Chapter 11: Chapter 11

AVERY

“Whoa! Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” Olive jokes, fanning herself as she grins at Reed and me. “You two should go up there next.”

A group of tone-deaf guys is on stage butchering a classic Journey ballad. Any other night, I’d shake my head and refuse. But tonight, it sounds like the best idea Olive has ever had.

I give Reed a devilish smile, hopping off my stool and holding my hand out to him.

“I don’t know about that,” Reed says, eyeing me nervously.

“Come on! It’ll be so much fun,” I beg, sliding my hand around the meaty part of his bicep and tugging him toward the stage. “Besides, you’ve got my back, remember?”

His muscle swells under my hand. He glances down to where we touch before returning his gaze to me, the frown on his mouth slowly turning into a smile.

“I don’t have any rhythm,” he says. “I’ll only embarrass you.”

“Just follow my lead. It’s a piece of cake.” I grin, tossing his words from the gym back at him.

I pull on his arm, but he doesn’t move. I give up and look around him toward Devon, giving Reed a playful pout.

“What about you, Devon?” I ask, eyes flicking to Reed. “Can I count on you?”

Devon smiles and finishes the last of his drink, but before he has the chance to get off his seat, Reed stands up aggressively.

“I’ll go,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me toward the stage. “But be warned, Little Avery. It’s going to be bad.”

The guys finish their ear-splitting rendition, and we take the stage.

“What song do you want to do?” Reed asks as he flips through.

“You pick. Surprise me.” I wink back at him as I step up to the microphone and wait.

He makes his selection then joins me as a cutesy, Bruno Mars pop, doo wop tune flows from the speakers around us. My brows shoot up as he gives me a quick sideways glance.

~Is he nervous?~

He doesn’t have long to get ready before the lyrics pop up on the screen, and he looks to me as he begins singing. It’s a fast-paced beat, so I give him some motivation by smiling wide and pretending to shake a tambourine in my hands as he stumbles through the opening lines.

He messes up a couple of times and shakes his head, but I just shimmy and encourage him with some more of my stellar dance moves. He laughs and his guard slowly comes down.

As the first chorus kicks in, Reed’s initial jitters seem to evaporate. He opens his mouth wider, letting the song flow out and doing a playful twirl around me. His eyes follow the length of my body, a teasing smile playing on his lips as he sings about getting drunk and marrying me.

My heart can’t help but race.

~I’ve never seen Reed willingly be vulnerable like this. He’s always stuck to what he knows and what he’s good at.~

He’s not great, but I find myself swooning over his off-beat rhythm and off-key notes. He’s practically serenading me in front of a bar full of people.

When it’s my turn to sing, Reed transforms. His earlier nervousness is replaced by a confident swagger, and the bar erupts into infectious laughter. He catches me, spinning me into his body, swaying to the beat as he looks into my eyes like we’re the only two people in the room.

He joins in on the chorus, and I step back, circling him and letting my hand slide across his chest. The crowd erupts into cheers as I make my way around him, my body swaying in time with the beat. As the song draws to a close, he pulls me back against him, our bodies pressed close together.

We stand there, our smiles and laughter morphing into something more…something deeper. The rest of the bar fades away, leaving only this intense connection between us.

Reed’s gaze fills with a fiery need, and my body responds. His eyes flicker to my lips, a silent question in them. I find myself rising on my tiptoes, my face inching closer to his. There’s only a breath of space between us now.

A loud screech from the mic shatters the moment.

Startled, we both jump back, trying to stop the noise. Reed looks at me, a hint of disappointment on his face. I don’t get a chance to ask why as he leads me back to the bar and another couple steps up to perform.

“Did anyone ever tell you two that you have some serious chemistry?” Olive asks as soon as we sit down, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I half expected those mics to burst into flames at one point.”

Reed glances at me. I roll my eyes and laugh, trying to brush off the comment. But the truth is, I felt it too, like I was on the verge of combusting.

“I should probably head out soon. I have a client in the morning,” Reed says, glancing at his Apple Watch.

“Client? What do you do?” Olive asks.

“I train young fighters,” he replies, taking another sip of his nearly empty beer.

“You train them?” she repeats. “What do you teach them?”

“MMA mostly. Some kickboxing,” he explains, his voice growing rougher as he talks about his past. “Lets me stay connected to the sport I love after an injury took me out of the game.”

“What happened?” she asks.

“Tore my rotator cuff.” Reed shrugs, finishing off his beer.

“Why didn’t you just make a comeback?” Olive asks.

“I tried. Recovery took four months. When I came back, I knew I wasn’t the same fighter anymore, and I wasn’t proud of who I’d become.” He clears his throat quickly. “I retired and moved here to start over.”

“I’m calling us an Uber,” Devon interjects, pulling out his phone with a wink. “Get you ladies off to bed.”

Reed tenses beside me, and I shoot him a questioning look. He just smiles and picks up the tab, eyes trained on Devon.

Olive and Devon run off to the restroom as Reed and I head outside. The chilly weather is bearable until the wind picks up. I wrap my arms around myself, trying not to shiver. Reed rolls his eyes and pulls me into him, warming me immediately.

“So, Devon,” Reed says, his tone sounding surly. “Looks like you’ve already got a guy who’s interested in you.”

I laugh. “Devon is interested in Olive, not me.”

“It didn’t look that way,” Reed says with a frown.

I laugh even harder. “He told me so himself. He called me the night we went to dinner and asked what she liked so he could take her on a date. At first, I thought he was calling to ask me out.”

“Are you saying you wanted him to ask you out?”

“No. Olive said something about him liking me, so I thought… Doesn’t matter anyway. He’s into Olive.” I shrug. “It might’ve been fun though.”

“Do you like the guy?” Reed asks, his frown deepening.

“I’m just saying it would have been fun, Reed. I’m allowed to have fun.”

Olive and Devon come out just as our Uber arrives, halting whatever Reed was going to say next. Olive reaches up to touch his face.

“Good night, tall, dark, and…smoldering,” she slurs, laughing at her own joke as Devon helps her into the car.

I laugh too. “Smoldering,” I repeat, chuckling.

Reed glances at me, unamused, but it only makes me laugh harder. I lean against him, rising on my tiptoes and placing a tipsy kiss to his cheek. My lips tingle as I pull away, catching the way Reed’s gaze darkens.

“Good night, Reed.”

Reed steps back as I get in the car, shutting the door and leaning in through the window.

“Don’t forget about tomorrow night, Avery. It’s time to see what you’ve got.”