Jack faced the back of the small stage and shook his ass as a teaser. He heard a few catcalls and felt his ears grow hot, but he pushed on. When the distinctive intro blared from the speakers, he spun around to face the audience.
“Oppa Gangnam style,” he sang in a low voice, holding the microphone close to his mouth.
Then he circled one fist by his head like he was swinging a lasso and reined his imaginary horse with his other hand, mimicking Psy’s iconic choreography. That part wasn’t too bad,but his damn legs refused to gallop, so he alternated between hopping and running in place. The dance itself was hilarious, but he was butchering it into the realm of the ridiculous. Not on purpose. He just had zero rhythm.
When Lizzy almost fell out of her chair laughing, he grinned and “danced” harder. He didn’t mind that he probably looked like he was convulsing uncontrollably—several people were giving him concerned glances.
“Eh-sexy lady, oh, oh, oh, oh.”
He sang his heart out. That part he couldn’t help. He loved singing, and he wasn’t half bad at it. That was probably why he wasn’t booed off the stage. They forgave him for his hideous dancing thanks to his singing. When the song ended, he took a deep bow and came back to their table.
“I don’t know how they do it,” he huffed, collapsing onto his seat.
“You don’t know how who does what?” Lizzy said, handing him his drink.
He threw aside the straw and drank deeply from his mug. “I don’t know how those Korean idols sing and dance at the same time. It’s seriously hard.”
“Please, don’t,” Lizzy said, her expression deadly serious. “Do notcompare what you just did up there to a Korean boy band performance.”
“Harsh.” He finished his drink in a few more gulps.
The server who had been so hard to track down a while ago appeared at his side in a magical instant. “Another?”
“Yes, please.” Jack handed him the empty glass.
“I’ll have another, too.” Lizzy pointed at her nearly depleted mug.
With a gallant nod, the server left them.
“Did you pick your song yet?” Jack asked, leaning over to peek at the songbook.
“Yup.” She nodded with a determined set of her lips. “I’m going with ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.’”
“You’re going to be awesome.”
“Liar,” she said affectionately.
When it was her turn, she graciously took the stage and held the mic with both hands. He could tell she wasn’t quite tipsy enough to take the nervous edge off.Shit.His heart swooped to his stomach and slammed back up. She was doing this for him. She took his plea tojust have some funto heart and wanted to put him at ease.
His blood pounded in his ears as her voice cracked on the first note. He was falling. The ground was rushing up to meet him, but he didn’t hit it. He kept falling. He’d been in love with Lizzy for so long that he didn’t remember how it had happened. Loving her had always been a part of him. A quiet, tender ache. Something that could be contained inside him. But what he felt now was nothing like that.
Lizzy giggled into the microphone and renewed her efforts. Off-key and lovable, she charmed the crowd into cheering for her and singing along with her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He was bewitched. Nothing about this was funny anymore. She was confident, courageous, and beautiful even when she laughed at herself. And he was falling for her in a way he’d never allowed himself to love her before.
His plan to cool down his longing for Lizzy had failed spectacularly. He had to stop the free fall. How else was he going to let her go if their venture into the dating sphere didn’t work out? How else could he content himself with having only a piece of her if they went back to being just friends? But he had no ideahow to stop himself from falling in love with Lizzy. How could he? He’d never fallen in love before. Not like this.
When she came back to their table flushed and smiling, he leaned across the table and kissed her because he couldn’t not kiss her. She tasted like lychee and laughter, and he felt her smile against his lips. He wanted to capture this moment—capture this memory of her—and sear it into his mind. Even if he couldn’t have her forever, this moment was his to keep. This sliver of her was his. He reluctantly drew back even though he wanted to go on kissing her until everything else disappeared.
“What was that for?” she asked with a shy blush staining her cheeks.
“Because you’re you,” he whispered.
“I guess being me isn’t half bad,” Lizzy said breathlessly.
Jack couldn’t believe that the most perfect woman in the world was sitting across from him. He wanted to weep in gratitude for her existence. This was enough. He didn’t want to be greedy for more, and he didn’t want to lose how much he had. Just this much was enough for him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lizzy drank more lychee shochu and sang a ridiculous number of songs. Having fun with Jack was the best kind of fun. And she loved the secret flutter of her heart every time he touched her or looked at her just so.
