I Don't Wanna Wait

Chapter Three

I could tell it, by the look in your eyes

S k y l a r

He's only five songs into his set and I'm already hooked. All of his choices have been personal and filled with soul. I think what is impressing me most in his presence on stage. Even though he's in this small hole in the wall, he commands the attention of everyone in the room like he's playing on a stage for thousands. I can't stop watching the way his strong hands grip the microphone and the squint his face gets as he's belting out a note.

"Down girl." Sam comments and I sit back in our booth taking a sip of my drink trying to to play it cool.

"He's good.." I say drifting off and motioning to the stage. "And he's amazing in front of the crowd."

"You like him." I smack his arm.

"We went over this, it's not a boy thing, it's a band thing." The annoyance in my voice is clear. I finish off my vodka and cranberry and turn to Sam. "One more song then we'll hit the road." I'm thanking God I said we'd stay for one more song when I hear the must to Frank Sinatra's My Way, one of my absolute favorites. I'm in a complete trance watching him transform himself in a more serious role. He starts off low and slow and I can feel the goose bumps rise on my skin. What I love most is the way his voice sounds in comparison to the original. It still has incredible emotion, but it's different when Nick is singing it, almost like he's pleading. Like he wants this to work so he can perform for himself. He's good enough to be on world tours, I can't believe he hasn't had his break yet. The song is ending as I realize I might be the one to give him that break.

N i c k

I finish My Way and look to that back booth again. I could spot her anywhere even though she looks ridiculous in her wig and make-up, I still know Skylar is in the audience tonight which still feels like a dream. What feels like even more of a dream is that we're going to go to her house later tonight and play.

"Alright folks, Thanks for listening. I'm gonna take twenty and I'll be back with some more hits."

I wink her way and take turn to head back stage. The band follows me as I grab a water and head to one of the couches in the big dressing room we all share. I'm not surprised to see Kevin and Joe sprawled out on two couches.

"How'd it go?" Joe asks not even bothering to raise his head from his phone he's playing on.

"Skylar is here." I say flopping down on one of the couches still in shock. Joe and Kevin rush towards me. "And I winked at her, I don't even think this is real."

"WHAT!?"

"What do you mean she's here!!?" Kevin tries to get a real answer while Joe just keeps screaming WHAT.

"JOE SHUT UP!" I snap and he finally shuts the hell up. "She's here, I'm guessing to see me perform we did tell her about it. She's in a really bad wig and make-up sitting in a booth in the back.

"I gotta go see." Joe is running out the door and Kevin sits back down.

"Wow. This is amazing. I just never imagined when we were going to her auditions that she would actually be interested in us."

"Dude..." I say hitting his arm. "We're good." I've always believed in the music more than my brothers have. They both are talented with their instruments, but music is my life. Where Kevin and Joe both went to college, but Kevin was the only who who finished. I just wanted to chase where ever the music took me. I've been playing at Spanks now for two years which gives me enough money to live in my own small apartment and cover my bills. Kevin works in publishing, pretty low on the totem pole, but he makes I pretty good living. I intern there part time as well mostly just reading through manuscripts and seeing if they're worth anybody else's time. Joe is of course the wild card. I think he's had every job under the sun, but recently he's been selling cars at a dealership. Even with all his job turnover he always has enough money to live, never asking anyone for anything which I admire him dearly for. Joe runs back in out of breath. He has way too much energy.

"She's leaving...What if she didn't like you." My heart almost stops. I didn't think of that, what if this was a test that I just failed?

"Joe.." Kevin scolds, but he knows that it's already done, I'm thinking the worst.

"I'll just go ask Patti." Patti is one of the severs who has been here forever. She always keeps and eye out for me scoping out what customers are there for more than just enjoying the music. It hasn't been anything big yet, but I've had people come in and hire me for weddings and parties or refer me to a friend to hire me after they've seen me perform. Since the hundred or so person crowd is usually regulars she'll be able to tell me if anyone knew liked what they saw. I run out to see her dropping off drinks at a table. I wave her over to the hallway I'm leaning out of and she finishes up with the table and comes over.

"Yes suga?" She is a naturally flirty woman in her late forties. The customers love her because she knows how to put on the charm.

"There was a girl here tonight, she had platinum blonde hair and was wearing a ton of-"

"Yeah I saw her." I wait for Patti to elaborate, but she doesn't.

"Patti! You're killing me." She pops her gum.

"Oh yeah? What do you wanna know?"

"Everything!" I don't mean to snap, but I need to know.

"Okay, okay." She pops her gum again. "I saw here come in with some guy and she had some tequila. They sat down and she and she was watching. They talked some. Then the left." My hopes drop, that can't be it.

"Did she seem like she liked it?"

"Liked it? Honey she couldn't stop watching you the whole time she was here."

Holy shit.

S k y l a r

"You can say what you want Samuel Anthony, but I just think he's a talented musician with impressive stage presence." We walk into my house while I take my wig and wig cap off letting my wavy hair free. Sam laughs out loud.

"You can keep lying to yourself, but I know you have a crush on him" I throw my wig at him.

"Fuck you!" I say in more of a playful manner even though I'm frustrated I have to keep explaining myself. I might have a bit of a musicians crush on him, but that's different from a real crush. Totally different. "I gotta get ready for the guys to come, are you gonna head out?" I didn't even think it was possible, but an even bigger smile spreads across Sam's face.

"Oh so you don't want me here when Nick comes over?" He draws out Nick's name and starts dancing around my living room. "You want Nick to be your booooyfriend!" He teases me until I start throwing my pillows at him.

"You are such an asshole!" My voice is high and squeaky as we jump from couch to couch launching the plethora of pillows I have at each other. I dodge one from him while he jumps and throws kicking over my lamp smashing it.

"Shit.." Sam says shaking his head and we both start laughing. We are adults. I laugh so hard I can't even stand, flinging myself into the couch laughing with tears in my eyes. Sam is laughing just as hard, sometimes we really are stupid.

"What are you kids doing!?" Kolinda comes in broom in hand makings us laugh even harder. She shakes her head and starts muttering in Spanish under her breath. I drag my body off the couch and grab the broom and small trash can she has.

"We had a little accident, thanks for the broom." I say still laughing as I head for the mess. "Sam, put the pillows back on the couch while I get this up." Kolinda leaves us be and we keep chuckling as we finish our tasks.

"I'll buy you a new lamp?" Sam gets another round of giggles out of me until I finally give him a hug and kiss and send him away so I can get ready for the boys to come over. Running to my room, I take off the dress and heels along with the heavy make up I'm wearing. I spring for a pair of green slouchy harem pants and a white shirt with skinny black stripes.  It looks good on my lean figure.  The shirt sits about an inch above the pant so you can see my tan stomach peaking out a bit.  I know I look good.  I make my makeup a lot lighter than it was at the club and throw on some darker lip stain.  I grab my van slip ons and look at my gold watch, I still have some time til the boys come so I head outside to read a couple more chapters to pass the time.  

I hear the buzz from the intercom that means they're at my security gate.  I jump up and press the green button to open the gate letting them into my property.  I pace a little bit worried about what our session is going to be like.  The doorbell rings and I guess I'm about to find out...