Nick Iacoletti (cookedbooks) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2020-04-22 20:27:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | #january 2018, adalyn, adalyn x nick, nick |
Who: Addie and Nick
When: night, Friday, Jan 19th
Where: The Empty Orchestra
Status: complete, part 1
It hadn’t taken Nick long to decide to ask Adalyn Rayner on a real date. If one could call a karaoke contest a real date, that was. There wasn’t much intimacy to be had in a room full of strangers, but he thought he could make up for it by taking her out to dinner first and then leaving things open-ended afterward. She’d seemed keen on the idea when he’d called to ask her -- old-fashioned perhaps, but he was over 40 now -- so he felt good about it as he got ready to pick her up an hour or so before the contest was supposed to start. He wasn’t a great singer, but he’d popped into The Empty Orchestra before and it had a really good vibe. It seemed like a fun thing to do for a first date.
Nick put on some clothes that hopefully didn’t look too ‘old,’ just dark jeans and boots and an untucked button-down with the sleeves rolled up his forearms. He donned his coat and headed out, shooting a quick text to let Addie know he was on the way. Still old-fashioned when he arrived, however, he parked the car and got out to walk up to the front door and ring the bell. Nick smirked softly to himself as he waited -- he’d never picked a girl up for a date from a funeral home before. That had to add to his spooky cred somehow, didn’t it?
Addie was in a state of panic, which showed in the mess she had created in her room. She knew Nick had said he would call her, and sure, she had fully expected him to... but when he had, she found herself shocked by it. And then ecstatic. And now panic. Because she didn't know what to wear. Her wardrobe wasn't exactly feminine. Not that it was a wardrobe for an undertaker either, but she was used to comfort, except when she was helping with a service. But she didn't want to wear her funeral clothes either. So she had torn up her closet and dresser, trying to find a decent outfit that would be flattering and cute, but also not make her look twenty six. Twenty six was an acceptable age - she was very adult, thank you. But she wanted to assure Nick she was a mature twenty six. Just not old lady mature. Ugh, god, why was this so hard?
Eventually she settled on a pair of skinny jeans with her ankle boots and an oversized dark red sweater. Addie worried she wasn't showing enough skin, but it was just too cold to have her stomach bare or her boobs hanging out. Hopefully he didn't mind it. She left her hair down and figured she looked okay. Decent, at least. Addie didn't want to look like she was trying too hard. The only way he would know that is if he saw her room after the disaster she had created in it.
Feeling good about things now, she was smiling when she opened the door. Most guys just texted from their cars that they were waiting, so it was a nice surprise that he had actually walked up to the door to get her. God he looked good. So handsome and tall. "Hi," she said. "You look really good. Nice. But like, better than nice." She waved her hand dismissively at herself before grabbing her bag and then hesitating. "I'm ready to go. But... um, do you want to come in? Sorry, I'm not used to guys actually, you know, coming to the door. I'm usually running out to their car. No one's here, so... well, Silas might be here, I'm not sure. But are you ready?"
Nick grinned when she beat him to the compliments, his gaze sweeping down over here. She looked better than nice herself, very cute in the big sweater. “Call me old fashioned, I guess, but I was taught to pick a lady up on her doorstep for a date,” he said, dimpling at her. “I’m ready to go if you are. And you took the words right outta my mouth -- you look better than nice too.” Nick let a little extra drawl sneak into those words as he half-turned and gestured toward the porch steps in invitation. He wouldn’t turn her down if she invited him in after the date, but it was good manners to wait for that. They had a night of fun to get started.
The compliment silenced any second guessing she'd had about wearing warmer clothes, though with her entire body feeling hot and tingly at the moment, she wondered if a cardigan would have been better. Then she could have taken it off. But it was fine. Being outside, even for a few minutes, would help cool her off. "I'm ready." Addie stepped outside and shut the door. It had been a while since she had been out on a Friday night, especially with a hot guy, so she needed to try and not appear too eager. "So do you frequent karaoke bars often?" Addie asked, smiling as they walked to his car. "And if you do, I really have to know your song of choice." Maybe he didn't sing at all, but enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the place. She didn't mind it either way, though she was betting he looked sexy up there on stage with a microphone in his hand.
He stepped off of the porch to walk with her toward his SUV, shooting her a smile back. “I wouldn’t say often, but I’m not a complete stranger to karaoke nights with friends,” Nick told her. “Don’t laugh, but I’m kind of an old country sorta guy, so ... I sing some Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, that kinda thing.” After he clicked the unlock button, he opened the passenger side door for Addie to climb inside, then circled around to join her. “How ‘bout you? You sure didn’t hesitate to say yes. ... and I totally don’t think I’ll be a real contender tonight, by the way, but it sounded fun to witness, at least.” Nick had nothing to lose, nothing embarrassed him anymore, so why not get up there and give it a shot? He started the SUV and started out of the driveway.
"There's nothing wrong with old country. Or new country. Or just country in general," Addie said, happy enough to be inside the car and buckled up. She did her best not to look around curiously, though she wasn't entirely sure what she would even be looking for. Just signs of Nick, and how he lived. Addie clutched her hands together, because the itch to open the console, and his glove compartment was strong. And that was way too invasive. "Well, I probably would have said yes to just about anything," she admitted before blinking. "Not because I'm desperate! But because it would have been fun to hang out with you. And I don't get to the karaoke bar a lot, but I've gone before and I like it. I'm not some kind of hidden talent or anything, but I don't break any windows or scare off animals when I sing, so I do okay. I usually don't know what I want to sing until I'm there though. I do like Johnny Cash." Addie smiled and settled back against her seat. "So I'd love to hear some of that."
She was so full of words, it was really cute to Nick. The chipper up-beatness was a nice change of pace, and it was adorably ironic that it came out of the young lady who ran the funeral home. Hell, maybe the people most closely related to death were the ones that had more perspective, more room for embracing the moment. Or maybe that was just Addie as a person. “No property damage or animal abuse is definitely a good start,” he said with a little laugh. Her assurance that she wasn’t desperate was also cute -- her rush was more than obvious, he’d been sure she would say yes. So it worked out nicely. “And yes ma’am, some Cash for you for sure.” Nick shot a smile over at her as he got them on their way. “But dinner first ... is the Italian place good for you? We don’t have to stay long, just figured we would need to carb up for all the singing.”
There were times Addie tried desperately to keep her mouth shut. To let other people take the lead and speak only when spoken to. But it was just... impossible. She had so many thoughts that ran through her head and she couldn't always stop them from spilling out of her mouth. There was also the matter of uncomfortable silence. Uncomfortable silence was unbearable to her so she always felt the overwhelming need to fill it... with words, obviously. They didn't always have to be coherent thoughts. But anyway. Nick didn't seem annoyed with her, which was probably why she was so excited to be out with him tonight. For once she felt like she could be herself. Hopefully that feeling continued. "Basi Italia? I love that place," Addie said. "They don't deliver but occasionally I'd call and bribe Brian to bring some of their garlic chicken penne to my house if I was too busy to sneak out for food. It's my favorite." Plus they had wine, and she would definitely need a glass of that. "You've been here a while now... do you have a favorite restaurant?"
Nick could definitely relate to a brain full of noise. It had been more difficult to deal with when he’d been a young man, before he found the funnel that was writing. Now a lot of his verbosity came out onto the page. It meant his books required a lot of editing, but he was okay with that. It was just nice to purge it all out. He wondered vaguely if Addie talked to the dead a lot, or if she was just so glad to have other living people to chat with, it built up in her brain. Nick felt a little surge of victory that he’d already been thinking of her favorite place to eat, and he made a mental note of that for the future. “I do really like Basi,” he said, glancing over with a smile. “Hard to tell by my pen name, but I’m pretty damn Italian. And Moxie’s obviously ... I really enjoy The Lobster Shack too. It’s just one of those ... Americana places that doesn’t put on airs, you know? I could afford to go to The Boathouse every day, but the people who are usually there just kinda put me off.” Nick wrinkled his nose a bit.
Addie tended to talk to herself a lot lately... and the dead. With Silas home things were a bit easier, but running a funeral home with a comatose father above her and something that was once her brother below, it was just hard to get out to socialize with normal society. But then, she had always had a lot to say and rarely did she have the self awareness to know when to stop. "I worked at The Lobster Shack in high school," Addie admitted with a grin. "I bussed tables and always had food to bring home after closing. It was awesome. I haven't been to The Boathouse in a long time. I've been there on a couple of dates before but it always makes me feel a bit... stiff? Like I have to act a certain way, and watch what forks I'm using and how I'm eating. They have good food but I think I'm definitely more of a casual eatery kind of person. Not that I eat like I'm at a trough or anything," she added, almost as an afterthought. "It's just the atmosphere."
“The atmosphere, exactly,” Nick agreed. It was so small-town-sweet that she’d worked at one of his favorite places to eat. Nick had grown up in a smallish town himself -- not nearly as tiny as Point Pleasant, but still not huge -- so he could relate. He’d paid those teenage dues of shitty first jobs. Those years were just further behind him than Adalyn’s, but that was okay. She was a grown up now. “I travel around a lot, and those snooty places aren’t worth the money nine times outta ten anyway. And not to brag on myself, but I’ve gotten to be a pretty good chef with a sandwich maker and a hot plate and a mini fridge.” He tossed her a grin as he headed toward the small downtown area of town. “I can make a mean grilled cheese and tomato soup, if you’re ever interested.” Nick really needed to get out of the inn and into a real domicile, but it was fun to joke about at the moment.
"I love tomato soup and I love grilled cheese, so I think I might take you up on that," Addie said, flashing him a smile. "Imagine what you could do in a real kitchen." She was betting he had to eat out a lot having such limited resources at the inn. He certainly kept himself in shape though. "I think you're right though. I always found the smaller mom and pop places to have much better food than the fancy pants restaurants. Sometimes I think The Boathouse is there just to show off money. But I think it's owned by the D'Onofrios so that's not entirely surprising. What's the best meal you've ever had while you were traveling?" Addie hadn't been hardly anywhere, but she had to imagine there was a lot of food out there that she was missing out on.
Really, was there anyone who didn’t love grilled cheese and tomato soup? Nick was pretty sure it was a staple comfort food, but maybe that was just how he’d been raised. His mom had made it for him every time he’d been sick. “I’m pretty decent in a real kitchen, actually,” he told Addie, then shot her a little grin. “Maybe I can borrow yours sometime.” It had looked pretty damn nice when he’d been inside it, and maybe if this turned into something more than just a karaoke date, he could show off a little and treat her. “That’s a good question,” he went on, his tone shifting into musing. One hand dropped from the wheel to his stomach to pat it. “I’ve eaten so much good food ... but I’m going to have to go with some homemade gumbo at a house I was visiting in rural Louisiana. I was interviewing this older Cajun lady about her experience, and she refused to let me leave until she fed me. Crawfish gumbo and cornbread that practically leaked butter? Divine.” Nick glanced at her again. “Have you gotten to travel much?”
Addie laughed. "Oh, god, please use our kitchen. Me and Silas don't even use it that much except. Not for cooking cooking." She wasn't a terrible cook herself. She could pass off most food as edible. But Addie had always depended on take out and delivery and having boyfriends who could cook her food. The latter just hadn't happened in a long time. Her gaze ticked briefly to his stomach before she forced herself to look away before she started undressing him with her eyes. "I've never had gumbo before. Or crawfish, for that matter. Getting to try food from different regions is part of the appeal of traveling, I think. The farthest I've ever been from Point Pleasant is Cape May in New Jersey with some friends but that was years ago. I know we took some family vacations when I was younger, but I don't remember most of them. I've been either helping my dad run the business or running it myself since I graduated from college so I haven't really had the time to go anywhere meaningful. Do you have a favorite place you've been to? I mean, besides Point Pleasant, of course," she said, reaching over to nudge him a bit in the arm.
Regional food was one of Nick’s favorite things about traveling, and he suddenly wanted to take Addie far away from here. Maybe not to stay, but definitely to show her more of the country than the tip of the northeast. She was missing out on so much, it sounded like. Some people were homebodies and liked to stay close to where they’d grown up, but she didn’t strike him as that type, she just hadn’t had the opportunity and free time to get away. “I imagine your industry stays pretty busy,” he said with sympathy. Especially in Point Pleasant, but Nick didn’t tack that on. He didn’t think he needed to. Nick chuckled at the nudge and pursed his lips in thought. “My standard answer is New Orleans, just because I love that place dearly, but I’ve been all across the country, so it’s hard to choose. It’s like picking your favorite song -- so much depends on your mood and the state of mind you were in when you visited, you know? Point Pleasant has definitely been one of the most interesting. If you could go anywhere for a week, where would you pick?”
The funeral home definitely stayed busy. That didn't mean she couldn't take time off, but it was harder to pull away with her dad out of commission. She certainly couldn't leave Silas here on his own. But Addie didn't want to focus on how much their business was thriving in a place like Point Pleasant. It always felt wrong to her to make money off of this town's darkness, but people needed their services and she needed to pay the bills. So instead Addie concentrated on Nick's question. "I've always wanted to go to New Orleans to see Marie Laveau's tomb. But If I could go anywhere for a week... assuming you mean anywhere, and not just domestically, I'd want to go to Rome. That's probably cliche of me, right? But definitely Rome, and if I'm there for a week I would take a couple days to go to Verona so I could see Juliet's House. If I had to choose a place here, I would want to go to Malibu, or just somewhere on the west coast so I could see the Pacific ocean. And maybe hit Vegas on the way because I've always wanted to see the Strip. I'd probably lose a bunch of money but that's okay." Those were probably boring places to Nick, but it was fun for Addie to daydream about it. "Where would you want to go that you haven't been?"
None of those sounded boring to Nick, and he’d been to a couple of them already. He’d only traveled internationally a few times, since his writing was mostly US-based, but he’d enjoyed every overseas trip he’d taken. He wondered briefly if Juliet’s house was actually a thing in Verona -- he’d never heard of it, but classical literature wasn’t really his bag anyway, so what did he know? He’d never been to Italy. “It’s not cliche,” he assured her. “I would love to see Rome, I bet it’s amazing. There’s a reason those places draw people in century after century. The west coast is beautiful, I’ve spent a lot of time in California. And farther north, which is a whole different kind of beautiful. Vegas is also fun.” He chuckled fondly, some particular Vegas memories coming back in all their neon glory. “I’ve done a few conventions in Vegas, and the Strip will definitely drain your bank account but you’ll have a great time while it does. Me though? Hmm ... I’ve hit most of the major cities at least once, but I’d love to have more time in some of them to really explore. And to visit the UK -- there’s so much creepy history there, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin ... all the tiny spots in between.” They were almost to the restaurant now, and Nick slowed the car down to turn into the parking lot. “You should take a vacation,” he added.
Just talking about being overseas had Addie wanting to sigh with wistfulness. London, Dublin, Glasgow. Beautiful places she had only ever seen in pictures or in movies. She could be an impulsive person, but she had never just gotten into her car to go somewhere. She'd always had responsibilities and Addie hated to let anyone down, especially her family. Or what was left of it. Nick's suggestion of a vacation drew Addie from her thoughts and she smiled at him as they found a place to park. "Probably. There just always seems to be so much to do, and without my dad around to help... I'm probably stuck here for a while. So I've just got to make the best of it." If Nick stuck around town for a bit longer, Addie was sure that would add some much needed time away from the funeral home. Not that she wanted to be completely dependent on that, but being out on a Friday night was a rarity for her, and she was already enjoying herself.
Nick was enjoying himself too -- though he went out plenty on Friday nights, when he wasn’t ass-deep in writing. But Addie was proving herself to be fun company. Pretty company too. And she smelled good. All things that Nick couldn’t help but notice as they sat down and had a lovely dinner at Basi Italia. They kept chatting about travel and life and how they great up, and Nick appreciated how well the conversation flowed between them, even if Addie put out twice as many words as he did. She had a nice voice and she got really animated when she was really on a roll, so he didn’t mind in the slightest.
When they were done with their meals and their wine, Nick paid and escorted her back to the car for the short drive over to The Empty Orchestra. He lightly put his hand on Addie’s back as they walked in to find the place much more crowded than the last time he’d been there. Lots of people were at the bar or tables already, talking excitedly while music played in the background. Nobody was up on stage yet, so they obviously hadn’t missed the start of the competition. “You’re signing up to sing, right?” he asked Addie over the din, shooting her a grin. “Don’t leave me hangin’ alone up there ... I think there might even be a duet category.”
Addie was feeling full and pleasantly buzzed from the wine at dinner. She didn't usually need alcohol to loosen up around people, but she definitely wanted it to sing. She had a decent voice and she wasn't really shy, but singing in what was essentially a bar in front of a bunch of people she knew, and didn't know, could be intimidating. And she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Nick either. Inside she glanced around just to see if she recognized anyone, but she nodded at Nick's question, her smile widening. "I'm definitely going to sing something. And I'm always willing to share the spotlight with a duet. I think having you up there with me gives me a distinct advantage with the ladies in this place." Addie took his hand to lead him to an empty table she spotted near the far wall. "I don't know a lot of country duets, but I can wing it if I have to."
Nick went along with her happily, giving her fingers an extra little squeeze before they let go to sit down. “It doesn’t have to be country,” he told her with a laugh. “That’s just what my voice usually lends itself to. There are a lot of country duets though.” At the table, he scooted his chair in closer to Addie’s before he settled into it, so they were mostly sitting on the same side and they could people watch together. It sure was an interesting crowd, and Nick felt his spirits lifting already just from the atmosphere. It just felt like a really fun place to be, and he gave himself a mental pat on the back for nailing this date idea. “I wonder if it’ll be crowd-judged?” he mused to Addie, glancing over at her with a bright smile. “Or if there’s some judges I should be charming, hmm ...”
Addie loved people watching but it was difficult to concentrate with Nick's body so close to hers. Even in the midst of all the usual bar smells - sweat, alcohol, perfume - she could smell him and he smelled so good. Addie had only been to this place twice but she had always enjoyed herself. There was something about the environment that lended itself to a really good mood, even when listening to some truly terrible singing. "So what if it's crowd-judged?" Addie asked, arching a blonde brow. "You better get to work then, because you've got a lot of people to charm if that's the case." She would almost rather it be just a few people making the decision, because it wouldn't feel as bad being told one sucked at singing by three people instead of an entire bar full of them. But she had a feeling the winners would be crowned by the amount of applause and wolf-whistles and that was okay too. Addie had stopped being self-conscious after high school... for the most part. "Are you thirsty?" she asked, leaning in a bit so he could hear her better. "You got dinner, so I'd like to buy our drinks, if that's okay."
He laughed at her warning, glancing around and rubbing his hands together like he was picking his first charm-victim. Nick could schmooze pretty well, but winning over a whole crowd? That had to be done on stage, he was pretty sure. He wasn’t serious about it at all, of course, since he wasn’t about to leave Addie’s side to go mingle with the other people. He would see enough of them as the competition got going. The crowd seemed to trend a bit younger than him, he noticed, but he didn’t really feel out of place. He just felt good. Nick leaned in a bit as Addie did, then gave her a dimpled smile. “That’d be great, yeah,” he said. He was old fashioned about some things, but if an independent woman wanted to buy him drinks? He’d be an idiot to argue about it. “A Jack and Coke, please and thank you. Meanwhile, I’ll try to exude charm from over here, make a good impression.”
Addie pulled her credit card and ID out of her wallet before dropping it back in her bag. As she stood she hung the strap of her bag over the back of her chair and smiled. "Try not to be too charming," she said. "I don't want to have to fight some girl for my seat." He might have been a bit older than some in the bar, but he was still sexier than the majority of them, if you asked her. It took her a while to get their drinks, mostly because the bar was busy and everyone wanted drinks. But Addie was finally able to carry the drinks back to their table. A Jack and Coke for Nick, and a whiskey sour for herself. Addie offered Nick his drink as she sat. "We should probably sign up for a song, if we're going to actually do this thing."
While she was gone, Nick gazed around at the crowd around him, enjoying just being out in public. Point Pleasant was a small-ass town, so not many places got this busy, even on weekend nights. It actually felt like a night out in a city at the moment, which was a nice change of pace. He smiled and sat up straighter as Addie approached again, taking his drink from her with thanks and taking a sip. The bartender had mixed it strong, so that was a good sign for the evening. “Guess we gotta decide on one first,” he agreed with a grin. Since neither of them had one in mind already, Nick pulled his phone out and googled ‘good karaoke duets,’ then scooted in even closer to Addie so she could see the screen too. “Let’s see ... I’m not singing Aladdin, sorry,” he chuckled. “‘I Got You Babe’ is so cliche ... something from Grease? ‘California Dreamin’? ‘Love Lifts Us Up’?”
Addie sipped her drink and grimaced with amusement. "I'm going to need at least two of these to sing Grease," she said with a laugh. Addie skimmed the results on his phone. "You said you like country. Is there any Tim McGraw on there? He sings with Faith Hill, right?" Addie took another drink, Addie wondered how many people would be singing the same, classic karaoke hits. There had to be more than Sonny and Cher, or Disney tunes. Plus, she didn't really know a lot of the older stuff the way Nick might. Addie didn't really want to point that out because she didn't want him to feel old, or make him think she was too young.
Nick wrinkled his nose a bit. “Eh, not my kind of country,” he said. He was realizing that most of the country he did like had been old even when he’d been young, so Addie might not be into singing Dolly Parton or June Carter Cash or something like that. “But I’ll give it a try if you know one,” he added, smiling at her. He was starting to care less and less what they sang, just that they got to do it. “Oh!” he said as one occurred to him. Modern mainstream country wasn’t really his jam, but there had been one song that had been inescapable for a while -- ‘Need You Now’ by Lady Antebellum -- and he pulled it up on his phone. “You know this one?” Nick asked, holding his phone up toward her ear so she could hear over the din.
Addie leaned in closer, chewing absently on the thin red straw in her glass. It took only a moment before her eyes widened and she nodded with a grin. "I do know that one. That was huge when I was in college. We can do that one if you want. It has to be better than Summer Nights, right?" She had a feeling someone else would beat them to that song anyway. How many Grease songs were they going to hear tonight? Addie could only hope people would pick some fun songs to sing. "I'll go put our names down. Do you want me to put you down for a solo?" Addie arched a brow. "I can steal their book of songs if you want to have a look through first."
Nick grinned too, pleased he’d thought of something she knew and didn’t hate. The ‘in college’ bit made him laugh and made him feel old at the same time, but it didn’t really bother Nick. He was just mature, that was all, still full of a lot of life and obviously still attractive to some younger women. What else could he ask for? “Way better than Summer Nights,” he agreed with a grin, putting his phone away. He shook his head and held up a hand at her offer, lifting his chin a bit in an imitation of snobbery. “No need. Put me down for Johnny Cash, Ghost Riders In The Sky. I have a pretty date to impress and she requested some Cash.” Ghost Riders was one of his favorites, it was like a creepy folk tale, and while he didn’t have Johnny’s voice, he could get down into those lower registers when he wanted to.
"You got it." Addie placed her hand on his shoulder as she moved away from the table again. She was small enough to get through the crowd without a lot of issue and she waited her turn, sipping her drink and glancing around the bar. She did spot a few people she knew on a casual basis, but no one she would really run up to in order to say hi. When she got to the sign up form she wrote down Nick's name, his song, and then their duet. After a brief moment, she scribbled her own name down and song before heading back to the table. "Done," she said, slipping back into her seat. "I love this place. I've only been here a couple of times but there's something about it that makes it... I don't know, less obnoxious than an actual bar. I've been to the Back Porch before and everyone there always seems so grouchy and unhappy about everything."
Normally Nick probably would’ve been deep into his phone while Addie was gone, but he wasn’t too interested at the moment. It was occupying and satisfying just being in this place, sipping his drink and watching the people mingle around. Everyone seemed in good spirits, and he hoped that meant they would see some fun performances up on stage. He smiled at Addie as she returned and sat, then laughed a bit. “Yeah, I got that impression from the Porch too,” he agreed. “I still go when I wanna feel ... I dunno, masculine and sports-y, I guess. Dragonfly is more of a dance with your date kind of vibe. But I agree, this place has a good feel to it. Did you sign up for a solo too?” Nick hoped so, he wanted to whistle and cheer her on while she was up there.
He was right in his descriptions about the bars in town, not that they had many. But the ones they did have were so different in atmosphere and clientele. "Masculine and sports-y?" Addie smiled. "I guess that's another way to describe that place. It's definitely a good place to get drunk without being bothered too much. I've never been to Dragonfly though, which is probably weird." In all honesty, Addie usually just drank wine at home by herself. It didn't bother her any, but she could see how it might make her seem sad and pathetic to other people. She sipped her drink and set it down, not wanting to down the whole thing too fast. "I did sign up for a solo! I decided to go old school like you. Hopefully I get up there before I have too many of these." Addie poked at her glass. There were a couple of people getting things ready on the small stage and it looked like it was getting ready to start. "Have you seen anyone here you know? I don't know how social you've been since you've been living here..." Writers tended to seclude themselves a lot, right?
Nick didn’t think Addie was the type to frequent a lot of masculine and sports-y places anyhow, she just didn’t seem like that kind of girl. Which was fine by him, he enjoyed being around femininity and had enough varied interests that he didn’t need to talk sports all the time, even if he enjoyed those too. He made a mental note that she’d never been to Dragonfly before, and maybe that would make a good spot for another date. That place had a great vibe in it too. “Nothing wrong with a little liquid courage,” he said, lifting his own glass in a little salute. Nick thought he might need one more before he got up there, just to settle those nerves that never fully stopped when it came to getting up in front of crowds. Usually he was talking or reading his own work, so singing was an even greater challenge. But he was feeling pretty damn good, and he had a lady to impress, so he would do his best. “Ehhh, I’ve seen some familiar faces, people I’ve chatted with and interviewed here and there,” he went on, glancing around as well. “But nobody I really know-know. It’s a short list, but haven’t spotted them so far. You? Don’t let me keep you from chatting with any friends if you want to.”
Addie probably would have gotten up on stage to sing even without the wine from dinner, and the drink currently in her hand, but the alcohol certainly helped get rid of any lingering nerves. "Oh, you're not keeping me from anything. Or anyone. I see some people I know? But not anyone I would really consider friends." She shrugged softly and sipped a bit more from her glass before wondering if that made her sound friendless. She wasn't. She just had a busy job that kept her from socializing a lot. Addie settled back in her seat, listening as they got the mics set up. "So is it tough to travel from town to town and have to leave? Do you ever get attached to a place?"
Just because none of the people here were her friends didn’t lead Nick to assume she didn’t have any. They surely existed, they were probably just grown and had their own lives and couldn’t go out all the time. That was just what tended to happen as you grew up. “I wouldn’t say attached to places themselves,” he said. “I’ve been in places I’ve loved and definitely plan to go back to, but they’re not going anywhere. I’ve gotten attached to a few people along the way, naturally. They’re what’s hard to leave sometimes. Some of them I keep in touch with, some fall off with communicating, you know how people are.” He gave a little shrug as Madison crossed his mind. He still had some mixed feelings about her, but he didn’t want to dwell while he was out with someone else, having a nice time. “A lot of people seem attached to Point Pleasant though,” he added with a small smile. “This place seems ... special.”
Addie tried to imagine herself in his shoes, traveling all over to write. It sounded amazing, really. The only problem was that Addie got attached to people so easily, it would be near impossible to be able to leave them behind. She'd had a few close friends who have since moved away from Point Pleasant and even that made her feel sad and achy inside when she thought about them. "Oh, Point Pleasant is definitely a special place. Sometimes not for the right reasons, but there's a lot of great things here too. Reasons why people want to stay. Do you ever get to spend a lot of time at home? Do you ever miss not being home?" She hoped he didn't mind the questions, but she was curious. Probably because she didn't travel much, or at all, so his lifestyle fascinated her.
Nick didn’t mind her curiosity at all. They were getting to know each other, that was the point, right? Their talking would soon be cut short by performances, so why not. He laughed a little. “I miss home sometimes, yeah. I think that’s natural,” he said. “I mean, I miss my library and having all my stuff where I want it. But I’ve got quite a few friends in Atlanta I miss. I go and stay in my condo there when I’m in the editing phase for a new book, and that can take a few months at a time, so ... I get enough homebody time, then I’m ready to venture out again.” Nick offered her a warm smile -- he knew his transience was a turn off for a lot of women, especially those who already had deep roots somewhere. He wasn’t looking to find someone to marry and settle down with or whatever, but Nick wasn’t completely closed to the idea. He just took everything one step at a time.
“It’s like you’ve got the best of both worlds,” Addie said, watching Nick with mild awe. “You have a place to settle for a while and then when you’re ready you get to go out and see the country again. I bet you’re never bored.” She didn’t even want to ask if he had ever been married because Addie was pretty sure the only woman who would be cool with her husband being gone so much would be one who was willing to go with him, or one who was a jet setter herself. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring now, and that’s all that mattered. Of course, he could have taken it off when he got to town but given his author status, she doubted it would be difficult to find out online if he had a wife, so that’s why she was pretty confident he was definitely single. “Is this what you’ve always wanted to do?” She went to sip more of her drink but found it mostly gone. That was probably a sign to cool it for a bit.
“Unfortunately you can be bored anywhere after a while,” Nick said with a laugh. “I try to stay busy though. Gotta slave over that keyboard to pay the bills and all.” His tone was light because he really did love his work. Otherwise he wouldn’t have poured his entire life into it. In some ways it didn’t even feel like work, it felt like a quest. Like what he was doing was important and led to people being safer. That would sound ridiculous to say out loud though, so he joked about it instead. “It’s not even something I thought about ever doing,” he went on, sipping on his own drink. “I wanted to join the military, that was my plan. But then I had an experience, and it just kicked off this crazy journey. I had lots of other jobs, of course, until I could live off of writing, but after that ... I just wanted to find the truth. Whatever that turned into, career wise.” He paused and chuckled and shook his head. “Corny, but y’know.” Nick shrugged. “What about you though? Did you ever want to do anything but run the funeral home?”
Addie shook her head. "No, that's not corny at all. I like it. It sounds like you're doing what you love to do, and you're doing something good with it too." She knew there were probably plenty of people who thought Nick's books were bunk, who would never believe that certain experiences were real, but Addie knew better. She was pretty sure everyone in Point Pleasant knew better, even if they pretended otherwise. And she couldn't wait to read whatever Nick wrote about this place. Even if it was totally morbid, it would still bring in the tourists and ghost chasers, and those people brought money. Addie reached for the tiny red straw in her glass, moving it around in the last little bit of her drink. "I grew up in the funeral home and I think I just always assumed I would help my dad with it someday, and then probably take it over when he retired." Or died, but she was trying not to think about that. "Even in college I was never really tempted by checking out other programs. I like what I do, and I know how totally weird that sounds. But I'm good at it, so... I try to have hobbies? But I can never stick with one for long. I've tried crocheting, soap making, writing poetry... which was terrible by the way and no you can never read any of it... scrapbooking, jewelry making..." Addie trailed off and laughed. "Holy crap, I sound like a lunatic."
Nick wasn’t sure how much good he was actually doing, writing books that most people thought were pure fiction, but he definitely enjoyed it and he heard from enough people who did believe that it kept him going. Besides that, he knew for sure the other work he did ended up doing good and saving lives. He just couldn’t actually talk about that part. He listened to Addie as he finished off his drink, another smile growing on his face as she went on. Then he laughed with her. “You seem to have a very loose definition of ‘lunatic,’” he told her, amused. “Believe me, I’ve interviewed lunatics, and you are not one. There’s absolutely nothing crazy about trying a bunch of different hobbies. That’s great though, if it’s work that fulfills you, you’re way ahead of most other people. And what you do is necessary, important work, so ... glad to hear you don’t hate it.” Nick lifted his empty glass in a toast. Someone stepped up to the microphone and introduced himself as the MC for this event, then started gassing up the crowd to hear some singing, so Nick sat back to enjoy the show. Their names would come up eventually, and he felt ready for it.
Sometimes she felt like her inability to focus on one thing she enjoyed doing meant she wasn't happy with anything. But she didn't really feel that way. At least she knew her work made her happy, even if she craved getting out of this town sometimes. Not permanently, but just enough to enjoy her youth while she had it. It still made her feel good that Nick didn't think she was nuts for trying a bazillion things. Her basement storage area had so much crap in it from things she had tried and given up on. Addie lifted her nearly empty glass and saluted him with it. "Good luck to you tonight. If you win then I'm going to claim some of the prize, since clearly I'm a good luck charm. Deal?"
Nick had talked to so many people who were truly off their rockers, natural eccentrics didn’t bother him in the least. A lot of people had a myriad of hobbies they picked up and put down all the time. Adalyn hadn’t struck him as any kind of weird so far, but it was possible his perspective was skewed. But what was Normal, anyway? Fuck trying to fit into limiting boxes. He laughed and offered her his hand to shake. “Absolutely. Deal,” he said. “And if we win with our duet, we split it 50/50.” He glanced at the stage and then down at their empty glasses. “You want another round before they call us up there?” Nick was good either way -- he didn’t feel the slightest bit nervous, in face he felt pretty damn good -- but it seemed polite to ask.
"I better not," Addie said with some disappointment. "Any chance of winning this will go right out the window if I have more to drink." If she wasn't on a date, she might have had another. Drunk karaoke could be fun as hell, but she didn't want to get sloppy drunk with Nick there to witness it. The contest got going after that and Addie had a blast watching other people get up there to sing. Even the songs she wasn't terribly fond of sounded pretty great and everyone seemed to be having fun. A lot of fun, actually. Addie couldn't blame them. This place just had something light about it. It seemed almost impossible to be in a shitty mood. When it was time for her and Nick to sing, Addie grabbed his hand and stood, not in the least hesitant or shy about it. Addie was more than ready to get in on the action too. Hopefully they could harmonize properly. But even if they couldn't, whatever. Karaoke was meant to be fun regardless of talent.
He’d done some karaoke before in his life, and Nick had always been somewhat nervous walking to the stage. That wasn’t the case tonight. He didn’t feel too drunk, but he was starting to amusedly wonder if there was something in the air, because he felt pretty fucking awesome. High, almost. Addie’s hand felt good in his and he had a big grin on his face as he went along with her. Nick was fully confident they were going to nail this. He picked up one of the microphones and flashed Addie a bright smile before the music started. Nick didn’t know all the words by heart, but he knew enough that he could look away from the screen every so often to gaze at Addie while they sang ... and he found himself doing it more often as they moved into the first chorus. God, she was beautiful. Somehow even more so when she was singing. Nick put feeling into singing his parts, hopefully making up for whatever he lacked in vocal talent, and by the time they were in the middle of the song, the line ‘I need you now’ really felt sincere.
It was definitely impossible to feel nervous with how lovely the entire night had gone. Addie loved singing, and she especially loved singing with someone she was having fun with. The song was one she hadn't heard in a long time but as soon as it started it all came rushing back and Addie found it easy to keep up with it. Plus, Nick was sexy and hot and he had a pretty good singing voice too, making the duet easy for her. Especially when he was looking at her while they were singing. Her whole body felt tingly and happy and it was like there was no one else in the entire bar but for the two of them. Was it the alcohol? Maybe, but Addie didn't think she'd had that much to drink, so it had to be more. They still had more singing to do, but Addie just wanted to grab him and take him somewhere private and get to know him better.
Maybe it was just the magic of karaoke, but Nick felt sublimely good and incredibly drawn to Addie, so it was easy to put real feeling into the words coming out of his mouth. It only made him sing better and she was singing beautifully and it just felt like a meaningful moment somehow. Nick couldn’t even glance at the crowd, he was so focused on her. The final words of the song seemed to come quickly and take forever at the same time, and Nick was both elated and disappointed when it was over. The room clapped and cheered for them a bit, as they’d been doing with every performer so far. Nick grinned at Addie and put the mic back, then grabbed her hand to head off the stage with her. “We were so good!” he said to her once they were out of the way of the steps. He squeezed her hand and laughed a little. “Way better than those people singing Aladdin.”
When they finished singing Addie didn't want to stop. She wanted to keep singing because it felt so good and she loved that Nick seemed focused solely on her. But other people were eager to have their shot, so she let him lead her off the stage, feeling exhilarated. She didn't even care if they didn't win. That had been so much fun. "So much better than Aladdin," she agreed. "And you were great. If you ever decide you're bored with writing, you and me can take off and be the Johnny and June Carter Cash of the karaoke world." Addie grinned, reluctantly releasing his hand as they sat back down. "I don't think I've ever felt that good singing karaoke before. So weird. It felt like an aphrodisiac."
That future plan made Nick laugh, and it was a sweet fantasy for a moment or two. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He didn’t think his voice was that great, but he was definitely going to take the compliment when it was offered. Nick settled back into his chair, feeling like he would never get rid of the grin on his face. Not that he wanted to, because he felt awesome. Even more high than he had when he’d gone up on stage. Maybe it was all the extra oxygen from singing or something. Nick gave Addie a keenly interested look and quirked his eyebrow suggestively. “Aphrodisiac, huh? That sounds about right ... And we can dip out on this contest any time you want to.” He normally tried not to be too forward, but if she was feeling the same way he was ... it was a promising evening.
The look he gave her only sparked more intense excitement in her chest, but she didn't know if he meant it or if she was reading into things. She thought about Silas's advice, how if she was just looking to have some fun, then she needed to get to it. He had said Nick looked like a heartbreaker, but Addie didn't think that was true. Not entirely. Addie was still feeling way too good to really overthink it, and since when did she do that anyway? After singing together, and sitting so close now, her pulse was racing and she could barely hear the next singer over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. "Well, you've seen what my room looks like," Addie said, arching a brow of her own. "Maybe I could see where you sleep." Her fantasy was having Nick wake up in her bed, but with a nurse watching over her dad, Addie didn't want to have to deal with all that when she was feeling like this. Silas could do it. He would understand.
She definitely didn’t look opposed to skipping out a bit early, even though neither of them had done their solos yet. Part of Nick wanted to stay, to sing again and get that same rush, but it was a small part. Most of him was very on board with tossing Addie over his shoulder and taking her out to his car to take home with him. The presence of Kenzie and Chris in the inn didn’t even cross his mind. It wasn’t their business anyway, he was off the clock. A slow grin took over Nick’s face, dimples getting deeper beneath his beard, and he nodded a bit. “That sounds only fair,” he said, like that mattered at all. “You wanna go now, or do you wanna sing first?” Nick’s smile hopefully said he was game for either option. He definitely hadn’t intended to rush anything, but damn he felt amazing and all fluttery in the chest and horny at the same time.
Singing again would be fun but they would have to wait their turn and really, singing with Nick topped any singing she would do on her own. His smile really sort of made the decision for her because Addie didn't think she would be able to concentrate much longer on the contest itself, thinking about what might be waiting for her at the end of the night. "Um, I want to go now," Addie said, definitely confident in her decision. "You can sing some Johnny Cash to me on the way, if you're still feeling it." Addie grabbed his hand and stood. Her whole body seemed to be tingling with anticipation. It was the perfect storm, really. Dinner, drinks, karaoke and Nick Cooke. She would have been stupid to not take advantage of the opportunity presented to her.