Page 52 of Another Postcard

Brooklynn rolled her eyes. “He’s harmless.”

“I’m with Levi on this one,” Matteo piped up. “I’ve met the guy too.”

“Ditto,” Simon tagged on.

“Jealous much?” Sasha tossed at them.

Emma laughed and tipped an imaginary hat at Brooklynn. “I have a knack for creating awkward situations. I don’t always think before I speak. Bloody lucky I have a great accent, yeah? It makes my ineptness cuter and a little less dodgy.”

Brooklynn was silently shaking with laughter.

“Anyway,” Emma continued. “I’m chuffed to work with you.”

She turned to me and cocked her head to the side, studying me with squinted eyes, as though she had no clue who I was. Then her eyes popped open with overly exaggerated shock. “Blast it! You’re that singer. Levi Matthews, right?”

Just like that, any awkwardness or tension was diffused, as we all busted up with laughter. I shook her hand. “Great to meet you, Emma. I like you. I think you’ll fit with us, but I reserve full judgment until I’ve heard you sing.”

She grinned and bobbed her head. “Brilliant. Should we start then?”

Emma turned out to be a good fit for us. Her sound was unique but she knew how to blend. Her accent and random phrases made her even more fun. She and Brooklynn really hit it off, which sealed the deal for me. There wasn’t much in life that I wouldn’t trust going by Brooklynn’s reaction.

At the concert the next night, we debuted “Like Her”, the song Brooklynn had written with Sasha’s and my help, and the audience went fucking ballistic over it. It was alternative rock but it was still a new sound for us considering we’d never had a powerhouse female voice like Brooklynn’s. It was the best I’d ever heard Sasha sound. The song truly showcased her voice and Brooklynn’s.

I was captivated by them, the way their voices blew through the mics. It was an upbeat, fun song, and they had the audience eating out of their hands. With Emma and Kristi backing them up, it was quirky in some places and had smooth, tight harmonies in others. I’d never heard anything like it and I was again, blown away by the depth of Brooklynn’s talent. When I joined in as a complimenting harmony with lyrics that were in direct juxtaposition of theirs, it was like a tug of war between us and I fucking happily lost the war as they finished it out like the two baddass singers that they were.

“Did we hit the lottery with these two or what?” I yelled to the audience, then waited for them to settle before going on.

“You guys may have seen some of the YouTube videos out there, so let’s just get this out of the way”—I held my hand out to Brooklynn and she walked over and took it, smiling brightly—“this wicked awesome chick with the smokin’ body is the woman of my fucking dreams. I love the fuck out of her!” Brooklynn laughed before grabbing my face and kissing me hard. When She let me go, I’m sure I was sporting a goofy, lovesick smile.

“Okay, London! Enough of this mushy shit!” Brooklynn announced. “I think this is Levi’s way of asking if you want to hear our new single!” Everyone was shouting, jumping, and screaming. The crackling energy in the concert hall was exhilarating.

“Brooklynn’s right. I want to know who in here knows what it’s like to be crazy in love!” The audience screamed and applauded. “I guess you want to hear us sing ‘Sanity,’ then?” I pivoted and pointed to Matteo who grinned and started to play. “Wait, wait, wait. Dude.” He petered off with a disappointed look. “That’s not how we start ‘Sanity.’”

“Right. Cause that song makes me crazy! PUN INTENDED!”

“Teo, this is the only chance these two get to release their secret voyeuristic obsessions about doing naughty things in public,” Simon hooted.

“Great, Simon,” Brooklynn drawled sardonically. “Can’t wait to see the stories all over the rags about that. I’m telling you right now, if someone speculates that you were involved in any of our escapades, I’m gonna tell them that your big guitar is compensating for something…tinier.”

Laughter roared through the hall. “Hey fucktard,” Simon hissed at Matteo. “Play ‘Sanity’ before Brooklynn lies to the whole world about the size of my massive dick.”

“I’m going to need proof of this stonking todger,” Emma announced.

Sasha almost fell over she was laughing so hard.

“Hey!” I hollered to the crowd. “I think you guys need to tell Matteo just how much you want to hear ‘Sanity’!”

They almost brought the fucking roof down and this time, Matteo started the leading beat into “Sanity.” And just like every time I performed the song with Brooklynn, I fell even more in love with her.

We walked off stage and Simon high-fived Brooklynn. “Fucking killed it out there, BK!” Then he twirled Sasha around before dipping her. “You too, Ginger.” He flipped her back up. It was impressive considering Simon was maybe an inch or two taller than Sasha and she was wearing at least six-inch heels. After she was upright again, he smacked a kiss on her cheek. “Bout time you showed off those sexy pipes.”

“You just won yourself a date for the evening, Simon,” Sasha cooed. He perked up and opened his mouth, no doubt to say something crass but Sasha beat him to it. “A date where there will be, under no circumstances, sex for you at the end of it.”

Simon’s face and shoulders fell comically and he shook his head. “How sad for you. But, if you insist I’ll give you a platonic pity date.”

I watched all of that with a huge smile on my face, knowing how fucking lucky I was to be surrounded by these people. I wrapped an arm around Brooklynn and pulled her in close so I could kiss her forehead. “You know how I told the audience that I love the fuck out of you?” I asked cheekily.

“Let me guess, you want to go love the fuck out of my body?” She winked at me and grabbed my ass. “As long as I get a turn, I’m all in.”

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