Callum

I was nervous and queasy. The pub before me felt foreign, but its open doors seemed to call out only to me to fulfil the purpose that had brought me here.

A large hand on my shoulder made me flinch but I immediately calmed at my brother Ben’s reassuring voice.

“Don’t worry about it, champion. You’ll do just fine.”

Another large hand fell on my other shoulder, followed by Abe’s voice. “If you could survive McGregory’s farm and our body building tasks, you can surely survive this.”

My body still ached from the heinous tasks at McGregory’s farm, but it would be better in the morning. Would I ever recover if things didn’t go as planned with Rose?

“Let’s head in.” Abe gave me a hard slap on the back, shoving me forward.

I loved my brothers, but they could be bullies sometimes.

The inside was already packed with people chattering away as they enjoyed their drinks. To the left was the counter and in the left corner were the stairs that led to the rooms on the first floor. Up ahead was the platform, or stage for the performers and next to it in the right corner was a pianoforte.

The three of us managed to find an empty table and a waitress with blonde curls came to take our orders.

“Two lazy eyes and a water for the little one,” Abe placed his order and ruffled my hair.

I didn’t know what lazy eyes was, but it didn’t sound inviting. I patted down my hair to organise it while my gaze flicked around the place in an attempt to search for anyone else I recognised – like Ed and Rose, for example.

The pub owner, Mr. Stuart, finally took the stage and whistled to get everybody’s attention.

He was clad in black trousers and a white button-up, with a red bow tie and cream coloured fedora. He was a rather tall bulky man, with a thick beard and a curled moustache. He accessorised with a golden necklace and some rings. His sleeves were rolled up, showing black and red ink on his buff arms – but I couldn’t tell what kind of tattoo it was.

“Alright, how’s everybody doing!” he boomed.

The people cheered and hooted in response, some raising their glasses.

Mr. Stuart nodded. “Great response. And without further ado, let the Entertainment Saturday Show begin!"

He bowed as the crowd cheered and clapped their hands.

The first performance was a stand-up comedy from a short man with a tiny voice.

“Thank you,” I said to the waitress as she handed me my water. Out of curiosity, I peeped into Abe’s glass but frowned when I saw the brownish yellowish liquid inside.

He smirked at me. “Want a taste? Perhaps it could give you some courage for later.”

I shook my head no.

“That’s too bad,” Ben said on my right. “It would be amusing to watch.” He lifted his glass and took a swig, smacking his lips and releasing a hiss from his throat. The drink seemed to burn.

I turned my attention back to the little man, who was making the audience howl with laughter from his jokes. I hardly paid attention because my mind was elsewhere. Magicians and people with odd talents like mimicry came on and went. It was alright, I suppose. But I was too distracted thinking about Rose to fully enjoy it.

As the applause died down from the previous tap dancer, a woman went up the stage from the counter side.

Ben nudged me. “Oi, it’s ya girl.”

Chills ran down my spine as my eyes analysed the figure currently on stage. A pale lavender dress covered her body. It was mostly frilly, with delicate flaps of waves from the waist to her ankles, but the bodice was fitting with bishop sleeves. The neckline was rather low, leaving room for the silver necklace adorning her neck. Her braids fell down to her shoulders and my lips twitched up when I spotted those beads.

She put minimal effort in the way she looked but it made me stare at her like she was the only exquisite thing on the planet. I couldn’t help it. I always turned into a smitten fool and sometimes a mess whenever she was around me.

She opened her mouth to introduce herself with a sunny smile. I didn’t know how she managed to look and sound so confident in front of so many watchful eyes. The mere thought of myself in her shoes made my stomach churn.

I was startled by the claps around me as she finished her introduction and Ben hooted.

“Whoo! Go for it, Rose!” he hollered.

Thankfully, she didn’t look around to notice him. I would become unsettled if she caught my gaze within the audience.

The man at the pianoforte started playing a nice unfamiliar tune with a fair tempo. In a few seconds, Rose added her voice to the tune and I was mind-blown on the first sentence.

I’d never heard her sing before. I’d asked her to sing something for me but she always refused, saying I’d get to hear it one day. I guess today was that day.

Rose’s voice was...powerful. There was no other word more suitable to describe it than that. It was sonorous – hitting the high notes and low notes, melodious – syncing in perfect rhythm with the pianoforte tune. I didn’t know much about music but I could tell talent when I heard it, and recognise the beauty in it. Rose had talent.

“Wow,” Abe breathed beside me. “She can really sing.”

Her voice was enchanting and the song was pleasant to the ears. It was a song about love, separation and reunion. I noticed that some of the words were in another language and couldn’t help but wonder if its origin was from her homeland – before she moved to Richard Town. Once the song came to an end, the pub erupted into applause and cheers.

“Sing another one!” someone yelled.

“Another one, sweetheart!”

The pet name irked me, but I was of the same thoughts. I wanted to hear more of her voice.

More requests for her to keep singing came in, and Mr. Stuart had to whistle to calm the pub down. Rose was grinning from ear to ear; laughing even. She was obviously happy that everyone loved her singing and it made me happy as well.

Rose lifted her arms in surrender and declared, “Alright, I’ll sing another one!”

Everyone cheered, my brothers joining in. They had taken two lazy eyes so far, and shouted for a third round. The pianoforte started playing once more. This time, it was a catchy familiar tune with a fast tempo. I recognised it instantly. It was a famous folk song called ‘Dancing with rum.’

It was the perfect song for the atmosphere, and the people started clapping their hands to the beat in the introduction. Rose then started to sing.

“We marched forth with sturdy legs

Hearts sizzled in expectant glee

And left with staggers, O don’t beg

Us to pay, instead we’ll hop and bend our knee

Skip till we drop, dancing with rum under the tree.”

The excitement in the pub was intense. People soon started to sing along and so did my brothers and I. I watched Rose as she sang and moved across the stage, encouraging the people to sing and dance. It was a rather amusing yet heart warming sight to see her high-five strangers and lift them from their seats to dance. But the highlight of it all was when bubbly ol’ Ed hopped onto the stage and started dancing. I couldn’t help but laugh, and so did Rose. She looked taken a back by her friend’s outlandish actions.

My laughter caught in my throat when Rose’s eyes finally found mine.
My hands froze in their clapping motion; and my heart raced. I was effectively reminded that I had to lay out my feelings to this extraordinary girl in front of me, and the thought gave me sweats.

Our gaze was broken as Ed pulled Rose and wrapped an arm around her neck, and the two sang at the top of their lungs. The whole pub was singing now, and in an uproar of clapping and dancing. I stood up and slipped past overexcited bodies, making my way out of the place.

The cold air hit me and marked an instant contrast from the warmth of the pub. Outside, the streets were quiet and bathed in the yellow glow of the lamps against the black night. There was hardly anyone in sight, and the faint bustle of the pub was the only sound carried by the night breeze.

Once the song was finished, I would meet Rose and tell her how I felt about her. But I couldn’t afford to mess it up, which is why I came outside to compose myself amidst the quiet...and perhaps, rehearse.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and released it.

“My darling Rose...” I started and immediately shook my head. “No, no. That sounds strange. My sweet Rose...?”

I groaned and ran my hands down my face. God, this was going to be tough.

I cleared my throat and started over, thinking back to the time with her.

“Rose, I’ve liked you since I saw you yelling at your brother and Ed three months ago,” I began. I smiled, looking back to that day. “It was a silly argument about the colour of the new carpet; whether it was brown or maroon, but you defended maroon with so much passion, I was astounded at how determined you were.” I chuckled. “You were so caught up in the quarrel, you didn’t notice I had been in the same room the whole time.”

I sighed. “And when I got to know more about you, I liked you even more. The feelings ran so deep to the point where I thought about you everyday and before I knew it, I was a happy smitten fool who only wanted to spend each and every minute with you.”

I remembered the words she’d said to me when she was Reggie, and fondness for her crept into my soul.

“My heart wants you, Rose,” I said. “And so does my skin.” I chuckled. “It took drugs to make me realise that.”

I stared up at the shining lamp as I remembered the night of my intoxication. Sure it was wrong of me, but I couldn’t deny how wonderful it’d felt. How wonderful she had felt against me.

“Do you really mean that?” a soft familiar voice asked from behind me.

My eyes widened and I swivelled to meet the object of my affection gazing back up at me. 

Rose.

It was excitement, it was tenderness, it was happiness all at once when I heard all those words come from Callum. I stood in front of his surprised form and I could see his blush clearly from right under the street lamp.

“I...I...” he stammered, looking at me in a panic. He then relaxed, and releasing a breath, said, “Yes.”

The joy that spread through my veins fuelled certain urges of mine, which I could no longer hold back. I stepped closer to him and standing on my tip toes, pressed my lips to his. My eyes shut involuntarily as warmth flooded my chest and I relished the sweet feeling of finally kissing him. I drew back after a short while, and found him looking at me with wide eyes, his lips slightly parted.

I immediately flushed in embarrassment. Why did I let myself do that? Although I’d indirectly told him I wanted to kiss him, he hadn’t said anything of the sort!

Shit, did I ruin it? This is what you get for being bold and impulsive, Rosie.

“That was-!” I started, not quite sure what to say. “Too rash, right? I shouldn’t have done that. I completely understand if you didn’t want it--”

His hands cupped my face and his lips were on mine in an instant. The urgency of it all made my heart soar and pound wildly against my ribcage. It had my eyes fluttering closed and it took me heights I’d never reached as my body melted into a puddle of pleasure. My hands moved to hold on to his waist as he released my lips for a second only to capture them with his once more.

It felt really nice, this whole kiss thing. It would probably become my next favourite thing to try.

He pulled away and we caught our breaths. My eyes were still closed, and the feeling of his hands still on my cheeks, his forehead against mine kept those butterflies awake and active with no moment to rest.

“Court me,” his whisper reached my ears. It made my lips curve and my skin tingle in excitement.

My eyes opened and met his gorgeous blue ones – pleading yet bright with bliss.

“Yes,” I answered and his lips stretched so wide, giving me a close up of his dimple.

He nuzzled his nose against mine and I giggled, surprising shyness coming over me. I buried my face in his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer in a tight and warm embrace.

Best night of my life.

A/N:

Aw, Finally!!🤩🤭🥳🥳

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