Alicia Keys is the bomb. But, this time in this story it's Azrael singing. He has a leaner voice, but can hit the notes.
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Hopping out of the car driven by Azrael's driver, Chad, I look around, and spot the restaurant in question that I'm supposed to go to. There's many people around, but they're not in the way of the enormous sign so I have no trouble seeing it.
"That's the one, there," says Chad as he rolls down the window and points to the restaurant for me.
"Okay," I say with a nod.
"Before you think about it, don't try walking out on Azrael," says Chad with a smile, "he's planned something for you."
"Don't worry," I say with a smile, "I won't."
Chad nods once, before he rolls away and I'm left alone. Letting a deep breath in and out before walking forward. Above there's less sunlight, and also still in early March there's a chill in the air. But, I guess things could be better.
I haven't returned to the office. But, Azrael has come over every single day since I stopped going, to talk and check in with me. He hasn't blatantly stated so, but I guess this means he's in love with me. I know I am.
Azrael when he does come over enjoys usually a meal and a few hours of time with me. Sometimes when I say something he'll glow with a happy smile, and quietly giggles. I know I've been enjoying his presence.
Today though, he asked me to come to a place, this place, a restaurant, to meet up with him and something special as he called it. I'm excited to know what it is.
Opening the door, I walk inside to a lobby, where there's a few people around, but not that many. One person sees me, and smiles as he asks, "Are you Hogarth?"
"Yes," I say with a nod, "that's me."
"Alright, one second," replies the man, I think a waiter who works here, and then goes to a doorway leading to the dining space, and calls out a name.
Levi comes out, and smiles when he sees me, and beckons me forward.
"Glad to see you, and glad you're here," says Levi with a smile, and pats my shoulder.
"I'm glad to be here as well," I reply.
"Come in," says Levi, "there's something special waiting for you."
I follow with him, and inside the dining room, several things strike me as strange. In the large room I walk into, there are many round tables scattered around the rooms. Above is a chandelier, while to the very far end of the room is a stage with large lights hitting the drawn red curtains.
But, what's weird about it is that it's completely empty. Nobody else is around, and Levi and I are the only people I see present.
Levi leads me to a table and a seat that faces it, and a table quite close to it.
"Now," says Levi as he smiles, "get ready for a show."
Before I can ask, Levi goes toward the stage and walks up steps then going toward the left of the stage. Reaching a rope that hangs down from the ceiling, he pulls it and the curtains begins to slide open.
The back part of the stage is blue, a glowing blue, toward the ceiling, and a darker black toward the floor of the stage. To the left of the stage is a black grand piano, while to the right is a drum kit. In the center of the stage is a microphone on a pole.
Two women, Jane and another, walk onto the stage, and head toward the instruments. Jane goes to the drum kit while the other lady goes to the piano. The other lady looks around Levi's age, and I think she's the mother of Marco, as her hair color and eyes reminds me of him.
Azrael then walks out onto the stage. He wears simple navy-blue pants and a white dress shirt. It's not something fancy, but it's tasteful on him.
Azrael walks to the center of the stage, to the microphone, and reaches out to it and turns it on with a click. His eyes find me, and he smiles a little shyly.
"Hello, Hogarth," he says as his cheeks get a little pink.
"Hello," I reply.
"We're going to do a little something for you," says Azrael as he nods to Jane and the other lady, "Jane, and Milly."
Milly, the lady at the piano and he mother of Marco I'm sure, smiles and waves to me. I wave back.
"I...I hope you like it," says Azrael, and I look back at him before smiling and nodding.
Azrael nods back, and then looks back over at Milly, nodding very slowly like a musician does to start performing. Milly nods with him, and then Milly looks over at Jane, who starts the drum as Milly starting the piano. I also notice Levi with what I think is a tambourine, and they all create music.
It's a slow song, and very soft. Not at all deafening, but delicate, and mellow.
Azrael swallows once, before he opens his mouth and enters the instrumental music with his voice.
Used to dream of being a millionaire without a care
But if I'm seeing my dreams and you aren't there
Cause it's over, that just won't be fair, darling
Azrael's voice, great as ever it is to me ears, comes soft and touching, with no horrible bits as he sings.
Rather be a poor woman living on the street, no food to eat
Cause I don't want no pie if I have to cry
Cause it's over when you said goodbye
The words he signs also stick out to me. Azrael is successful. He's rich. He has what many desire. But without me, there's no meaning to it all.
He really picked a good song, saying these kind of tender things to me. Listening to him sing and watching him as he does, which brings out a different spark of light in his eyes, and a different shine to in his face, has me smiling as he sings for me.
All at once, I had it all
But it doesn't mean anything now that you're gone
From afar, seems I had it all
But it doesn't mean anything since you're gone
Performing the rest of the songs in perfect note, at least to me, I can't get enough of this amazing performance Azrael has put on for me, all for me. He's never been comfortable with singing, and to do so for me shows his serious and dedicated attitude to me.
After it finishes, and the piano, drums, and tambourine played by Milly, Jane, and Levi, quiet, I clap and cheer loudly, standing up from my seat.
"That was amazing!" I say, "You guys are amazing!"
"Thank Azrael!" says Levi with a grin, "It was his idea, for you."
"I...I hoped you liked it," says Azrael as he blushes now, after he finishes singing it.
"I did," I say with a smile.
"Well," says Jane as she stands up and walks over to Azrael and nods to me, "you two are going to have dinner, while we all go off somewhere to give you two privacy."
"Alright, well," says Levi as he nods to Milly, "ready to go?"
"Sure thing," says Milly as she stands up and nods to Azrael and me, "enjoy dinner, you two."
"Thank you," says Azrael and I.
Milly, Levi, and Jane leave, leaving only the two of us. Azrael walks down from the stage, and moves to the table, before sitting across from me. In the center of the table is a small candle, and I notice now that at the back of the room where I entered in several waiters had been standing watching the performance and now moved toward us to give service.
"Order anything you desire," says Azrael to me, "I'm at your service."
"Oh, alright then," I say as I look at menus the waiters hand me, and order a meal of a few tacos.
Azrael orders a chicken tender meal, which the waiters write down and head back to the kitchen to report. They also bring around drinks for us.
"When you say, I can order anything," I say with a smile. "does that include from you as well?"
I meant to say it as a joke, but I think Azrael takes it a little too seriously as he blushes and looks down at his lap.
"Y-yes, if you would like," he says.
I didn't mean for that to happen, and what he says also disturbs me.
"Azrael," I say, and he looks up at me, "it was a joke. And I don't want you to think that love is something where you're serving yourself up to me."
"Oh," says Azrael as his blush creeps away, "I read that there are people like that, who favor those types of relationships. And I though you were...interested in that as well."
"No," I say with a laugh, "I'm not one with that tendency."
"Oh, okay," says Azrael as he smiles.
"Now," I say, "I really appreciated that music, and performance. It's really special."
"Oh, well," says Azrael as food is brought to us, and then the waiters retreat, "I...I still have something to do."
"Oh, what's that?" I ask.
Azrael shifts a little in his seat, before looking up at me, his face getting red all over again.
"I...I'd like to ask you to be my...boyfriend," says Azrael.
I smile the widest, and the most triumphantly I have ever.
"Yes," I say, "I'd be honored to be."
"Thank you," says Azrael as he smiles.
"So," I say as I begin to eat, "what else do you have planned for the rest of the evening?"
"Oh, I thought that perhaps you and I would eat dinner, and then we could go to my place and, um, watch a movie?" asks Azrael, "I didn't know exactly what to do, as I've...I've never been on a date."
The admission seems to embarrass him, but I'm smiling that I'm the first person to get Azrael, and that I'm his first boyfriend. And hopefully his last. He's not getting away from me, not now when I have him.
"Don't worry," I say, "you're my first boyfriend too."
Azrael smiles more, before we begin to eat. There's conversation between us, and I know that he enjoys talking to me, as his usual formal speaking patterns fall away to bring forward a more tender dialogue.
I finish eating, and so does Azrael. Paying up, we walk out of the restaurant into the night. Not as many people are around, so I step over to Azrael, and pull him closer to me. Surprised, Azrael tenses in my arms, but then look up at my face.
"Azrael," I say with a smile, "you have to take this with a relaxed attitude."
"Oh, I'm sorry," says Azrael, looking down.
"It's just...I don't want to do something that'll make me lose you."
His words shock me, before I'm smiling. I use my hand to move his face back to look at mine.
"You can't lose me," I say, "you've had me wrapped around you for months now. That's not ending anytime soon."
Azrael smiles, his cheeks pink.
"Okay," he says, and relaxes in my arms.
To prove something, many things, I lean forward, and kiss him. Taking my lead, Azrael also kisses me back, and I'm surprised that he does. But, I don't stop him, and once we have to breathe and pull away, I miss him.
"I'd like to say," says Azrael, "thank you, for being my boyfriend."
I smile again.
"It's my pleasure."