Chapter 5

"Is this your dog?" a lady asked me with an unbelievable laugh as she was walking past me. I stopped my singing, nodding and smiling at her.

"Yes, he is," I looked at Romeo who was sitting religiously in front of me with his ears perked up and his eyes solely on me. He seemed truly entranced by my performance, "his name is Romeo."

She looked at him, "he's really big," she told me and he was because even though he was resting on his stomach, he still reached by my stomach, "but he seems to adore you," she took out some change from her pockets before she threw down a note in my case where I was collecting tips.

"Thank you," I said with a smile as she walked away and waved goodbye at me. I looked back at Romeo before I walked towards him and let him rub his face against my body, "you're good for my business, boy," I told him, remembering how everyone was giving me money after they asked about Romeo.

Romeo was such a character. When we got out here, he was very hostile towards anybody who tried to walk by me even though I was in the middle of the busy town where I was surrounded by stores and shoppers.

It took me shouting him more than just a few times for him to finally stop fighting, and when I began singing and performing, he seemed to be in a trance because he laid down on his stomach and kept his eyes locked on me the entire time.

It made me feel special, because it felt like everyone else wasn't really listening to me. Which has always happened, but it felt good to have someone paying attention to me like I sounded like Beyoncé.

The way Romeo sat there and watched me perform, you'd swear I was an angel with a one of a kind voice. It brought a smile to my face and my attention ended up on him as well.

It was hard to look away from his yellow eyes that drew me in and seemed to watch me with such adoration and intensity.

I love dogs.

I walked back to my case and picked up the little cash that I got and smiled at the $20 dollars in total that I had collected.

I had a great day.

I placed my guitar back in its case before I shoved the money in the pocket of my shorts and adjusted my sweater into the hem of the skirt before I started folding up my station.

Romeo was beside me, nudging me and excitedly protecting me as he helped me the best that a dog could. His snout was touching whatever I had to pack away and it was an adorable sight. I couldn't stop giggling and saying “thank you” to him.

"You're a good boy," I told him as we climbed into my car and I started the tiny thing, making my way to the café that I was performing at tonight.

I loved my life as a singer and I really wouldn't choose to live any other way. While others chase fame, I simply chase the road and my passion.

I sing because I enjoy it, not because I want fame from it. I love performing here and there and then moving on and going about my life any way that I want. No strings attached to any label, or meeting people’s expectations except my own. I didn't owe anybody anything and I didn't have to face hate from anyone.

My life was free.

I lived well. I ate, I had places to sleep and most importantly I had memories.

I looked into my side view mirror, seeing Romeo's head sticking out of the car as he stuck his tongue out of his mouth and excitedly enjoyed the feel of the air. I smiled a bit at that, he was such a big dog but he was just a teddy bear when it came to me.

I can picture myself on the road with him.

It wouldn't hurt to have some company. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed having him around. Even though he was a silent companion as I droned on and on about my life, he just sat there and watched me like he could understand me.

When I finally parked the car next to the café, I let out an even wider smile at the historical building. It was beautiful and it looked like I had stepped into the past.

Romeo easily jumped out of the car and was beside me, circling me as I reached for my guitar case. I closed and locked the car behind me before Romeo walked alongside me inside the café.

"Hel- whoa!" one of the waiters said in shock as he saw Romeo. Romeo immediately bared his teeth and began to growl.

I placed my hand on Romeo's body, to silence him but the waiter held up his hands in defeat and began stepping back cautiously, "dogs aren't allowed in the café," he spoke up.

"Really?" I frowned, "could you please just let him sit next to me. He likes watching me sing, I promise he won't be any trouble."

He was about to disagree up until Amelia appeared, "hey, Pandora!" Amelia greeted with a smile as she hugged me excitedly, "whoa, when did you get a dog? Is he yours?"

I nodded my head, looking at Romeo, my hand still lost in his thick fur, "it was a spur of the moment type of thing."

She giggled, "well, I guess that's fine. Listen, we're waiting for you to perform," she reminded me and I nodded my head, letting her lead me and Romeo to the stage.

She led me to the small stage and Romeo sat in the corner of the stage, his eyes not letting me out of his sight as I took out my guitar from its case. Amelia adjusted the mic for me and my eyes looked around the café before they landed on Lexy who excitedly waved at me.

I grinned, waving back at her as she sat at one of the tables close to the stage and watched me eagerly.

I got this gig because of Amelia, and Lexy swore that she wouldn't miss the moment.

See what I mean when I say I met my friend soul mates?

I knew them for less than a month but I couldn't help but feel like we were family.

Amelia walked to Lexy and made it seem like she was taking her order when in the meanwhile they were watching me perform.

I strummed the guitar, letting myself get carried away by the words of the song as I sang about my grandmother.

I have a routine whenever I perform. I always begin my performances with a song about my grandmother and end my performances with a song about her. It made me feel like I was including her in my life and not letting her memory die down.

The rest of my songs would be about the adventures I've gone through in my life. I sing about different things. I sing about the days when I'm driving down empty roads and it seems like there's nothing for miles. I sing about how hot the air can be and I sing about the way the sand feels between my toes. I sing about the drunken nights I spend at bars with strangers yet leave with memories. I sing about moments when I dance in the middle of the road to my favourite song on the radio. I sing about the way I like my hair short and different colours. I sing about shopping at thrift shops and staying in motels and sleeping in gas stations.

When I sing, I sing about my life and my adventures. I always loved singing but I wanted to sing about my own adventure- which is why I took on the path that I did.

At some point in my singing as my eyes went through the crowd where everyone was lost in conversation; where artists were painting, where people were typing away on their laptops or scribbling on paper- barely paying attention to me.

My eyes landed on Lexy who had her head rested on her palms as she watched me perform with a smile on her face. Amelia was walking around serving coffee and taking orders in her uniform.

My eyes then connected with Romeo's as he watched me with the most interest anyone here was. His eyes seemed alert, his ears raised as though he was trying to hear every single word that I sang.

Those yellow eyes of his reminded me of the dangerous looking yet handsome stranger I had seen in my dreams and the uncanny difference in them chilled me. But I didn't think about it too much as I winked at Romeo, a thank you to him for listening to me.

I was used to nobody listening to me. Even when I performed at restaurants or cafes, people were too busy in their own worlds to care about me. It felt good to have Lexy watching me with a smile and Romeo giving me his full undivided attention.

My songs had called on two souls and that to me was all that I lived for.