Surprise Show

Taking the hand Joe offered, Hope rose with a smile.

‘Where are we going?’

Joe smiled. ‘I want to show you something.’

‘About singing?’ Hope hazarded, and as he didn’t reply she got her answer. ‘You’re not going to change my mind, I hope you realise.’

Joe laughed. ‘I wasn’t going to try. I have a feeling that you’re rather stubborn.’

‘You’d be right.’

During the exchange, the pair had left the coffee shop and started to walk down the street. Reaching a busy square full of people walking through it, Joe strode confidently towards the centre.

Standing in the middle of the square, Joe smiled at Hope who had remained towards the edge, before clearing his throat loudly to get the people’s attention. All eyes of the people in the square instantly turned on to him.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt your busy days ladies and gents, but I promise it won’t be a waste of your time.’

Without further explanation, Joe launched into a song. The second that Hope heard Joe’s voice for the first time, she gasped, suddenly unable to breath for shock. Hope didn’t recognise the song, but its chorus was almost haunting as Joe’s rich voice soared up and down the notes.

The refrain ebbed and flowed like an insistent sea as the waves crashed upon the shore. Hope knew she’d heard better voices before on TV, but Joe’s voice stirred something unnameable in Hope’s soul. She knew that she would never hear such a sound again.

When he had finished, a light applause broke out, to which Joe simply smiled. With a confident bow, Joe walked out of the centre of people, straight towards Hope.

‘What was that?’ Hope managed to ask without gaping, still amazed.

‘Youngblood by Five Seconds of Summer.’ Joe said simply.

‘It was awesome.’ Hope breathed, spurred to honesty.

Joe smiled. ‘I’m glad you liked it, though it could have been a lot better.’

‘In what way?’ Hope asked, unable to understand how it could have been any better.

‘With a little harmony.’

Hope looked at Joe, clearly confused.

Joe laughed. ‘If I had someone up there with me. Like you, for example.’

A course of adrenaline shot through Hope at the thought, even though she felt the little voice in her head automatically denying it and her vocal chords seize up.

‘I couldn’t have done anything like that. I… I’d have embarrassed you. Embarrassed myself. I don’t even know that song. It would have been a disaster. I can’t pitch harmony for the life of me; never have been able to.’

Joe had carried on walking out of the square during their conversation, so Hope struggled to hear his answer amid the crowds.

‘It’s just like what you do for Mack’s gang, Hope. I don’t see any difference.’

‘Well, it is different.’ Hope called after him.

Joe stopped and turned to face Hope abruptly. So much so that she had to catch her breath and plant her feet down firmly to avoid colliding with his strong chest.

They were so close that their bodies touched, and somehow the crush of people disappeared around them in an instant. Hope felt deafened to the noise and blinded to anything other than Joe. Everything else seemed extraneous.

Dropping his voice to an urgent whisper, which Hope had no difficulty hearing, Joe leaned closer.

‘How is it different?’

‘I…’ Hope trailed off, unable to form words around the lump that had lodged in her throat. She was hypnotised by his mesmerizing eyes. ‘I don’t know.’

Joe took a step back and instantly released the tension between them. Much to Hope’s relief, as if he had held her in that tense energy for another second, she felt that she might have imploded. She shook her head firmly as if shaking away a bad dream.

‘It just is different, ok.’ Hope declared, feeling more herself.

Joe shrugged. ‘If you say so, but I know you’re wrong.’

They walked along in silence for a few moments, with Hope trying to decipher the implications of her reactions to Joe. After having known him for less than a day, was it possible for her to have feelings for him?

Hope never used words like love when referring to boys, because she knew that it was foolish to do so. Only girls thought about love and romance; no teenage boy Hope had ever met had thought about anything other than sex when they engaged with girls.

But Joe was different, and Hope found herself wondering whether he felt the same way about her. For the first time in her life, Hope cared about what someone else was thinking, and she couldn’t decide whether that was good or terrifying at that stage.

Looking up at Joe’s handsome profile, Hope considered whether she had the courage to ask him what he thought about her. She had always been a direct person, and perhaps the question would give her some clarity of her position with the interesting and confusing boy.

‘This may seem like a weird question,’ Hope began, looking down at her hands ‘but what do you think of me?’

Joe looked down at her, puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, you’ve said how you like my voice and all, but what do you actually think of me as a person?’

Joe considered for a moment with a smile. ‘I think you’re complex. A little stubborn but determined. Fiercely loyal to the people you love and defensive of your friends. Kind-hearted, but shy and a little scared at times. Loving, but lonely.’ He paused, looking into Hope’s eyes. ‘And disappointed with the life you’re living.’

Hope looked away, scared by how true his words were. ‘So, do you like that person you describe?’

‘I do.’ Joe stated quietly, his voice full of hidden meaning.

Hope tried to form a response but found she could not. In the short space of time he had known her, Joe knew more about her than anyone else ever had. In a strange way, Hope felt as if she was getting to know herself more through hanging out with Joe. And she definitely wanted to learn more about him. His actions and words made him irresistibly charming.

‘And you?’ Joe asked. ‘What do you think of me?’

Hope smiled. ‘I think you are complex too. You’re clearly very talented and confident. Charming and kind. Intelligent, yet sensitive. Bold and strong. Casual but handsome.’

Hope flushed scarlet as the words came out of her mouth. Joe laughed easily, telling her that her mistaken words didn’t trouble him. Instead, he found her awkwardness funny.

Why had she felt possessed to call him handsome?

‘Surely I don’t need to tell you that you’re beautiful.’ Joe answered with a smile.

Hope timidly pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, a different kind of blush colouring her cheeks. She’d never been called beautiful before and had no idea how to respond.

‘At least say something.’ Joe said with a smile. ‘If you don’t, I’ll think I’ve said something wrong.’

Hope laughed. ‘No, you’ve said nothing wrong. I just don’t know what to say.’

‘Speechless? I don’t imagine that happens to you a lot.’ Joe joked. ‘Let me make it up to you by taking you back to Mack’s and I can play you some music.’

‘I can’t.’ Hope said.

‘Why?’

‘Well, for starters, I have to be at work in half an hour and I won’t be off until 6:30.’ Hope smiled. ‘And secondly, I’m not going to be able to help you with your songs, so there’s no point us spending more time together.’ Even as Hope’s brain pointed out the logic, her heart lurched at the thought of never seeing Joe again.

‘Just because you don’t want to be my music partner doesn’t mean we can’t be friends does it?’ Joe asked with a smile.

‘I suppose not…’ Hope began but trailed off.

‘But?’ Joe prompted.

Hope shrugged with a smile. ‘But nothing, I guess.’

‘Great.’ Joe beamed. ‘Meet me at Mack’s place once your shift is over.’

‘See you later.’ Hope smiled as she turned away from him towards her apartment, butterflies mounting in her stomach.