The once awkward silence as Alex and Harper made their way south in the city had officially become companionable. Every so often one of them would ask a question to learn more about each other, but otherwise, they were content to just enjoy each other's company. Harper had an arm looped around Alex's and Alex was over the moon with having Harper so close. With each passing breeze, he was delighted with the smell of her perfume wafting up from her hair. How had he missed it that morning?

There was a distant murmur of laughter and music that was nearby that made Harper stand up a little straighter as they walked. Noticing that Harper was curious, Alex moved them in the direction of the sound, turning a corner where a bright neon sign spelling out "Karaoke Lounge" was beckoning them.

Harper's eyes sparkled with excitement when she spotted the sign.

"Alex, look!" Harper said, tugging on Alex's arm. "A karaoke bar! What do you think about making a quick stop and adding some music to our night? That diner was oddly suspect without an old jukebox."

Alex grinned at Harper's enthusiasm. Caught up in her excitement and the spontaneity of the idea, he shrugged. "Sure, why not? It's been ages since I've done something like karaoke."

Harper did a little tippy-tap dance with her feet right where they stood with her joy and excitement. She pulled Alex toward the karaoke bar like an overexcited dog pulling their owner on a leash. When they stepped through the door, they were met with bright, lively tunes in the dimly lit room. The bar was alive with colorful lights and happy, animated conversations. There was a large crowd, some seated at tables with drinks or at the bar, while others eagerly awaited their turn at the microphone, laughing raucously and embracing the energy.

"Come on!" Harper said, more insistent with her pulling as she dragged Alex over to the songbook near the stage. Her imagination was running wild with the possibilities as she quickly flipped through the pages. What could they sing? "Anything in particular you're thinking you really need to sing?"

Alex pretended to think about it for a moment before his face broke out into a beaming grin. "I think there's only one song we can go with. What about Don't Stop Believin' by Journey? It's an obvious karaoke classic, and it always gets the crowd going," Alex said as he looked around the room. "Although I don't think we have to worry about it."

"I think that's a perfect choice," Harper said with a nod. "We'll be the best duet partners ever! We are going to make this so fun."

The two approached the stage, signaling to the karaoke host that they had a song and informed him of their selection. He gave a knowing smile and nodded. When the group before them was finished and they shuffled off the stage, Harper and Alex took their places, giving each other matching smiles. Soon, the all-too familiar starting notes of the song started to play, echoing throughout the room. Harper and Alex took turns belting out the iconic lyrics, including dramatic choreography of air guitars and drums as they sang. Neither of them could say that they matched harmonies well, neither of them particularly good singers, but they were having far too much fun to care.

The energy in the bar was infectious, the crowd whooping and cheering and singing along with Alex and Harper. It helped drown out their awful singing, and Harper had to suppress a giggle when she realized maybe that's why everyone had decided to join them in singing. Then again, as she looked out at the crowd and noticed how many people were dancing just as dramatically as she and Alex were, maybe not. When the song reached its end, the two were met with loud applause and cheers.

Harper turned to Alex with a playful gleam in her eyes when she realized there was no one lined up to come onto the stage next. "Should we do an encore? Or should we choose another song?"

Alex laughed, looking past Harper to make sure that there really wasn't anyone waiting and he nodded. "Let's keep it going. How about some Dancing Queen?"

"A man of my own heart!" Harper said, pressing a hand to her chest as she turned to the karaoke host and informed them of their next choice. Apparently it was the right one as the moment the music started playing, an excited cheer blossomed over the crowd as people jumped to their feet. The bar turned into a makeshift disco, the lights adjusting to reflect the bright tune as people danced amongst the tables.

It was the sort of thing that Harper could never truly imagine and she happily sang along with Alex. The more they sang, the more any inhibitions they both had seemed to melt away, their movements becoming more animated and larger. After the song finished, the applause and cheers filled the room once again.

Alex felt impossibly warm, his cheeks flushed with happiness and a slight embarrassment over letting himself let loose. He thought he had fun at the event with the historical society, but this was something else entirely. He looked over at Harper whose hair had mostly fallen out of her messy bun and cascaded down her back in soft curls. Alex took in her beaming smile as she gave a showy bow to the crowd that cheered and to his surprise, he heard someone shout, "Another!" Harper looked at him expectantly, her eyes glittering with anticipation of what he would have to say.

"How about Sweet Caroline?" Alex suggested, grinning at Harper's growing smile. "It'll be perfect for this crowd."

"I think you're right," Harper said, turning to the karaoke host and giving them their choice. The man shook his head with a small smile, but pulled the song up. If they thought Dancing Queen had everyone's attention, they were wrong. There was something about Sweet Caroline that seemed to wake the entire bar up even more. The bar was loud with singing and finally, with the song over, Harper and Alex were ushered off the stage to allow for the next group that seemed to be tired of their singing.

As they stepped off the stage, Alex and Harper received claps on the back, and someone shoved a beer in their hands. The two laughed as they took a nearby table, sitting next to each other as they took sips of their gifted beers.

"That was absolutely amazing," Harper said breathlessly. "Who knew that we were going to be such a dynamic duo with karaoke?"

Alex's eyes met Harper's gaze, and he gave her a soft smile. "We made a pretty good team up there. Maybe we should start a band."

"Maybe," Harper laughed, bumping her elbow into Alex's arm. "So, are there any other hidden talents that you're hiding from me? I'm starting to think that I need to watch out for you."

"Ah," Alex said, returning the gesture but staying leaned in close to Harper. "If you kept things going, you might have uncovered my secret life as a world champion salsa dancer. Maybe if you were lucky, you would've gotten to see me do my secret acrobatic routine, but shh, that's between us."

"Ah, I love a man of mystery," Harper said running her hands over her flushed cheeks. "I have another secret talent of my own."

"Oh, do you?"

"I do. I can juggle three lemons at once and only drop them about 50 times. On the 51st time, well...you'd have to see to find out."

"Impressive," Alex said, trying to sound as impressed as possible. "I had no idea I was in the company of a woman of many talents. Maybe we need to take our act out on the road."

"Maybe," Harper giggled.

As the two bantered with plenty of playful teasing comments, there was a shift in energy between the two. Their shared glances held the hint of something else beneath their light-hearted conversation. Neither of them seemed willing to dare go past the looks.

"You know, tonight has been very unexpected," Harper said quietly, forcing Alex to lean in close so that he could hear what she was saying. "Unexpected and beyond wonderful. I'm glad I ran into you today."

"Me too," Alex said earnestly, surprised at how much he meant it. He had never realized just how stale his life had truly been. He thrived on routine, knowing exactly what was going to happen next and when it would happen, but being out with Harper and taking the time to break out of the monotony? Well, he couldn't say that he hated it in the least.

As the time ticked by, Alex felt himself growing antsy. He wasn't sure exactly what it was other than he knew that he didn't want the night to end. Watching the way Harper's eyes seemed to smile before she actually did as she watched each new group step on stage was captivating. He loved seeing the way that the lights reflected off her glasses, adding a new vibrant color to her already bright hazel eyes. She didn't seem in any hurry to leave either, but her yawns were coming frequently again.

"We should probably go," Harper said with a small smile, though her tone was sad. "It's definitely late, and I'm sure that you want to get home and sleep."

Alex didn't have the heart to tell her that he didn't care if he didn't get any sleep that night as long as it meant spending more time with her. The night was carefree and enjoyable, but he relented, taking a final drink of his beer. Alex gently took Harper's hand in his to pull her through the bar and back out into the night. They still had a long walk to go, but hopefully, they could prolong it for as long as possible.