What the hell happened to me?

In your experience there are several types of people who do karaoke duets. Most of them are painful to witness. Some are painful to hear. All carry horrendously unflattering connotations.

You’ve got the dude-bros, drunk off their asses, singing a solo song together and relieving their homoerotic impulses which they try so hard to hide in day to day life, mangling each verse because all they know is the chorus and singing that into their beer bottle rather than their microphone. You’ve got the drunk 20-something chick that just made a total train wreck of “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree” and who now wants a guy -any guy- to sing “Picture” with her. You’ve got the drunk 30- or 40-something chick who wants to sing the handful of lines in one of two Meatloaf songs, and begs the DJ to sing with her because her husband or boyfriend will be too busy trying not to die of shame. You’ve got the two to ten 30-something women with the bachelorette party who do a Spice Girls or Salt ‘n’ Pepa number (usually badly).

Then there are the show offs. The show offs know (or think they know) that they’re good. They have a group of songs that are theirs and very few people trample on those songs. If they do a duet it’s because they’re friends with another show off (or the DJ) and they have it planned out, practiced, and polished. You’d almost call yourself a show off.

Melissa doesn’t tell you what song she put in, which worries you. You’re decent, but you flying by the seat of your pants isn’t... well actually it is your strong suit. Let’s just hope it’s not “Picture”.

You’re both relieved and pleasantly surprised when you hear the opening four measures in an imitation of Lita’s guitar playing.

Baby, I get so scared inside and I don't really understand
Is it love that's on my mind or is it fantasy?

You almost miss your cue, she’s that good. But you reach down deep and pull out the inner Ozzy that everyone who came of age in the ‘90s hides away.

Heaven is in the palm of my hand and it's waiting here for you
What am I supposed to do with a childhood tragedy?
If I close my eyes forever
Will it all remain unchanged?
If I close my eyes forever
Will it all remain the same?
Sometimes it's hard to hold on so hard to hold on to my dreams
It isn't always what it seems when you're face to face with me

Something changes inside you as you sing, gazing into her green eyes. She’s still flushed with **** and sex, and chock full of endorphins and adrenaline, and it’s contagious. Yes, you might actually be developing feelings for her. Or it could be that you’re emotionally fucked up from everything that happened over the last two days (your subjective time that is).

You're like a dagger, you stick me in the heart
And taste the blood from my blade
And when we sleep, would you shelter me in
Your warm and darkened grave?
If I close my eyes forever
Will it all remain unchanged?
If I close my eyes forever
Will it all remain the same?

The raw emotion in her voice... it shows pain, desire, a need for something... more in her life. This is a woman with a lot going on inside. And right now you want to carry all of that baggage for her. As she sings the first line of the call and response portion, she reaches out and takes your hand, still staring deep into your eyes

Will you ever take me?
No, I just can't take the pain
Would you ever trust me?
No, I'll never feel the same

Never have you spoken a more dreadful lie than that last line. As the guitar solo kicks up she gives your hand a tight squeeze, her eyes shine with the high from a good performance. She drops your hand and grips your lapel pulling you into a hard kiss that sets the crowd into a raucous round of applause, only stopping to sing the bridge.

I know I been so hard on you
I know I told you lies
If I could have just one more wish
I'd wipe the cobwebs from my eyes
If I close my eyes forever
Will it all remain unchanged?
If I close my eyes forever
Will it all remain the same? Oh, yeah

As she finishes the last chorus, you pull her back to you, cupping her chin in your hand, and still gazing into her eyes, sing the outro.

Close your eyes, close your eyes
You gotta close your eyes for me

The crowd goes insane, but you’re no longer paying attention. Your lips meet again, and you feel the earth move and see fireworks. They’re still cheering when you finish.

You wrap an arm around her waist and begin threading your way through well wishers. She grabs hold of your tie and pulls you down to whisper in your ear. “Is your place close?”

“I have a room at the Androy.”

“Show me?”