where she belted out ‘I Will Survive’ to a thunderous round of applause.
As the night went on various people got up to sing. Some relished the attention, others were a little timid, but Marcus rewarded each singer with a drink voucher.
“Okay, the next table is lucky seven,” Marcus announced.
Kelli and I looked at each other in dumb silence.
Cooper jumped up. “Cool, I’ll sing!”
But Kelli pulled him back down quickly. “There is no way you are getting up there.”
I laughed at Kelli’s reaction.
“Why not, babe?” Cooper asked a little dejected.
“Because every time you sing at a karaoke bar, you sing ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’.” She leaned over to me. “I swear he thinks he’s Tom Cruise in Top Gun .”
“Well someone has to sing,” I said, looking around the room. “Everyone’s waiting.”
Kelli had the most defiant look on her face I had ever seen. “You know how I feel about singing. I would rather chew glass.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in her chair. There was no way she would volunteer. I knew she wasn’t entirely joking about preferring to chew glass.
I was starting to think that I may have to get up.
“I’ll do it.” We all looked up at Riley as he stood and started to turn towards the stage, then he leaned in to Kelli and winked. “This is payback for introducing me to Tara.”
He was clearly nervous and looked over to me for support, as he inhaled and then slowly exhaled. I smiled and nodded encouragingly to him and he smiled his crooked smile back. He placed his hands on the microphone which was still in the stand in front of him and leaned in, making the muscles in his arms tense, the edge of his T-shirt now pulled tight around his biceps. A group of girls wolf whistled and called out something that sounded like ‘get it off!’ and his eyes flicked over in their direction for a split second before settling back onto me.
The music started and I instantly recognised the song. He had chosen ‘Just the Way You Are’ by Bruno Mars. Watching Riley sing was surreal; it was like being in a movie. Everything around me faded to black, until it felt like we were the only two people in the room. As he stood there, still leaning in with both hands resting on the microphone, his body started to rock back and forth in time with the music. The girls in the audience went ballistic, but his gaze never left my face—he sang every word to me, and in return, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
At the end of the song he stepped back and exhaled, puffing out his cheeks, then smiled a full beaming smile. The crowd—mainly the girls—cheered loudly and wolf whistled once more, trying to gain his attention, but he didn’t seem to hear them as he made his way back to the table.
Kelli tapped me on the arm. “You can wipe that lustful grin off your face now.”
“Huh? Oh yeah, sorry.” I blushed.
Riley sat back down, looking happy that it was over. “Remind me never to do that again. I’d rather jump out of a plane any day of the week.”
He leaned back in his chair and casually slung his arm along the back of my chair, effectively putting his arm around me.
Leaning over, I gave him a little kiss on the cheek. “You were awesome,” I told him.
I knew it was bold of me to kiss him, but it was restrained, compared to what I really wanted to do at that moment. My body felt like it was on fire.
“It was worth the embarrassment just to get a kiss,” he replied shyly, lightly stroking my bare shoulder with his thumb.
“My boy’s got moves,” Cooper observed with a grin as he took another swig of his beer.
Riley laughed, but from the way Cooper flinched, I was sure he’d kicked Cooper under the table.
I looked at Kelli out the corner of my eye and grinned. She just rolled her eyes at me and laughed, watching Riley’s thumb continue to stroke my shoulder. I exhaled, and, biting my bottom lip, took a sneaky look at Riley. He was watching
As the night went on various people got up to sing. Some relished the attention, others were a little timid, but Marcus rewarded each singer with a drink voucher.
“Okay, the next table is lucky seven,” Marcus announced.
Kelli and I looked at each other in dumb silence.
Cooper jumped up. “Cool, I’ll sing!”
But Kelli pulled him back down quickly. “There is no way you are getting up there.”
I laughed at Kelli’s reaction.
“Why not, babe?” Cooper asked a little dejected.
“Because every time you sing at a karaoke bar, you sing ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’.” She leaned over to me. “I swear he thinks he’s Tom Cruise in Top Gun .”
“Well someone has to sing,” I said, looking around the room. “Everyone’s waiting.”
Kelli had the most defiant look on her face I had ever seen. “You know how I feel about singing. I would rather chew glass.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in her chair. There was no way she would volunteer. I knew she wasn’t entirely joking about preferring to chew glass.
I was starting to think that I may have to get up.
“I’ll do it.” We all looked up at Riley as he stood and started to turn towards the stage, then he leaned in to Kelli and winked. “This is payback for introducing me to Tara.”
He was clearly nervous and looked over to me for support, as he inhaled and then slowly exhaled. I smiled and nodded encouragingly to him and he smiled his crooked smile back. He placed his hands on the microphone which was still in the stand in front of him and leaned in, making the muscles in his arms tense, the edge of his T-shirt now pulled tight around his biceps. A group of girls wolf whistled and called out something that sounded like ‘get it off!’ and his eyes flicked over in their direction for a split second before settling back onto me.
The music started and I instantly recognised the song. He had chosen ‘Just the Way You Are’ by Bruno Mars. Watching Riley sing was surreal; it was like being in a movie. Everything around me faded to black, until it felt like we were the only two people in the room. As he stood there, still leaning in with both hands resting on the microphone, his body started to rock back and forth in time with the music. The girls in the audience went ballistic, but his gaze never left my face—he sang every word to me, and in return, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
At the end of the song he stepped back and exhaled, puffing out his cheeks, then smiled a full beaming smile. The crowd—mainly the girls—cheered loudly and wolf whistled once more, trying to gain his attention, but he didn’t seem to hear them as he made his way back to the table.
Kelli tapped me on the arm. “You can wipe that lustful grin off your face now.”
“Huh? Oh yeah, sorry.” I blushed.
Riley sat back down, looking happy that it was over. “Remind me never to do that again. I’d rather jump out of a plane any day of the week.”
He leaned back in his chair and casually slung his arm along the back of my chair, effectively putting his arm around me.
Leaning over, I gave him a little kiss on the cheek. “You were awesome,” I told him.
I knew it was bold of me to kiss him, but it was restrained, compared to what I really wanted to do at that moment. My body felt like it was on fire.
“It was worth the embarrassment just to get a kiss,” he replied shyly, lightly stroking my bare shoulder with his thumb.
“My boy’s got moves,” Cooper observed with a grin as he took another swig of his beer.
Riley laughed, but from the way Cooper flinched, I was sure he’d kicked Cooper under the table.
I looked at Kelli out the corner of my eye and grinned. She just rolled her eyes at me and laughed, watching Riley’s thumb continue to stroke my shoulder. I exhaled, and, biting my bottom lip, took a sneaky look at Riley. He was watching
Similar Books
