“Hey,” he said when he got in. I didn’t want to look at him because I knew he’d know what I was thinking and then try and comfort me. He always did that.
I kept my face straight ahead, but he took my chin and turned my head anyway.
“I know what you’re thinking and I didn’t say that to make you feel bad about yourself. So stop.” His voice was soft, but firm. I nodded and he turned the car on and then the radio. I tried to dispel my negative thoughts. I couldn’t exactly pace them off in the car.
“I swear, if you don’t stop that line of thinking right now, no coffee for you until the wedding.” That got my attention.
“Are you serious?” He nodded slowly, his mouth in a thin line. I gaped at him, but he didn’t give an inch.
“So, it’s your choice. Sex or negative thoughts.” What the hell kind of choice was that?
“Sex. I choose sex. Always,” I said.
“That’s what I thought.”
~*~*~
Keeping my negative thoughts at bay was easier said than done, but every time I realized I was having them, I pictured Lucah’s face when he said he wasn’t going to have sex with me until the wedding and that helped to snap me out of it. I kind of wished he’d used that idea a long time ago. Would have saved me lots of worrying.
I spent the next week at work catching up on that one day I’d missed. That was the thing about taking time off. The work was still there when you got back and there was always twice as much.
Nine
Friday night was a blast. Chloe had a cold, so she couldn’t come and Fin was out of town for a few days, but everyone else was there. Me, Lucah, Sloane, Ryder, Marisol and Lilia.
“This is cool,” Lilia said as she looked around the bar and Lucah went to get drinks.
“Yeah, we’ve been coming here for a while. You’ll also get to see Lucah sing tonight. I made him bring his guitar.” I couldn’t help but brag about him. He had an amazing voice and I liked that I got to marry the guy who owned that voice.
Marisol started asking Lilia about herself and I was grateful. If anyone could help bring her out, it was Marisol. Firstly, she was tiny and non-threatening and had the sweetest face. Within moments she had Lilia chattering away and laughing. Score.
Lucah came back with the drinks and passed them around as the first singer took the stage.
“So, we like to try to figure out how good they’ll be when they step on the stage. Like the opposite of The Voice. Sometimes we’re right and sometimes we’re very wrong,” I said to Lilia as she sipped her rum and Coke.
The first girl was one we’d seen before and dressed like she’d just come from Coachella. We all cringed before she started, knowing just what we were in for. The girl couldn’t sing worth a damn, but that didn’t stop her from getting up there.
“You have to admire her tenacity,” Marisol said over the out-of-tune rendition of a Kacey Musgraves song.
“Or delusion,” I said back.
“I’m sorry. They’re not all this bad,” I said to Lilia, who looked like she wanted to cover her ears.
“Thank God.” The girl finally finished and then a guy took the stage who dressed like a cowboy and sounded a bit like Sam Hunt. He got applause and then it was two girls who looked like they were probably sisters. They brought the house down with “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and even got a few bills thrown at them. Then it was my Lucah’s turn.
“It’s weird seeing both of you in regular clothes,” Lilia said. True, this was the first time she’d seen either of us in anything other than office attire.
I caught my breath when Lucah stepped onto the stage. His blue eyes locked on mine and he spoke into the mic.
“This is dedicated to the woman who, in just a few weeks, has agreed to be my wife. This is for you, Sunshine.” I had to put my hand on my heart to make sure it was still beating, because I was sure it had stopped when he said those words.
He started to strum and I didn’t recognize the tune, but then when he started to sing the words were vaguely familiar. I knew I’d heard them, but I couldn’t figure out where.
“It’s 5 Seconds of Summer,” Lilia said in my ear. “‘She Looks So Perfect.’” That was it. Oh, Lucah. I grinned at him and he winked at me.
I started to sway with the song as he turned the cute pop hit into something older and more us. I loved everything he sang, but these songs for me were the most special. When he finished, he got a huge round of applause and hopped off the stage to come right for me. He gave me a hard kiss and that elicited whoops and whistles and then he dipped me back.
“You’re so ridiculous,” I said when he pulled me back up.