Shy and successful Broadway singer, Carmen, is finally at the point in her career where she is auditioning for her dream role. After meeting Owen at the local coffee shop, it seems like everything is perfectly lining up for Carmen's future. When fac...
Owen held tightly to Carmen's left hand as he weaved through the crowd of people. Carmen slipped along behind him, hoping what she was slipping on was only beer. There was a distinct smell of stale alcohol and smoke of more than one kind that only grew thicker as she approached the center of the room.
She couldn't help but notice a better path to get where they were going, but Carmen allowed Owen to lead until he finally stopped, spun around, and pulled her towards him.
They swayed in time to the music and the crowd as his hand kept her glued to his side. Carmen could feel his strong arm wrapped around her back as she moved her hips to the rhythm of the drummer.
If Amy were there, she would have said, "Carmen, you are a dancer by trade. What are you doing?" And Carmen had to admit she would be right.
On stage, she would be confident and precise. But here, wrapped in the arms of a man she might like and surrounded by sweat-soaked people she hoped to never see again, she couldn't seem to make her body move how it should.
"I probably look so awkward," she spoke out loud, knowing no one could hear.
She tried to relax as she followed Owen's lead and moved about the crowd, swaying to the music, but her anxious brain was racing a million thoughts a minute.
"All right this is our last song for tonight," the frontman shouted into the microphone, his voice growing hoarse. Probably from singing with that poor technique all night. He'd feel a lot better if he would listen to a vocal coach.
The crowd responded with a mix of boos and applause as Carmen shouted into Owen's ear, "How about one more beer?"
He scrunched up his face and Carmen couldn't tell if it was confusion or disgust. Hoping it was only confusion, Carmen mimed taking a drink and repeated her question.
"Do you want to get one more beer before it's over?"
Owen nodded, so Carmen slid her hand down his arm until her hand was in his. Then she set off towards the bar, dragging Owen behind her as she tried to navigate the sticky, slippery floors. Thank God these shoes are washable.
Carmen was glad to have her drink as a distraction while she listened to the last song and snuck in several glances at Owen. Somehow, he looked better now than he had when he arrived. She smiled to herself and put the glass to her lips to mask her excitement.
As the last notes rang out, and a man announced the short break between acts, the relative silence of the club made Carmen feel like her ears were stuffed full of bees.
"So, you ready to go?" Owen asked as she finished her drink. "We could grab something to eat if you want. I know a little place just around the corner that . . ."
He trailed off as his face slowly turned a darker shade of red as he waited for Carmen to answer.
"Of course," Carmen grabbed his hand again and led the way out of the club.
Turning her head back to see that he was following her, she added, "I love food."
When they finally squeezed their way out of the packed club and escaped the group of smokers circling the entrance, Carmen decided to break some of the awkwardness between them.
"How do you know them?" Carmen asked. "The band, I mean."
"How do you know I know the band?" Owen looked like he was kidding, but Carmen couldn't be sure, so she answered him.
"I don't. It just seemed like you might," she shrugged, not wanting to say I don't know why else you would hang out in a place like this.
Owen laughed heartily as he offered her his hand. She placed her hand in his and followed him as he took off down the sidewalk.
"Well, you were right. My old buddy from high school used to be their drummer before he got a real job as he calls it, so I still check the band out every now and then when they have a gig," he walked her across the street. They had to move quickly to avoid an oncoming car.
He didn't seem like the kind of person who would have gone to a high school with guys like that. He seemed way too buttoned up for that, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt and didn't pry.
"They were better than I expected," Carmen had to walk more quickly than usual to keep up with his brisk pace. "I really liked it."
"Yeah, they're all right, I think." Owen led Carmen to a small shop just around the corner and then stopped her dead in her tracks only two steps from the door.
"What?" Carmen asked as she almost collided with the suddenly still Owen.
"Don't tell anyone," he smiled as he pulled her through the door by her hand. "But I like this cafe better than mine."
"Who am I going to tell?" she laughed, "Your boss? I've never even met the owner of that cafe."
Carmen tried to put on a reassuring smile, but was distracted when her phone started buzzing.
"My boss?" Owen looked confused.
Carmen was distracted by the continued buzzing of her phone, "I've only ever been there twice and you saw them both."
Owen laughed a little as Carmen fiddled with her clutch to get the phone out.
"I really should start carrying more sensible purses," Carmen was trying to keep the conversation light, but she was worried something bad had happened. No one ever called her. Ever.
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