which had filled the room to capacity. One of the smaller venues in another part of the Hall was reserved for overflow, where a large screen had been erected so they, too, could enjoy the live show.
Altogether more than ten thousand Aldayneans were seated and ready for Auggie by the time the lights went down at eight o’clock.
The auditoriums filled with the sound of a babbling brook and leaves rustling, just like a walk through a forest. I could see thousands holding up the tiny wands that dangled with purple butterflies. There was a smile in my face when I saw Auggie at last, dressed in a purple silk robe over black pants that clung to his body. He wore a white shirt underneath, hanging open, begging for eager hands to dance across the taut flesh, flesh that I had read like Braille on many occasions. I gasped a little from the look in his eyes as he approached, like a sleek cat stalking his prey in the jungle.
He stood before me. He lifted a microphone to those full, sensual lips. “Hello.”
Inside I went as wild for him as every person in that auditorium.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been together,” he murmured into the mic as his fingers tangled with mine. “I’ve missed you. Did you miss me?”
I nodded. The crowd screamed.
“Tell me again,” he commanded softly. “Did you miss me?”
The crowd responded in kind. I mouthed yes. He smiled.
“Good. I’ve been thinking a lot about our future. And what you mean to me. I haven’t done right by you,” he admitted softly. “I’m going to make up for that. If you give me the chance,” he said. “It’s always been up to you.”
I couldn’t even hear the crowd anymore. I was lost in those green eyes. A tear slipped down my face. He easily caught it. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it softly. He then turned and walked out onto the stage. The audience thundered when he appeared. “Hello, Aldayne,” he greeted with a smile.
“Welcome home, Auggie!” I heard people yelling from the audience.
“Thank you,” he said, his hand to his chest. “I have a new song I want to perform for you. But to do that, I must first introduce you to my muse. Are you ready to meet her?”
The response was deafening.
“Aldayne, please greet your new princess. My love. Peaches McPhee.” He turned and held out a hand for me to join him.
This was not part of the plan. I had never been a part of the show. But there he waited for me. I wasn’t going to say no. My legs trembled underneath me, but I walked forward. I was stunned that they roared even louder for me. I caught sight of my family in the box seats, hollering like the Americans they were. I smiled and waved.
He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close. “This year has been quite a journey for Peaches and me. I never believed in love at first sight until I first saw her face. Then there she was. The answer to every prayer. The realization of every dream. My love. Then, there he was,” he added as he put his other hand on my tummy. The crowd went berserk.
“My new family has changed some things for me. I know I can’t run from responsibility anymore. That is why this concert will be my last. I’m officially retiring the Duke of Mayhem tonight.”
That caused a mixed reaction, some applause, some boos.
“That’s what you do when you love someone,” he explained. “You put them first.” He glanced out over the people I knew he loved. “I’ve put you last for far too long, Aldayne. That is why we’ve come home. To you.”
They liked that better. He pulled me over to the piano, assisting me onto the purple velvet seat. He joined me. “It was on a piano seat where our world changed,” he grinned as he looked down at me.
Out of nowhere I heard my baby’s heart beating. I knew it was Jack. And suddenly it filled the entire hall. Tears sprang instantly to my eyes as Auggie played a lovely instrumental. I wiped tears away as he began to sing. “My life was incomplete without her. Now my world is all about her. She is my Queen,” he added with a smirk towards the audience, who responded in kind. “Now we return home to find, a home of another kind; it’s our new dream.”