The Heart's Content

Chapter 27

As soon as Charlie concluded her performance, the entire audience applauded her loudly. Well all except two audience members, those two were applauding but very slowly and quiet-like. Those two were Alastor and Rosie. Alastor wasn't enthusiastic externally because inside he was overflowing with emotions he had never felt before. Attraction and anxiety, he was flustered and stunned. He simply couldn't take his eyes off Charlie or stop re-hearing her song.

Rosie on the other hand was behaving more subtly because there was something about the way Charlie sang that triggered suspicion. Her the sheer perfection of her voice and the silent yet mesmerized awe of those who heard it, particularly men, that didn't seem like something that came from a regular human woman.

"Charlie you were incredible." Beth said when the blond sat back down at their table.

"You really think so?" She asked.

"That was some of the best singing I ever heard. Right Alastor?"

He didn't respond. He just sat there, his chin resting on a fist as he gazed and smiled at Charlie completely enamoured.

"Al!" Beth cried.

"Huh? What?" He said snapping out of it. "I'm sorry, did you say something Beth?"

"What did you think of Charlie's singing?"

"Oh I...I thought it was beautiful."

"Thank you." Charlie looked away coyly and started to nervously play with her hair. She blushed when she looked back to find him with that same gaze and smile. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Oh! Was I staring? I'm sorry!"

"Is there something on my face? Is my hair messy?"

"No! You look fine! Beautiful!"

She blushed and so did he. He blushed real hard in the face and his body began to sweat terribly.

"Wait I didn't mean it like that! Not that you're ugly but I-I-I-I-I." The poor fellow was a stuttering mess. "Golly, it's getting warm in here. Why don't I go get us all some cold drinks?"

He stood so suddenly that he accidentally bumped into a server and knocked over a few glasses.

"I am so sorry!" He quickly gathered up the mess. "I'll gladly pay for the damages."

He pulled out his wallet and handed the sever twenty dollars in such a fluster.

"Alastor are you feeling alright?" Charlie asked.

"Me?" He tugged on his shirt collar while backing up. "I'm fine! I'm okay! Nothing's wring. I just really need a drink. Don't worry about me. I am perfectly- Ahh!"

He backed himself up right over a chair.

"Oh my goodness!" Charlie gasped.

"Alastor are you okay?" Beth asked,

"Yes!" He picked himself up off the floor quickly, ignoring the pain in his knee. "Clumsy me. I really need to look where I'm going. Excuse me, I'll be right back with those drinks."

Then he ran off as fast as he could.

"Well he's acting very funny." Charlie said. "Maybe he didn't like my singing after all."

"Oh no I think he liked it." Beth disagreed. "And I think that's why he's acting funny."

"I don't understand."

"I think he's finally starting to like you."

"I thought he already did like me."

"No, I think he's starting to like, like you."