Stars Dancing [Dreams-To-Lovers Romance]

Purple dress, check! Strappy sandals— by the door. Nerves? Plenty. All the nerves. Yes, they were present and accounted for. Aaggggh! What was I doing?

Going to a concert in a city I'd just arrived in. Right. It was normal. That's what people did in Nashville.

"Sam, I'm ready. We need to head out," Rhoda prompted me. We were in a rental duplex—tiny—but a sweet little place in a handsome Nashville neighborhood called Germantown. Paddy and HC had the unit next to ours, and the plan was to go to the Ryman Auditorium for Cora's show then go to dinner.

I bet you're wondering if this was a surprise for Cora?

No! It wasn't. She knew about it, but I'd only messaged with her for a few minutes the day before. She'd been too busy with practice for an extended conversation, so it'd been light, simple details, nothing more.

Whew! Okay, Sam, reflection looks amazing, no matter that you're a mess inside. Let's do this.

Along with the crowd, we made our way across the entrance of the concert hall and through the history of Nashville's music scene. Excited about the offerings, I bought one of the iconic Hatch show prints that not only listed the headlining band Maverick & Marley, but also Coraline As Is in the bottom portion of the poster.

So cool! There was a stamped purple-blue piano at the top of the poster, and the rest was text and swirly lines connecting musical notes.

The concert hall was nothing like I was expecting. First of all, it was old. Secondly, it looked like a church, complete with wooden pews instead of theatre seating and stained glass windows.

Interesting. We found our way to the seats we'd reserved in the front row of the balcony— a perfect view.

On the wide open stage sat a solitary grand piano, and the audience quietened when a violinist appeared playing a rapid melody. A brass quartet soon joined, and Coraline ran onto the stage, made a swooping bow to the clapping audience and rang out a full-bodied song on the piano, singing into the mic.

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It wasn't a song I knew, but it evoked tap dances and swirling skirts. It was probably from a musical, but I didn't know it.

I couldn't help smiling; Cora was a show boat, a natural entertainer who kept the audience hooked on every word. When the first piece ended, the other musicians left the stage, and Cora played a solo piece on the piano that was also unfamiliar to me.

She'd changed tone of the performance completely. Gone was the show tune, and now a maestro of classical piano showcased her skills.

To end her performance, she shifted into a jazzy piece that I at first I didn't recognize, but as the chords wandered past dissonance and into something familiar, I grinned once more. By the fourth stanza, she added her voice in words I knew by heart.

"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. There's a land that I heard of, once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."

Yes, there were tears in my eyes. No, I didn't let them fall, but my heart felt like it would burst, and I couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than that moment.

I didn't want it to end, and thankfully, she sang the whole jazzy song through twice, and the last note lingered for a long time in the silent hall before Cora took her fingers from the keys and stood up.

The auditorium erupted as everyone jumped to their feet in standing ovation. Cora was obviously struggling to hold back an emotional storm, pushing her fingers to her face, bowing, waving, blowing kisses to the audience, and tapping her heart. She waved one last time and left the stage.

Are you ready for what happened next? During the fifteen minute intermission when the stage hands rearranged the instruments, Cora changed clothes, put on jeans and a t-shirt, pulled her hair up into a ponytail and came up to the balcony to sit between me and HC!

But before we settled in that hard wooden pew, she came bustling over to HC and Paddy. At least, that's what I thought she'd do, in her dark navy jeans and grey tee with sneakers. But no, she smiled warm and wide, and made a beeline for me, eyes taking in my figure on full display in that midnight purple dress.

And everything about me came alive with her glance. She held out her hands, and mine rose to meet hers, my face aglow with a smile that had never graced my face before.

"Sam, I'm so glad you're here."

"Oh my gosh, Cora, you were amazing. Amazing! I have no words for how beautiful that was! I didn't want it to end! I wanted you go on singing and singing and singing!"

"Then let's never stop, Sam. Let's just keep going."

Was this even happening? What even was this night? Did I step into a dream? The crowd pressed in as the overhead lights blinked off and back on.

"Seats, ladies! We have another show to see!" HC commanded.

Yes, there was another concert by Maverick and Marley, I think. I barely noticed anything except the presence next to me in jeans and sneakers.

The whole world narrowed to her there next to me, and I was pretty sure that Cora felt the same way.