Unashamed Love

The sky wore its diamonds with pride gazing upon the city lights shining in the gloom of the night. A soft breeze gently moved amongst the unsuspecting people walking about. Unaware of the leaves in the trees dancing slowly to a beautiful rhythm set by the wind. If one was to think about it, music was everywhere. Even the mundane sounds of car engines rumbling to the pitter-patter of people's feet on the concrete sidewalk were all one big symphony. And Jack Dawson was never a man who considered himself a sycophant for music.

His life was simple and to put it more bluntly- predictable.

Born and raised in a nucleated family that consisted of two parents and an older brother. Jack's formative years consisted of perpetual grooming to be the ideal individual his father believed was right. And in turn despite being the younger of the two, he inherited the company that had been in their family for four decades.

There had to be continuity even if his older brother, Oscar saw otherwise. Such that as Jack sauntered into Monty's Underground Haven, he knew deep down his strict father would be bemused to find his own seed in such a place that lacked the usual opulence they were accustomed to.

However, there was no stiffness or obligation to act a certain way here. Maybe that was the main reason Jack could claim was why he found himself often coming there to have a drink or two after leaving the office.

But once that same husky voice he'd heard months back when he was in a dark place spoke into the microphone, the immediate increase in his heartbeat gave away the real reason why Jack came back more and more no matter how hard he tried to fight off the attraction. Steeling himself as he took a seat at an empty table, he spared a glance in the direction of the stage and found himself losing all ounce of sanity at the beauty standing there.

The first thing he always noticed about her was her eyes.

Dark, endless pools of black that were intricately shaped, perfectly framed by beautiful arched eyebrows. Her skin shone a beautiful deep brown hue complimenting her high cheek bone structure that gave her an elegant look that had him convinced she was some delicate flower as youthfulness seeped from her pores.

With a cute Nubian nose, the diamond stud on her left nostril somehow added an air of intrigue that lured him in all too easily. Tonight, her hair was free, usually tamed by braids her natural hair was naked for all to see in an afro that framed her face nicely. Jack had to grip his hands tightly to fight the sudden need that erupted inside him to reach out and almost...

Touch it.

He really needed to get a grip on himself and for a split second he internally chastised himself for developing such a crush. Such that when his rational self-made an appearance he stood up prepared to leave. Unfortunately, the second a slow tune began to play, courtesy of the live band his body froze and before she had even finished singing the first line, he found himself plopping back onto the chair, feeling spent as her words sunk in.

Feed me your bread and wine

and save me from damnation.

Tell me in whispered

scriptures your love.

making me succumb to your temptation.

Her eyes briefly connected with his emerald orbs, and he found himself unable to look away from the intensity behind her gaze. His skin grew warm from the heat burning in her gaze. For a second the rest of the world dissipated. Entranced by the seduction seemingly embedded in the angles of her slender shape, the minute she smirked at him and gave him a flirtatious wink he was almost convinced she was some temptress sent to torture him.

Clinging onto your religion

you baptized me in confessions that night...

and I never knew any other salvation

in those sheets with you,

that felt so right.

It took him some time to land back to earth despite the loud clapping in the room. Taking a few calming breaths to prohibit his dark thoughts from making his shaft grow hard and strain against his pants he quickly stood up. Though he hadn't ordered anything his shaky hands threw a few bills onto the table and rushed out of the quaint establishment tripping on his own feet. He was afraid to look her way again and pledge to worship her in the hopes she'd save him from the damnation his ex-wife had left him in.

Once his eyes found those of his driver, Edgar, he shifted his eyes to the ground to ignore the older man's amused gaze. Jack had kept the details for why he suddenly made stopping at this bar such a regular part of his routine since they had a good relationship. Despite Edgar working for their family for as long as he could remember Jack couldn't bring himself to reveal to tell him or anyone for that matter anything. Besides the young man felt there was nothing to tell.

Once he plopped himself into his seat, he wasn't surprised when only a few minutes into the drive he found Edgar's eyes looking at him through the rear-view mirror," I don't want to hear it, tonight."

"Whatever do you mean?" Edgar asked briefly glancing in his direction feigning innocence. However, Jack knew him well enough to not only see past the facade, but he already knew that this conversation for the past few weeks always wound up the same.

"I just like the music there," he replied suddenly feeling defensive and the need to convince himself that he was drawn to the quality of Monty's repertoires.

"I'm not one of your parents, Jack."

"What's that supposed to mean?'

"You can stop trying to lie. Besides you're not a child anymore, if you want to ogle at that beautiful woman do so at your heart's content."

"I-I'm only there for-"

"I know- I know," Edgar's smile widened in the dark space of the car looking at his boss once again before returning them to the road," you're only there for the music."

To be honest Edgar was used to Jack's calm disposition, such that seeing him out of sorts like this was both entertaining and rather intriguing. Plus, if he was being honest, after what his ex-wife did to him, Edgar once thought the young man had lost all hope in bargaining with Eros to finally have mercy upon him.

He was surprised at first when on one of the days he was driving Jack, he was told to stop in front of the establishment tucked away into a mildly quiet area of the city. Curious he peeked into the place to find Jack openly gawking at the woman on the stage.

"How did the meeting go this afternoon?"

Jack rubbed his temples gently recalling the long meeting. He was the CEO – yes, but sometimes he often wished he didn't have to be subjected to some of the things he had to do. And the response he gave Edgar was only a glimpse into his frustrations," I was contemplating whether or not I should buy a gun afterwards and shoot myself."

"Damn."

"Mr Thompson is a pretty tough guy to crack," Jack murmured leaning against the headrest. If the man would be so unyielding to compromise, he would have worked with another company on the project. But Thompson had built an equally admirable empire. And Jack's father would certainly not be happy if this deal didn't come through. Just that alone made Jack grimace. His father, Thomas had always been a bit hard on him in comparison to Oscar, but he always assumed it was all in an aim to toughen him up for the role of being a CEO. There was no room for weakness.

None.

"It's a shame you haven't got the guts to talk to that woman," Jack tensed in his seat wondering where Edgar was going with this," she'd be the perfect stress reliever."

"You're such a perv, old man," Jack chuckled lightly as Edgar's hearty laugh filled the space of the car.

"Beats counting my hand as the only stable relationship I have... don't you think?"

It's a shame Edgar was preoccupied driving, Jack would've flipped him off, but he knew he was right. Given his busy schedule, he had no room it seemed for a relationship which had been one of the problems that ruined his marriage. Now his parents had taken it upon themselves to hook him up with a "suitable" woman.

If the walls of his shower could talk, they'd reveal the times he spent stroking himself imagining that woman touching him. Her silky-smooth skin pressed up against him left him oftentimes waking up at night hard as a rock.

Needless to say he had been reduced to his teenage self.

Smiling as he watched the lights of the buildings pass his mind found itself recalling the song she sang, and he began humming it.

Falling once again into the sweetness that somehow redeemed him even for just a second from the Passeri.

His Songbird.