“I love you, baby girl,” I said.
“Lah you, daddy,” she said, her brown eyes cheerful and happy. I ruffled her blonde little head one last time before I hurried out the door.
Shannon shouted behind me, “Love you. Drive safe.”
“You too, babe,” I said. “I'll see you soon.”
“And don't forget your guitar!” she added.
Shit. I closed the door and ran over to where I kept my guitar in the corner of our small living room.
“Guitar!” Ava cooed. “I play guitar?”
“Later, sweetie,” Shannon said, wiping the potatoes off our little girl's face. “After daddy's show, okay?”
“Okay,” Ava said, pouting slightly.
I waved as I hurried on out. I rushed to my pickup truck and threw my guitar in the back. Thankfully, tonight's show was at a family-friendly restaurant in town, not the usual smoky bars and clubs. It was one of the first shows Ava would get to attend, and I was looking forward to seeing my daughter in the crowd. She'd be up past her bedtime, bu
t both Shannon and I agreed it’d be worth it. She'd finally get to see daddy perform, in front of a crowd. It might be a small crowd for now, but one day, we’d fill stadiums.
I pulled up to the restaurant and parked, my drummer, Landon, was already waiting for me by the back door.
“Took you long enough,” Landon joked.
“Yeah, well, when you have a wife like mine, you'll get distracted sometimes too,” I said with a grin.
“Nough with the monkey business. Big crowd tonight,” Landon said. “Hell, I'd say most of 'em are even here to see us.”
“Or maybe it's the half-price appetizers they're serving at the bar,” I said. Landon was the optimist, while I was the realist.
“Maybe, but I'll take it.”
The band that was on had just finished their set and were leaving the stage. We exchanged greetings as Landon and I hit the stage, and I felt that old familiar energy filling me up.
“Showtime,” I said.
Landon handed me a beer from the cooler he'd brought along, but I shook my head. I might have the jitters before going on, but with my wife and baby girl in the audience, I wanted to be my best. I didn't want my senses or energy dulled in the least.
“No thanks, man,” I said.
“Suit yourself,” he said.
He downed the beer in one, big gulp and then let out a loud belch. The crowd was buzzing as I stepped up onto the stage, I eyed the audience but didn't see Shannon anywhere. Our friends were already in the crowd.
I did ask Shannon not to worry about arriving early. Probably in the parking lot now. We finished setting up, and still, she wasn't there. No biggie, she'd get there when she could.
Landon started on them drums, and I played a few chords on the guitar, tapping my foot along with the beat. It wasn't the new song I wrote for Shannon and Ava – that was coming later. I sang an old favorite, the words rolling out over the crowd as people started dancing anywhere they could stand. A few were even singing along with me. If I didn't know better, I thought that maybe Landon was right. Maybe these fine folks were here to see us. Hot damn.
As I played a solo on my guitar, I heard busty redhead call out my name, “Drake! Marry me!”
Her boobs were hanging out of her tiny little crop top, and she wiggled them in my direction. I shook my head, thinking Shannon would be amused if she saw. I strode over to the side of the stage where an older woman was standing, dancing by herself, and reached for her hand. She looked surprised but let me pull her up on stage. With gray hair and Amish-style dress, she looked like she could be someone's granny, but she sure as hell smiled when she was on stage with me.
I wanted to make this sweet little grandma's day.
I sung to her, and together we danced. She shook her butt, and the audience laughed, clapping and cheering wildly. When I held the mic out to her, she sang along, not stumbling over a single word.
Damn. It felt nice to touch people with my music.