“Really, I literally sang to the side of the stage.” I look up so I’m not smothered by her sizable rack.
“Only for a couple bars,” she lets me go and swats her hand like it was no big deal.
My breathing starts to speed up again. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
“Don’t have a post-panic attack, it’s over,” Lila says noticing my anxiety.
“Okay you’re right, I just need to breathe a bit.”
“The offer is still good on that flask,” Lila says winking at me.
“Thank you for being here. I am so happy to have such a good friend on my side.”
Lila suddenly shifts nervously from one foot to the other. She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth and looks at me.
I frown, feeling anxiety beginning to creep into my body.
“Now, don’t be mad,” Lila says and moves slowly away from me.
My frown deepens, and there’s a heaviness in the pit of my stomach. “Why would I be mad? Lila? Liiiila?”
“Remember, I did it because I love you and I think you deserve a chance.”
“You did what?” I feel the panic rising up again.
“So, you know how I said I was seeing that talent agent? And you know how I said he had a client looking for a singing partner?”
“Lila, what did you do?” Okay, now I’m certain I’m going to be sick. I’m torn between wanting to punch her in the nose and wanting to puke on her shoes.
“They’re here, they heard you sing, and that’s them headed this way.”
I turn around and see a man in a full suit and a shaved head walking up to me. It isn’t the overdressed guy who catches my attention however, it’s the very familiar face walking up with him. I jump up from the chair knocking it over.
“Lila,” I say through clenched teeth. “Is the singer who I think it is?”
The suit man stops and gives Lila a hug. “Hi honey, gotta run.” In true Lila fashion, she takes off before I can glare at her.
"Hi Ada, I’m Thomas. Lila has told me so much about you.” He reaches out and shakes my hand, “Charlie, this is Ada Springfield. Ada this is Charlie.”
“Maxwell," I interrupt him.
"Oh, you know each other?" Thomas asks confused.
I look over and see the same confusion in Charlie’s eyes. Of course, he doesn’t remember.
“We’ve actually met,” I say with a lot more courage than I feel. “We dated, well you took me out a couple times and never called.”
“I did,” Charlie looks like I slapped him.
“Awkward,” Thomas says but stays there looking at us. I am sudden
ly aware that his tie has kittens on it and they’re cute but one is holding what looks like Jupiter in its mouth. It’s a weird picture for this strange moment.
“Addy?” Charlie says with a question in his voice.
I see something in his eyes like recognition and then he goes back to his cool devil may care ways. He looks around the room like he has somewhere to be. He still looks the same. His long brown hair styled so it sticks up in the front, his deep green eyes still gorgeous, and the little-crooked smile he has when he’s embarrassed or flattered. I shouldn’t be thinking of any of those things.
I should be thinking about how I waited for days for him to call me. I had gone out of my way trying to see him at school and he’d avoided me. It had been a week since our second date and I saw him at Denise Adam’s locker. She was a girl who’d dated pretty much everyone in her grade so she was moving on to mine. I didn’t stand a chance against a sophomore cheerleader who definitely put out.