Suck It And See? (Alex Turner Fanfiction)

XXV.

The band play their last song and the crowd is chanting for an encore. I and Alex join in and cry along looking at each other, enjoying the energising moment. Alex laughs and I finish my coke just as the frontman comes back to his microphone. 

"Alright mates, we will play a cover for you... If that's OK with ya?" The crowd cheers raising their beer glasses. "What a wonderful crowd." The frontman remarks and turns to the bass player. "One, two..." The first notes of the last song follow. It is a cover of The Blacks Keys' Lonely Boy and the crowd sings along, missing some passages awkwardly which makes the singer smirk from time to time. The encore ends, we all give the band a great applause and they vanish from the stage as they walk inside a dark door which is next to the stage. I lean on the banister and watch the people below us. 

"Good band, eh?" Alex leans next to me.  

"They were awesome." I smile back. "Is the place closing now that the gig's over?"  

"It's open till three actually." I check my watch and see it only is half past nine. "There will be some dancing tonight I recon." He raises a brow and winks at me. 

"We should be going then I guess..." I smile awkwardly.  

"What, Eileen doesn't like dancing?"  

"I do but ummm... I am an awkward dancer. Better keep that private you know."  

"I bet you don't look awkward at all." 

"I do, seriously."  Alex wants to say something but he is interrupted as the mic on the stage squeaks and a young man I haven't seen before starts talking.

"Hey folks, we don't usually do DJ stuff like song requests here in Boardwalk..." The crowd turns to him and some of the guys start whistling to support the man, they probably know him. He gives some of them a nod and continues. "...but we had one special request from our friend, who should be here tonight. At least I hope so because I am not doing this again." The man chuckles. Alex takes my hand and we descend the stairs together.  

The man is finishing his short speech now. "So this is for Al and his lady, hope she is gonna dance with you, man, I am seriously not doing this again." Alex chuckles and waves at the man to thank him. He notices Alex's hand, waves back and therefore draws the attention of the whole place to us. I guess I have to dance now. 

A song I know well starts playing right away. It's Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners, which I know from one my favourite movies ever, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 

Without me even noticing we got to the middle of the dancefloor and Alex grabs my second hand, too. He swiftly moves towards me and convincingly says something that almost makes me jump from my skin because of the excitement.  

"Come on, Eileen." Until now I thought it was a plain coincidence that they play this song. Well I guess that would be too little of planning by Alex. He just can't help himself at times like this.  

We dance most of time trying to imitate some old, 20th-century-style kind of moves and bursting into laughter repeatedly. We continue like this during the next song, too, just to carry on for about ten other songs.  

Then we greet Wendy and walk outside the Boardwalk. The town is surprisingly quiet compared to the pub, so I can hear the blood in my head pumping. You know the music was loud when this happens. Alex says something but I can't hear him because of it. I ask him to repeat it.  

"What?" I can see that's what he says, but I still can't hear him properly.

My brain, probably doped by all endorphin it could have gathered these past few hours finds the whole situation funny so I just giggle. Alex joins me and just points at the direction we came from. I grab his shoulder to feel more secure. And yes, also because I really want to. My legs hurt so I walk in quite a silly way, awkwardly hitting Alex's side from time to time.