Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“I’m okay.”
“You’re quiet,” he continues whispering.
“I’m just enjoying the free Taylor Swift concert,” I whisper back, and he grins. My eyes drop to his mouth without thinking, and I bite my lip when he makes a sound in the back of his throat.
“What are you two whispering about?” Missy asks. I pull my eyes off Logan and find her staring at us.
“Nothing.” I would scoot away from Logan, but there is no room for me to do that, and it’s obvious that he’s not interested in allowing me personal space.
Thankfully, with Hanson’s lead foot, we make it downtown within twenty minutes and find a parking garage close to the bar we are going to.
Like every single Saturday in Nashville, Broadway is jam-packed, and the sidewalks are so crowded that you can’t walk two feet without accidentally bumping into a girl wearing a sash that says she’s getting married or her group of friends that is surrounding her, because we are in the capital of bachelorette parties. The third time I get nudged into Logan’s side by someone passing us, he lets go of my hand, which he’s had in a grip so tight I wonder if he thinks I might wander off, and wraps his arm around my shoulder, hugging me to his side. Then he uses his height and size to his advantage, pushing through the people on the sidewalk until we reach the bar where Hector is performing.
After showing our IDs to the security guy standing at the door, we walk inside with Missy, Hanson, and Benett right behind us. It smells like stale beer, sweat, and the perfume and body spray of every person in the confined space, and there are lots of bodies, so many that it’s almost hard to breathe.
The noise, the smells, the people brushing up against me are overstimulating and a reminder of why I stopped going out to bars and clubs years ago. It’s not that I don’t like to have a good time, I’d just rather have a glass of wine in a quiet restaurant or wine bar where I can actually hear the people I’m spending time with. I get closer to Logan without thinking, and he wraps his arm tighter around me.
“Is this too much?” he asks only loud enough for me to hear, and I wonder if he can somehow read my mind or if it’s that obvious that I’m uncomfortable.
“It’s just been a while since I’ve been in such a small space with so many people.”
“Come on, it’s less crowded near the stage.” Sliding his hand from my shoulders down my arm to wrap around my hip, he places me in front of his body. He’s so close there is no space between us, and with his hand on my hips, he moves us as one through the crowd towards the stage, where we find Hector sitting with his guitar.
“I’m glad you came, man.” He fists bumps Logan then does the same with Hanson and Benett before giving a hug to me and Missy.
“Nervous?” Benett asks him.
“Nah, just ready,” he tells him, then looks at Logan. “You wanna come on stage for a song or two?”
“What?” I tip my chin back to look up at Logan. “You sing?”
“No.” He shakes his head with a chuckle. “Not even a little.”
“Don’t let him lie to you, Nalia. He loves being on stage.”
“I sang karaoke one time,” he mutters, and I laugh then laugh harder when the guys start telling me about his rendition of “Living On A Prayer” Logan performed that had the whole bar singing along with him.
“Are you ready?” a woman, seeming to appear out of nowhere, asks Hector.
“Yep.” He looks at all of us. “See you guys after the show.”
“Break a leg or whatever they say in show business,” I tell him, and he grins.
While Hector steps up onto the stage, Logan takes a seat on a stool just off to the side, then maneuvers me to stand between his spread knees with his hand on my stomach. Pulling me back into him, he takes my weight with ease. The intimacy of our position feels oddly comfortable, and if I’m honest, I feel grounded with him holding me and less overwhelmed despite the fact that we are surrounded by so many people.
With a guitar in front of him, Hector gets close to the mic and starts singing “Ex To See” by Sam Hunt. I’ve heard the song dozens of times when I’ve been driving or just listening to music in my office, but hearing Hector sing it causes goose bumps to break out across my skin. Despite the upbeat tone of the song the lyrics seem to mean something to him, and my heart hurts just thinking about the situation with his ex-wife and his kids.
“He’s really good,” I tell Logan when the song comes to an end, and he starts singing another one that I’m not familiar with but has the same tempo as the last.