Page 196 of Movers and Shakers

As the show went on, I pointed to him for every single love lyric I’d ever written. The crowd melted down each time.

Four songs later, it was time for a quick change, and while I was getting into the new outfit, Malia ran up to me.

“Like who I picked?” she called. She must have been waiting for me.

“He’s perfect,” I said. “If only he could do this every night.”

“This crowd gets a special show,” she said, smiling.

I only had time to give her one nod before running back out onto the stage.

Picking up where I left off, I sang my heart out for the crowd and flirted with Barry every second I could. I almost didn’t want the show to end, even though I was covered with sweat and out of breath.

When it was over, it didn’tfeelover. I was set to leave the stage in the same way I appeared at the start of the concert.

As the lift descended, I was running to where I knew Barry would walk off with everyone else in the band.

The crowd was begging for an encore. For this tour, I hadn’t planned one.

But I couldn’t deny that it felt incomplete.

“Barry!” I called as I ran to him.

“What did you think?”

“I don’t want it to end,” I said desperately. “We have one song we didn’t do.”

He paused. “‘On This Night’?”

I nodded. “We have to do it once. Please?”

“Anything for you.”

“Thank you,” I said before turning to the band. “We’ll do the encore by ourselves.”

The crowd was deafening as we returned to the stage.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I have one more song for you. Please welcome my very special guest.”

I gestured to Barry and he took a second to absorb the thunderous roars of everyone in the arena. I elbowed him, mouthing,Have a name?

He nodded, giving me a heart-stopping smile.

“I’m Nyx,” he said into the microphone. He used a deeper, more sensual voice that made my knees weak. “I’m a little new to all this, but I hope you like this song we wrote together.”

He strummed, and as the crowd screamed both of our names, I could see his genuine, elated smile.

I started the song, wishing I could slow it down to make this moment stretch on forever. When Barry joined in, I wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

For a piece we only performed twice, we got it almost perfectly. Our voices enmeshed, even when I took lower notes to save my exhausted vocal cords.

And when it finally ended with Barry’s last guitar strum, I couldn’t hide the sadness I felt when the lights went out.

I let myself feel it for three breaths before I put my smile back on, determined to celebrate what Barry had just done.

He deserved it.

Barry

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