“I can't believe that Owen has settled down again.” She whispered. “Corey, and I were really worried about him for a long time.”
“Were you, and Abigail close?” I asked, just as quietly.
She nodded. “These two are thick as thieves. It was hard not to get close to her.”
“I feel like a fish out of water.” I admitted.
She gave me a warm smile. “Corey's a little protective of Owen, but he'll warm up to you.”
“I know how things must look from the outside.”
“Please.” She said, tossing her hand in the air. “I haven't seen Owen this happy in a really long time. He's lost a lot over the years, so if being with you makes him happy you'll get no judgment from me.”
The waitress brought our drinks by then, and the four of us began to talk more freely. I learned that Corey, and Owen had been looking for a building to use for a studio before he left for New York. Corey was a song writer too, and they thought if they had a space to record demos, it would be easier to send them to clients.
“You know, if you double the space with a record store you could bring in revenue while you record. Even rent the studio out to other writers.” I said, before taking a sip from my drink.
“That's actually a really great idea.” Corey said, with genuine surprise.
“Did I mention that she's a marketing whiz?” Owen smiled, putting his arm around me. “The woman's a genius. I mean, her IQ is-”
“Alright.” I interrupted him. “Enough with the flattery.”
“A marketing major huh?” Corey asked, scratching his chin in thought. “Dude! This is perfect. If we can get our hands on the building down town-”
“No. I didn't ask Ronnie to come back here to work. She came here to find something for herself. That makes her happy.”
“Well I don't know.” I said, turning to face him. “I kind of like the idea of opening a record store. You know how much I love my collection, and it is where we met after all.”
“Unicorn, maybe we should talk about this later. It's a big decision, and I don't want you to feel pressured into making it.”
I placed my hand over his, and smiled at him sweetly.
“I love you for saying that, and I love you more for understanding my need to break free and start over. But this just feels right to me. This could be big for the both of you, and for us.”
“Listen to the woman, Owen!” Corey chimed in. “You said it yourself, she's a genius. Who are you to argue?”
I laughed, turning in my chair once again.
“I think I'm going to like you, Corey.”
“Me too, Ronnie. Me too.”
The song that the band was playing ended then, and the person behind the mic cleared their throat in order to catch everyone's attention. They made the announcement that open mic night was starting, and informed everyone where the sign up sheet was located.
“What do you say, man? Should we show em' how it's done?” Corey asked.
“Yes, please!” I said, clapping my hands excitedly.
“Has she seen you preform before?” He chuckled.
“Only in the hotel room with his guitar, and glasses.” I answered, raising my brows up and down playfully.
“You, and those damn glasses.” Owen said, as he stood to push his chair in. “Let's go then.”
He bent to kiss the top of my head, before he and Corey headed towards the stage to sign up. Of course they were the first ones, so they were ushered up onto the stage as soon as they'd put their pens down. Neither of them had their guitars with them, but luckily the band had allowed them to use theirs. Both men stood behind the mics, but it was Owen who spoke.
“Normally I'd play an original, but I'm saving that for something special. This one's called 'It's you' and it's originally recorded by Lewis Brice. Unicorn... it's you, baby.” He winked at me.
I was in total shock. I was expecting him to sing the song he'd been working on in the hotel room. I sat a little straighter then, and placed my focus solely on him. With a quick nod to Corey, the two of them began to strum a melody. It was soft, and sweet, and when Owen opened his mouth to sing I felt every single emotion that he was conveying.
'I always thought I'd be a rambling man,
living in the moment, never making plans
Finding love was just a dream I was having
Written in the movies, never thought it would happen
I tried to fill my loneliness with whiskey,
And empty nights with different girls that never missed me
Funny how when you least expect it,
Everything can change
Baby it's you I've been looking for
I knew right from the second you came walking through that door
It feels so right when you're in my arms
Darling it's you I've been looking for
You know I love it when your hair's a mess,
The way you shine when you wear that dress
Girl, I don't think that you understand
You make me a better man
Baby it's you I've been looking for
I knew right from the second you came walking through that door
It feels so right when you're in my arms,
Darling it's you I've been looking for
Just like blue on the sea,
Our love won't fade, it's evergreen
Girl the best part of me,
Is you
Baby it's you I've been looking for
I knew right from the second you came walking through that door
It feels so right when you're in my arms,
Darling it's you I've been looking for
When the song had finished, tears were steadily falling from my eyes. All of the doubts that had been creeping up in my mind lately seemed to vanish. With every lyric that left his lips he was telling me how much he loved me. Shannon, and I stood
