Chapter 14: Duet
His hands were sweating like a wooly mammoth going for a jog in the Sahara. It made it hard for him to hold on to the microphone.
A single spotlight shone down on the stage, making him sweat even more. He looked out at the sparse audience, mostly drunk college guys, and grinned gamely. The drunk guys ignored him, but over in a corner Susie shot him the thumbs-up gesture. Then he turned to the television monitor near the karaoke deejay, where the words "Wannabe" and "The Spice Girls" appeared on an otherwise plain blue screen.
Phil grinned again. He should never have let Susie pick the song for him.
As the lyrics scrolled on-screen, he tried to keep up, but the song was a little too up-tempo for him to sing entirely in-synch. Meanwhile, a few of the drunk guys started paying attention and immediately segregated into two opposed, warring factions: the booers and the laughers. The guys booing sounded louder to Phil, but it was hard to tell from the stage. He couldn't hear Susie, whether booing or laughing, over the din.
By the time the song had ended, he'd finally almost found the right key. Oh, well. He took a large bow, which prompted more booing and laughter, then jumped down. The deejay called out Susie's name and, as they passed—her heading towards the stage, him heading towards their table in the corner—she reached out and gave his bicep a friendly squeeze.
She leaned in close and, her lips brushing his ear, said, "You did good, DeVille."
Shivering a little at her nearness, Phil grinned. "Thanks, Carmichael. Now get up there and blow us all away."
Susie winked and, sadly but inevitably, let go of his arm. As she made her way onstage, the drunk guys started cheering and catcalling a bit. Phil bit his lip, feeling a little worried, but admitted that he agreed with the drunks in their appreciation of Susie if not their verbalization of said appreciation. But then the music cued up—"One Way or Another," an excellent choice—and the guys in front shut up the second Susie opened her mouth.
Which surprised Phil not at all. Susie's voice was something else. Smooth like molten lava, her voice caressed the lyrics of the Blondie song. As he listened to her sing, he felt his chest tighten. Her voice was beautiful. She was beautiful.
When she finished the song, the entire bar burst into applause. Susie smiled a little, her white teeth flashing under the stage lights, and she curtsied a little. As she stepped down and made her way back to the corner booth, Phil sat back and decided he definitely had to get her flowers. But not roses. Roses were too cliché. Her smile got wider as she got nearer, and for some reason, it reminded him of sunflowers.
Sunflowers would do nicely.
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Author's Notes: Thought I'd throw in another chapter, since the last one was so short.