Steal Your Heart Away by Gina Presley Page B

were all talented enough, but nothing that blew me away.
     
    I looked around again to see that sure enough, every table in the house was full. I tried to catch glimpse of a few cute girls but had no such luck. Most of these girls were super indie and hipster. I felt so out of place with my True Religion jeans and leather jacket. I made good money and I dressed the part. There was nothing wrong with that.
     
    Finally, Steve nudged me with his elbow.
     
    “There she is,” he whispered into my ear.             
     
    When I looked on the stage I couldn’t believe how pretty she was. Maybe it was the alcohol, but all I could think was she did not belong in a joint like this. Her long raven black hair tumbled down her shoulders in soft waves, perfectly angled away from her face. I could see the overhead lights glowing in her big brown eyes that were set against a beautiful olive complexion.
     
    She wore black jeans that hugged her in all the right places and a cutoff sequin shirt that sparked my imagination. Two tattoos sat on her hip bones just before disappearing into her jeans. Although she was dressed very sexy, she had a young face that deemed innocence. Her small frame made her appear youthful, but still womanly. I wondered how old she was.
     
    It wasn’t hard to see that there was no way she was in Steve’s league. Don’t get me wrong, he was a good looking guy. He had a lot going for him and had a lot of good qualities. But a girl like that doesn’t belong to just anyone.
     
    When she opened her mouth to sing all doubts I had previously had were nothing but distant memories. Her voice had the sexy sultry tone of a true jazz singer but also the sweet melody of a classically trained musician. The way she swayed her body to the music and gently moved her hips had me in a daze and it was minutes before I realized that Steve was talking to me.
     
    “So what do you think?” he asked.
     
    “Sorry, the music was too loud. What did you say?”
     
    “Do you think I’ve got a shot?” he looked at me hopefully.
     
    “She’d be crazy not to give you a chance,” I smiled. I hated giving him false hope but he was my best friend and I didn’t want to see that light die in his eyes.
     
    “Here she comes,” he whispered before straightening his collar and running his fingers through his hair one last time.
     
    “Good to see you in here again, Steve!” She had a perfect smile, it was very contagious. “Is this your wife?” She asked, looking towards me. I tried but couldn’t contain my laughter.
     
    “No this is Amanda, my best friend.” She seemed to be relieved, maybe she was into Steve. Maybe I had underestimated him.
     
    “Very nice to meet you,” I extended my hand out to hers and when she took it, we met eyes for the first time. Something in her eyes intrigued me, told me that maybe there was something there. However, before she got back on stage it was Steve she sat and talked to. Discouraged, I reminded myself that this was Steve’s love interest, not mine. Besides, she was straight.
     
    When she returned to the stage she seemed to have become nervous. She missed a few notes and I could hear the shakiness in her voice. She must have really liked Steve. Although I wanted to be happy for him, I couldn’t help but be jealous.
     
    She was incredible. However, during her cover of Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love” I felt like it was me she was looking at. Whenever I met her stare she’d turn away. I would blush and look down at my drink or my phone, pretending to be preoccupied. Every time I looked up though, it was me she was looking at.

Chapter 4
     
    When she finished her last number she returned to our table and took a seat. She smiled at me and all of a sudden everything felt very uncomfortable. Steve gave me the “go away” look and I retreated to the bar. I sat down and watched from a distance.
     
    Steve was very animated in his conversation, I hoped he wasn’t