Page 327 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

And all Andrew can do is stare,

his hands hanging useless.

“Who’s that?” his co-worker asks him.

“Angelo mio…” he breathes it out, a private whisper to himself. The corner of his mouth kicks up “…il mio angelo di mezzanotte.”

Before Allison can blink, he’s rounding the bar, entering the floor, slipping through the crowd. The second he touches her, she breaks from the spell⁠—

“Sonny, what the hell you doin’ here?”

His palm coasts down my naked arm,

leaving gooseflesh in his wake

as he looks down at my dress.

“I—” His chest caves.

“I can’t even stand here normal,

“with my heart… and my dick…

“Makes me feel sixteen.”

He smiles and tilts his head,

still can’t look away,

scratches his brow.

“I had words.”

He lifts a shoulder.

“Lost ‘em all.”

He raises his hand next, gesturing at me.

“You’re... everything.”

A small laugh rushes out of him.

He shrugs again.

“You’re everything.”

I fight back the small smile,

not willing to so easily get my hopes up.

He flicks his gaze across the bar, then they’re back on me with stars falling dim in his eyes as if I’m soon to be the best part of someone else’s night.

He brushes back a strand of my hair. “You gonna make me lose my shit tonight, huh?”

“And maybe your job,” I reply,

biting into my lip, hopeful.