The Single Life with Zola Patterson Part 2 - Danielle Allen Page 0,53

can’t make someone be with you or love you back.”

The word love slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. She smiled at me before looking away.

When we arrived at Black Lotus, we sat down and ordered a round of shots and our usual drinks. When they arrived, Kia lifted her shot glass. “You fell in love in a week and I’m single. Here’s to change looking good on us.”

I clinked hers with mine and we took the shot. The alcohol burned all the way down.

“Next to the stage, we have Gunner and his guitar.”

We clapped, but Gunner was new, so we went back to talking.

“You should call him,” Kia suggested. “But not tonight. You don’t need to drunk dial him and we are going to get drunk.”

“I’m probably not going to drink that much.”

She pointed at my empty shot glass. “We are about to hear some good music while drowning in man drama… you are going to be drinking.”

I snickered behind my hand. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Can I bring a friend out?” Gunner asked as we talked to the waitress for another round of shots. “Give it up for my man, Saint!”

My head almost flew off from the velocity of me turning.

My Saint? Well… what used to be my Saint.

There weren’t many people with that name. I waited with bated breath for the person to come to the stage. I closed my eyes because my heart was racing. The catcalls confirmed it was him before I even opened my eyes.

“Zo, is that…?” Kia’s voice sounded as stunned as I felt.

I nodded, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was wearing the suit he’d had on at my release party and he looked good.

“Hi, my name is Saint and I’m going to keep it short,” he announced into the mic. He looked over at Gunner and he started playing. “I met a woman a few weeks ago and I knew she was different. I had to know her better. And once I knew her better, I had to have her. And once I had her, I knew I didn’t want to let her go.”

He paused and scanned the crowd. The way the guitar sounded with his tone of voice made it seem like a spoken word poem even though it wasn’t.

Saint let the guitar riff swell before he continued, “But I let something get in my head and I made the mistake of letting her walk out of my life. I let this beautiful, smart, sexy, funny, talented woman go and I’ve regretted it every second of every day. I’m man enough to admit that I fucked up.”

He searched the crowd until he found me. His light brown eyes stared into my soul from that stage and I was unable to do anything about it.

“I’m man enough to admit that I let the past make a decision for me in the present…when all I want is a future with you.”

The cooing echoed throughout the room as the guitar rift punctuated his words. My heart was beating so hard as he left the stage area and made a beeline to me. Everyone was watching but once my eyes focused on him, the rest of the audience faded away.

“What did I miss?” Lilith asked as she walked up. “Who. Is. He?”

“That’s Zola’s boyfriend.”

“I understand why she left the single life now.”

They cackled.

He introduced himself to each of them before turning back to me. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah,” I murmured as the applause and cheers rained down.

Saint and I went outside, standing near the side of the building. As soon as the brisk October air hit me, I pulled my black leather jacket tighter and stuffed my hands in the pockets.

“I’m sorry to take you away from your friends. Are you cold?” he asked.

“I’m okay. And they’re fine without me.”

We were both quiet, the sound of the people moving in and out of Black Lotus surrounding us.

The fluttering in my belly intensified with each passing second. I had to say something. “I thought you didn’t perform in front of crowds.”

A smile played on his lips. “I don’t. But you changed your number, and I didn’t want to just pop up at your house unannounced, not after ol’ boy. But I knew you would be here, so I waited.” He stared at me for a second. “I called you Friday night, but…”

“I changed my number,” I finished his sentence.

“Yeah…”

“What were you calling me about?”

“To tell you everything I’d said on stage.”