Page 35 of Capturing the Captain

While Olivia dances and cheers for her best friend, I go to get us some drinks. We both agreed that we’d need some liquid courage before going on stage, so I need to find something strong. Searching deep in a kitchen cupboard, I come across a hidden bottle of tequila, and pour some into two plastic cups.

Making my way back to where Olivia is waiting, I notice that she’s looking really fucking pissed while speaking to some guy. I can’t see who it is, but I wanna punch him for annoying my girl.

“Come on, Liv. One more chance.” She rolls her eyes at him.

“Fuck off, Ryan. I would rather stub my toe over and over again than give you another chance. What are you even doing here?” There she is, my girl, being tough.

“Conor is a friend of mine. What are you doing here? Checking off all the hockey players on your list?” No he fucking didn’t.

“Is there a problem here?” I ask, announcing myself to the dick speaking to my girl.

“No problem at all, baby. Ryan’s just being an ass, as usual.” Olivia tells me, taking the cup as I hold it out to her.

“Look, man. You need to back off.” Ryan’s not a small guy, but I bet I could take him. “We’ve had this conversation before.”

He gets in my face, like a flipped switch, and he’s suddenly in a rage. “Get fucked, you bastard. You may be captain of the hockey team, of which I am not a part of, so I don’t need to listen to a single fucking thing you say.”

“No, you don't." I reply calmly. He’s not gonna get a rise out of me now. The last time we had this conversation, Olivia and I just had a big fight. I was insecure about this douche bag before, but I know now that I don't need to be. I won't stoop to his level. “But, when a woman tells you to fuck off, you should listen to her.”

I can see him clenching his fists in my peripheral vision, ready to swing at any minute. He’s drunk, the smell of beer coming off him in waves. “Look, why don't you just go home. You're not fit to be here.”

He goes to swing, but Olivia steps in the way, grabbing his arm. “Come with me,” she tells him, dragging him away from me. Okay now, honestly, I’m confused as fuck. She takes him to the sofa, sitting opposite the stage, telling him to sit and stay, as if he’s a fucking dog. When he does as she instructs, she pats his head, saying, “Good boy.” I can't help but laugh. I love how sarcastic she can be when she gives absolutely no shits.

She downs her shot while making her way to the DJ booth at the corner of the room, and it looks like our bet is about to start. When she gets to the mic, she clears her throat, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. “This song goes out to my dear friend, Ryan.” She points at him, everyone cheers for her, Ryan has a smug look on his face, and I’m still so fucking confused. That is until Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood starts playing through the speakers, and I can’t help but laugh. My girl is a fucking queen. Ryan’s face falls when he realizes what she’s about to sing, and I feel a strange sense of pride coming over me.

“Woohoo, you tell him, baby girl.” Sasha shouts from the other end of the room, words already sounding slurred from drinking too much alcohol.

When the first notes fly from Olivia’s mouth, I'm stunned. Holy fuck, my girl can sing! How did I not know this?

She saunters towards Ryan, who's still sitting on the couch, his face turning a bright shade of red. She circles him, running her finger along his shoulders before flicking him on the side of his head.

The room is buzzing as Olivia continues the song. How did I get so lucky that this beautiful, incredible, talented woman chose to be with me?

As the song comes to an end, everyone is clapping and cheering, rushing up to tell Ollie how amazing she was. And she really fucking was. Knight and Matthews have lifted her onto their shoulders like she’s the fucking queen. And after that performance, I think she might be. The smile that lights up her face is breathtaking as the baby blue of her eyes are shining.

I need to tell her that I love her. I’ve been wanting to say it for a long time, but I didn’t want to intimidate her. But, there’s no doubt in my mind that I need to tell her soon.

After getting put back on her two feet, Olivia comes up to me. “You are… I don’t even know.” She giggles, the sound floating to my ears. “You’re unbelievable. Why didn’t you tell me that you could sing like that?”

She places her hand on my chest, “you never asked.” She gets up on her tiptoes, leaning in close, and just when I think she’s gonna kiss me, she says, “your turn, Captain.”

Fuck me!

I make my way over to the stage, telling the DJ what song I want to sing. Well, not want to sing, because I do not want to sing at all. But, I can’t lie; I've had this song locked in since Olivia challenged me, and I hope like hell that she likes it. I’m gonna get so much shit from the guys after this.

The opening notes of English Love Affair by 5 Seconds of Summer starts playing on the speakers. The guys howl and whoop around me as I begin to sing, but I’m not focused on them. My focus is on the English girl staring at me from across the room, the brightest smile lighting up her face.

I’m a pretty, shitty singer. I wouldn’t say I'm as bad as Sasha was, but I’m not far off. I wouldn’t tell her that though. She’d probably knee me in the balls, and I cannot afford to lose my manhood tonight.

I’m really embarrassed to say I know all the words to this song. Since Olivia told me 5 Seconds of Summer is one of her favourite bands, I may have listened to a few of their songs. And I may or may not kinda like it. When I heard this song, it just felt so fitting, so I added it to my playlist. But, that is a secret I will take with me to my grave.

To my relief, the song ends, and I practically sprint off of the stage. The team surrounds me, all talking over one another. “That was gold!” Someone else says, “I can’t wait to post that tomorrow on social media.” And another one quips, “since when have you been such a girl?” At that, defensively, Matthews replies with, “how does liking 5SoS make him a girl? I love them.” Answering back, “Well, of course you would.” Slightly enraged, Matthews questions, “The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

I push past them, not wanting to listen to the bitching match I’m sure is gonna happen. Matthews can be very passionate about his music, and I’ve been caught in the orbit of his madness before.

“That was surprisingly hot.” Olivia says, as I come up to her. “And not subtle at all.” She swats at my arm, a playful look on her face.

“Relax, Ol. Does anyone even know that you’re English?” I ask her. She’s been living here for almost twenty years, and has picked up the accent since. But, I’ve started to notice that when she gets really emotional, her British accent slips through. It’s so adorable.