Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 67644 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67644 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
The crowd obviously loved the idea, too. Levi slung his guitar from his back around to his front as he came to a stop next to me. Brooklynn held a cordless mic in her hand, and Levi had a small one hooked over his ear.
Once the noise died down, I handed my Gibson off to Louie, who gave me my acoustic. Then I went back to the standing microphone. “So, it’s supposed to be a surprise, but we’ve decided to let you be the first to learn about a collaboration we’ll be releasing on Rising Phoenix’s next album.” I paused as the crowd went wild and waited until they calmed before continuing. “You guys want to hear it?” Levi, Brooklynn, and I laughed at the mixed reaction of screaming, crying, and clapping. I was anxious to see how the audience reacted to the new song. I was headed back to LA. the next day to begin recording. By testing it out on the crowd now, I could make any tweaks that were necessary before Levi and Brooklynn showed up to lay down the track in two weeks.
We cracked some jokes and got the audience riled up, especially when Levi bent Brooklynn backwards and kissed the hell out of her. Finally, I gave the signal, and a gleaming, white grand piano was wheeled onstage and positioned right next to Brooklynn. She sat on the bench and secured the mic before running her fingers over the keys a couple of times, which eventually morphed into a tune that was dark, heavy and thick with tension. Levi started strumming, and I joined in after a few bars.
Brooklynn leaned in and began to sing in her smooth, smoky voice. She sang about love, about the pain of loving one man and breaking the heart of another.
I joined her after a few lines, singing a contracting melody about loving a girl and not knowing if she belongs to me or another.
When we finished, the three of us launched into a chorus about love drowning us instead of breathing love into our lives.
This time, Levi started the verse, singing similar words to mine before Brooklynn joined him, confessing her love for him. We repeated the chorus, then I started the next verse. As I sang about the world falling apart when she left me for him, my eyes swept over the audience.
The house lights were down, but they’d also taken the stage lights back up a notch, so they weren’t blinding. I stepped closer to the edge of the stage and dropped to my haunches so I could take a few of the hands reaching out to me. As I was standing back up, I glanced all the way to my left and my eyes locked on a black-haired beauty standing just inside the VIP area.
My gaze was practically glued to her; I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away. I wandered in her direction and when she realized I was staring at her, her perfectly plump lips opened in surprise. Her eyes widened, but it was still too dark for me to surmise the color.
My verse came to an end, and Brooklynn played an interlude. I knew I needed to get back to them, but I wasn’t ready to look away yet, so I backed up slowly until I had no choice but to pay attention to where I was going so that I didn’t trip and make an ass of myself.
It took everything in me to break the connection between us. However, when I closed my eyes as we started the chorus once again, it was her face I saw as I poured emotion into my performance.
My voice blended with Levi’s and Brooklynn’s; our harmonies tight until we all broke off into different melodies.
As the song came to an end, they faded out and it was just me singing about my hope to find a love like theirs. Something in me was whispering and despite the volume in the arena and the song streaming from my mouth, it was clear.
It was telling me I’d found it. Her.
The concert finally came to an end, and the normal after performance high was on a level I’d never felt before. I practically ran off stage but skidded to a stop when Brooklynn stepped in front of me, a giant smile plastered on her face.
“That was amazing, Griff!” She yelled as she threw her arms around me. I didn’t bother trying to hug her back because a second later, she was gone, and I would have looked like a complete idiot hugging air.
Levi had her tucked under his arm and tight to his side, and he was giving me a deadly glare. I grinned and winked at his wife, just to get under his skin. Normally, I would hang around and give him shit about being whipped, but I was on a fucking mission.