Songs Unsung - Book One

Chapter Thirty Four

THIS CHAPTER WILL BE TOLD IN CHASE'S PERSPECTIVE

She was magnificent. Her hair had been softly curled and fell gently over her blushed cheeks. She slept so peacefully against Mia's shoulder, who in turn was resting her head against the window of the plane.

I couldn't help but stare at her - and I would for hours if she'd let me. She was an imperfect package of complete perfection and with every day that passed, I grew to only love her more.

She had me completely spell bound and as I let my thoughts of my previous lifestyle encompass my mind, I gave a soft shake of the head in bewilderment of how I came to fall hopelessly in love when I had absolutely no intention of ever letting it happen.

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THREE YEARS EARLIER

"Chase Thomas! Give us a smile!" the cameras flashed heavily in my eyes as I made my way from the car to the concert after party. I had tunnel vision for three things and three things only. Booze, women and more booze - not necessarily in that order.

The minute I walked through the door, the dance music filled my ears.

"Chase! Buddy! Here, get this into ya!" the unnamed, brown haired party-goer called as he placed a tall glass of dark liquid in my hand before placing his arm around my shoulder. With that, I paused from my stride, turned to look at his hand that fell over my shoulder and back to his face with a blank expression.

He immediately dropped his arm to his side whilst blinking excessively. "Ah, umm look!" he stuttered whilst pointing to the direction of the bar. "There's Rihanna, I'd... ah better go say hi" he continued before disappearing into the crowd of A-listers and their convoys.

I set my mind on the task at hand, downed my drink and completed my mission in a matter of minutes by plonking six shot glasses, one after the other onto the bars' marble face. Whilst I awaited my next drink, I turned to skim my eyes over the room - visually choosing my counterparts for the night.

"I thought you might have left already" came a voice from my right. I turned in delight to see Jimmy my public relations representative who constantly finds himself unluckily in love with women well out of his league.

"I've only just dipped my line in the water" I said with a wink. "We have to wait for a bite"

"Well then" Jimmy started with a large smile "Let the fishing begin!" he said with his drink raised in my direction before continuing to scour the room.

"Her" I motioned my eyes for Jimmy to see toward a young, striking brunette wearing an extremely short red dress. "And her two friends" I continued pausing to smile in his direction before taking a sip of my drink.

"You sure do have the life Chase! I'll give you that!" Jimmy stated through a half smile.

I gulped my drink and sat it loudly on the bar. "No point stuffing about then" I announced before making my way toward the striking woman who intimately chatted with her friends.

As I walked behind her, I pushed myself into her back causing her to spill her drink. "Oh, excuse me" I said apologetically whilst holding the small of her back. In shock, she wiped her drink from her dress with a frown and turned to look at me. "Chase Thomas!" she gasped before continuing to make it clear that my apology was accepted and introduce me to her friends. As all three women gushed and giggled like star struck teenagers, I turned my attention back to Jimmy at the bar, giving him a slight wink upon making eye contact with him. In return, he shook his head in exasperation as he had seen the same scene play out in front of him each night with different women.

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I woke to find three naked women passed out in my bed with little recollection of how they came to be there. I turned my head to retrieve my phone from the bedside table to send Lacey the usual text message - she knew the drill.

A few minutes after pressing send, the fire alarm sounded, all three women rose from their slumber and ran for their lives toward Lacey's screaming demands to exit the building. After the alarm had been disengaged, I could fall back to sleep without the need of an awkward farewell.

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I continued to shake my head as the memory of those days flashed through my mind before turning to have my eyes fall on the blissfully unaware Annabelle who still slept peacefully on Mia's shoulder.

It was as though she had flicked a switch inside of me the day she first let her eyes lock with mine. My existence changed from numb and lifeless to warm and hopeful instantly.

She brought love into my cold world and I still wonder every day what wizardry she used to do it.