’?” I asked, and he nodded. “One more comfort song, and then we can maybe try something else.”
Again, he stood in front of me until I was through the first verse, and then he stepped away. This time, my eyes remained open, and the customers were listening and watching with rapt attention. But there were only eight of them, and they liked “Amazing Grace,” and they were so quiet I didn’t feel any fear.
When the last notes rang out, the men started to clap again, and I beamed back at them.
“You’re doing so well,” Wade encouraged me. “Tell me what you need.”
My hands had stopped shaking, and I was feeling good. “I like ‘Jungle,’” I said as I looked around at the others. “It’s not country rock, but can you play it?”
“I can,” Shane told me confidently. “I love X Ambassadors.”
After I finished that one, Wade handed me a piece of paper, and I saw some of their regular songs.
“I can do Kenny all day every day, and Johnny C, and the Eagles most definitely.” I was running through the list, and Wade was beaming at me.
And that was how I spent my Sunday afternoon, singing in Bar One with Wade and my friends, to complete strangers, and when eight customers grew to twelve and then twenty, I kept on going. When Wade told me it was the last one, I couldn’t believe it. I had sung in front of people, and I hadfun.
As the guys started to pack up, I drank my water and kept giggling like a fool. Wade and Shane were talking excitedly amongst themselves as I sat and congratulated myself on my performance as I listened to them.
“You were good,” Sticks said as he came over and leaned against the wall beside me. “Like shit-hot good.”
Turning to him, I couldn’t hide my excitement. “Was I?”
“Yeah, pity you won’t last. We could actually be a decent band if you stuck with us.”
I lost some of my enthusiasm. “Well, I’m here now, and I think if we do what we did today, start small and familiar, I could do it again.”
Wade had heard me and was looking at me with too hopeful a look. “Seriously? Mia, tell me you aren’t playing with me.”
“Can we sing Cher?” I asked idly. “And some Tammy and Dolly?”
“Girl, we can sing whatever you want,” Sticks told me with a grin.
“Okay, but some other stuff too,” I said as I looked at the usual set list. “I mean, there are some I know well and some I’m going to have to learn.”
“And Wade writes music now,” Sticks added with a sly look at Wade. “And now we have someone truly beautiful to sing.”
“Stop hitting on Mia,” Wade scolded him. “No one is having sex with my singer.”
I shared a grin with Shane. “No one at all?” I teased Wade as I stood.
Wade sighed dramatically as he rolled his eyes. “No one inthisband. Outside the band, let loose.”
“Gracious, you make me sound like a dog getting off the leash,” I joked. “Okay, what do I need to help with?”
“Wade?” We turned to look at Sheryl. She handed him a brown envelope. “For today.”
