That Voice

"Go on!" They say, nudging me and smiling as I turn to look at them. To their credit, they are trying to be encouraging. "You know you want to Zoe!"
"You'll regret it if you don't!" For a moment, I stand with my eyes closed, silent and motionless. Then, before I can change my mind, I begin to walk through the crowd to increasing cheers from this around me. I take one look behind me and immediately spot the guys I work with, huge grins on their faces and each of them have two thumbs up. As I continue up toward the stage, I frown for a split second. Someone is missing...

I have not seen the full extent of the crowd yet. Slowly, I walk onto the stage and take the microphone, looking at the ground all the while. I take a breath before looking up and gently shutting my eyes again. I don't need the teleprompter thing. I've listened to this song so many times I've lost count and I'm confident that I know it off by heart. So, as the music starts and I open my mouth, my eyes remain firmly shut.

Up until now, the crowd before me has been completely silent. That is until I reach around the midpoint of the song, when another voice joins mine. Without giving myself a moment to doubt what I'm about to do, I open my eyes. As the two of us sing, my eyes wander the room, searching for the face belonging to the voice. That heavenly voice, singing in perfect harmony with mine. But the faces I see all seem to blur together, yet the voice is getting louder. Mystery person, mystery girl is getting closer.

Finally, it seems a spotlight is switched on as I lay eyes on the person belonging to that beautiful voice. Luckily, the song reaches an instrumental interlude as I get a clear view of the girl I've been singing with because for at least a minute, all I seem capable of doing is staring at her ad she moves through the crowd, coming closer still.

At last, she reaches the stage and takes the last few steps toward me as gracefully as ever. She seems to move effortlessly, as I can faintly remember her doing when we knew each other what now seems a lifetime ago.  She reaches my side just in time to start the final verse of the song and together, we sing in perfect harmony, right up until the last, lingering note ends.

"I never thought I'd see you again," I say in a whisper as we leave the stage, arm in arm to a long, loud round of applause from the surrounding crowd.
"Come with me," she says, taking gentle hold of my wrist and leading me away through the crowd. She doesn't speak again until we are outside, alone. "Things aren't the same here, they're different, and there's something you need to know, Zoe."
"What?" I ask in a whisper so hushed even I only just hear it.
"I love you," she says and a wide smile stretches across my lips as a warm gust of wind envelops me, seemingly keen to join in my joy as she steps closer.
"I love you, too," I say in the same soft whisper just as she presses her lips to mine.