Page 22 of Falling for You
Tonight she would push aside her Eric insecurities and would go with the flow. She would live in the moment and enjoy her first date with Evan. She could share more about her past when they weren’t out in public. There was always time, right?
A gentle knock at the door stirred her from her musings. Glancing at the clock she saw it was 5:59; Evan was right on time. “Coming!” she shouted, plodding forward with her current outfit and mussed hair. At least she’d added a little sparkle to her ensemble, and hopefully a bit more personality.
Pulling the door open, she found a sight that melted her heart. Evan stood there, illuminated by her porch light, holding a simple bouquet of daisies from the local market. He thrust them forward, keeping his gaze locked on hers. “Hi,” he said, his voice huskier than normal. “You look gorgeous.”
CeCe felt tongue-tied, taking the flowers before looking down at her jeans and sweater. To say her look was inspired would be a gross understatement. “Thanks. C’mon in. I’ll be ready in a sec.” She shamelessly took a sniff of his coat as he strode past. Never before had drugstore bodywash been so appealing.
Evan hovered in the hallway a moment before stepping forward and taking the flowers back. “Why don’t I put these in water while you finish up?” His gaze went from tip to toes and made CeCe shiver. “Although, I think you look perfect right now.”
Handing the daisies back to Evan, CeCe covered the flush on her cheeks and backed away. “Give me, uh, two minutes.” She turned on her heel and nearly sprinted back to her bedroom. She pulled her sweater over her head and added it to the pile of casualties on her bed. It was a sad reality that her Target sweater collection left a lot to be desired on date night.
She didn’t realize how long she’d been stalling until she heard Evan’s footfalls outside her bedroom door. “I’m not rushing you, but karaoke starts in an hour. At this rate we’ll need that long for you to decide that you’re already gorgeous.”
His words melted her resolve, and CeCe pulled a discarded sweater and gave up the fight. He was clearly smitten if a little lip gloss and her favorite sweater were date-worthy. “Okay, I’m coming.” She laughed as she walked right into Evan and his broad chest.
Steadying her by the forearms, he smirked as she found her footing. “You look just as lovely in this as you did before. Ready?”
CeCe nodded, but she didn’t step back. Evan’s grasp was firm, yet gentle, as he held her in place. Her toes curled in her Converse as she imagined him closing the distance, imagined him kissing her again. “I’m ready,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Ready for what, she still wasn’t sure.
Evan leaned down, grazing his lips on her temple in a chaste kiss before releasing her. “I’ll drive,” he said, clearing his throat.
Thirty minutes later, he pulled his car into the lot of Elm River’s only karaoke pub. Elm River was like a sister town to Buckeye Falls. They shared a local highway and both boosted low crime, affordable housing, and Midwestern charm that couldn’t be beat. CeCe had been to this pub before, on a trivia night with Max back when she’d first moved to town. He’d been recovering from his divorce, and she was feeling restless from being away from the big city. While the trivia hadn’t done much to resolve her homesickness for Chicago, it had fortified her friendship with Max.
“I haven’t been here in ages,” she mused as Evan held the door for her. She stepped inside and was immediately assaulted by the smell of fried chicken and smoke. “They smoke in here now?” she asked, coughing as they walked through a plume on the way to the staging area.
Evan rested his hand at the small of her back and led the way to their table. “It’s the staging smoke,” he said through a cough. “It’s supposed to create ambiance.”
CeCe thought it was more likely to cause lung cancer, but she kept her mouth shut.For once.
As soon as they were seated at a table at the corner of the room, CeCe felt herself panic. Everyone around them had a serious expression, some of them even singing in their seats. “Um, is this some type of professional karaoke circuit?” She was being sarcastic, but the look on Evan’s face gave her pause.
“Nah, it’s just the semi-finals of the annual series.”
CeCe gulped. “I’m sorry, what?”
For the first time that night, Evan looked nervous. He rubbed the back of his neck and said through gritted teeth, “Yeah, it’s kind of a thing. I come here every week.”
“To sing?” CeCe was incredulous. “Why haven’t you mentioned this before?”
“Because I knew you’d make fun of me?” he asked, and she felt bad that he wasn’t far from the mark.
CeCe took a moment to collect herself because she really didn’t want to embarrass him. “Evan, I know you’re into K-Pop, but I had no idea you were into karaoke.”
He shrugged and truly didn’t seem bothered by her learning the truth of his hobbies. “I live for K-Pop, but I also like music in general. And I think it’s fun to watch other people share their passion.” Finished with his explanation, he flipped open the drink menu.
Before the waiter arrived for their order, CeCe saw a trio of young women teeter toward their table. The girl in the middle, clearly the ring leader, was in heels better suited for the circus than a night out in central Ohio. They were so high, her legs wobbled like a newborn colt. “Evan,” she cooed his name in a tone that would make wild animals howl. “I was hoping we’d see you tonight. You promised me a duet last time.”
Evan flashed the girls a smile, and CeCe was pleased to see it wasn’t his usual carefree smirk. His normal smile lit up his whole face, causing his eyes to twinkle like he was followed around by his own lighting crew. This one seemed forced, drawing his skin too taunt across his jawline.
“Hey, guys,” he said as he draped an arm around CeCe’s shoulders.
Instinctively, she sunk into his embrace. She wasn’t usually one to mark her territory, but she didn’t like the predatory glare coming from these girls. “Hi,” she said to the trio, her voice dripping with fake warmth. “How do you know Evan?”
The ring leader pulled her shoulders back, clearly ready to stake her claim on the only attractive guy in the bar—and CeCe assumed all of Elm River. “We come here every week to hear Evan sing. He’s amazing.”
CeCe turned to Evan, who even in the smoky room turned a worrisome shade of purple. His ears practically matched her sweater. “Isn’t that sweet?” she asked no one in particular. “I knew he was amazing off stage, but I can’t wait to see what he has in store tonight.”
Before Evan could reply, or burst into flames, the emcee took the stage and tapped on the mic. “All right, folks,” the man said, waving away a cloud of smoke with his free hand. “We’ll get started in just a moment. First up tonight are the Ambers.”
