36 Questions to Fall in Love...in 36 days!

Chapter 66: Nerves and Airplanes

I reach from underneath the table and hold her hand, entwining our fingers.
She smiles, a secret smile.

The music begins, the melody annoyingly familiar.

Dominique smiles, his green eyes alight. “ This song is called Night Air —”

“Oh dear, “ I mutter, “someone cut my ears off till they bleed.”

Olivia chuckles, raising her brows at my sentiments.“Long story?”

“Sort of.” I reply, “but basically I know this song off by heart, sung backwards and sung vertically. That's how much he's been listening to it.”

She laughs.

We turn our attention back to Dominique's performance. He smiles and laughs through some of the lyrics. He's carefree but manages to gauge the crowd.

Dominique's up on stage, the lyrics showing behind him on the screen but he still continues to sing the wrong words. He has his fun on stage.

If there's anything I've learned on this night is that karaoke is this; singing your favourite lines with the lyrics wrong in  horrible pitch while strangers cheer.

It's stupid, off-tune fun.

❄️❄️❄️

Unlike the last time, I'm not going up on stage. Dominique tries to convince me, telling me it's a once in a lifetime opportunity but I'd rather skip that opportunity and that's what I tell him.

The truth is, the only reason I came to this place the first time was to see Olivia sing. That's all.

And I think I'll save my singing for the shower, the car and God—he knows how he blessed my vocal cords with weird cracks.

The food on our table is mostly cleared up, except for Dominique's abundant food which is packed away for later.

Lime gets up on stage, as the next person leaves, the sound of the applause drowning out everything else.

“Well that…was interesting.” He says into the mic. “ I know who I'm not inviting to sing at my wedding.” He laughs at his own joke.

“Well ladies and gentlemen. We've reached the end of our karaoke night. I hope you've enjoyed the food,the music or at least the lights. See some of you tomorrow night, a few of you on another night and the rest of you, never again.”

People slowly begin getting up their seats, conversations picked up. Some are already leaving the dining area while a few linger, waiting.

“I'm confused.” Dominique says, looking straight at Olivia. “ Weren't you supposed to go up there? What was the whole point of this?”

Olivia chuckles, her brown eyes straying to mine then flicking away. “ I still am. I'm the closing act.”

“The show ended.” Dominique says, matter of factly, gesturing to a few people who are leaving, walking past our table.

“ The closing act is an alternative for wannabe artists. Basically after the show while people leave you go up there and sing. With no introduction, no applause. You just sing and those who stay, stay, those who hear, hear and those who leave…they leave.”

Before Olivia can say anymore, Lime is  walking towards us. He's made it to our table, taller up close. He hands Olivia the mic, smiling. “ End the night off, young lady.”

Olivia smiles, her nerves making it waver but she exhales, taking hold of courage. Lime  walks off.

Olivia looks at me. “I'm doing this.” She says softly, talking more to herself than she is to me.