“Thank you,” he nodded her way before turning his attention back to me. “She said we. You feel the same then?”
“Of course,” was the most articulate thing I could come up with.
“Good, because a few times I lost track of where I was in the middle of a song, and hoped I’d picked back up in the right place without anyone noticing,” he admitted.
“I never noticed,” I assured him.
“Oh good, because it was your fault.”
“Mine?” I asked, still trying to process the words. “How could I have had anything to do with it?”
“You’re beautiful,” he stated in a low, gravelly voice, one so smooth he could have still been considered to be singing.
I cocked my head, felt my brows furrow in response. My mouth tightened into a flat line that prevented speech.
“It’s not a line. Honestly,” he practically whispered as he leaned in closer to me. “You are beautiful. To distraction in fact. I spotted you out here during one of my first sets, and I could barely focus. Good thing I’ve sung these songs a thousand times. Obviously, I could do it in my sleep, or when I’m distracted. Highly.”
“I…I don’t know what to say,” I stammered again, consciously forcing my face to relax.
“Say I can buy you a drink,” he offered. “My name is Lex, by the way. What’s yours?”
“Christina.”
“A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
I simply gave him a brief nod of acknowledgment that he’d spoken. Speechless, his words had struck me mute by the way he’d hit on me, like I’d watched men do to Chloe and other women I’d been out with.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to embarrass you,” he said. “Can I get you a drink?”
“I’d love that,” I spoke hesitantly.
Even as honest as he seemed, as genuine as his voice sounded, in my limited experience, I had trouble buying into all he said. The words, so foreign to my ears, or at least being directed at me, caused a suspension of disbelief. Besides, everything he had said would have been some hokey line had I not wanted to believe him so desperately.
“What were you drinking?”
“Cosmo.”
“Same for you?” He inquired of Chloe.
“Yep,” she smiled.
I envied her ease.
When he moved into the crowd of people milling around now that the band was on a break, she winked at me.
“What just happened here?” I asked.
“I think the sexy lead singer guy you’ve been staring at all night likes you back,” she stated as if I were a fool.
“Really? Could a guy like that possibly think I’m beautiful?”
“Why wouldn’t he?” She asked, a hint of anger deepening her voice.
I shrugged.
“You need to read more romances, girl! Listen, Christina, I don’t know what’s up with you, but let that guy be the solution. Suck up the moment. Don’t overanalyze it. And, if presented the chance, have a one night stand!” She exclaimed. “When he comes back, I’ll thank him for my drink and make up an excuse about going to find Sarah.”
“You’re going to leave me alone with him?”
“Absolutely! This time, you are not avoiding your chance at a relationship,” she grumbled.
“What chances?”
“Exactly,” she huffed. “You don’t give any guy a chance to get close. You are beautiful. Let him think so!”
“Okay,” I grumbled back. I swallowed hard and put a hand on my stomach. I needed to settle the hoard of butterflies that had gone to war in there. Tonight, with this guy, more than ever, I wanted to let go, to just see what would happen. If I could manage that would be the true question.
When he came back and sat down, gorgeous smile lighting up his eyes and all, Chloe did as she’d said and made a quick exit from the table.
“Look, I only have ten minutes left to my break, but I’m hoping that you will stick around till my last set is over. I’d love to get a chance to really talk to you,” he spoke with his beer bottle raised.