When I entered the club, once again with the help of the two bouncers, I felt a calmness come over me. I looked around the large, dark room. Flickering battery operated candles lined the walls casting the place in a shadowy yet romantic vibe.

It felt like home.

The place was filled with patrons in various stages of inebriation, though the hour was still fairly early. I still don't particularly care for large crowds but I shoulder my way to the bar. After last night's debacle I am avoiding whiskey and wine at all costs this evening The bartender recommends a beer and I heed his advice.

The stage is set with an upright piano and mic stand. The rows of chairs had been removed since the prior evening. Tonight there were dining tables set up and a wide empty space in front of the stage. I find an empty barstool near center stage. The bar seemed impossibly far from the stage and I wonder if I should have gotten a table.

People crowd the bar as show time grows nearer. I am forced to squeeze in tight when one drunken girl missteps and sloshes a drink toward me. Glaring at her, she steadies herself and moves on. My glare follows her as I sip my beer. Movement on the stage draws my attention back. The pianist sets his drink on the floor in front of the bench. A staff member carries out a bar stool and sets it next to the piano, another one sets a pitcher and an empty glass on it.

I take a long drink of my beer and set it on the bar top and sit up straight. It must be show time. The lighting dims and a spotlight comes on. Her smile is bright as some shrill whistles and loud cheers sound out. She has quite the following here. Her curls are pulled back loosely, threatening to fall out any moment. The black dress is well fitted, cut very low and it ends mid thigh. After a brief introduction of herself and the pianist she begins her first number.

This is much better than last night's selections. Her voice wis made for ballads. The richness of it...almost perfect tone. Just hearing her sing again damn near made my second life complete. As she belts out the final note I feel myself slide from the stool and stand. The place roars with applause and more cheers. I find myself smiling at her from the opposite side of the room.

"Thank you! Thank you all so much!" She pours herself a glass from the pitcher and takes a quick drink. "Feel free to dance," she indicates the large open floor in front of her as the accompanist begins the next number. I hear the bartender ask if I need anything behind me and I shake my head, unwilling to take my eyes from her. Her vocal range is really tested in this song and I'm probably the only one that can hear the slight strain in her voice. By gods I need to teach her again. The chorus is a bit more comfortable for her and I feel my heart swell.

The dancing couples make their way back to their seats.

"Now, this one is a duet and Roger here won't sing with me," she laughs shooting the pianist a scolding look. "So do I have any volunteers to join me?" Her teeth nip at her bottom lip as she waits.

Before I even realize it I am up on my feet moving toward the stage. The house lights brighten a bit and I see a few others stepping forward or waving their arms wildly. She scans the crowd then her gaze falls on me.

"Oh I see the one I want," she murmurs huskily into the mic. She steps off the stage and makes her way back toward me. She holds her hand out toward me. I gaze at it and take it far less timidly than she took mine on our first trip to my lair. I am tugged along through the crowd. When I step up on the stage I pull her up next to me. About this time I look out and see the large group staring back at me. What in world possessed me to come up here to be gawked at? The spotlight is hot as hell and I can see the swear beaded at her temples. She takes another drink from her glass.

Butterflies fluttering in my stomach and heart racing, I take a deep breath as she approaches. She leans up on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear.

"Do you know Endless Love?"

I blink slowly a few times and smirk at her.

"Of course," I whisper back to her. She smiles and accepts the second mic from her coworker. I must look a bit worried because she pats my hand as she hands the spare to me.

"This handsome gentleman is Erik. A round of applause for our volunteer." The crowd roars and I only feel slightly sick. Really wishing I had finished that beer now.

Roger the pianist begins the introduction. Then she smiles at me and I find that if I focus on her I barely notice the crowd.

"My love..." I begin, studying her face. Her features drop any playfulness and her lips part slightly. I slowly stalk toward her as I finish my verse. I am almost certain she will miss her starting note.

Her breathing is erratic but she finds her voice.

"My first love..." And we put on a performance that I did not know I had in me.

As we finish I am but an arms length from her. Holding her gaze my fingers tuck a stray curl behind her ear. After a deep breath and a slight shake of her head.

"Wow, my goodness." She speaks into the mic but the crowd is loud. I feel her arm go around my back at my waist. Once things settle some she holds the mic up again. "Phew! I think we need a break after that huh Roger. We'll be right back!" She says quickly as the crowd moans it's disappointment. She takes the mic from me and sets both on the back of the stool where her pitcher is. I feel her grab my hand again and pull me toward the back of the stage. I curl my hand around hers.

We descend a set of stairs and reach a door which I assume is a sort of dressing room for her. She pours us each a glass of water and I take a long drink. She sets her glass down on the mirror vanity table and walks over to the door. Hanging on the back of it is a long blood red dress.

"Will you give me a hand? Unzip me?" My mouth goes bone dry and I gulp down the rest of my water. As I approach her she turns and pulls her hair off to the side. I pull the zipper down slowly and the back of the dress parts. She pushes the dress down her hips and I see a surprisingly large tattoo on the right side of her back near her hip. A bird flying around a flower.

My mind is buzzing. She stands before me in matching strapless bra and panties and I am finding it near impossible not to look anywhere but at her eyes

"Do you...uh...want me to wait outside?" I mumble.

"Such a gentlemen," She smiles up at me. I am certain she is laughing at me, but I find I don't mind. And I certainly don't feel like a gentleman as I openly stare at her barely clad behind while she gets her dress off it's hanger. I continue to stare until the red fabric of her new dress blocks my view. "Help one more time?" I move from the spot I was frozen to reach for the zipper on this dress. My index finger knuckle gently drags up her spine as I pull the zipper along it's tracks.

"All done." I whisper. The loose straps fall to the side, off her shoulders.

"Thank you." she says as she glides over to the corner to switch shoes. She grabs a brush and starts brushing out her hair.

"So was there a reason you brought me here or did you just want to tease me?" I ask as I lean against the edge of the vanity. I glance over and see a vase of flowers, plucking out a red rose. My fingers expertly remove the thorns while I gaze at her, eyebrow raised.

"I'm not sure. Your voice...I don't know...there is just something about it. I swear I know you and not just know of you. Know you. First it was your eyes...so unique and beautiful."

"Yours look like melted chocolate," I whisper, looking back up at her. I feel the heat rising up my neck and decide to shut up. My skin catches on the next thorn. "Ouch." I complain softly, sucking the bead of blood from my thumb.

I watch as she pulls my hand to her mouth. "Poor baby." Her lips touch my slightly torn skin. Every bit of blood leaves my brain and body as I gently fall back against the vanity. I pick the rose back up. She clears her throat to continue. "And your lips." Her tongue darts out to wet her own lips and I set the dethorned rose on the vanity. Before I realize it she is there between my thighs, leaning over. Her teeth nip my bottom lip before her lips press to mine.

I stand very still. Christine pulls back slightly, breath rushing out.

"So familiar." She runs her thumb across my bottom lip and down to the cleft in my chin. "Really it's so strange. Almost like I'm being reunited with an old friend." She goes on, as I sit here like a deer in headlights. "But we've never met before last night." Her gaze is drawn back to my lips. It's my turn to wet my own lips before I feel hers upon mine once more.

Tired of sitting idly by I pull her forward and wrap my arm around her waist. I deepen the kiss and her mouth opens for me. I feel her grab hold of the fabric of my dress shirt. Only indulging for a moment, I pull my hand away as I release her.

Her hand smoothes out the wrinkled fabric she had pulled on and steps back. She returns to her seat in front of the vanity.

I snap the rose's stem to an appropriate length and lean over to secure it behind her ear.

"Would you allow me to take you out after you finish for the evening?"

"It wouldn't be until after two or three. I doubt anything would still be open."

"If I can arrange something? Would you accompany me?"

"On one condition."

"And what is that, pray?"

"You sing another duet with me?" Her hand moves to pull her hair back.

"Don't. It looks so beautiful down." Her hand falters then as she smiles at me. "OK that seems a small price to pay"

"Great. I need to get back out there." As she finished her sentence a loud knock sounded. "I'm coming! Just a moment! Come on, let's go." She pulls my hand in hers as we exit her dressing room.