UNMASKED

Untitled Part 21 Blanket

"What happened?" I asked her as she approached. The flashlight is now facing the ground.

"The girls are still awake. I'd rather sit out here with you Sir. It's pretty exhausting to keep up with their energy," she answered.

She took her seat beside me on the couch.

"What were you playing?" she asked.

I hesitated.

"Uhh Ed Sheeran's All the Stars."

She looked at me, surprised.

"I didn't expect you'd be playing an Ed Sheeran song."

"Rayana Adilet and I watched the movie The Fault In Our Stars one time and I liked the song. I ended up liking some of Ed Sheeran's other songs too."

"Can I?" she gestured for the guitar.

I looked at her, confused.

"You can play?"

I handed her the guitar and she nodded.

"My father taught me... before he got busy."

She strummed a chord and a soft smile appeared on her lips.

"Both of my parents loved music though they were business people. They had different tastes. I was exposed to both classical and contemporary music."

"That's nice."

"Yeah. My mom taught me classical pieces with the piano while my father taught me the guitar."

"Would you mind if I sing Sir? Just softly of course."

I was surprised but gave her the guitar without a word. It's strangely nice that she's starting to get comfortable to think of singing with me.

She started strumming Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud.
Really?
She knows the chords and she adjusted the register of the song. She sang the song with a soft romantic melody and I couldn't take my eyes off her. She's always a surprise.

"I miss my old guitar and I miss singing. My mother used to play the piano for me and I sing for her or sometimes we sing together," she said after she finished the first stanza and the chorus. She handed me back the guitar with a shy smile. I shook my head and pushed it back to her.

"No. You should finish the entire song."

She bit her lip in hesitation and my eyes inadvertently followed.

"Okay," she said after a moment.

"Do I sound okay Sir?"

"You sound good. I actually thought for a second that you could sing as a guest in one of my concerts," I answered, half-teasing.

She laughed.

"Oh dear no. I can never."

"Come on. Finish the song."

She played the chords again and finished singing all of the stanzas.

"I wonder why you didn't become a musician," I thought out loud.

"Sometimes you choose to do things out of necessity Sir. But I don't regret it. I enjoyed the excitement of the corporate world. I love the hustle," she pursed a smile and held out the guitar to me.

"If you are not my manager I would have hired you as a co-composer or as I said you can be a singer," I told her, serious.

She raised an eyebrow at me then laughed.

"I know you're kidding Sir."

I decided not to push it. I took back the guitar.

"Will you sing another song for me? How about My Heart Will Go On? It's a popular song. I know you can sing it."

"Are we having a singing session at this hour of the night Sir?" she laughed.

"You started it," I chuckled.

"What if somebody hears us?"

"Don't worry. I have stayed many nights in here and I promise you that no one enters the living room this late."

I strummed the guitar, lowered the register a little to fit her voice and I looked at her with a smile. She looked unsure but I gave her a nod, signaling the intro to the song.

She started with a soft voice and I encouraged her to sing more confidently. She has a really good voice. I mean it's not the kind that would win singing contests like I did but it's good in a way that it's soft and warm and comforting.

I looked at her. She enjoys this... singing. I wonder if Senti also heard her sing.

"Did I do well Sir?" she asked me with a shy smile after the song ended.

"I mean I saw you sing this song and I felt inadequate to sing it for you."

I only looked at her. This girl... I'm enchanted with her.

"Sir?"

"Would you mind me asking if you could sing for me sometimes? Some times like this."

She broke into a smile.

"That means I did well right? But I uh.. I don't know Sir. Is it okay if I sing for you? I mean I'm feeling really inadequate."

"Of course it's okay. I enjoy hearing you sing. Have you sung for Senti like this too?" I asked before I could think better of it.

"Senti? He never heard me sing. I mean there was never a good time to sing when I was with him."

I stifled my smile.

"Can you also sing for me Sir? To make it fair. I already sang two songs."

"Sure. What do you want me to sing?"

"Any Ed Sheeran song? I also like him. He got good mellow songs."

"Okay. Perfect would be good but I need to look up the chords."

I held her gaze as I sang the lyrics.

"I found a love for me

Oh darling, just dive right in and follow my lead

Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet

Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me"

At the end of the song, I resisted with all my might to kiss her.

I don't know if she felt the same charge of electricity between us.

I ended up singing about five mellow songs that night. But before it could get any more late, I decided that we should go up and sleep. It was past 1 o'clock when we came up to the second floor. We reached my room first but I didn't go in. I waved a bye at her as she walked on towards her room at the other end of the hallway.

She turned around after a few steps.

"Thank you for tonight Sir. I had a great time," she said in a quiet voice.

I just gave her a nod and gestured at her to walk on.

I went inside my room. The boys are already asleep and Adi is dutifully on his side of the bed. I washed up before getting in to my own side of the bed.

I stared blankly at the ceiling. Ms. McCrae's face swam on it, smiling at me... singing. A smile appeared on my lips as I closed my eyes. Any thought of her is like a blanket, comfortable and warm and good.

I think I'm in a real big trouble now.

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