the grass and watch Reckless Alibi play their second-to-last show. It’s hard to believe we’ve been here six weeks. I don’t want it to end. While I miss New York and my friends, I know everything will change when we get off the plane at JFK on Sunday.
Crew is especially energetic on stage tonight. I guess he’s trying to get the most out of the last few concerts.
What will happen to them after this tour? When they go back home, will they get recognized? Will they be in high demand? Liam told me the whole point of going to Florida over spring break was to garner new fans from all over the country. Millions of young people vacation here, and the hope is they will see Reckless Alibi and then go back and tell their friends.
I see a couple familiar faces front and center. The girls have been following the band, coming to almost every concert. I’m pretty sure Garrett has slept with both of them.
Crew runs offstage after a song, and I straighten. Their set is always the same. He’s never done this before.
He returns moments later, walks over to Bria, and sits her on a stool next to the keyboard. She seems confused. The rest of the band is smiling. Liam winks at me.
Crew takes the mic and speaks to the crowd. “What most of you don’t know is that this woman is the reason we’re on this tour. A little more than a year ago, she joined Reckless Alibi. Before her, we were an all-male band. But something was always missing.” He turns to her. “Something was missing from more than just the band.”
He pulls a small box from his jeans pocket and gets down on one knee. The audience screams and then goes silent. Bria’s jaw drops and she stifles a happy cry.
He takes the ring from the box. “Brianna Cash, you’ve saved me in so many ways, professionally and personally. Writing lyrics with you is fun, rewarding, and if I might say, a huge turn-on.”
The audience snickers.
“You’re my best friend, my inspiration, my soon-to-be roommate. We’ve made incredible memories on this tour, but this is only the beginning. I can’t wait to write more songs about our life together and the amazing journey we’re about to begin. About the children we bring into the world.”
Bria cries. Her hands steeple over her nose and then she wipes away tears.
I expect Liam to be watching them, like everyone else. He’s not. His eyes are on me.
“After I bought this ring last week, I wrote a song. I want to sing it for you. But first you have to say the one word I’m looking for.” He holds the ring out. “Will you please marry me and be my partner in life? My writing buddy. My co-lead singer. My wife?”
She slides off the stool onto her knees in front of him. She puts her hands on either side of his face. “Yes.”
Cheers and whistles erupt from the crowd as he slips the ring on her finger and they kiss. Crew helps her back on the stool, picks up the mic, and says, “Bear with me. My hands are shaking, and I promised her a song.”
He serenades her with one of the most emotional songs I’ve ever heard. His voice cracks several times. I’m sure there isn’t a dry eye in the place. Even some of the men are surreptitiously wiping their cheeks. Liam is standing off to the side with Brad and Garrett. He glances at me and smiles. But it’s a sad smile.
My heart thunders and then falls when I realize I’m in love with a man I’ve only known for seven weeks. A man who thinks he’s damaged beyond repair and can never have a real relationship.
And I cry.
After Crew’s song, they finish their set and then he carries Bria offstage. Tom lets me back to congratulate them. I’m hugging her when she stiffens. “Dad?”
An older man approaches. “I hope it’s okay that I came. Chris called last week and thought I’d want to be here. I decided I’ve missed too much of your life already.”
Bria runs into his arms. Her dad basically checked out of her life when her mom died on 9/11. Her brother, Brett, practically raised her. She hasn’t seen her father in five years, not since the day she graduated high school and he moved to Florida.
A proposal and a reunion on the same day. She’s one lucky girl.