Chapter 3
I peek around the corner at 8:15, and she's still not here. Damn it, I can't stall any longer. I give a nod to the guy helping out, and he announces my name. To the sound of meager applause, I take a deep breath, try get her out of my mind, and step forward.
I get to JoJo's a little later than I expected to. I try to peek inside to see if Warren is there, but the blinds are all closed and I don't want to look awkward standing in the doorway. I wait outside for a minute, hoping to spot him, but he doesn't show. So with a sigh, I go inside.
I'm surprised when I see a stage in the back of the coffee shop, lights blazing, awaiting for the next performer. Did Warren want me to come see some band perform? Everyone is sitting around at tables facing the stage, lattes and coffees in hand.
"Ladies and gentleman," an emcee on the stage starts, and the volume in the room dips down. "Please welcome to the stage, your local favorite, Lantern Alight!" I vaguely pay attention as a guy walks onto the stage holding a guitar. I keep looking around the room, trying to see if Warren grabbed a table already.
"Hey everyone." I recognize the voice, and when I turn to the stage to see who it is, my jaw drops. It's Warren. He has his hair pulled back in his trademark bun, and he's wearing all black. A chorus of cheers breaks out, and he smiles that heart melting smile of his. "It's just me tonight. I wanted to try a new one out on you guys. This is for a certain friend of mine who I hoped would be here tonight. It's called 'Boomerang.'"
I stand at the back of the room, hidden in the dark, confused. Is he talking about me? I shake my head. It's weird enough that I'm seeing Warren Peace-or Lantern Alight, as the case may be-on stage with a guitar. No way he wrote a song for someone like me.
I watch as Warren sits on the stool and props the guitar on his lap. He starts strumming, and I'm instantly mesmerized. Who knew that the hothead could play guitar like this?
But then he starts singing as well, and I swear I'm transported to a different world by his voice.
Help me Lord, I thought I found it / Just like a dream turned out all wrong
Don't feel the same madness about me, now / Don't feel the hurting when I'm gone
The entire audience is transfixed by his deep voice. The emcee had said he was a local favorite, and I can see why. He doesn't even have to do much on stage to have the entire audience captivated. He looks around the crowd as he sings, his eyes landing on different people as he continues. I smile, amazed at what I'm seeing.
Don't feel the wonder of the sweetness / Don't feel the aching need to share
It's then that he looks up to the back of the room, and our eyes meet. I see his entire attitude shift just through his smile, once he realizes I showed up. And from across the room, he sings directly to me.
Don't feel the way I feel without you, girl / Just the flowers in your hair
My whole body goes numb when I realize that he did write the song for me. He doesn't look away from me at all, instead singing only to me instead of the rest of the audience in front of him.
The way he sings to me, I feel like I can't breathe. I can't believe that this whole other side to Warren exists that he keeps hidden from everyone else. And that I get to be the one he wanted to share it with.
When he gets to a part where he lets the chord resonate, he quickly points at me and gestures for me to come forward up to the stage. So quick that he doesn't miss a beat in his playing. When I realize what he's asking, I shake my head, terrified of being singled out in public like that. He just smirks and nods his head as he keeps playing. And then he moves into the next verse, still not averting his eyes from mine, visibly trying to suppress a laugh as he does so.
I realize that a lot of the audience has turned to see who he was pointing at, and they'll all smiling at me. A few people even gesture for me to just go up to him.
Should I never look into your eyes again / Should I never want to give my all
Should I ever need you like my only friend / Should I read the writing on the wall
I roll my eyes, and then look back to Warren, still playing his song. I stick my tongue out at him before giving in and walking towards the stage.
I keep myself close to the wall on one side of the stage, but he just shifts his position on stage so that he still sings directly to me. I lean against the wall, away from the audience a little bit, just taking everything in.
All of those themes, hoping our dream would fall together
Never to be, if only one dreamer dreams of love
I'm not even sure my heart is still beating. I think it completely left my body somewhere in the back of the cafe. His singing is what's keeping me alive at this point.
He finishes the song to the applause and cheer of the audience. He waves to everyone in thanks, then tosses his guitar into his back before walking off the stage to where I stand.
"That was incredible, Warren!" I gush, once he's close enough to hear me. "I had no idea you could do something like that."
"Yeah, well, you're pretty much the only who does know." I shouldn't be as surprised as I am about him keeping this a secret. "Come outside with me," he says, turning to head out the main door I had come through moments before. He tells me more than asks me, and I have no real choice but to follow him.
