“It’s eleven in the morning,” I said, giggling.
“You’re very chirpy this morning,” she grumbled, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“Well, I need your help. Can you tell Jack I’m sick and can’t work tonight?”
“You don’t look sick—”
“Darcy!” I cried.
“Okay! What else?”
“Is Benj there?” I asked mischievously. I laughed as Darcy’s eyes popped wide open. She shook her head and took off down the hall to their bedroom. A few minutes later, Benj came stumbling out, wearing only a pair of boxer shorts.
“Rose. What’s up?” he asked.
I grinned. “I need a favor.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jack
“You ready?” Ash grinned.
I nodded. “Let’s open this place back up!”
Darcy, Benj and Ash cheered. Everyone was here, except Rose. She was sick, according to Darcy. My theory was that she just wasn’t ready to see me yet.
It had been nearly a week since I’d professed my love for her. So many times I’d wanted to call her, or found myself driving in the direction of her house instead of Alex’s. One night I’d gone as far as parking outside her apartment block in an attempt to catch a glimpse of her. Yep. I was capable of being that creepy.
But, when it came down to it, I knew Alex was right. She had to come to me.
#
The turnout was actually more than I’d been expecting. Not as big as what we’d normally pull in, but by no means empty. We were halfway through our open mic night and I was busy at the bar. All night I’d been pouring drink after drink, with the same fake smile plastered on my face, while I thought about Rose.
I half-listened to the introduction for the next performer. I glanced up on the stage and saw Benj there, guitar in hand.
What the actual fuck?
He hadn’t told me he was performing. For a moment, I wondered if he was proposing to Darcy. I scrapped the thought from my head. Surely he would’ve told me something that big. It was more likely the next performer hadn’t turned up, so Benj was filling in. I went back to my serving.
“I can’t promise you I’ll always be perfect . . .”
I looked up. The glass I was holding fell to the floor and shattered. A beery mess splashed everywhere. That voice. That beautiful, sexy, sultry voice.
Rose sat, perched on a stool, looking terrified. He eyes were firmly on me. Darcy nudged me in the ribs.
“Go closer. I’ve got it covered.”
Slowly, I moved closer to the stage. Part of me wanted to race up there and kiss her, put her out of her misery. I’d never seen her look so scared. But I couldn’t move. Just like the day we’d met, her voice shot through me like a lightning bolt, leaving me useless. Unable to move, I could only listen.
“But I’m willing to try,
I can promise to laugh at your jokes,
If you can be there when I break down and cry.
“I can’t imagine you not being in my life,