(A new concept I'm adding to my writing is anything inside of slashes / / (- like so) means its being sung. I hope that makes sense, and this chapter is dedicated to hookedonwords who is a huge inspiration to me as a writer. :D So this story is Paul's turn so this is totaly from his point of view. You will find out that Emmett wasn't the only one to get drunk and kiss somebody he probably shouldn't have, the only difference is that, Paul kissed the person he should be with.)
The lights burn on me' skin as I stood on stage. This was me' one true home, always has been, a young 14-year old boy was nervous as he stayed focus on the music as he stood center stage. Our fearless scottish leader and the surfer were harmonizing perfectly as me' desperado counter-part was harmonizing with me. I love this song it was a song I had been singing since I was a wee lad, and the light dancing we had te' do was making me like it more. I sang each word faultless and heartfelt as I hoped I got the message across.
/Let me tell you that I love you and I think about you all the time./ We all sang together, I with this misfit band of singers. The thrill of the thunderous applause at the end of the song sent a wave of adrenaline around me' body. We all signed off from the aduience in our own ways and soon we were all back stage.
"Great job Damo." I clasped me' hands on the young boys shoulder. Feeling a stange sense of big brotherhood toward him.
"Thank ye' Paul." Damo smiled up at me with his heavy accent that was only ampilphied by his braces.
"Paul! Ye' comin' out for drinks with us?" Keith said walking up te' Damo and I.
"Love te', but what about poor little damo?"
"He can hang out with us, he just can't drink. Is that okay Damo?" Keith turned toward the young boy and I noticed Ryan and George were missing. Where did they go? The concert just ended so where in the blazing hell below could they have gone in such a short time? "Sure, sounds fun watching ye' guys get hammered." He laughed and I playfully threw me' arm around his neck and began a search for the last members of our little group. A surge of excitement and adrenaline flowed through each of our veins and after like half-an-hour Damo, Keith and I finaly found George.
"Hey, where did ye' go?and where's Ryan?" I was the first one te' speak up.
"Ryan was tired so I took him back te' the hotel. Are we still going for drinks tonight?"
"Sounds grand te' me." I shrugged and George looked down at Damo.
"Ye' coming with us?"
"I like te' if thats all right."
"I think we can deal with ye' for a little while." I smirked at George's joke and Damo smiled as Keith laughed lightly. If I had known what the night was gonna bring te' me I don't know if I would have gone with them.
"Uh...Paul?" I was stopped by a meek voice as we were about te' leave the theater. I turned te' see one of our band members, who was the lead guitarist.
"Oh, hi. It's...hammer right? No, it's Nail?" the name of the guitarist before mehad escaped me completely and totaly.
"It's Neil." His voice was meek as a smile came te' his face bacause of my forgetfullness.
"Neil, thats right, sorry 'bout that. Anyway, whats up?" I released Damo from underneath me' arm and he went ahead te' join the group that was almost te' our ride.
"Ummm... I was just wondering if ye' knew where Ryan was? I just need te' tell him something, it's really important." Seriousness coated his eyes and I could tell that it was actualy important. I knew Neil and Ryan had spent a lot of time together recently, so what could Neil have te' tell him? Curiousity was gonna eat at me all night if I didnt find out.
"He went back te' the hotel, but he might come back out with us."
"Oh, okay...thanks." Neil looked dissapointed.
"Hey, why don't ye' come with us ye' might see him there?"
"No, it's alright I go te' the hotel and see if I can catch him before-hand thanks for the invite though..." He trailed off as he walked past me te' his seprate car.
"Okay." I whispered as he was out of ear shot. something shook me' shoulder violently and I was pulled from the memory, and soon I realized I was in the theater and that I was in a taxi-cab with Ryan.
"Com'on we're here." Ryan nuddged again as he got out of the cab.
"Where's here again?" I asked as I followed him te' the front of the store we were dropped off.
"Well ye' forgot ye' tux back in the states so we're getting ye' a new one and I still have te' get mine as well." Ryan opened the door and stepped through and I followed him only a few steps behind.
"Huh, I'm sure Neil would be delighted te' hear that. Ye' know, since the wedding is in four days." I smiled as Ryan relized the amount of blackmail material he just gave me.
"Paul, please don't." He begged and I couldn't help but laugh deeply.
"Don't worry, Ryan, I won't ruined ye'r wedding day. Maybe ye'r honeymoon, but I'll let ye' guys get married first." I smiled and Ryan calmed down as he realized the joke. The next couple hours we spent getting fitted for our suits, and even though I made small talk and laughed at Ryan's jokes I wasn't really in the modern day I was letting me' mind race back te' the night when I realized the love of me' life.
We were sitting in a corner booth of the bar. Keith sat next te' me blocking me into the corner while George was sitting next te' Damo who was sitting across from me. I stared at the beer in me' hand as George and Keith laughed at something they found funny. Damo was just as bored as I was, except his eyes were slowly getting heavier and soon he was sleeping on his folded arms, his empty glass of soda was pressed away from him.
"We probably should have let him come." I chuckled as I ruffled little Damo's hair and Keith and George looked over.
"Poor kid." George said with a light chuckle.
"I'll take him back te' the hotel, then come back, okay?" Keith said getting out of our table.
"I could take him back if ye' want?" I offered, but Keith shook his head.
"Nah, it's alright I got him." George got out of the booth and Keith slowly pulled Damo out bearly pulling him to an awaken state. Damo fell right back asleep as Keith lifted him into his arms the way a father would carry a child te' bed. "The hotel is within walking distance so when we're drunk we can just walk, so I'll take the car back now." Keith said and then he made his way out of the bar with the sleeping 14-year old in his arms.
"Oy, whats got ye' so quiet?" George asked as he sat back down and I lightly took a sip from me' glass.
"Just thinkin' really." I said never meeting his eyes.
"Woman troubles?"
"Of sorts, I guess."
"What's the problem?"
"Married with a little girl, and the husband would never even kinda consider leaving..." I said me' voice faultering. Nothing I told him was a lie, but I was definitly leaving some parts of the story out.
"Do ye' truely think ye'r in love?"
"Yes."
"Then...go for it." I was shocked that that was the advice George was giving me.
"Seriously?" I didn't completely believe he had actualy said to go for it.
"Of course. true love can't be stopped no matter what else is in the way even a ring can't stop true love."
"I pretty sure she is madly in love with him though.."
"Oh I'm sorry." We sat in silence for a few moments then I downed the rest of me' drink.
"I think I'm just gonna go."I said looking at the now empty glass.
"Are ye' sure?" George looked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Ye' better stay here for when Keith comes back." I got up but just then Keith decided te' walk through the door and noticed I was about te' leave.
"No. Ye'r not leaving just yet." He playfully pushed me' shoulder and forced me back into the booth. "I just got back from playing parent so now I want te' be a drunk young man." He chugged his lukewarm beer that he had left there and I chuckled and decieded te' stay much te' Keith's delight. A few hours passed us by and as Keith fell deeper and deeper into a drunken stupor George and I only stayed buzzed because neither of us felt like getting truely wasted.
"She's tooootalllllly checking meeee out." Keith was rocking back and forth in his seat as he noticed the blonde from across the bar that was actualy checking him out. "Should I gooooo say hiiii?" Keith looked over at me and I couldn't help but laugh as I nodded.
"Yeah, go for it, ye' hot stud."
"I think I will." He said staggering te' his feet and set of for across the bar.
"He is totaly wrecked." George snickered at me' comment as we watched him hit on the young girl that couldn't be older then him.
"Hey, that one over there seems te' find ye' interesting." George said lightly gesturing past me and I turned te' see an older woman about her thirties with long dark brown hair still waering a lawyer's uniform.
"Not me' type." I said looking back at the new drink I aquired and sip a little bit off the top as I glanced over at the blonde surfer who seemed te' be making a fool out of himself.
"No?" George asked with a quizzical look in his eye.
"A little te' much hair." I chuckled at the irony of me' sentence.
"Ye' like shorter hair?"
"Yeah, doesn't get in the way as much, same reason why I keep mine gelled up." I smiled up at the scot before me as he laughed at the new information he had learned.
"I still think ye' should go talk te' her." I took another glance at her and figured another try might just work. Maybe this woman could help me get over the one person I couldn't have. I smiled at George then took a long cold drink and set off toward the mystery woman.
"Ye' know tequlia tastes a lot better then whiskey." I said as I walked up next te' her noticing the smell of whiskey on his breath.
"Really? I don't think I've ever tried it." She said with a smile as she clearly got what I was trying te' do.
"Then how about I buy ye' one and let ye' try ye'r self?" I smiled and she nodded shyly. I ordered the drinks and made small talk and finally she picked up on the fact I didn't want te' be here.
"Ye'r not interested in me are ye'?" I looked up at her realizing I wasn't even paying full attention te' her.
"What makes ye' say that?"
"Because I don't even know ye'r name and ye' don't want te' know mine." "I'm sorry...there's just someone else who I-"
"Can't have?" She completed me' statement, and I gave her a shocked look. "I know how that is and I understand and admire ye' for trying." She smiled at me with a sweet smile and I didn't feel bad for not paying attention te' her. "Give me ye'r hand." I did as I was told and she pulled out a pen from her pocket and started writing on me' hand. "If ye' ever need te' talk te' someone who doesn't know ye' call this number and ask for Miranda. I'll answer eventually."
"Thank ye'." I said and she nodded with a happy smile. "Miranda's a very pretty name, I'm Paul."
"I know." She said taking another drink of her almost empty glass.
"Ye' know? How?"
"I was at ye'r concert a couple hours ago." She smiled and I couldn't help smile back.
"Why are ye' still in ye'r work uniform?" I asked with a crooked smile.
"How did ye' know that this is me' work uniform?" She asked a little preplexed.
"I'm very observant."
"I had te' go right after work then I wanted te' get a drink after words." We said our good byes and I made me' return te' the table that had a very drunk surfer and a stern looking scottish man sitting inside.
"Did'ja get her number?" Keith asked as he downed another shot.
"I did, did ye' get the blonde's?"
"Nah, she wasn't as innnnnnnnto me as I ttttttttthought." I laughed and sat next te' George who seemed a little disapointed.
"What's wrong with ye'?" I asked him as Keith laied his head on the table for a second.
"oh, it's nothing just thinking is all." He gave me a sympathetic smile and I could tell he was lying through his teeth.
"Hey, do ye' guys ever think I will find someone?" Keith pulled his head up from the table as he spoke and his eyes looked a lite shade of pink as if he were about te' cry.
"Of course, Keith. Ye' are a good looking smart guy." I said lightly rested me' hand on his shoulder and he nodded very slowly.
"Ye' just need te' find the right person." George backed me up as he seemed te' shake his dissapointed expression.
"Where am I supposed te' find this person?" His eyes scanned the crowd but by the look in his eyes ye' knew he wasn't expecting te' find anybody.
"They might be right in front of ye', or maybe ye' haven't met them yet. When the time comes you'll know, I promise." I smiled at him, and then like a cold breeze, I felt me' spine shiver and coil and I turned te' look around the bar. Suddenly I didn't want te' be here, and I could feel all me' secrets fighting for control as I fought back tears as me' own words rand through me' ears like drums through a battle field.
"I'm gonna get goin' I'm kinda tired." I lied as I stood up and I felt George's eyes following me with an intense concern. I rushed out of the bar as the words kept ringing, each time getting louder and by the time I made it outside I rested me' head against the wall as far away from the door as possible. I wanted te' keeping walking, but me' crushing loneliness swallowed me with out remorse.
"Paul, are ye' alright? I saw ye' run out of the bar..." A woman's voice came from in front of me and as I looked up I saw Miranda kneeling before me. I opened me' mouth te' speak but nothing came out and I couldn't think straight as I focused all me' energy into pushing back the tears. Then another voice came from the door of the bar, and I knew the sound all te' well.
"Paul?" The scottish accent was heavy and a little out of place in the sea of irishmen and women. George came over and knelt by me' side as I noticed Keith came out and joined us. I was so embaressed te' be breaking down like this and over nothing. Yes I was alone, but it was all by choice because I was still dreaming that maybe one day I could have the one thing I knew I wouldn't ever have. George turned on his heels and sat next te' me on the wall as both Miranda and Keith seemed te' back up.
"Hey, why don't we go get ye' a wee bit o f coffee te' wash down all the booze?" Miranda asked Keith and he nodded as he followed her away with a glint of hope in his eye. "By the way I'm Miranda." ,and just like that they slowly got smaller and then were gone. "I'm sorry." I whispered and I rested me' head on me' knees.
"I'm fine ,but are ye' okay?"
"I'm just lonely is all, wondering if I'll ever be loved." Then I felt his warm hand around me' shoulders pulling me a bit closer. The action was very unusal for George, but I could tell he didn't relly care and he was only trying te' comfrot a friend. I twinged with pain and dispair as the images of them together. Him kissing her, loving her, holding her close. Each image burning deeper into me' mind as I hated me'self more and more with each second the slideshow contuined.
"It's gonna be okay, one day ye' will have her, and ye' will be able te' love her far more then he ever could." His words were true and sincere but totaly unhelpful in every way. I heard the bar door open and people stepped out as the music and laughter tried te' reach us, but fell flat. This was me' first concert with Celtic Thunder. Why did me' mind pick today te' annoy the crap out of me?
"I promise one day she will love ye'."
"It's not her I want..." I said as I stood up and was about te' walk away hoping that he wouldn't catch what I said. As I rested on me' feet I felt him also raise te' his feet and grab me' wrist.
"Paul, are ye..." He ended his question as I unwillingly met his eyes. He knew the answer and just like that, all me' problems made sense te' him. A light mist began te' descend onto the world, and so started a conversation in the rain that would changed everything I had ever thought real and possible.