Chapter 60: Zak's Realization

I walked along with Cheryl and Diana as they continued pulling me along, up to the DJ booth where Billy was.

"Hello ladies and birthday girl!" Billy exclaimed with a smile, pushing the headphones off his ears. "What can I do for you?" Billy added.

"We want to sing!" Cheryl replied excitedly.

"I'd like for it to be noted that I'm being forced," I grumbled.

The three of them laughed.

"No problem, here's the song list I have," Billy said, stepping into the booth a bit further, letting Cheryl and Diana look at a screen showcasing a list of songs he had available.

I folded my arms across my chest and just stood there, acting annoyed still.

I could of easily gotten out of this if I really wanted to.

Cheryl knew, at least at most times, when I was dead serious about not going along with something.

But the truth was, I found myself wanting to do this for Zak, regardless if he was serious about his supposed birthday gift or not.

Damn him, I thought.

He really was starting to affect who I was as a person, but in a good way though, I had to admit.

Even though I often blushed and became embarrassed around him, I also felt more confident in myself when he was around, because I knew he saw more in me than I saw of myself.

"Oh, how about this one! Perfect for her and Zak," Diana said, pointing at the screen.

Cheryl's eyes widened and laughed.

"I like how you think girlfriend," Cheryl replied, then looked at Billy. "This one," she added.

"Hey! Wait a minute! What song are you picking!?" I questioned, trying to push past them to look at the screen, but Cheryl stopped me.

"Don't worry, you know it," Cheryl said, grabbing onto me and pulling me toward the stage.

"And you're singing as the main, Cheryl and I will be backup," Diana said with a smile, also ushering me toward the stage.

I heard the crowd suddenly cheering as Billy introduced us, and announced the song we were doing.

"Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera.

Oh no…I thought, horrified, as Cheryl and Diana pulled me on stage with them, being handed microphones by some stage men.

Zak's Point of View

"Oh god, she's going to kill them," Ashley said, laughing, after Billy introduced the three girls, and what song they were doing.

I wasn't familiar with the song choice, since it wasn't my style of music, but judging by the title of the song, I could imagine what it was about.

"Video time!" Aaron exclaimed, taking out his phone and setting it up to record.

I laughed.

"You'll send me a copy right bro?" I asked.

I would rather focus on the live act than having to worry about a phone.

"Sure thing bro," Aaron replied with a grin.

I smiled and turned back around, as Alicia, Cheryl and Diana took centre stage.

Alicia's Point of View

"I'm going to brutally murder the both of you!" I hissed through my teeth, as the three of us walked to centre stage.

I did my best to ignore the catcalls and whistling from the men in the club.

"Oh just let go and have fun!" Cheryl said.

"I can't sing like Christina!" I retorted.

"So what? You can sing, just be yourself!" Diana said.

Just be yourself…

It was like Zak was speaking through her.

I gripped my microphone as the music started.

God help me…

I held the microphone up to my mouth and did Christina's opening vocalization at the beginning of the song, seeing the lyrics come up on a screen near the stage.

"Aaaaaaayeaaaaaahhhh…"

Zak's Point of View

I watched as Alicia, Cheryl and Diana were talking amongst themselves before the music started, and just knew that Alicia was trying a last ditch effort to get out of it.

"Ali's so trying to bolt," Ashley said with a laugh, causing Jay, Aaron and I to laugh too.

The music started, and my jaw nearly dropped to the floor when Alicia did an opening vocalization.

"Aaaaaaayeaaaaaahhhh…"

"Woo! Go Ali!" Ashley called.

"Do your thang honey!" Cheryl said into her microphone.

I laughed when Alicia moved the microphone away from her mouth to laugh, causing a good majority of the audience to laugh too.

She looked embarrassed, but adorable and sexy at the same time.

I smiled to myself and listened to the lyrics as she began to sing, rather shyly at first, while Cheryl and Diana started dancing behind her.

"I could feel it from the start,

Couldn't stand to be apart.

Something about you caught my eye,

Something moved me deep inside!

Don't know what you did boy but you had it,

And I've been hooked ever since.

I told my mother, my brother, my sister and my friends,

I told the others, my lovers, both past and present tense.

Every time I see you everything starts making sense."

"Oooo, I think one of them picked this song on purpose bro!" Aaron teased.

Jay and Ashley laughed.

I felt my face redden slightly, and without taking my eyes off the stage, gave the finger to Aaron, who ended up laughing.

"Do your thang honey!" Cheryl and Diana both said in unison this time.

I could see Alicia smiling in a way that indicated she was trying not to laugh, then started singing again, letting go of her shyness and getting a bit more into it.

"Ain't no other man, can stand, up next to you,

Ain't no other man, on the planet, does what you do (what you do).

You're the kinda guy, a girl finds, in a blue moon.

You got soul, you got class,

You got style with your bad ass - oh yeah!

Ain't no other man its true - all right,

Ain't no other man but you."

We all laughed along with the audience when Alicia let out a giggle as she sang "bad ass".

"'Bad ass' my butt bro," Aaron teased.

I laughed.

"Shut up!" I retorted, watching Alicia still.

As Alicia sang the next verse, Cheryl and Diana sang backup lyrics in unison.

All three of them were dancing now.

I was surprised, for a second time that day, at how much Alicia was letting go of her insecurities.

"Never thought I'd be all right. (No, no, no!)

Till you came and changed my life. (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)

What was cloudy now is clear! Yeah, yeah!

You're the light that I needed. Yeah!

You got what I want boy, and I want it!

So keep on givin' it up!"

I was pretty sure Alicia's face flushed at the last two lines, besides her giving it her all as she sang.

I smiled to myself.

"Tell your mother, your brother, your sister, and your friends.

And the others, your lovers, better not be present tense.

Cause I want everyone to know that you are mine and no one else's!

Oooooooo, oh!"

"Go Shorty!" Aaron called out, whistling.

I smiled even more.

I particularly liked the line about being hers and no one else's.

I watched Alicia in awe as Cheryl and Diana sang the chorus this time, while Alicia provided some backup.

Then the three of them sang together a slightly "beatbox" part of the song as they danced together.

"Ain't no other, ain't, ain't, no other! (other)

Ain't no other, ain't, ain't, no other lover!

Ain't no other, I, I, I need no other!

Ain't no other man but you!"

I could see Alicia silently take a deep breath, and momentarily got a slightly frightened look on her face, but quickly composed herself for the next verse.

I saw her look in my direction briefly, and I smiled at her.

I saw her smile shyly back, before she closed her eyes and sang again.

"You are there when I'm a mess,

Talk me down from every ledge.

Give me strength, boy you're the best,

You're the only one who's ever passed every teeeeeeeeeeeest."

My jaw did drop this time, while the audience cheered, as Alicia held the note of the last word fairly long.

"Holy crap bro," Aaron said.

Cheryl and Diana took over singing the chorus again, twice, while Alicia provided backup vocals, holding some of the notes until the end of the song.

A good majority of the club erupted in cheering and applause when they finished.

I just sat there in shock and awe.

I was pretty sure it was at that point, that I realized I was falling very hard and fast for this woman.

I could only hope I didn't screw it up.

And, if I had any luck at all, I hoped she was falling for me.