spoke close to my ear. "Are you hearing this?"
"Shh." I couldn't take my eyes off her. She sang with such purity it almost hurt to listen. The emotion was profound. In that moment, I could feel everything. It was as if she was making all my hate, pain, loss, and love surface like a rushing faucet. It was to the point that I had to take a deep breath to untie the knot in my chest. This damn girl blew into my bar, into my life, knocking everything over like a fucking tornado. Her voice, her eyes, her smart mouth, all of it. I didn't know if I was coming or going. I just wanted some part of her, and I didn't care how much.
She strummed the last note and the bar was dead silent. She raised her head and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. Lily's eyes found mine and for a split second, before the crowd burst into applause, I lost every bit of control and smiled like I had won the goddamn lottery. Because at that moment, she looked at me like she had won the lottery too.
" D UDE! D ID YOU JUST hear that shit?"
I was still watching Lily as she placed the guitar on the stand. The words of the song swam in my head; her voice silenced everything around me.
"Todd?" Seth's amused tone filtered through my thoughts. "Bro, you guys need to sign that shit like yesterday."
"What?" I was still trying to gather myself. Lily had me so screwed up.
"Lily, your new bartender? That's serious fucking talent, man."
"I know. Frank's got to hear her first, though."
Lily walked to the other end of the bar. A substandard musician started playing a song on the piano while Lily got right back to work helping customers.
"Well, Frank's going to lose his mind, that's all I'm saying." Seth poured the rest of his drink down his throat.
"He's going to do more than lose his mind. Let's get a drink. I want to talk to her."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lily
S ETH TOOK PERCH ON THE STOOL he was in earlier. Todd mixed him a drink, and I couldn't help admire how his large body moved with grace behind the small bar. My teeth drew across my bottom lip in an attempt to hide my smile as I thought of how Todd watched me while I sang. My body was alight with goose bumps. He looked at me like he'd never seen something so remarkable in his entire life. Todd's mask had completely fallen for four whole minutes. In those precious moments, I thought I had glimpsed his soul, and it was the brightest thing I'd ever seen.
I wasn't quite ready to talk to him yet, so I busied myself with customers. This side of Todd was unsettling. I almost preferred the asshole. At least I knew how to deal with that.
"Holy crap, girl, you've got to sing for Frank!" Tiffany's eyes were wide. I laughed at her serious expression as I handed a patron their beer.
"Really?" I giggled.
"That was amazing, Lily." Jace pulled me in for a hug.
Todd pushed away from the bar where he was talking with Seth; his eyebrows pulled inward, and his mouth made a tight line. The former guise firmly back in place.
"Jace, I need you to go grab some more bottles of Blue Moon from the back," Todd's commanding tone had me on edge again. Jace nodded and released me from his embrace. I thought I heard Tiff snicker under her breath, but the music was loud so I couldn't be sure.
"I'm outta here, bro. Good job tonight, Lily. It was nice to meet you." I noted Seth's manner was now friendly, the previous flirting long forgotten. Which was probably a good thing seeing how I couldn't help but notice that Tiffany watched Seth's every move. I may be new around here, but the relationships everyone shared were starting to show, the surface façade slowly dimming.
"See you later, Tiff." Tiffany looked up from the sink where she was scrubbing pint glasses just in time to catch a stunning smile from Seth. Tiffany's hard exterior melted away as her cheeks turned bright pink. She gave him a quick smile and went back to work. My lips split into a big grin.
"What's funny, Red?" Todd's voice was smooth and too close. While
"Shh." I couldn't take my eyes off her. She sang with such purity it almost hurt to listen. The emotion was profound. In that moment, I could feel everything. It was as if she was making all my hate, pain, loss, and love surface like a rushing faucet. It was to the point that I had to take a deep breath to untie the knot in my chest. This damn girl blew into my bar, into my life, knocking everything over like a fucking tornado. Her voice, her eyes, her smart mouth, all of it. I didn't know if I was coming or going. I just wanted some part of her, and I didn't care how much.
She strummed the last note and the bar was dead silent. She raised her head and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. Lily's eyes found mine and for a split second, before the crowd burst into applause, I lost every bit of control and smiled like I had won the goddamn lottery. Because at that moment, she looked at me like she had won the lottery too.
" D UDE! D ID YOU JUST hear that shit?"
I was still watching Lily as she placed the guitar on the stand. The words of the song swam in my head; her voice silenced everything around me.
"Todd?" Seth's amused tone filtered through my thoughts. "Bro, you guys need to sign that shit like yesterday."
"What?" I was still trying to gather myself. Lily had me so screwed up.
"Lily, your new bartender? That's serious fucking talent, man."
"I know. Frank's got to hear her first, though."
Lily walked to the other end of the bar. A substandard musician started playing a song on the piano while Lily got right back to work helping customers.
"Well, Frank's going to lose his mind, that's all I'm saying." Seth poured the rest of his drink down his throat.
"He's going to do more than lose his mind. Let's get a drink. I want to talk to her."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lily
S ETH TOOK PERCH ON THE STOOL he was in earlier. Todd mixed him a drink, and I couldn't help admire how his large body moved with grace behind the small bar. My teeth drew across my bottom lip in an attempt to hide my smile as I thought of how Todd watched me while I sang. My body was alight with goose bumps. He looked at me like he'd never seen something so remarkable in his entire life. Todd's mask had completely fallen for four whole minutes. In those precious moments, I thought I had glimpsed his soul, and it was the brightest thing I'd ever seen.
I wasn't quite ready to talk to him yet, so I busied myself with customers. This side of Todd was unsettling. I almost preferred the asshole. At least I knew how to deal with that.
"Holy crap, girl, you've got to sing for Frank!" Tiffany's eyes were wide. I laughed at her serious expression as I handed a patron their beer.
"Really?" I giggled.
"That was amazing, Lily." Jace pulled me in for a hug.
Todd pushed away from the bar where he was talking with Seth; his eyebrows pulled inward, and his mouth made a tight line. The former guise firmly back in place.
"Jace, I need you to go grab some more bottles of Blue Moon from the back," Todd's commanding tone had me on edge again. Jace nodded and released me from his embrace. I thought I heard Tiff snicker under her breath, but the music was loud so I couldn't be sure.
"I'm outta here, bro. Good job tonight, Lily. It was nice to meet you." I noted Seth's manner was now friendly, the previous flirting long forgotten. Which was probably a good thing seeing how I couldn't help but notice that Tiffany watched Seth's every move. I may be new around here, but the relationships everyone shared were starting to show, the surface façade slowly dimming.
"See you later, Tiff." Tiffany looked up from the sink where she was scrubbing pint glasses just in time to catch a stunning smile from Seth. Tiffany's hard exterior melted away as her cheeks turned bright pink. She gave him a quick smile and went back to work. My lips split into a big grin.
"What's funny, Red?" Todd's voice was smooth and too close. While
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