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“So, am I allowed to call you Mr. Grumpy Butt? I was thinking of putting that as your name in my phone; I thought it was fitting.” I started laughing hard.
He tugged me in closer. The feel of his hard erection stopped my laughter. He leaned toward my ear. “Only if I can call you Songbird. You were great up there, you know. Now, I will always think of you as my personal Songbird. I am among the few to see you in your element and singing without your guitar. I feel special.”
My breath hitched. I wasn’t expecting that. You are special. I thought to myself. Songbird. A name just for me. I tried to compose myself.
“Songbird, huh?” I tried to act like my legs weren’t about to give out from how turned on I was. I smiled and placed my head back onto his shoulder. We continued dancing until the music picked up a bit. We went back to the group and grabbed some food. He kept staring at me with that seductive smile.
I sang one more song, and then we were both ready to head back to the house. It was a cool night, but it was tolerable even though neither of us drank enough to warm ourselves up. We walked down the street in silence. I could tell Link was hesitant in trying to hold my hand. I grabbed his hand and leaned in close to his arm with my head on his shoulder while we walked. I walk with Nick like this, but Nick doesn’t make me tingle as Link does. This wasn’t that awkward silence where we didn’t know what to say, but the beautiful kind where we merely enjoyed being in each other’s space.
He caught me looking around a little. I loved looking around at all the calm, dark shops that, just hours ago, were full of lights and people. He lightly nudged me with his hip.
“Sorry, I acted like a tool.”
“You didn’t,” I said with a sly smile.
“I did, but thanks for trying to ease my embarrassment.” His smile was genuine; it was beautiful. I looked down at the ground as we walked and couldn’t help but bite my lip.
“I like that you cared so much, and you’re welcome.”
We continued to walk silently for a few minutes, and he spoke again. “So, what’s your plan?” he looked down at me curiously.
“What do you mean? I asked. I wasn’t sure what he was referring to.
“Well, you’re not staying here forever, are you? You need to go home and live your life, right?”
I’m pretty sure he was asking out of curiosity and not being mean about it.
“Are you trying to get rid of me already?” I said it as a joke, and he just stared at me. He wasn’t quite smiling, but his demeanor was friendly.
“Well, yeah, I do need to go back, but part of my life is here now, too. I need to figure out how I will have both in my world now that I found August and Liza.” I paused momentarily, “And you.”
We kept walking and stopped in front of an antique store. Link looked like he was thinking about something and then spoke up, “Why do you call him August and not Dad?”
I thought about it for a moment so that what I said didn’t come out condescending or rude. “Well, I have a dad…and while August is my biological father, and maybe someday we will be at that point, he’s not my dad in any way that matters yet. We just found out about each other and we’re still kind of strangers. It’s going to take time, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he agreed. We stayed silent until we got home. I couldn’t believe I was calling it home already. It felt like home –just different, but in a good way.
“Do you want to check out the cottage? You haven’t seen it yet,” he said.
“I don’t think that’s the best idea. I should let August and Liza know I made it home okay.”
He chuckled. “They’re knocked out. You don’t have to, but the offer is there. I’m not asking you to sleep over,” he smiled, “Just asking if you want to see it; you don’t have to stay forever.”
I smiled back. “I would love to see it.”
The space had Lincoln written all over it. I could see some of his lesson plans spread out on the table; it looked like he was doing some research on Broadway plays. His kitchen was pristine because he didn’t use it, or so I’ve heard. It was gorgeous, nonetheless. The cottage smelled just like him with that deep, woodsy scent. He had a beautiful guitar in the corner propped up on a stand.
“This is so nice. You are so lucky to have your own space like this.” I pointed to the guitar. “Do you play a lot?”
“I’m not that great, but I can get by. I prefer the drums, but I can’t fit them in here. Wait, do you not have your own space at home?” he asked with curiosity written all over his face.
“Not really. I have my own space in the sense that I have my room, but I share a house with Callie and her fiancé for now. We moved in right before Christmas. Right before I came here, actually, about a month or so ago. I guess I would also consider the music room my space too. I get into a different world when I’m in there. Music is my sanctuary. When I move to a forever home it will have to have a music room and—” Oh god, I’m rambling. “Sorry, like I said, I travel to a different world when it comes to music.” I put my head down so he didn’t see me blush.
He stepped toward me and lifted my chin with one finger. He was smiling that sensual smile I’ve come to really look forward to.
“Don’t ever be ashamed to talk about what you love. It’s what makes you who you are. Anyone that meets you can see within minutes that you love music.”
Link started to rub the inside of my left wrist. “When did you get this?”
