Killing Me Softly(A Broken Souls Series)

Hands on my waist turn me around to face Tate. His eyes are bright against his tan face. He told me he was going to the pool today, I didn’t realize he’d show up looking like a different guy. He’s wearing a button down short sleeved black and white graphic design shirt over a white t-shirt with a pair of jeans.

“Hey beautiful,” Tate’s familiar voice says. “You look like a rocker girl, I haven’t seen this side of you before,” he whispers. I’d decided to wear a pair of white jeggings and a neon yellow tank with a fringed vest that I found in Andy’s clothes. Bethany loaned me her collection of bangles to wear and a wraparound leather bracelet.

“I like what you’re wearing too. Are you nervous? Because I’m terrified.” I set my margarita down and wrap my arms around him for a quick hug.

“I get nervous energy, but not nervous. You’re going to be great. It saddens me you don’t realize how good you are, because you can sing your face off.”

His friend clears his throat as he walks over to us. “You must be the amazing, Holland. I’m Cooper, my friends call me Coop.”

Coop is taller than most guys. He stands awkwardly as he holds his hand out for me to shake. “Hi Coop, I’m Holland, nice to meet you.”

“I was planning on introducing you, but you beat me to it,” Tate scolds. “Jackson is the other guy with us, but he’s outside smoking a cigarette before we leave. Our ride just texted me that they’ll be here in five minutes.”

“I thought we were riding with Don and Tracey,” I say.

“We are riding with them, they’re just not driving.”

“Okay, let me run to the restroom. That’s a long drive from here.” I grab my purse and pass Tracey on my way to the restroom. She’s applying lip-gloss in a compact mirror.

Tate calls out to me and I reexamine my butt in the mirror. The front door opens and I hear Don gushing over something. A black Hummer limo is parked in the driveway. “You hired a limo?” I exclaim.

“No, it’s a perk. When we do local gigs, we travel in the limo. Did you see the back window? It has an advertisement for the entertainment company. When I heard they were sending one, I expected a dilapidated junker. You know, like the clubs who offer limo service?”

Coop looks funny as he climbs into the Hummer. Jackson is short and stocky. He’s wearing cowboy boots and a western looking shirt. The inside is gaudy with the laser lights and stripper pole that Tracey and Don are eyeballing. Sam is going to be pissed he didn’t ride with us, he’s always trying to be flashy when he goes out. Tate and I go to the back of the limo and he reaches into the ice-chest and pulls out a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Everyone else grabs a glass and we pass the champagne around until everyone has just enough to sip as we toast for a good night.

The club is on the same street with a bunch of other clubs. During the school year, the clubs are packed with college students. Classes are out for the summer but the night life stays alive with locals and the military. People are already standing in line for the club to open. The limo parks in front of the club and the driver comes around to open the door for us. One of the security guards comes over and checks his list to find out if we’re really the talent for the night. A couple of girls whistle when Tate climbs out of the Hummer. To be a bitch and to rightfully claim my man, I loop my arm through his.

The club smells like stale beer, even though the place is spotless. It’s full of mirrors with a huge dance floor in the middle. The stage area is small, but it’s raised up higher than everyone. It’s set up like a Juliet balcony but large enough for a band to play. One of the tables by the dance floor has a big RESERVED sign and “tate and holland” in lower case underneath.

Everyone followed us to the Green Room where a waitress is available to take drink orders. Only Tate and I are allowed to drink for free. No one seems to mind that I’m not twenty-one. I was too nervous to bring my fake ID to the club. The waitress didn’t card us so I ordered a wine cooler.

Tate’s using a different guitar tonight, this one is black with a plain black strap. “Let’s go over “These Boots”, that’s the one we need to work on.”

He stays standing and I turn to face him. He scoots closer to me, and for a moment I’m lost in Tate-land. The one that only he and I are the residents and no one else matters. The guitar is beautiful across his chest. It’s so high-glossed I can see my reflection in it.

“You’ve got this Holl, you really do,” Tate says softly. I look up into his eyes and I believe him, for no other reason than I’m infatuated with him. He strums the guitar as we fall into sync and we sing this old song that his genius-self made hip and cool.

I can do this! I shout in my head.

We’ve been in the Green Room for over an hour before our names are called to go on stage. Tate takes my hand and holds it to his lips. “Here we go. I’m with you every step of the way.”

Words escape me. I look up at him and nod my head. If my heart pounds any louder, I’ll never hear the music. This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.

Oh, God, we’re walking onto the stage. From the balcony, I don’t have to worry about being ten feet away from someone’s face. I focus on the song he’s singing, a Death Cab for Cutie song. Bethany was right, it’s sexy the way he plays his guitar. Every second, every note, I’m floating away in his world. I blush when he catches me staring at him. He’s facing the crowd, but I stand at an angle to avoid eye contact with the audience. The song is over, which means it’s my turn to sing. Tate looks at me, flashing his heart melting grin and my insides turn to mush. A wave of fear washes over me but his reassuring smile and a quick wink of his eye gives me the courage to sing.

We’re standing sideways to the audience, I’m singing to him and he’s singing to me. I know I’m nervous, my body sways side to side, and my shoulder is moving to the rhythm of our song. The microphone is awkward in my hand, I think I’m holding it up too close.

The crowd is yelling and applauding so loud it startles me out of my trance. I squeeze my eyes tight, wanting the memory of this moment to burn into my brain. He takes the guitar and starts playing it again, now we’re doing our version of “Say My Name” and the crowd is eating it up. I glance up at him as we sing and he smiles back to me. I’m jittery with nerves but we get through our songs and absorb the audience cheering for us when we take a final bow. I’m drunk with adrenalin, barely able to keep my feet on the ground.

We barely get to the Green Room when he scoops me up in his arms and twirls me around. While he’s holding me, I lean down and kiss him on the mouth. He sets me down and takes his guitar off his back before we tumble down on the couch. He wrestles me to my back and his mouth crashes to mine. Tongues dancing. Heart beating. Soul jumping for joy. My legs are wrapped around him, we kiss and grope until someone knocks on the door. Breathless, we sit up and Tate yells for them to come in.

The waitress brings over two glasses of champagne, from the manager. I’m trying to be discreet as I smooth down my hair.

“Would you like anything else,” she asks. We both shake our head back and forth and watch her walk out the door.

“We should go out into the club,” Tate says and holds his hand out to me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get carried away. You were so amazing, I just got caught up in the moment.”