Chapter 4 #2
“It came from the ladies over there.” She pointed to a table where a group of women who looked to be on a hens’ night, judging from the pink sashes and cowgirl hats.
“Thanks!” Aisling waved, then took a sip. “That was fun.”
“You two were fantastic,” Aidan said. “I think everyone else is now too scared to get up and have a go.”
“Oh, come on,” Rory said. “You said you’d sing.”
He shook his head. “There is no way I’m going to sing by myself. I’ll sing with you, if you really want me to.”
“I really want you to.”
As the two of them compared notes on which song would be most appropriate Aisling glanced behind her again. The two women were still there, pleading with Andy to sing.
He glanced back at her, and she offered a wry smile then looked away, feigning interest in the room’s low wooden beams. The current singer, one of the hens’ night group, was obviously fuelled up on liquid courage, which made for some interesting notes. But good on her for having a go.
Aisling glanced around the room, then frowned. “Hey, have you seen Fiona anywhere?”
“No.”
“Has Declan come back?”
“He seems to have disappeared too.”
Rory gave Aisling another pointed look. “How interesting.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Okay, thanks for that Lily. We’re glad you had fun, aren’t we?” The cheer that met Ethan’s comment was more muted than before. “Okay, let’s have Patrick, who has a Michael Jackson song to perform.”
Patrick, another tourist, seeing she’d not seen him before, gave a spirited, mostly accurate rendition of “Billie Jean”, which also included some hip thrusts which was a little unnecessary, according to some jeers from the crowd.
He was followed by some others who sang everything from Tina Turner to Toto in the eighties mix.
She clapped and then cheered as Rory dragged Aidan to the front, and they sang the “Power of Love”. And yes, Aidan wasn’t great, but Rory more than made up for him, covering his occasional lapses in melody with her strong voice.
Ethan clapped them then checked his playlist. “Okay, and this next person has been nominated by his friend. To sing ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ let’s hear it for Andy.”
“Really?” Andy muttered from behind her.
“You’ll crush it,” his friend assured.
He shook his head, but made his way out the front like a good sport.
She bit her lip. It wasn’t kind of his friend to put Andy on the spot like this. She was half tempted to see if he needed someone to sing with him, and offered a smile of encouragement when he glanced out at the crowd.
But as she watched, he collected the microphone from Ethan, then seemed to transform into someone else, his shoulders back, chin up, gaze fixed. She shivered. On her.
“Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back.”
And as he continued to sing, each word note-perfect, she felt the truth of those words in her bones. Something significant had happened today. She was not the same woman as before. And there was no turning back.
* * *
Andy had probably sung this song a dozen times before, which was likely why Grady had nominated him, so he didn’t need to look at the words. He couldn’t, even if he wanted to, with the curvy redhead’s gaze fixed on him like his was on her.
He didn’t know what it was, maybe the fact that Grady had dared him, but he wanted to show he was more than Grady’s stooge. And just like running, this was one arena where he outshone Grady.
“Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down, when they do I’ll be right behind you…”
He continued to sing, each note landing just right, his gaze fixed on her as he sang, only breaking eye contact to look at the floor during the lengthy instrumental break, hand slapping his thigh to keep time.
“I can’t stand this indecision…”
He finished the song, conscious she’d not taken her eyes off him, conscious of her smile, one that buoyed him as he finished to thunderous applause.
“Wow!” The sound dude led the applause. “That was pretty incredible. Let’s give it up for Andy!”
He smiled, and moved to his seat, back-slapped along the way. He glanced at Ash—was that her name?—and caught her smile and mouthed “wow” which drew warmth across his chest, only to be met by the blondes and their squeals and hugs.
“You were awesome!”
“You should go on The Voice.”
“It’s just a song,” he demurred, as the barmaid deposited a drink on his table. “Uh, I didn’t order this.”
“It’s from the group of ladies over there.” She pointed to a table of pink-clad ladies who all cheered when he nodded.
“Uh, okay. Thanks.”
Grady grinned. “See? I knew you should do it.” He nudged him. “Look who’s getting the ladies’ attention.”
He sipped his drink, eyes lowered from the women sitting opposite. So not his intention.
Fortunately, the next performer began, and he pretended interest even as the buzz of conversation continued around him. His position meant those seated at the table in front didn’t require him to avert his eyes, so he noticed the two sisters talking to each other.
He didn’t know what that strange moment was before.
But there’d definitely been something in the way that Ash had looked at him, holding him in her gaze, that made him feel strong and secure, like she was willing him to do well.
And sure he’d sung that song many times before but it had never been quite like that.
“So you going to give us another one?” Grady asked, when the next singer stopped.
He shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
“Not even if we begged?” The women batted their huge lashes at him.
He didn’t know why but if Ash asked him, he’d say yes in a heartbeat. To sing with her would be fun.
He studied her, gaze sliding to the split in her dress he could see more clearly now, that she’d obviously pinned. He couldn’t believe how much she’d changed towards him after the yelling of earlier.
Her sister nudged her, then she turned, caught his gaze. Smiled.
Maybe it was the unexpectedness of that but words propelled from his mouth. “Want to sing together?”
Her eyes widened, and for an awful moment he thought she’d say no. Then she nodded. “I’d love to.”
“Really?”
She nodded, stood, and he followed her to the front, as if in a trance.
“Hey Ethan, we want to do a duet,” she said.
“Great. What song will it be?” Ethan glanced between them.
“Got a favourite?” she asked him.
He shook his head.
“What about ‘I’ve had the time of my life’?” Ethan asked, with a cheeky grin.
“Yeah, no thanks.”
She chuckled. “I know a good one. But we need to do the Hothouse Flowers version. Have you got ‘I Can See Clearly Now’?” she asked Ethan.
“That’s not exactly a duet,” Andy protested.
“It will be once we’re doing it.” She smiled.
And maybe he was still a sucker for a strong woman, for he followed her lead perfectly.
She sang the first verse, he sang the second.
It was like something magical happened between them as they seemed to anticipate each other’s parts, then harmonising as they built up to the big finish.
And yes, he may have needed the lyrics on the screen a couple of times, but there was something joyous in this, something a little like release, like the past box he’d been living in didn’t matter anymore.
Like the song said, he could see clearly now, and what had been said in the past didn’t matter anymore. Because, with God, “It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day.”
The song ended, and this time there were people standing, cheering.
“That was amazing, you two. Thank you.”
He nodded, waved a hand at the crowd then exhaled as he headed towards his seat. But he didn’t want to make small talk with Grady or anyone else. He wanted—needed—to know what that was all about.
He moved to talk to Ash, when their other sister reappeared, obviously upset. Which made him pause, then offer a small smile as Ash turned to him and gave the same, before she collected their belongings and the four of them hurried away.