39. Marnie
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Marnie
When I emerge from the bathroom hallway, I find our table empty. Glancing around the darkened, busy restaurant, I see faces drawn to the stage and hear instruments tinkering. I search for Grady as I shift into my seat and nearly fall out of it when I find him.
On stage.
Smiling.
At me.
From behind the piano.
His raspy voice hums through the microphone perched near his face. “So, you’re about to hear a mash-up set that my brother Luke and I performed for my high school talent show.”
“Did you win?” an audience member shouts.
Grady chuckles, “Ah, no. But we did it a second time at his talent show. Didn’t win then, either, but that’s okay. The violin rules high school talent shows—if you’re wondering.”
Laughs.
“Tonight is my first date with Marina Ann Strange… Marnie, as you know her,” he announces amid clapping and cooing. “You might also be aware that a few months ago she…”
He pauses, playing a familiar chord on the piano, before singing, “ She had a bad day, ” from the Daniel Powter song of the same name. “ She had a bad day. ”
Everyone laughs and claps because my ‘bad day’ is well-known in these parts.
“But I want her to know that… here comes the sun ,” he sings, “ and I say, it’s alright. ..”
More laughs and cheers at the familiar Beatles song before Luke’s guitar riff fades, and Grady speaks again. “Marina, you said to let you know when I’m sure… I’m sure … This is for you. Thanks for saying yes.”
My heart leaps from my chest and does fifty somersaults as I stumble, rising from my chair. His hands dance over the keys, moving me closer on weak knees. The familiar notes tickle my heart. “Romeo and Juliet” by Dire Straits, a sweet oldie that I’d know anywhere since the CD sits in my AM collection at home.
I am awestruck—Grady Tripp can sing!
“ You and me, babe… how ‘bout it? ” he croons, low and husky, looking straight at me. Luke’s guitar picks up the riff, but I can’t take my eyes off Grady and the sly smirk planted on his face. He’s so proud, so comfortable, so sweetly happy. “ Juliet …”
Can someone overdose on romance? If so, I might be in serious trouble. I bounce on my feet, giddy with it. Hyper on it. Desperate for him.
A crowd gathers around the stage, moving tables aside, especially as the song picks up its pace. But I stand just below him, devouring him, aching for him.
I’ve never felt more loved or special. Not only that, I’ve never felt so worthy of feeling loved and special, either. He makes me want to be seen, heard, regarded, valued, loved, and admired, revered and feared, pirate-like—all I’ve missed in my before life. This is after. My happily ever? I don’t know. But certainly, with the wreckage cleared and finding each other through the losses, he’s the closest I’ll get to one.
“ I love you like the stars above, love you til I die… Juliet ,” he sings, and I melt. “ You and me, babe. How ‘bout it? ”
As I get bumped by the people dancing next to me, I glance toward Ashe’s table, where he and Cora engage in a heated discussion, rendering them too busy to notice. Or they’re trying hard not to. It doesn’t matter. I meant what I said to Grady—they no longer have power over me. I feel free to be me. Free to love Grady. Free to be loved by him, too.
As the song trails to its gentle end, Grady switches seamlessly into the mellow bounce of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity .” Grady laughs sheepishly as the audience recognizes it.
“It was high school,” he shrugs.
Luke takes over the vocals, and the audience chimes in for the chorus. I like the way you work it. No diggity. I giggle like a middle schooler at a Taylor Swift concert, especially when Grady’s eyes find mine when he sings, “She’s a perfect ten.”
Everyone laughs while I blush. The crowd coos and cheers as they dance.
As that song ends, Grady switches to Tupac’s “Changes.” Luke is surprisingly deft at rapping—his voice pairs perfectly with Grady’s elaborate piano work.
And the crowd goes wild for it—it’s no longer a restaurant but a concert. “That’s just the way it is… Things will never be the same.”
“Excuse me!” Cora’s irritated voice again draws my attention as she pushes through the crowd with her party behind her. They’re leaving—their table sits empty, their drinks abandoned.
My smile widens, shifting my eyes back to Grady.
The song changes again, slowly. “Last one before the real band takes over,” he says. “Come here, Marina.”
I hesitate, but the crowd pushes me up there, cheering me on as I go. He takes my hand, pulling me around the instruments until I’m beside him. From this vantage point, I spot Wade, Christie, and Roy at the bar’s end, beaming at us and cheering louder than anyone.
“Help me get her to say yes to a second date, huh?” he grins, instigating the crowd as he starts playing “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls. I match his slow swaying beside him, my arm drifting naturally around his waist.
His fingers bang the keys. The crowd dances, lifting their drinks. It’s a celebration.
The song switches midway, transitioning perfectly into “Slide.”
I wanna wake up where you are… I won’t say anything at all… So, why don’t you slide?
His words fade, and the song transitions again into “Better Days”—a Goo Goo Dolls compilation that somehow makes sense though they’re three different songs.
‘Cause tonight’s the night the world begins again.
The words hit home as I stand beside the man I want to Super glue to my side for the rest of eternity. Tonight feels like a new start, a new world, a better us now that we’ve let each other in.
Thunderous applause and raucous cheers bring the song to a close, but it grows even louder when he wraps me up in a wild kiss.
“Looks like a yes to me!” someone yells, rousing the crowd to cheer again.
When our lips part, we’re laughing.
“Is it a yes?” he asks breathlessly.
“God, yes! A million times, yes! That was… wow, Grady… Maybe I’m in love with you, too.”
He laughs. “Let me know when you’re sure.”
Tugging me with him, he shakes the drummer’s hand, followed by Luke’s, and we all descend the stage as the regular band takes their places, looking a bit worried about topping Grady’s act.
Townspeople shake our hands, hug our necks, and pat our backs as we drift slowly through the remaining crowd. All smiles and joy. My drama with the Sullivans is long forgotten now.
So is Grouchy Tripp. He maneuvers us through, smiling and chatting like the friendly man I know he truly is. He even gives Wade and his friends warm embraces.
“Now, I get why you were so mad about that nightie,” Roy quips.
We don’t bother arguing but circle through the group to our table. The energy is so palpable that it’s hard to settle again. We’re flushed, giddy, and happy, and I’m ready to throw myself at him for the volcanic eruption of love spilling out of me.
Dinner arrives and vanishes quickly. I doubt I’ve ever eaten so fast, risking heartburn for my burning heart. I don’t even finish it, though it’s delicious, but toss my napkin on the plate as soon as he seems done.
He runs a hand over his short hair and gives me a questioning look. “That’s all I’ve got planned. How do you feel? What do you want to do? Anything? I could take you home if you’re tired. Or not. I’m open.”
He almost sounds nervous, prompting my coyest smile. I lean closer across the table.
“Grady Tripp, I swear, if you don’t get me out of here pronto, I might give this crowd a show they shouldn’t see. Please don’t make me wait any longer to get you all to myself.”
I tack on a little whine while nibbling my bottom lip, which has him laughing and blushing simultaneously.
“Yes, darling.” He motions for the check.
Inside The Beast, I slide into the middle of the bench seat and buckle in beside him. “Another benefit of an old car, right?”
He grins. “Absolutely.”
“Let’s go to yours, okay?” I ask.
“Do we need to run by your place? Check on the cats?”
“Nope. Wren is cat-sitting tonight. All night.”
His handsome grin widens. “Ah, my amazing girlfriend, the strategist. Good plan.”
“I like thinking ahead. Thanks for today. Best. Date. Ever. And the music! I’m so incredibly proud of you. How did it feel?”
“Natural. Better than I thought it would,” he says, “I should be thanking you. No more missing out on beautiful opportunities. Pianos should be played, right?”
“Right.” I snuggle against his arm, and he gently kisses my forehead.
“There’s one more song I want to play for you tonight if that’s okay.”
I inhale sharply—he’s going to play the piano? “Time to shift bad memories into better ones?”
“For both of us,” he says, his right hand drifting to my leg and squeezing lightly.
The cool night air hits me sharply at his house when I exit The Beast, forcing me into my sweater. Tall, Longleaf Pines wave in the breeze overhead, and Carolina barn owls hoot in the distance. It’s darker than I’m used to here, where streetlights don’t reach. It feels so beautifully peaceful.
He leads me into a dimly lit and quiet house.
“Where are the dogs?”
He grins wryly. “Marigold is dog-sitting at the farm. All night.”
A laugh rumbles from me. “My sexy boyfriend, the strategist.”
He leans in for a soft kiss that electrifies me. “I only wanted to think about us. Make yourself at home.”
I kick off my shoes by the door and drop my bag on the couch. He dumps his keys and wallet in a basket by the door. He starts a fire in the fireplace that crackles and pops and mesmerizes me. After a few sips of wine, we relinquish our glasses to the coffee table. Then, he takes my hand and leads me to the piano.