Chapter 16 – Nalia
Sixteen
NALIA
As Hanson drives, I learn that he is cautious but has no problem doing at least ten to fifteen miles an hour over the speed limit.
I also learn that he might be driving, but Missy is in charge of the music.
She plays every single Taylor Swift song with an up-tempo beat and sings each at the top of her lungs while dancing.
And even though I love Taylor just as much as the next Swiftie, I’m half tempted to reach up front, grab her cell, and toss it out of the window.
“Are you okay?” Logan asks in a whisper, his breath warming my ear. Turning my head, his face is just a couple of inches from mine, and with his hand still wrapped over my lap, I’m literally surrounded by him.
“I’m okay.”
“You’re quiet,” he continues whispering.
“I’m just enjoying the free Taylor Swift concert,” I whisper back, and he grins. My eyes drop to his mouth without thinking, and I bite my lip when he makes a sound in the back of his throat.
“What are you two whispering about?” Missy asks. I pull my eyes off Logan and find her staring at us.
“Nothing.” I would scoot away from Logan, but there is no room for me to do that, and it’s obvious that he’s not interested in allowing me personal space.
Thankfully, with Hanson’s lead foot, we make it downtown within twenty minutes and find a parking garage close to the bar we are going to.
Like every single Saturday in Nashville, Broadway is jam-packed, and the sidewalks are so crowded that you can’t walk two feet without accidentally bumping into a girl wearing a sash that says she’s getting married or her group of friends that is surrounding her, because we are in the capital of bachelorette parties.
The third time I get nudged into Logan’s side by someone passing us, he lets go of my hand, which he’s had in a grip so tight I wonder if he thinks I might wander off, and wraps his arm around my shoulder, hugging me to his side.
Then he uses his height and size to his advantage, pushing through the people on the sidewalk until we reach the bar where Hector is performing.
After showing our IDs to the security guy standing at the door, we walk inside with Missy, Hanson, and Benett right behind us.
It smells like stale beer, sweat, and the perfume and body spray of every person in the confined space, and there are lots of bodies, so many that it’s almost hard to breathe.
The noise, the smells, the people brushing up against me are overstimulating and a reminder of why I stopped going out to bars and clubs years ago.
It’s not that I don’t like to have a good time, I’d just rather have a glass of wine in a quiet restaurant or wine bar where I can actually hear the people I’m spending time with.
I get closer to Logan without thinking, and he wraps his arm tighter around me.
“Is this too much?” he asks only loud enough for me to hear, and I wonder if he can somehow read my mind or if it’s that obvious that I’m uncomfortable.
“It’s just been a while since I’ve been in such a small space with so many people.”
“Come on, it’s less crowded near the stage.
” Sliding his hand from my shoulders down my arm to wrap around my hip, he places me in front of his body.
He’s so close there is no space between us, and with his hand on my hips, he moves us as one through the crowd towards the stage, where we find Hector sitting with his guitar.
“I’m glad you came, man.” He fists bumps Logan then does the same with Hanson and Benett before giving a hug to me and Missy.
“Nervous?” Benett asks him.
“Nah, just ready,” he tells him, then looks at Logan. “You wanna come on stage for a song or two?”
“What?” I tip my chin back to look up at Logan. “You sing?”
“No.” He shakes his head with a chuckle. “Not even a little.”
“Don’t let him lie to you, Nalia. He loves being on stage.”
“I sang karaoke one time,” he mutters, and I laugh then laugh harder when the guys start telling me about his rendition of “Living On A Prayer” Logan performed that had the whole bar singing along with him.
“Are you ready?” a woman, seeming to appear out of nowhere, asks Hector.
“Yep.” He looks at all of us. “See you guys after the show.”
“Break a leg or whatever they say in show business,” I tell him, and he grins.
While Hector steps up onto the stage, Logan takes a seat on a stool just off to the side, then maneuvers me to stand between his spread knees with his hand on my stomach.
Pulling me back into him, he takes my weight with ease.
The intimacy of our position feels oddly comfortable, and if I’m honest, I feel grounded with him holding me and less overwhelmed despite the fact that we are surrounded by so many people.
With a guitar in front of him, Hector gets close to the mic and starts singing “Ex To See” by Sam Hunt.
I’ve heard the song dozens of times when I’ve been driving or just listening to music in my office, but hearing Hector sing it causes goose bumps to break out across my skin.
Despite the upbeat tone of the song the lyrics seem to mean something to him, and my heart hurts just thinking about the situation with his ex-wife and his kids.
“He’s really good,” I tell Logan when the song comes to an end, and he starts singing another one that I’m not familiar with but has the same tempo as the last.
“He is, he loves performing.”
“I can tell.”
“Do you want to come with me to get a drink?” Missy, who’s standing next to me with Hanson’s arms wrapped around her, asks.
“I… Sure.” I start to step away from Logan, and his fingers, splayed across my stomach, dig in. I turn to look at him.
“How about you girls stay here, and we’ll go get drinks?”
“No,” Missy frowns at him, “I want a shot and she’ll be okay with me for a few minutes without you.”
“It’s okay,” I assure him, and he lets his hand slowly slide away. “Do you want something?”
“I know what he drinks,” Missy says, grabbing my hand, tugging me away. “What’s that about?” She frowns at me.
“What?”
“That whole you can’t go get your own drink business?”
“Nothing. He just noticed that I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of people in here when we arrived.”
“Oh.” Her frown deepens as she scans my face. “Are you okay now?”
“I’m fine, it just took me a couple of minutes to get used to it.”
“If you need to, we can go outside.”
“I’m okay,” I assure her.
“Just let me know.” She keeps hold of my hand and pulls me with her to the bar.
Despite the fact that there are so many people waiting, with her flirtatious smile pointed at the right men at the right time, Missy has zero issues getting us to the front of the crowd or getting the bartender’s attention once we’re there.
“Can we get two slippery nipples, two Millers, and a bottle of water?” she asks the guy behind the counter, then looks over at me. “Or did you want another kind of shot?”
“I’d rather have wine,” I tell her, then ask him. “Can I have a glass of whatever red you have open, please?”
“Sure, thing, sweetheart.” He winks at me, and Missy turns to me, raising a brow.
“Not a shot kinda girl?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve done shots at a bar.” And I’m not trying to get wasted, I have to drive home later and get up tomorrow morning with Zuri. A hangover is never good, but it would really suck while having to be a responsible adult.
“I need to get you out more often.” As sweet as she is, I don’t think that’s going to happen.
My partying days are long over. I’d rather be home with Zuri or spending time with my family.
When the bartender comes back with the shots, Missy downs both of them, then asks him for a glass of red wine.
I mention that she might not want to mix alcohols, but she waves me off and assures me that she’ll be fine, so I don’t say anything more.
“Mom sent a picture of the kids,” Logan tells me when I make it back to him.
I look at his phone that he holds it out to me while taking his beer.
The picture of Zuri and Cooper, both with big smiles, holding up two overflowing cups of froyo and candy, looks like it could be an advertisement for the frozen yogurt place in town.
“She said they’re headed home now to watch Gremlins with Billie and Cat. ”
“The ’90s movie?” My brows drag together as I meet his gaze.
“Yep.”
“That’s an odd choice. I wonder who decided on that?”
“Probably Coop, he’s been fascinated with old movies since his mom let him watch Jaws.”
“Classic.”
“Yeah.” He wraps his hand around my hip and pulls me deeper into his space.
I realize why, when a girl moves past me to get to the stage and drops a fifty-dollar bill in the jar on the edge.
Seeing the money, Hector dips his chin and finishes the song he’s singing before he leans down to talk to her.
I can’t hear what she says or what his reply is, but when he goes back to the mic and starts singing “A Bar Song” by Shaboozey, she throws her arms in the air and moves past me to a group of women who all start to dance.
Obviously not someone to miss out on the fun, Missy leaves Hanson and joins them, singing at the top of her lungs.
“Come on.” She looks at me, holding out her hand.
“I’m good.” I laugh, shaking my head, and she shrugs before going back to dancing.
As the evening carries on, Missy dances and drinks with her new friends.
Hanson and Benett hang out, and I stand tucked up against Logan.
Despite there being a hundred or more people around us, it feels like it’s just the two of us.
We talk about the kids and life, and I laugh at the stupid jokes he makes.
I’m honestly captivated by all that is him. He’s not just another good-looking man; he’s intelligent and funny and nothing that I expected. And I don’t know how to deal with the fact that I like him so much more than I already did, and that was a lot.