A Good Man is Hard to Find

Chapter Eleven

Flip was with me all night, I was so happy and relieved that he insisted on staying; I don't feel safe any longer. There is a target on my head and as soon as Walter finds out that Flip is still alive, the bullet that was meant for him will go straight into my head instead. "I've got to go into work today as the case is really heating up and I've got a lot of leads that need following up on. Do you want to stay at my place for a while?" He asks as he takes one last sip of his coffee. It's tempting, I would feel a lot safer and it would be nice to see where he lives but it could also put him in even more danger and I don't want that. "No, I'll be fine. I've got work later on tonight and I can't afford to take sick leave," I reply. He sighs, "May, don't worry about money, I can help you out with that. My main priority is that you are safe. Who knows if that guy is lurking around corners still. Let me look after you," he says as he gently squeezes my shoulder. "Please stop playing the hero Flip, I'll be fine and if I'm not I'll call you ok?" I say and he looks down disappointed. "You'd better, I don't want to walk into your apartment again and find you like I did last night," he replies. I look into his warm chocolate coloured eyes and feel myself getting lost in them. He really is something else. I never expected to like him, but I do so much that it hurts. "I will, do you think you will be able to come and watch me sing later on?" I ask, hoping that he will say yes. I only feel confident when he is around me. He shakes his head, "Not tonight, I've got a meeting this evening with my supervisor and I'm sure he will probably want to take me out for a drink afterwards as well. I'll come by tomorrow night though," he says with a smile. I smile back, "Sounds great, I'll see you then." He gets up from his chair and kisses me gently on the lips. I can tell he wants it to be more intense, but considering the situation he pulls away slowly. "I really like you May and I want to see where this goes between us. I hope you feel the same way too," he says, looking hopeful. I don't respond, instead I just watch as he walks out of the kitchen and out of the apartment. What I really wanted to say was that I feel exactly the same way about him too.

Another day, another dollar. Tony is behind the bar serving a few regulars and when I walked in he tried to ask me what happened to my face. Unfortunately, no amount of makeup was able to cover the bruise that Walter had inflicted on me. He is a lovely guy, but Tony is the last person I would tell about this, he's very aggressive and has been in prison a few times and I don't want him to end up back there again on my account. I grab my set list for the evening and realise that an extra song has been added, a song that I wrote a few days ago. How the fuck did it end up on here, wait...Flip?! I should have known he would do something like this, but after the other day at the bar and the reaction I got, I suppose there would be no harm in singing a song here. If people don't like it, then that's fine. At least I would have tried, as Flip would say. I sing the first couple of songs which consist of, "Hopelessly Devoted to You" "Your Song" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." Yet again, hardly anyone notices me. Even though the club is heaving tonight, the people here are too engrossed in their own little worlds and their own conversations. I get a few claps here and there, but I feel like I might as well just go home. That said, it's a job that pays decent money and even if they don't listen to me, I'm still doing something that I enjoy. As the moment gets closer for me to sing my own original song I panic. What if I mess this up and look completely stupid? I will never be able to get up here again if that happens, especially in front of all the regulars who come here every night. Hopefully, the people here right now are too drunk that they won't remember a second of it. Taking a deep breath in I make an announcement. "Hi everyone, I'm going to sing an original song for you all now. I have never really done this before, so please go easy on me. I would like to dedicate this to a very special man in my life who has taught me so much in such a short space of time, so here it goes," I say nervously as I scan the room and notice that pretty much the whole of the audience has jumped to attention. I wish Flip was here right now so he could hear it. Please don't fuck this up, Connie, I think to myself. I remember Flip's words from the other day and push all the negative thoughts and emotions into the back of my mind and start to sing.