outside while inside I’m so happily dancing the Macarena away.
We step on to the stage together, waving to the audience. Alan makes a small announcement before we start.
“Good evening, everybody! It’s a pleasure to have you guys here.” The women scream like crazy. “The ones that always come to our shows must have found the call strange, but we want you to know that from today we have a wonderful new boost with Juliette coming to be part of the group. We hope you enjoy the show and have fun!”
He looks at me with a sensual smile on his lips. I smile back, feeling pretty awkward, and wave to the audience, while I place myself in front of the microphone.
The boys start playing the song I chose for the opening. I close my eyes and just shut the audience down. I feel the cold rising in my belly, but in a good way. The best part about singing songs I love is the fact that I get more involved, passing on all the excitement. I hear my cue and start, with a very soft and charming tone, singing the first verses of the song:
Three little birds, sat on my window
And they told me I don't need to worry.
Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet,
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete.
I feel a shiver from head to toe. The audience begins to applaud. The music carries on and suddenly I realize that the bar is in complete silence. I open my eyes and realize that most of those present are staring at me. They're not booing or throwing cans on to the stage. It's got to be a good sign, right?
I break into a half-dull smile, and close my eyes again, dipping into the verses of the song. When I utter the last words, the audience bursts into applause, taking me by surprise and making Alan and the boys proud.
We continue, mixing up slow songs and more lively ones, and the audience doesn’t stop dancing. After we play She will be loved, Alan announces a twenty-minute break, which is super welcome, as I'm dying of thirst and heat.
Away from the public eye, the three of them just embrace me, happily.
"Julie, it was amazing! Our show never had such energy!” Brian, the drummer, says as he hugs me.
"Congratulations." I thought you wouldn't handle it, but you caught me by surprise” Levi, the bassist, throws me a wink.
"You were amazing on stage... and your voice drove all the guys crazy at the bar. Even me”, Alan whispers in my ear and blows a kiss to my neck.
I feel a chill. It strikes a chord why women keep screaming when he shows up. If I wasn't in love with Danny and wasn't 100% sure that Alan would shred my heart after devouring me, I'd melt at his feet and take my place in the line - pretty long, by the way - of Alan Hunt's conquests.
"Thank you," I speak to everyone, moving away from Alan's seductive touch. “It was great.” I fail to speak out the words to demonstrate how thrilled and happy I am. I smile at them and ask permission to speak to Rafe, who is coming to meet us.
"Julie, what a show! People are crazy about you. Danny's going to kill me, but I'm sure it was the best decision I've ever made.” He laughs and gives me a very tight bear hug. Rafe's cute, even in his somewhat serious way.
"Thank you! Coming from you, that's a top-compliment. Thank you so much for letting me do this. I need a drink of water and I wanted to talk to George and Jo before I get back on stage.”
“Of course. They're there by the bar. I'm going to go talk to the boys.”
I give a kiss to Rafe and go straight to the bar. On the way, people smile at me and I give it back happily.
I look around and I see George waving like crazy at me. I start laughing. He is hilarious when he does that, he seems like a little girl who just got a new Barbie.
"Little girl! You were dazz-ling! Beautiful! Diva! Everything!” I can’t stop laughing as he hugs me very tightly.
"Thank you, George. Where's Jo? Tell me everything! Did you like it? Did I go out of tune? I was so nervous…”
“Jo went outside to answer her phone. She's a little mysterious with this phone, see? She said it was work.” “Work on a Saturday, almost at midnight?” “I know... but you were stun! You sang perfectly.” They were all thrilled, praising her voice. “Little girl, if I wasn't gay, I'd get you. I never thought you'd be so sexy.”
I smile, thinking about how good it is to realize one of my dreams, until a little dark cloud crosses my mind.
"I hope Danny won't forbid me to carry on singing here. I'd be devastated.”
"He may even try, but after tonight, if you don't sing here, you'll sing wherever you want. I'm sure your performance will be making waves for a long time.”
I nod my head. George is absolutely right. If Daniel doesn't want me to keep singing here, he’ll be the one losing out.
"By the way," he continues, “Alan couldn’t keep his eyes off you. If I were you, I'd take advantage of that hot, tattooed body to get rid of the backlog. I've heard quite a few stories about the way he “plays guitar”, if you know what I mean.”
Damn it! That comment almost makes me spit out the water I was drinking.
"George! Wait for me to finish drinking before you say those things”, I complain, though with a laugh, while trying to get myself together. It's very hard to be a lady around George.
"I shouldn't have even started drinking.” “I told you, drinking without toasting, twenty years without getting. You've been on a drought, who knows since when. Just hold on, I'm going to get some water to save you from this curse.”
He rolls his eyes and goes to the bartender, like he's doing me a huge favor.
I laugh so much that my eyes fill with tears. I need to shake myself to avoid crying and smudge my makeup.
Jo arrives at this moment, her face half red. Is she blushing? Seriously? I've never seen her look embarrassed like this before. Before I open my mouth to talk, she jumps on me.
"Bestieeee! You were beautiful! I even cried when you sang the first song!”, she says, and we happily embrace each other. George approaches and hugs us too. I'm sure we look like three needy freaks in front of the bar.
"Okay, one water for each one, because our pop diva can't drink alcohol so as not to affect her performance.”
We lift our bottles and toast.
I drink the water quickly, before George makes me laugh with some other insane commentary. When I look backstage, Alan makes a sign that it's time to come back.
“I have to go.”
"Little girl, can I order a song? George asks, pulling his really needy face. I can't say “no” when he does this to me.
“Of course. What do you want me to sing?”
"Fever, a classic.”
"Jeez, George. You're so predictable. You could only want me to sing something from
