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Whereas fairytales can get away with their happy ending with a flip of a page, reality, on the other hand, was no book, there was no end – here, life just goes on.

And so what really is the caveat of after ever after?

The aftermath.

See, the happy climax of the unlikely pair professing their heartfelt emotions to one another through the aid of some boys in the backstreet from an era long forgotten was good while it lasted.

But being as we live and die in such a cynical universe, we all know that nothing ever lasts.

In the end – the music becomes faded, the lyrics depleted, and the passion burns and is then extinguished... as Irene inevitably returned to her senses.

.....

Everybody in the room sat frozen and in silence, starstruck – left reeling. Bigfoot himself could come up center stage and start breakdancing, and even that would pale in comparison to what everyone had just witnessed.

Taking advantage of the silence, Irene hastily scurried back to her seat, blind to the many gazes beset upon her and where she remained for the rest of the event.

Some of those curious stares had eventually also wandered their way onto me. Suddenly I wasn’t just an eccentrically-dressed invite – now I’m an eccentrically-dressed invite with a mystery.

Then the next track began to play, another dewy-eyed soloist entered the spotlight... and just as quickly, all was well once more. Like nothing even happened in the first place.

Red, Green, and Blue had blended themselves amongst the other bright colors in the crowd, smiling and laughing with the rest of them. I caught their eyes in passing, winking – practically smoldering with accomplishment.

Good for them.

Not so good for me though... if those glowering eyes far to my right were anything to go by. Yep, there it was, just a silent simmering stare peering intensely back at me... my happily ever aftermath.

Oh, joy.

“So, who was the one that came up with the bright idea?”

Interrogation. One of my favorite pastimes. Falling behind just a close second to near-death experiences.

As soon as the team-building exercises ended, that’s when the accosting began, and where else would be a fitting venue than the place that started it all?

That’s right, we’re back at the stall.

Of course, I stood patiently outside the corridor. I preferred not adding trespassing on top of the other charges pressed against me – and opted to just hearken her echoes once more.

“Did Emma put you up to it?” The detective urged again. “Or was it Holly?”

“Holly’s the blue one, right?” I asked, raising my voice over the sound of rushing water.

“Jill’s the blue one.

“Oh, okay, got it, let’s see, I think it was... oh yeah, neither of them, that’s right. Now, will that be all, detective?”

I didn’t have any intentions of giving her a clear answer, something she picked up on quick, hustling out of the restroom and to the twist and turn of the corridor without sparing a single glance my way – and abruptly cutting the interrogation short.

Her walk, her talk – everything about her screamed ‘follow’, and so I could only oblige... matching the rhythm of her pace, almost like a dance... wouldn’t be the first time we were in perfect harmony.

“Is this you trying to walk off the embarrassment you’re feeling inside?” I asked, slightly struggling to keep up, despite her being the one in three-inch heels.

She threw a thick wad of her hair over her shoulder, nearly engulfing my entire face in inky-black strands. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” That made me chuckle. “Irene, you sang – and if the way you handle the mic is of any shame, half the music industry should be keeling over from embarrassment right now.”

“Backstreet boys...” I saw her lift a hand to her face. “In front of my peers, the people I work with – and right next to you. Oh, what are they gonna think?”

“That you like boybands?” came my likely conclusion, then within seconds, I came up with even more. “That you have a favorite song? That you drank too much, had you loosening your lips slightly? Decided you wanted to jump in with your junior detectives? I honestly don’t see the problem.”

But I only realized then that Irene was a million miles away mentally – the only way my words would reach her was if I strapped a recording onto a rocket and pressed the ignition.

“Why? Why did I do that?” mutter after mutter. “Why did I stand up? Why did I sing?” speculation after specular. “And why did I want to join you?”

Smartest person I ever knew, she... and yet still too blind to see...

“Because you wanted to sing with me,” I answered her every question. “You saw me having fun... and you wanted to have fun too. It’s as simple as that.”

Irene grew quiet, no more mutters, no more wonders.

“Well, Irene?” I pressed on, another question to add to her already mounting pile. “Did you have fun with me?”

It was at the reception of the karaoke outlet that I finally broke through to her, halting her march and turning herself around, meeting my eyes once again.

“Barely a minute singing, and you call that fun?” She said dully. “If you did plan the whole thing, then your plan sucked.”

Ouch, poor blue what’s-her-name.

“Whatever, you still sang,” I said, beaming proudly. “I think I can consider that a win.”

“Only because you were – ”

“Because I was?” I hovered closer. “Because I was singing? Because I was having fun? Or wait, don’t tell me – is it ’cause I was getting a little too chummy with your juniors for your liking?”

Honestly, I was just joking, spouting all this nonsense. But then Irene clamped up again, her brows and lips giving a fleeting twitch – and it was like, wow...

“Seriously?” I asked, and when her cheeks became slightly flush – it was like wow again. “You sang... because you were jealous?”

“It’s a lot more complex than that,” She said under her breath, then even quieter, she clarified, “But not entirely inaccurate...”

Onstage, I saw her, my eyes only had sights set on her and only her. I guess, I didn’t consider seeing it from her point of view... seeing what she saw.

But even so – that’s seriously what she saw?

“Blue, Green, Red,” I said, glancing at her sideways. “Who did you think I was gunning for?”

Then she groaned, tilting her head upwards to the ceiling like God kill me now, “Look, in the first place. I knew there wasn’t anything to worry about. The moment you got up and I heard that stupid guitar, I knew you had something in store for me, that you were doing something stupid for me... but even so...”

Suddenly, all eye contact vanished as her gaze plummeted to the ground, her voice going as low as a whisper.

“There’s just something about it... seeing you enjoy yourself with someone that isn’t me. It’s weird seeing you smiling with someone else, being with someone else. I know it doesn’t make sense, I know I’m being irrational -but I just can’t shake that feeling, that feeling... of wanting to be that person... of wanting it to be me that’s with you... and so I...”

“Sang,” I said.

“I sang, yes,” She stiffly nodded. “Happy?”

“Thinking you could serenade me to maybe feel better?” I asked.

She gave a long audible deep breath, “It’s a lot more complex than that...”

“But not entirely inaccurate?” I said.

Again, an even stiffer nod – and so unbecoming of her stature, Irene buried her face beneath her palms, squealing like a kettle through the slits in her fingers.

“Oh by the Divines, this is even more embarrassing than being stripped naked in front of you!”

Now, that being so out of left-field, I couldn’t help but give another hearty laugh, “Irene, seriously?”

“Yes, seriously!” She furiously hissed. “I’m jealous? envious? of something so bafflingly petty? What am I – a high schooler?! Ah – I’m so embarrassed!”

“It’s cute,” I said, lifting her chin, trying to get her to look at me.

She veered away again. “It’s embarrassing.”

I agreed to disagree, angling myself to finally meet her soft, quivering gaze. “Embarrassingly cute.”

Only for her in the next instance, to blink it all away. “Anyway, next time you plan on doing something absolutely brainless – do it solo, will you?”

“And what?” I told her. “Lose all future opportunities of seeing more of these cute sides to you I never knew existed?”

She gave me a long blank look.

I continued. “Would you even say – that you want it that way?”

And, There it was again – that silent simmering stare that I fell in love with oh, so long ago. And seeing it every time, I just fall in love even more.

“For you, my love,” I said, tipping my hat with a gracious bow. “The moon, and more.”