Page 73 of Sweet Escape

“Hey, Memphis, what’ll you have tonight?”

“Hey, Gabe. Just a pale ale on tap would be great.”

He sets a coaster in front of me. “Coming right up.”

I didn’t think through what I’d say or do tonight when it comes to Vivian and her performance. Maybe she didn’t want to see me, and my presence will be unwelcome. Or maybe she’ll be surprised and thrilled that I’m here and want me to go back to her hotel room with her.

I can’t lie, I’m hoping for the latter. But I’d settle for her being happy that I’m here.

A surprising realization.

When Gabe brings my beer, I take a long sip before setting it on the coaster and looking around again.

“Thank you so much, Frank, for that beautiful performance of Kenny G’s ‘Forever in Love.’”

I look up to the stage, spotting Gabe’s wife, Gigi, holding a microphone and smiling at Frank as he packs up his saxophone.

“All right, everyone. We had a last-minute signup from a very talented singer and songwriter. I’ve been told by our favorite hotel manager, Errol, that she is going to take the world by storm, and we should expect to see her name in lights very soon.”

I spot Vivian emerging from the hallway that leads to the break room, her guitar already slung around her shoulder.

“Welcome to the stage, Vivian Walsh.”

Gigi puts the microphone in the stand and then exits the small stage, giving Vivian’s arm a squeeze as they pass each other by.

And then Vivian is there, up in front, a wide smile on her face as she greets the crowd giving her friendly applause.

“Hey, everyone, I’m Vivian.” She strums her guitar once. “I’m in town visiting. I’ve been here for the past couple weeks on a little working vacation, writing music and enjoying the very delicious wines from Hawthorne Vines.”

There are a few cheers, and then she strums the guitar a couple of times.

“Tonight, I’m hoping to play you all a new song I finished a few days ago. It’s called ‘Sweet Escape,’ and I hope you like it.”

Vivian clears her throat, and then she begins to play.

Almost instantly, I’m drawn in. Not only by the folky melody, which is catchy and bright, but also by Vivian.

It’s apparent almost immediately that she belongs on a stage.

That she is the type of performer who has the ability to draw people in in a way that is almost supernatural.

A quick glance around the room, and I see that everyone has stopped talking. All eyes and ears seem focused on the beautiful starlet at the front of the room.

And then, she starts to sing.

It’s a song about belonging, with lyrics about long drives through the hills and rows of vines. About laughter late into the night. Sweet nothings and soft sighs.

The longer she sings, the more I’m drawn in. Drawn forward. Like I could literally be tugged off my stool and over to where she stands.

Her guitar strumming and her voice echoing in the bar bring me back to our night in the tasting room, to the sound of her voice bouncing off the stone walls, but in a way that strikes an emotional chord in my chest. Like the sound of her voice is a physical thing that has made its way through my center and wrapped itself around whatever it is that makes up my soul.

And when she’s finished, after she sings out the long, throaty last note, there’s a lull in the room for only a brief second before the entire place erupts in cheers.

I don’t, though. I sit there in stunned silence, knowing I just witnessed something incredible. Something beautiful. Something I wouldn’t be able to describe to anyone who wasn’t here.

Vivian smiles and waves at everyone and then says thank you into the microphone before Gigi hops up next to her, absolutely beaming.

“I’m sure I’m not the only person in this room who wants to offer a heartfelt thank you for that incredible performance,” she says, looking at Vivian. Then she turns to the crowd. “Let’s give Ms. Walsh one more round of applause, shall we?”

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