Ship Happens

Part Three

Part Three

Later comes. The fleeting chance I had at telling Grace is gone. To be fair, Luke and Brandy are a great couple. Luke spends half the dinner gushing over Grace, while Brandy focuses on me. She even breaks into song a few times, belting out lyrics to some of my songs.

She’s obviously had too much to drink, but Grace cheers her on and as depressing as my missed opportunity is, I end up having a great time.

Brandy points to the piano. “Please Chester, won’t you sing for us?”

The restaurant is mostly cleared out, I’m guessing with people having flocked to the ballroom for the second part of our evening. As I’m admiring the piano, I am having a serious internal debate if I should do it or not when Grace smiles from behind the wine glass she has held to her lips. She moves the glass down and mouths the words, “do it, Chester.”

I stand and walk over to the piano, removing my jacket before I sit down and set my hands on the keys. I pause for a moment to gather myself before my fingers begin to fly across the keys. I select one of Grace’s favourite songs.

 

“The days I can’t see your eyes,

I don’t even want to, open mine,

On the days I can’t see your smile,

Well I’d rather sit, wait the while,

 

For the days I know you’ll be near,

‘Cause a day without you, just isn’t fair.

See the days I can hear your voice,

I’m left without a choice,

 

Plus I get weak in the knees,

Fall head over heels baby,

And every other cheesy cliche,

Yes I’m swept off my feet,

Oh my heart skips a beat,

But there’s really only one thing to say,

 

God damn you’re beautiful to me,

You’re everything, yeah, that’s beautiful,

Yes to me,

Ooh oh,  

I dare a glance at our table. Brandy has her eyes closed, her hands crossed over her chest, swaying back and forth in time with the music. Grace’s eyes are glued to me, it should make me nervous, but it doesn’t. I don’t look back down at the piano, instead fixing my gaze on Grace.

I can’t find the words to explain ,

Yeah, just how much you got me going insane,

When you speak to me sometimes we fight,

Oh I stutter my words and say never mind,

She holds up her fingers to her lips, kisses them and sends them over in a wave. The small action almost makes me stumble but I regain my composure enough to finish the song. When I return to the table, Brandy is swiping at her eyes with a linen napkin, staining it with dark mascara. “Grace, you’re so lucky.”