JC stepped off the stage before the applause even faded. She didn't go to the dressing room. She walked straight to the edge of the stage, reaching out a hand. Marcus took it, the rhythm of the music still humming between their palms. The song was over, but the conversation had finally begun.
"This one is for a special heart in the room," she whispered into the mic.
“Let me make it up to you,” she cooed, her vibrato catching the smoke in the air. JC Lodge, Make it up to You. (Reggae)
The rhythm dropped—a classic, swaying lovers rock groove. Her voice slid over the music like honey over warm toast. She sang about the long nights, the pride she was ready to drop, and the simple, soulful promise to fix what was broken.
Tonight wasn't just another set. In the front row sat Marcus, the man she’d let walk away over a misunderstanding that seemed so small now. JC stepped off the stage before the applause even faded
The bassline hummed through the floorboards of the Blue Lagoon Club, a deep, rhythmic pulse that felt like a heartbeat. JC Lodge stood backstage, adjusting her gold hoop earrings and smoothing the silk of her emerald dress. She could hear the crowd murmuring, the clinking of glasses, and the distant, sweet scent of jerk chicken wafting in from the street.
Marcus stayed still, his arms crossed, but as the song reached the bridge, his shoulders dropped. The sway of the reggae beat was infectious, a literal heartbeat for the apology she was weaving. By the time the final dub-heavy bass note echoed out, the tension in the room had dissolved into a mellow glow. Marcus took it, the rhythm of the music
As the drummer tapped out the count, the horns flared with a warm, brassy greeting. JC stepped into the spotlight. The heat of the stage lights met the cool breeze from the ceiling fans. She didn’t look at the crowd; she looked straight at him.