Page 48 of Time To Live Again

I want to go over to Sully, give him a hug, and then drive back to his place to pick up Smokey. It annoys me that I’ve wasted so much time feeling sorry for myself when everyone has their own shit to deal with. We’re all human, striving to get through each day.

Time flies as the scheduled performers do their thing. Some are excellent while others are more funny than anything else. Every time a name is announced, I’m on the verge of peeing myself. Speaking of which, I should’ve gone to the bathroom.

“Next up, Olive Hansen. This is her first time here, folks, so let’s give her a big round of applause.”

Leo shouts over the crowd, “Good luck!” Tonya hoots, and Sully lifts his beer with a nod. I think he’s warming to me.

Reluctantly, I get up and step onto the stage.Why am I doing this?A man hands me a microphone. It’s now or never. “She’ll be singing Prince’s ‘Kiss.’”

My grip on the microphone is like a vice. The music starts abruptly, and the words begin to roll. I mess up the first lines, but then I get into the rhythm and let loose. Some people in the crowd sing along, while others dance between the tables and cheer me on.

Every time the lyrics mention “my girl,” I swap them with “my boy” and gesture toward Leo. His face lights up, exactly as I hoped. There are points in the song where Prince’s voice rises an octave. I try to do the same, but it’s a big fat fail. The scene of Julia Roberts singing in the moviePretty Womankeeps replaying in my mind. My sweaty body moves autonomously as I shake my booty, unconcerned about looking ridiculous. All of my inhibitions vanish like they did the other night on the dance floor. I’m having a blast singing my heart out for the guy who’s charmed his way into my life.

The song’s over too quickly, and I’m shooed off the stage. The crowd claps until I reach our table. Leo stands and waits for me with open arms. I jump into them and he wraps them around me tightly. Shouting above the noise, he enthuses, “You nailed it. I’m damn proud of you.” I don’t get a kiss, but what is he going to do—kiss me in front of a crowd?

Be patient, Olive. You’ll get what you want.

19

LEO

Isit here in awe. I’m going to marry this woman. Yep, you heard me. Call me crazy, but I don’t fucking care.

I knew from the moment I laid eyes on Olive—I’ve never felt such intense attraction before, and the constant desire to be with her bewilders me. Watching her perform on stage, singing “Kiss” directly to me—yes, I could sense her eyes penetrating me, inviting me to kiss her. There’s no doubt it’ll happen tonight if I have anything to say about it.

Mom described it as love at first sight when she met Dad on a blind date. She almost canceled because she had little faith in relationships after what her best friend did to her. While she was walking to the restaurant where they were supposed to meet, she spotted a man standing next to his car. She knew right away he was the one. They soon discovered they were each other’s blind date.

So why couldn’t it happen to me? Would life be so cruel as to dangle Olive in front of me, only to take her away?

Olive has become my muse without either of us realizing it. First she got me dancing, and now I’m ready to do something else I haven’t done in years either.

She trots off the stage and hurries toward me. A blinding smile spreads across her face and I open my arms wide for her. She hops into them like she belongs here—which she does—and I lift her off the ground.

“You nailed it. I’m damn proud of you,” I say into the crook of her neck. Her light, floral scent assaults my senses. I want to kiss her now, but I refrain, squeezing her affectionately instead. It’s not because of the crowd—I don’t care about that. It’s because I have a plan.

We have fun with Tonya and Sully, our bodies constantly connected in some way. She’s not the same person who checked into the hotel days ago. For Olive’s sake, I hope she stays like this. Seeing her confront her problems this way has made me realize I need to do the same. I’ve been a coward for far too long.

When the coast is clear, I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. Once I’m out of sight, I search for Thorsten, the owner, and find him near the bar. He nods with a sly grin after I tell him what I want to do. This is going to be good. Or really bad.

When I return, we order another round of drinks and listen to a few more singers. I’m so fucking charged I could detonate any second now, and I’ve only had one beer. A war of emotions rages within me, and I have only three ways to release this energy. Sex, but that’s not happening here. Neither is dancing. As for the third, you’ll have to wait and see.

Then I hear it. “Next up, Leo Forrest. It’s been a while since he’s sung for us.”

Three heads whip in my direction, their mouths wide open. I try not to laugh at the comical sight, but it sneaks out anyway. Tonya’s eyes already shimmer with emotion. I see Sully’s teeth because he’s smiling, not scowling, and Olive looks like a deer in headlights.

Before they can say anything, I rush to the stage, determined not to chicken out. I’m going to sing Queen’s “I Was Born to Love You.” I used to cover Queen’s songs all the time, but I don’t know how my voice will sound now.

I psych myself up and pray to Corey to help me out. We learned to dance and sing together as kids, and we planned how to use our talents. It all went to shit when he fell sick and died. I haven’t sung since. Not even in the shower or the car. The music starts.

Here goes nothing.

I belt out the lyrics, and it’s as if no one else is here except Olive and me. Every word belongs to her. Tonya probably thought coming here would inspire me, but the lively atmosphere isn’t what’s done it. It’s that beautiful woman in the crowd with the soft brown eyes and glowing smile who touches my soul. She’s gazing at me the way I look at her. Like I’m her future and she’s mine. It’s time to make significant changes to become worthy of her love. If she’ll have me.

Am I really using the wordlove? Yes. All the pain and suffering I’ve been through has led me to this moment. I’ve been traveling around the world to avoid my home. Too many memories haunt me when I’m here. But things are changing within me, and for once, I’m excited about it and don’t want to leave.

The song ends, and I ignore the people standing and clapping. My sole focus is on kissing Olive’s fucking sexy mouth. When I finally stand in front of her, I claim her mouth with mine. She wraps her arms around me, parting her lips, teasing me with the tip of her tongue. And then I taste her. Pure elation pulses through me. I pour all my energy, love, fear, and desire into this kiss. She’ll never have to wonder about my feelings for her.

Loud whistling surrounds us as someone pulls on my arm, separating us. “I enjoy a hot kiss as much as anyone,” Tonya says playfully, “but you’re getting a little out of control. You should continue this elsewhere.”

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