“Yes, of course, my dear. We do need to stay hydrated.” He stood up and she followed.
Will gave her a smile of thanks and watched as Mr. Bennet slowly lowered himself into a chair with a groan. “So, Will. What did you want to talk to me about?”
Oh. Will hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Well, I … Citrus, actually. I have this lemon tree in my backyard, and I was going to ask you about fertilizer.”
***
Every time Elsie found him in the crowd, Will was talking to someone else. This time Mr. and Mrs. Lucas. Jane had made it sound like he’d come for her. But maybe he was just visiting Charlie again. It served her right. She’d pushed him away enough times that it was only fair she ended up here. Disappointed. Regretful. Heartsick. A man could only be so patient. Their opportunity had passed and all he had to offer her was friendship.
Seeing him up close was killing her inside. He looked so handsome. So at ease with her family. Which was majorly weird.
Kat passed by, and Elsie held onto her arm. “What were you and Will talking about?”
“Oh, just music stuff. He’s nice.”
“Yeah, nice.”
She looked over to find him again, but he was getting lined up with the other talent show performers. Her least favorite part of the night was about to begin.
Her mom blew into the microphone, causing everyone to put their hands over their ears. “Can everyone hear me?” She smiled in satisfaction and welcomed everyone. Then with a grand gesture of her arm, she turned the show over to Charlotte and Collin.
Charlotte had been in dance lessons all through childhood. She and Elsie took tap and ballet together, though Elsie gave it up around age six. So it was no surprise to see Charlotte tap in a circle around Collin while he marched in place, looking way too pleased with himself. He spotted her and winked. Creep.
Mary was next, reciting her poem, “Loud and Alone.” And it was loud, every punctuated word making the speaker pop. Elsie cringed, wishing she could walk up there and pull the microphone back from Mary a couple inches, or maybe a couple feet. She caught Will’s eye, and he pressed his lips together as if he was trying not to laugh. He pointed to his guitar, and she raised an eyebrow. Then he pointed to her, and then the stage.
“No way,” she mouthed.
“Come on,” he mouthed back.
She couldn’t help blushing a little as she shook her head. When would this party end so she could finally talk to him?
Jane and Charlie sang a bad karaoke duet of “I’ve Got You Babe,” and then Lydia, in a silk jumpsuit that likely cost more than Elsie’s entire wardrobe, strutted on stage to perform lines fromToo Brave to Back Down, the true story of a backup dancer who became a star. Or something like that. Elsie had only made it about ten minutes into the movie, though Lydia could quote it word for word.
Lydia sobbed into the microphone, blubbering something about how no one would hold her back from her dream or her dream man. The crying was actually pretty good, the result of years of practicing it on her parents when she wanted something.
Will stared at the floor. It was the first time Elsie had caught him looking uncomfortable tonight. And she couldn’t blame him one bit. Lydia finally finished, and Elsie clapped, so happy it was almost over. Will would be closing the show.
He walked on stage and pulled out a folding chair, adjusting the microphone to his sitting height. He looked down at the guitar as he started, strumming the first few notes of a familiar song. The crowd instantly quieted. When he began to sing, his eyes landed on Elsie and stayed there.
She froze, her insides turning to mush as he gave her a look that could only be described as a smolder.
***
Every note, every word was for her. Will tuned out everyone else, even Mrs. Bennet’s loud voice commenting on how well Lydia did.
He strummed the last note and a couple of teenage girls in the front screamed and reached out their hands to him. He gave them a reluctant wave and stood up, handing the microphone back to an eager Mrs. Bennet. She thanked everyone for coming and held onto him, preventing him from leaving the stage. After she put the microphone back, she smiled up at him. “Would you mind taking the trash out, Will? The one in the kitchen is overflowing.”
Chapter 27 ♥Plastic Chairs
“Have you seen Will?” Elsie glanced around again, but she still couldn’t find him. There’d been so many well-wishers congratulating him on his performance, and then he’d disappeared.
Lydia rolled her eyes. “Nope. I can’t believe he upstaged me like that. I told Mom I wanted to go last. You’re supposed to leave the best for last.”
Okay, asking Lydia had been a mistake, but Charlie and Jane didn’t know, and all Kat knew was that she’d last seen Will headed toward the kitchen.
“I really hoped I’d never have to see that guy again. It’s bad enough I have to be indebted to him forever.”
“Indebted to him?” Elsie stopped peering around and stared at Lydia.
