too.” He looked back as Emanuel put the stool in front of his microphone. Mark moved his microphone stand back beside Q at drums and waited for Emanuel to count it off.
Eman uel looked out into the audience and flashed a sexy smile that caused some catcalls and whistles in response. He is so sexy, I thought as I sat up straighter in my chair. I fanned myself with my hand and I heard Emily laugh. I cut my eyes to her and she leaned over and giggled, “Getting hot?”
“ Shhh!” I shushed her playfully and made a face in which she laughed again, louder.
Emanuel gave his band mates a nod and then he started strumming the guitar. I instantly recognized ‘Gone’ as it started. When he started singing, the room was absolutely silent. His gravelly voice floated over the chords he played. Mark and Q acted as backup singers assisting with the chorus, but it was Emanuel’s show. And he rocked it. The emotion that emanated from his voice brought new perspective to the song…and tears to my eyes. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, I repeated silently as he tugged on my heartstrings.
When he finished, the crowd roared excitedly. He gave a small smile and salute, but even from across the room, I could see the sadness etched on his face. I watched him until he walked behind the curtain backstage. I closed my eyes and concentrated on keeping the tears at bay. I could feel the lump in my throat and I knew that if I didn’t get some fresh air, I was going to have a breakdown. When I opened my eyes, the final band was setting up to play.
“You don’t sing a song like that unless you are going through that and you mean it ,” Emily hinted. She stood beside the table and stacked our empty glasses. She didn’t look at me. And I felt even worse about myself and the situation with Emanuel. This whole thing is hard on me, but it’s also hard on Emily. But that doesn’t mean he was singing about me. He could’ve been talking about someone else, I reasoned silently as I looked down at the stacked glasses.
“He could’ve been talki ng about Ashlyn,” I choked out guiltily. I felt hot all over and I pulled my shirt from my skin after I stood up.
Emily turned to face me . “He wasn’t,” she said seriously.
I could only maintain eye contact for a second before I replied in a whisper, “I know.”
Chapter 11
After the last group performed, all of the contestants had to be on stage so the crowd could vote. Emily and I took that as our opportunity to leave so we wouldn’t chance running into Emanuel on our way out. The taxi got us back to Emily’s house just before midnight.
Emily yawned as we walked up the driveway, “I’m tired!”
My smile didn’t reach my eyes when I said, “You need your rest. Tomorrow is a big day.” Emily was too tired and too focused on finding her keys in her clutch to notice. I’m happy for her and I’m so proud of what she is doing. But I can’t focus on anything right now with Emanuel’s voice in my head.
“Got it!” Emily squeaked happily as she found her keys. She opened the door and looked back at me questioningly. When I just gave her a small smile, she asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to sit out here and get some fresh air for a while. I’ll be in soon. With the humidity in The Smoke Room, it’ll just be nice to sit here on the porch for a few minutes,” I answered as I started sitting down on the brick steps.
“Okay…” She dragged the word out and pursed her lips. “I’m going to shower and call Anthony. Don’t stay out here too long.”
She closed the door and I let out a sigh of relief. I just needed alone time to process what I had just heard. The street lights lit up the street, but the porch light was off so I was
Eman uel looked out into the audience and flashed a sexy smile that caused some catcalls and whistles in response. He is so sexy, I thought as I sat up straighter in my chair. I fanned myself with my hand and I heard Emily laugh. I cut my eyes to her and she leaned over and giggled, “Getting hot?”
“ Shhh!” I shushed her playfully and made a face in which she laughed again, louder.
Emanuel gave his band mates a nod and then he started strumming the guitar. I instantly recognized ‘Gone’ as it started. When he started singing, the room was absolutely silent. His gravelly voice floated over the chords he played. Mark and Q acted as backup singers assisting with the chorus, but it was Emanuel’s show. And he rocked it. The emotion that emanated from his voice brought new perspective to the song…and tears to my eyes. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, I repeated silently as he tugged on my heartstrings.
When he finished, the crowd roared excitedly. He gave a small smile and salute, but even from across the room, I could see the sadness etched on his face. I watched him until he walked behind the curtain backstage. I closed my eyes and concentrated on keeping the tears at bay. I could feel the lump in my throat and I knew that if I didn’t get some fresh air, I was going to have a breakdown. When I opened my eyes, the final band was setting up to play.
“You don’t sing a song like that unless you are going through that and you mean it ,” Emily hinted. She stood beside the table and stacked our empty glasses. She didn’t look at me. And I felt even worse about myself and the situation with Emanuel. This whole thing is hard on me, but it’s also hard on Emily. But that doesn’t mean he was singing about me. He could’ve been talking about someone else, I reasoned silently as I looked down at the stacked glasses.
“He could’ve been talki ng about Ashlyn,” I choked out guiltily. I felt hot all over and I pulled my shirt from my skin after I stood up.
Emily turned to face me . “He wasn’t,” she said seriously.
I could only maintain eye contact for a second before I replied in a whisper, “I know.”
Chapter 11
After the last group performed, all of the contestants had to be on stage so the crowd could vote. Emily and I took that as our opportunity to leave so we wouldn’t chance running into Emanuel on our way out. The taxi got us back to Emily’s house just before midnight.
Emily yawned as we walked up the driveway, “I’m tired!”
My smile didn’t reach my eyes when I said, “You need your rest. Tomorrow is a big day.” Emily was too tired and too focused on finding her keys in her clutch to notice. I’m happy for her and I’m so proud of what she is doing. But I can’t focus on anything right now with Emanuel’s voice in my head.
“Got it!” Emily squeaked happily as she found her keys. She opened the door and looked back at me questioningly. When I just gave her a small smile, she asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to sit out here and get some fresh air for a while. I’ll be in soon. With the humidity in The Smoke Room, it’ll just be nice to sit here on the porch for a few minutes,” I answered as I started sitting down on the brick steps.
“Okay…” She dragged the word out and pursed her lips. “I’m going to shower and call Anthony. Don’t stay out here too long.”
She closed the door and I let out a sigh of relief. I just needed alone time to process what I had just heard. The street lights lit up the street, but the porch light was off so I was
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