Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“Oh dear. Of course. I’ll be right back with that.” And off she goes, like an innocent lamb to slaughter.
“We’ll be right back, fellas,” Kendrick drawls to Titus and Kai, as he pulls me off the couch by my hand. “We’re gonna watch Savage and Laila’s performance from the wings.”
“Godspeed,” Kai says with a yawn, as Titus grunts in reply while scrolling on his phone.
Those two only know that Savage and Laila are performing a duet of Laila’s hit song, “Savage Love,” for the first time, ever. Which, apparently, they both think is a cool enough first to inspire our prison break.
Our hands joined, Kendrick and I sneak out of the greenroom and down a short hallway toward the stage. And just as we get settled into a perfect, covert spot with a clear view of the performance area, Sunshine Vaughn enthusiastically flings her arm to the side and bellows, “It’s Savage and Laila, everyone, performing a duet of Laila’s hit song, ‘Savage Love,’ for the very first time! Happy birthday, Mr. Savage!”
As the studio audience applauds and cheers, a spotlight illuminates Savage and Laila on the other side of the stage from Sunshine, but close enough to our hiding spot that we can see every micro-facial expression of the pair. Laila’s seated at a baby grand in a flowing ballgown, her blonde hair magnificently piled atop her head, and Savage is standing next to Laila’s piano with his acoustic guitar, and both husband and wife are gazing at each other lovingly.
“Happy birthday, baby,” Laila coos into her microphone, right before he launches into singing the first, familiar verse of her hit song:
One for the money
Two for the show
Three cuz you’re so good givin’ Os
Ooooooooooh
Four for the cameras
Five for the fame
No catchin’ feelings, only a game
Ooooooooooh
But then six came along when we had our first kiss
Six made me swoon, yell out “I call dibs!”
Six watched you sleep, whispered, “I want this.”
Six held you tight in a white-knuckled grip
Ooooooooooh
And now I’ve got a savage love for you
I’ve lost count of all the ways you’ve made me a slave to you
There’s no doubt my love is here to stay; I’m addicted to you
I’ve got a savage love for you, infinite and everlasting
Six hit the road, now it’s long gone
Seven came along, now you’re second to none
Ooooooooooh
Cameras are off and our love remains
Eight, nine, and ten, let’s have a baby
Kendrick and I look excitedly at each other. Our friends told us they were planning to announce their pregnancy in some way during their performance, but they wouldn’t tell us exactly how. Well, there it was. That last line was supposed to be “Eight, nine, and ten, our love never fades.” And based on the over-the-top reaction of the audience, every person in this soundstage is well aware of the lyric change and its obvious implication.
With huge smiles on their faces, Savage and Laila continue with their song:
Fake became real and want became need
Can’t live without you, I need you to breathe
You’re swimming in my bloodstream, enmeshed in my heart
I dream about you, in pain when we part
Ooooooooooh
And now I’ve got a savage love for you
I’ve lost count of all the ways you’ve made me a slave to you
There’s no doubt my love is here to stay; I’m addicted to you
I’ve got a savage love for you
Infinite and everlasting
Take my heart, take my soul,
Take my blood, bones, and flesh
Take the air from my lungs, every pound, every inch
Take it all, every ounce, I give everything
Savage love, let’s have a baby
They did it again! And this time, the crowd is going even more crazy than before, right along with Kendrick and me.
When the song reaches its last note, Laila gleefully slides off her piano bench and rises to accept her husband’s offered hug and kiss. But before she falls into Savage’s waiting arms, Laila pointedly presses her flowing gown tightly against her growing midsection, revealing the lovely baby bump that’s recently sprouted there—and all of it with a mischievous look on her beautiful face that says, “Gosh, what do we have here?”
Of course, the crowd goes wild and crazy in reaction. So much so, I’m surprised their unhinged energy isn’t physically blowing the roof off the place.
Laila’s exciting pregnancy reveal completed, she accepts Savage’s giddy embrace and kiss. The pair waves to their adoring live audience, and then to the cameras trained on them, and their spotlight slowly fades to black.
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Savage!” Sunshine sings out, sounding genuinely delighted. “Happy birthday to Mr. Savage, indeed! My goodness!” She fans herself. “That was a surprise to me, too, folks. How wonderful!” Laughing, she beams at the camera. “Let’s take a quick commercial break, so we can scream and cry with our besties about this amazing news. And when we come back, Jon Stapleton will be here to perform one of his greatest country hits with ten of your favorite contestants from the season!”