Songstress

This is my first story I've ever published. I've been a long time reader on Literotica, and finally decided to try my hand at writing. A huge and special thanks to s0rethr0at, for your terrific editing! Another special thanks to mscherylterra for her ongoing inspiration that made me want to write. She is an amazing storyteller, so please check out her stories.

This story is slow in building toward sex, which is near the end. The focus is on music, romance, and love between two people of vastly different ages. Hope you enjoy!

*

The green overhead sign said, 'Charlotte 25 mi.' My heart began to race, and the adrenaline flowed, reviving me from my 14-hour driving marathon. At last! I was so close to finally seeing face to face the woman I had adored from afar.

Even now, I could see her stunning beauty in my mind, and I glanced at my phone once again to see my favourite picture of her, that dazzling smile lighting up my world. Her picture is what kept me going through this thousand-mile journey from my town just east of Toronto, all the way down to North Carolina. Her wide generous mouth set in that warm grin, her sharp features framed by a corona of soft chestnut brown hair. And those eyes, oh my those eyes. Azure eyes, which were like the sky on a cloudless day, infinite in their brilliance. I previously had a long-standing preference for redheads and green eyes...not anymore. That combination of bright blue eyes and dark hair was now the stuff of my dreams. She was simply the most gorgeous woman in the world to me.

However, her looks were not the only reason I had fallen so deeply in love with her, not by half. It was her singing, her voice, THAT voice, which first drew me irresistibly to her. Low, rich, sultry and ethereal, her tone was simply unlike any other I'd heard before. I've heard other female singers with singular, outstanding tone and pitch control able to own any song - like Eva Cassidy (and who doesn't love Eva's voice?!). Beth's voice was in that same rarified stratosphere in my opinion. It was the most mesmerizing voice I'd ever heard in my life. And just like when Eva was alive, she was unknown outside her circle of friends, mostly in Facebook musical communities. I felt part of a small privileged group that were the beneficiaries of her unique talent.

When I first heard her, both my world and heart suddenly stopped. Who was this siren, for whom I would gladly dash my ship upon her rocky shores to hear one more note? This is what Tolkien must have thought of when he described the haunting, compelling music of the elves.

Being a fairly good musician and singer myself, as attested to by the positive feedback from the same musical communities, I felt she and I were meant to sing together. During my drive down south, I played and sang along with her songs on repeat to keep me company. I simply couldn't get enough of her enchanting voice. She was my belle chanteuse extraordinaire, my eternal songstress, my musical soulmate; the voice that transported me to worlds of serenity and brought joy to my soul.

As if that wasn't enough, Beth, from all evidence, seemed to be a genuinely nice person! Isn't that just so unfair? All her posts, how she handled the endless rave reviews and feedback from our communities with humble graciousness, her random posts so artistically capturing the natural beauty of nature about her in the city, her witty remarks, the kindness in her words, all spoke of a truly genuine, warm and wonderful human. So you see, this deadly combination of intelligence, wit, charm, huge talent and breathtaking beauty left me no choice but to fall helplessly and hopelessly in love with her.

The thing was, however, she didn't know any of this. We were a thousand miles, two countries and seemingly, a world apart. And aside from what I knew from our message exchanges, I knew relatively little about her. She was a very private person, unlike others on social media who share every trivial and inconsequential detail of their lives (no, I'm not interested in what you had for breakfast, lunch AND dinner!). Me, I'm somewhere in between.

Beth and I had exchanged correspondence through Messenger and Facebook. We seemed to have a great love for each other's music. We'd even done duets together online, much to the admiration of our musical groups. We now had quite a following, with comments suggesting we were combining two of the best voices in our FB groups. We had shared a few of our hopes and dreams regarding music, and she had opened up a little bit about her life, as had I. OK, I opened up a lot about my life.

The problem was, there was a vast difference in our ages. I was in my sixties, and she was in her early thirties. With part Asian blood, my friends constantly remarked I looked far below my age. I kept fit and had always been active. She knew I was a widower with grandkids. She, on the other hand, had said she didn't want any children as she had too many other ambitions to pursue. She was working part-time as a legal assistant after graduating with a law degree. I used to own a consulting business and had sold it recently. So, with no financial worries, I was searching for a new adventure. She was single and had recently ended a bad relationship. She was not anxious to pursue another at this time. The hurt for her was still too fresh.

So now you're probably thinking, hang on, there are such huge differences between you two. You're old enough to be her father. In any other book, you're just a dirty old man. Are you certifiable, or just all kinds of stupid? Yeah, well, who said love was logical, or even fucking reasonable? The heart goes where it will, and mine was pulling me down south.

I felt we had become good friends and I had a sense that we were becoming more than that. She and I had dropped subtle hints about how much we liked each other. I could sense her moods in the way she phrased her words. She reciprocated that sense with an uncanny intuition. Still, we kept things strictly at a platonic level, constantly supporting each other in all that we did, yet skirting the edge of going any further.

Knowing her reticence to start any relationship, especially with a much older man, I in no way wanted to ruin things by telling her how I truly felt. I was scared to death that any overtures hinting of my love might send her running for the hills. That'd be too catastrophic for me to handle.

So, why was I doing this potentially incredibly foolish thing by driving down to see Beth? Lately, I had sensed a mood change in her, with her seeming to become more sombre, perhaps even a bit sad, which was a stark departure from her normally sunny disposition. She wouldn't disclose what was bothering her, despite my probing, so I decided to drive down and surprise her and perhaps turn her mood around.

Besides, I now had all the time in the world to pursue foolish passions. I had my guitar with me. I had thought we could play at some open mics...music might bring her around, as it had before. Naturally, I had my selfish reasons -- this could be my excuse to finally meet the woman of my dreams in person and at least solidify our friendship. With such noble intent in mind, what could go wrong?

Well, I may be all kinds of stupid, but I ain't naive. I had put some thought into this venture and tried to prepare myself for the worse. What if she wasn't the person she projected to be online? What if she was just flirting with me, knowing she'd be safe with the border and distance between us? Did she like me as much as I wanted to think, or was it pure ego on my part? Did she just regard me as a father figure, and the concept of romantic love would be repulsive to her? How would she react to my sudden, unannounced appearance? Yeah, I knew I was taking a huge chance with so many unknowns, but I figured no game, no victory.

So that's why my heart was pounding so hard when I saw that sign that I was almost at my destination. I was excited as hell and nervous as fuck. And it seemed to ratchet up the closer I got to Charlotte. Shit, were they going to find me in a ditch somewhere, dead of a massive coronary? Pull it together Joel, don't let that be your ignominious end!

Slowly, inexorably, Google Maps led me through Charlotte city traffic to where I knew she lived and worked. Close by was the outdoor courtyard cafe where she'd usually liked to meet up with a friend or two for lunch. I was hedging my bets that she was meeting her best friend April to talk about whatever was bothering her.

That's why I had driven almost non-stop since 9:00 the night before: I wanted to time it perfectly. I pulled into a small parking lot near the courtyard. I hauled my guitar out and throwing my gig bag around my shoulders I strolled into the courtyard looking every bit like a street musician about to do some busking. I began looking around for Beth, moving toward the cafe's outdoor entrance to their patio. Still looking about me, I was somewhat taken aback when the cafe hostess--"Mandy" said the name tag, "Pleased to seat you!"-- said to me politely:

"I'm sorry, sir, but you need to be scheduled and have a permit to play, and I'm afraid I've never seen you before."

Laughing, I assured her that I was just meeting a friend and had no intention of playing. I was about to make a witty remark about coming down from Canada to seek my fame and fortune in the US when I looked over Mandy's shoulder and my snappy retort died on my lips. There she was, my Beth, the woman I adored; the unaware keeper of my heart, in animated conversation. She was looking somewhat sad, yet far more devastatingly lovely than her pictures or music videos ever showed. Mandy turned around and said to me:

"Ah, I see you found your friend...is it Beth, or April, or both?"

"Uh...Beth." I managed to mumble.

Seeing that glazed and now somewhat terrified look in my eyes, Mandy asked softly: "Would you like me to take you to their table?" while subtly grabbing a menu.

I managed to mumble equally intelligibly, "Uh...sure, that is um, er...yes please."

With a knowing smile --how do women always manage to know these things?-- she led the way. I hid behind her; my resolve to appear confident now evaporated like a drop of water in the sun.

Mandy stopped at their table and said brightly:

"Hi Beth, there's someone here looking for you."

I stepped out from behind Mandy and managed to blurt out the greeting I had rehearsed endlessly in my mind:

"Hi, I'm looking for a Ms H.t. South? (H.t. South was her FB handle). I believe she needs some cheering up, so I thought I'd bring some music to her."

Beth's blue eyes flew open in shock as recognition sank in:

"Joel? Is that you? Oh my God, what are you doing here? How? Why?"

At which point further, words seem to fail her. I was about to reply when April piped up:

"Beth, this is Joel? This is the guy? He's come all this way just to see you? I think introductions are in order!"

Mandy quietly slipped away, still with that knowing smile plastered all over her face. Seeing us staring at each other spellbound, not uttering a word, April sighed:

"Well, seeing as you two are lost in each other," She smiled up at me. "Hi Joel, I'm April, and you've got some explaining to do as to how you've managed to put my best friend in such a funk...although I'm pretty sure that mood is going to vanish in half a heartbeat!"

I turned to April to politely greet her, but she just shook her head, and with a gleeful smirk, nodded back toward Beth. Turning my head back to Beth, I now saw tears forming in her eyes as she whispered:

"You-- you came...you're here!"

I nodded dumbly and managed to blurt out, "Surprise?!"

Beth then did the most unexpected thing; she leapt up and threw her arms around me. She was short, much to my delight, because I was amongst the vertically challenged myself.

"I can't believe you came all this way! It's you!"

Hugging her back with an equal death grip, relief flooded through me. She wasn't going to run for the hills screaming or tell me to just get the hell away, as I had imagined in my worst nightmares.

I whispered in her ear:

"Of course I'm here. You were feeling down, I could sense it, but I didn't know why. I just couldn't stay where I was and not do anything!"

She was crying freely now, and my own tears began to flow...tears of sweet relief and joy. We just stood there like that, too overwhelmed to say anything, holding each other for I don't know long, until April, clearing her throat noisily, called out in a sardonic tone:

"If you two are finished soaking each other, maybe we can start using our words again?"

With sheepish grins, we turned to April, who despite her sarcasm had a sheen in her own eyes.

I said, "I suppose you want some explanations?"

"Oh, I don't need any explanation. It's as plain to me as the nose on Beth's face. It's you two oblivious blockheads that need to tell each other how you really feel, instead of wallowing in doubt and self-pity!"

Startled, we turned back toward each other. Beth spoke up first:

"I was so afraid, Joel, we live so far apart, such a difference in our ages, in two different countries. I didn't think you and I would ever work; I didn't even know if you ever felt the same as I. Maybe you just regarded me as a daughter. But...I couldn't tell you, I...I didn't want to chance destroying our friendship......to lose what we already have. I thought maybe you'd run...you know, ghost me back? I just couldn't tell you that I had developed feelings for you, and it was killing me inside. I know maybe it's wrong, but Joel, I've fallen in love with you!"

I threw my head back and laughed and sobbed aloud at once in pure relief and joy.

"Oh God, Beth, I feel exactly the same! You told me you weren't ready for another relationship yet, so I had to bite my tongue for so long. I love you, Beth, so desperately. I felt equally apprehensive about our age difference. I thought you might have regarded me as just a father figure. Yet, I fell helplessly and hopelessly in love with you. I love everything I know about you, and I want so badly to discover all that I don't know."

Trembling, she grasped my hands and whispered, "Me too, Joel, oh God, me too!"

Suddenly the years melted away and we were just two people madly in love with each other. Our lips came together in a desperate, long overdue kiss. She tasted of strawberries and coffee, and I never tasted a better combination. It was a kiss of deep affirmations, unfulfilled longings, and desperate hopes finally come true. Our tongues crashed together, and I felt like a teenager again, with immediate arousal stirring within me.

Laughing now in turn, April snorted:

"Well, now that THAT'S out of the way, why don't we sit down before the entire restaurant takes part in this little love story?"

We looked around sheepishly and saw the other patrons grinning at us. We hastily sat down, a charming shade of pink flushing Beth's cheeks.

"So...Joel," April smiled warmly at me, "This is one of THE most romantic things I've ever seen. How long have you been in love with my little Beth here?"

I sighed, "Probably from the first time I saw her post, singing 'Fever.' My whole world stopped when I saw this woman who looked and sang like an angel. I was hooked at that very instant, and as we got to know each other, I pretty much was a goner. She gave me no choice but to fall helplessly in love with her."

April replied with a smirk, "Yeah, well, she tends to have that effect on men."

Arching an eyebrow, I asked, "Many other men?"

Laughing, April said, "Not to worry, she has eyes for only one man, and he's sitting right in front of her! You knew she was bummed out, didn't you?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, she didn't want to tell you why, even with my urging. I just knew, despite her reservations, that you felt the same as her. She showed me some of your message exchanges, and I read between the lines. Still, she was just too afraid to tell you. Glad you showed up to straighten things out before someone else tried to take advantage of her vulnerability."

I looked over at Beth inquiringly.

Smiling, she asked softly, "Jealous?"

I gently replied, "No, not really, not after what April just said. More worried about how many guys I'm gonna have to fend off now!"

We both smiled, knowing the answer to that one.

"So, what are you guys going to do next?" asked April.

I replied somewhat wearily, "After that long drive, I'd love a decent meal. Say, do they serve grits at Noon around here?"

Beth roared with laughter. Seeing April's puzzled look, I chuckled.

"Inside joke. I think I'm the first Canadian she's come across that actually loves grits."

April laughed and said, "Well then, it's no wonder you two are perfect for each other!"

Smiling, I said, "So, I'm going to order some lunch and then..." Leaving the sentence unfinished, I waited to see who would speak first.

April, of course, jumped in immediately.

"Oh, for Pete's sake, I suppose you two will be going at it like rabbits over the next few days. I probably won't even see you until the weekend!"

Blushing furiously, Beth cried, "April!"

Laughing, I rescued Beth.

"Geez, April, we barely finished proclaiming our love for each other! No, I mean something else we've both been wanting to do together in person."

Turning, I got Mandy's attention, and when she came over, I asked,

"Mandy, can I please order some lunch and also, you said that one needs a permit and to be scheduled to be able to play on this beautiful patio. How do I go about doing both?"

Mandy replied, "To play in our patio area, you don't need a permit. To play outside in the square, you need one. Are you interested in playing on the patio?"

"Not just me," I said gesturing at Beth. Beth's blues flew open as she gasped in shock and delight.

"Well!" Mandy exclaimed, "You have an awesome voice, Beth. And now I recognize this gentleman from your posts. Welcome, Joel! If both of you are going to sing together, it's going to be amazing, and we could make it happen right now...especially for one of our best customers!"

Mandy asked me, "And what would y'all like to eat?"

"A bowl of grits!" Beth and I said in unison. Looking at each other, we giggled and then began laughing hysterically. Puzzled, Mandy looked over at April, who just shrugged and rolled her eyes, circling her finger at her temple, the universal sign for, "They're both nuts!"

It wasn't long before said bowl of grits was brought, which I ate with obvious delight, with Beth looking on with a huge grin and equal delight.

April said to me, "Buddy, I don't know much about you, but I haven't seen her this happy in weeks, so y'all are OK in my books!"

We engaged in small talk for a bit. I recounted my marathon drive, stopping only long enough for gas and to use the restroom. I told them about listening only to her Smule recordings and looking at her picture all the way down.

April sighed dreamily, "Girl, you have all the luck. You got yourself a keeper!"

Beth flushed with pleasure.

Mandy returned and said, "OK, guys, the stage is all yours!"

Beth looked apprehensive, and turning to me, she asked softly, "What are we going to sing, and how will I do it without using Smule?"

I looked at her and said, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course!" She smiled.

Reaching into the front pocket of my gig bag, I brought out two iPads.

"I downloaded all the songs you and I sing to my Guitar Tabs app, transposed them to the right keys for you, and have been practising like crazy. Follow the order on your iPad, and then follow my lead. It'll be fine, I promise!"

Beth nodded in relief.

As we approached the small outdoor stage, Mandy was already there and began introducing us, "Ladies and gents, y'all are in for a real big treat. Right now, we're gonna have an impromptu concert by two amazing singers. Many of you know Beth from 'round these here parts, but she has a friend come to join her all the way from Toronto, Canada! Let's give a warm southern welcome to Beth and Joel!!!"