The Club

CHAPTER 19

We're silent on the quick walk compared to the much longer one we took from the inn. He stops in his tracks and I'm a little confused. At first glance at the club I feel like we could be mugged here. The brick building is worn and weathered with couches on the porch. The windows are covered in stickers and writing wanting me to turn around in the opposite direction. This can't possibly be the same one owned by Morgan Freeman. Can it? Graham is already halfway through the door when he turns around and notices I haven't moved from my spot on the street.

"Aren't you coming?"

I swallow the lump in my throat and take another look at the rundown appearance. What's the worst that can happen? I take a step up onto the slab of concrete and contemplate running in the opposite direction. But the blues music flowing from the inside greets me unexpectedly and I dismiss those thoughts. Graham reaches for my hand and I allow him to pull me into the very packed bar. The scattered tables are all taken by various people whose attention is fixated on the stage.

My senses are overwhelmed from the music flowing around me, the rich smell of fried southern food in the air, and the abundance of memorabilia on the walls. The outside scared me a bit but I feel very much at home in here right now. I'm being dragged through the room and we come to sudden halt as Graham slides into a random table. Huh. I guess I missed that when we first came in. Not that I would have been able to pick one out from everything going on around me. The guy up on the stage is all by himself playing his guitar and singing along.

"I don't think I've ever really listened to blues music before."

His mouth falls open and he does a double take. "Seriously?"

I'm weirdly fixated on the music and can't break my trance on the man on stage. But everyone in here is exactly the same. It's addicting and I don't want to disconnect from the feelings it's bringing out of me. It's one thing to listen to music on the radio or at home but this. There's nothing like listening to a live show. Some people go to church for their religion but I go to concerts. I feel more connected to music than I could be to any god but maybe if I would have had a little more religion in my life I wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.

"Yeah. Is that weird?"

He shakes his head and takes a long pull from the beer sitting in front of him. I glance down and see another one sitting in front of me. Huh. I guess I was completely entranced and didn't even realize that he got us drinks. "I guess not. You are a pop star, after all."

"Hey, don't even get me started with that nonsense, mister." I shake my head with a smile. "You know I am a lover of all things rock and roll."

"I know that. I was just kidding. I kind of love seeing you get all feisty. It's pretty damn sexy."

"Yeah?" I ask and when he nods his head, I continue. "What else do you love about me?"

His cheeks redden and his jaw slackens. "Uh."

"You're right. It is fun to get you all riled up. I should do that more often." I add in a wink and he breathes a sigh of relief.

"You're evil, you know that?"

"But you love me, remember."

"Now you're just putting words in my mouth. I never said I love you. I said I loved it when you got all worked up."

Our witty banter feels so normal. And I could use a lot more normal right now. If this was another time it would feel a lot like a date and it seems right. Maybe it's my impending doom but watching Graham in this environment while drinking a beer and having a conversation with live music in the background, it's like this is what I should have been doing this whole time. Not being a damn pop star. Just living my life with an amazing man like Graham.

"Maybe we should go back to our cozy shack and get even more worked up."

"I can't win with you, can I?"

"Nope. You should probably stop trying." I wink at him and take a pull from my drink. The song ended at some point during our conversation and the stage is empty. While we're all waiting for the music to change the air around me gets a little fuzzy. I drop my gaze down to the beer.

Did he drug me?

It takes another minute for the buzzing around me to get louder until suddenly I feel like screaming. I open my mouth and nothing comes out as I attempt to cry out, do anything to make the buzzing stop. "Stop fighting it, Erika. Stop searching. You're wasting your energy and I will have you."

I scramble from my seat bringing my chair down to the concrete floor. My entire body is shaking. This can't be happening right now. I can't see him but his maniacal laugh and voice carries over and over. I need to get out of here. I run out of the bar and attempt to take a deep breath of the Mississippi air. My chest tightens and bring my hand up to my racing heart willing it to slow down. Each lungful of air I bring in tightens it even further. Why is this happening to me?

A hand grips my arm and I scream out trying to get away but Graham flings my body around bringing us face to face. His eyes are wide and he wraps me in his embrace talking me down. I didn't even know I was crying until his shirt is soaked underneath my face. He whispers in my ears bringing me back to the present and I take slow breaths calming myself down. After a few minutes I lean back to the concern in his eyes.

"What just happened?"

I hiccup as the air tries to force its way back into me. "He was in there."

He looks back around and back at me. Nodding his head, he glides his hand into my own and squeezes slightly. Pulling me back toward the inn. We got lost in the fun of our evening but we had to come back down to reality eventually. I'm on a crashing countdown and I need to remember that.