“Hey, all. I hope you all are having a good time. My name is Jake, and this here,” he pointed to Cara, grabbing her hand and pulling her next to him. “… Is Cara. She’s a little shy, can we give her a big welcome.”
Everyone in the audience shouted. Nick put his two fingers in his mouth and whistled.
“Yeah, Cara!!” Sam shouted beside him.
Cara smiled at the crowd, her cheeks turning pink. “I’m going to kill you.” She muttered under her breath.
“See Cara, they love you already.” Jake said to her, but smiling out at the crowd, obviously ignoring her.
“Is he a regular here or something?” Luke asked Nick and Sam. Sam shrugged, a huge smile on her face, obviously enjoying Jake’s shenanigans.
“He’s got a couple of screws loose lately, huh?” Nick asked Luke.
“You’re not kidding.” Luke leaned back in his seat and took a swig of his drink, watching his brother amusingly.
The music began, a slow beat filtered through the speakers. Jake looked at Cara, and nodded towards the teleprompter. “If you don’t know the words, they’ll be right there for you to read.” He said so low that only she could hear. She looked at him, her face a bundle of mixed emotions. He took her hand and winked at her lovingly. He gave her hand a slight squeeze and looked out towards the crowd and began to sing. Her eyes were glued to the screen of the teleprompter as he sang. The song Jake had chosen for them was called Beneath Your Beautiful by Labyrinth.
His voice was delicate as he sang about a girl who was out of his league. A girl who had built walls around her heart, hoping no one would climb them. Jake vowed along with the words of the song that he’d be willing to try.
He turned to face Cara. She was holding the microphone just staring at him, her eyes questioning him. He merely nodded before he began again and with the next verse, he asked for permission, to be the one she let in behind those walls. He moved the microphone from his lips and took her hand in his.
“It’s okay. It’s just you and me.” He said softly and pulled her closer to him. She swallowed and brought the microphone to her lips. She sighed and then glanced at the teleprompter. Her voice catching slightly as she sang the first verse.
“You let all the girls go, Makes you feel good don’t it”
Jake let his eyes will her to continue. He secretly hoped she would understand the hidden meaning behind the words she sang. He watched her read the words on the screen, cementing them in her memory before she turned her eyes back to his.
Cara followed the words displayed on the screen, and realized she was singing to Jake about a man who had let the girls come in and out of his life but they never got to see the real him. Behind the fa?ade, behind the Broadway show, there was a man there begging to be seen and asking her to be the one who saw him.
He grinned widely as she sang the verse, belting it out beautifully. She squeezed his hand and he felt like she squeezed his heart. He watched her mesmerized. She closed her eyes and tapped her foot to the beat of the music as she hit the note right on key. When the crowd started to hoot and holler she opened her eyes and grinned at him. He draped his arm around her shoulders and lifted his microphone and in unison they sang the final verse. The words they sang, a promise to climb those walls together and if they fell, they would fall as one.
Jake leaned over and pressed his lips to Cara’s forehead. She looked up at him from under her lashes and smiled at him. Applause rang out throughout the bar. He glanced down at the table, they were occupying to see Sam, Luke and Nick standing up and clapping their hands.
“Well, that was some acclamation if I ever heard one.” Luke said, clapping his hands, staring up at the stage.
“That was beautiful! Oh my God, I had no idea they could sing that well.” Sam said as she brushed the few tears that had fallen down her face. “I mean I’ve seen them dance together. They think they’re J.Lo and Pitbull after a few drinks.” Nick handed her a few napkins. “Thanks.”
Luke nodded in agreement with his sister. “What do they call it? When they get in a circle and have the people crowding around them?” Sam threw her back and laughed at her brother, watching as he ogled some girl who passed him by.
“They battle one another.” She said half laughing, half crying. They looked back at the stage when Jake spoke again.
“Thanks you guys have been great, we’ll be back.” He kissed Cara’s hand and jumped off the stage. He held his arms out, and she jumped into them, helping her off the stage.
Jake had felt Sam’s arms envelope him from behind. “Jake! That was so fucking good.” She smiled over his shoulder at Cara. “And you Miss. Thing, Completely blew me away.”
Cara laughed, but then she covered her mouth with her hand. “I can’t believe we just did that.” She looked at Jake, grinning widely. “Thank you.”
He stepped out of his sister’s hold and walked into Cara’s arms. He hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground for a moment. “You’re my beautiful.” He whispered into her hair.