Page 121 of Doc Rock
“Hey, guys,”Scotty called from his position behind the drum kit.“I don’t mean to be that person. But this is getting awkward.”
Mai’s tears dried up, and she began to giggle, suddenly aware of her guitar pressed painfully between them. She gazed up at Ford, and while she wanted to keep on kissing him, she would prefer to continue somewhere more private.
“Let’s play,”she said and tried to pull out of his arms.
“Nope.”Ford leaned down and gave her another toe-curling kiss before he said,“Now we can play.”
He released her and went back to the microphone.“Well, everyone. That was more eventful than I thought tonight would be. Usually we have undies chucked at us, not bottles,”Ford joked.
Mai couldn’t resist, she said into her microphone.“Like the undies with your faces on that you were selling at your show?”She giggled as she recalled the merchandise store and the display of Midnight Thunder underwear.
“My wife is hilarious.”Ford rolled his eyes.
Mai froze. Had he just announced to a room full of people that they were married? She examined her feelings about everyone knowing and realised that she didn’t actually care.
He turned to her and widened his eyes. Mai shrugged and smiled in return, then leaned forward to her microphone, saying,“And that is a world exclusive.”
A grin pulled at her mouth. She used to love calling him her husband and found that she still did.
Mai chuckled when Joel chose that moment to play the first few bars of the wedding march on his bass guitar.
Glancing over to her friends, shesawGloria, Hel, and Sadie were all giving her two thumbs up each, which made her laugh even more.
This was a very bizarre evening, but Scotty didn’t give her any more time to think, as he began drumming, playing the next song on their set list.
Her fingers moved of their own accord, and she played the song sheknewso well:Summer Days.
Ford didn’t stay in the centre of the stage like he normally did. He stepped across to her microphone and sang to her the song they wrote together, which started everything for the band.
The rest of the songs passed too fast, and she marvelled as Ford kept the small audience in the palm of his hand—chatting, singing, teasing—and best of all, stealing quick kisses with her whenever hecould. Every time he did, the whole room cheered, and Mai blushed with happiness.
Chapter 42
Ford
Well, he hadn’t meant to kiss her in front of a pub full of people, or announce that they were married. But once his arms were wrapped around her, all he’d been able to think about was: what if she’d got hurt?
He needed to protect her.
He needed her to be by his side.
And in that moment, he'd forgotten completely about all the eyes on them; kissing her had seemed as necessary as breathing.
As the last song drew to an end, he surveyed the packed pub. It had been a long time since he’d been this close to people, and not up on a stage, somewhere untouchable.
He liked this.
He wanted to do this more.
“Okay, everyone. That’s it for us. We’ve played every song I can remember. I’ve messed up more lyrics than I can count and made you guys sing a few when I couldn’t remember them at all,”Ford said with a laugh.“And as long as the Landlord is happy, we’re going to hang out for a while and sign anything you guys want.”
A cheer rippled through the pub, and FordsawDonnie appear out of the staff room with a box full of posters, weavinghis way around the tables, handing them out to anyone who wanted one.
Ford’s gaze left the audience and snagged on Sie. She was flushed, her glasses were steamed up, and she was grinning, her brilliant blue eyes dancing with happiness.
Ford strolled over to her, lifted her guitar off—placing it onto the stand—grabbed her hand and yanked her towards him until she was pressed against his chest.
“How are youfeeling?”He smiled down at her.
