Falling In by Avery Stark

the firm muscles that flanked his
sides twitched and his breaths started to run a tiny bit faster.
    Liam’s
shining motorcycle rolled along the western Florida coast for well over an
hour, almost two.  As promised, he was careful and slow.  It made Audrey
grateful that at least one man in her life was willing to make good on the vows
that he made, though it was one that she never expected.
    By the
time that they rounded the last two curves in the road and pulled up to the
shack-like bar, she silently hoped that he would just keep right on driving.
    Only a
handful of cars were scattered about the gravel parking lot.  Mixed in, three
other motorcycles and a single bicycle waited for their owners to return.  Liam
parked next to the slightly-raised patio and silenced the engine, which left
Audrey with a low ringing in her ears.
    “See,”
he said and looked over his shoulder.  “We made it in one piece.  Well…two
pieces, I guess.”
    Audrey
squeezed his waist one last time before she let her hands slip away.
    “You did
good, kid.”
    Even
though the ride was more relaxing than she expected, there was still a sense of
relief as her toes planted back down onto the solid ground and she stripped off
the constricting head gear.
    Their
footsteps rang hollow as they trudged up the rickety stairs that led from the
parking lot.  Beyond that, a short porch gave way to the entrance of the cozy
indoor area.  To the left, a few tables littered the path leading to the bar in
the rear, where most of the patrons were seated.  To the right, a swiveling
door was marked for “Employees Only”, while two double doors leading onto the
patio sat open nearby, allowing the fresh air to rush through and make the wine
glasses over the bar clink and tap their sides together like chimes.
    Out on
the patio, a surprising number of people filled the tables; close to 40.  Liam
led her through the crowd and to a table off to the side of the stage, where he
finally took back his guitar and motioned for her to sit.
    “Kick
back and relax.  Order anything you want.”
    She
flicked his finger tips with hers and asked playfully, “Anything?”
    He
leaned down and kissed her on the lips.  It made her suddenly conscious of all
the eyes on them.
    “Anything.”
    Audrey
didn’t order much more than a couple waters that night.  She was too busy
getting lost in Liam’s simple performance; in the talented, powerful strokes of
his arm over the guitar’s tight strings.
    It was
only him and another man, who looked about the same age but sang with a soulful
easiness that Audrey hadn’t heard from someone in person before.  Between his
voice and Liam’s soothing guitar, they serenaded the mingling crowd until the
soft lights overhead flickered to life and the glowing sun started its descent
below the horizon.
    When
they finally finished their set and got a resounding applause from the small
collection of attendees, Liam returned with a brow full of sweat and a rosy
blush from running up and down the strings that covered the tips of his left
fingers.
    “So,” he
sighed and flopped onto the ground near her feet with his guitar still in
hand.  “What did you think?”
    “I think
you’re much more talented than I gave you credit for.”
    Liam
blotted his head with a paper napkin and rested his instrument back in its
case.
    “What, exactly, did you give me credit for, then?”
    She
chuckled and answered, “A lot of things.  I just didn’t know that you were so
good.”
    “Well
thank you.”  He took a few deep breaths and slipped his hand onto her thigh. 
“It’s getting dark.  Do you want to head back now?”
    “Not
yet,” Audrey said and brushed the hair out of his eyes.  She could see that he
was tired, but more than that, she could see that he was the kind of guy that
she dreamed about when she was younger.  One who cared about what happened to
her, who wanted to make her happy.  Though she still didn’t know if her