Living Out Loud (Austen, #3)(19)

I shook my head when I remembered that she’d just left to set up a circumstance wherein I would be singing in front of a crowd. At least, if I had to endure the horror of singing in front of people, I would be doing it with someone like Annie. Because I had a feeling that she didn’t do anything in her life without some measure of fun and happiness, and I knew from experience that her brand of fun and happiness were contagious.

Jett, the manager of our extensive romance department, who had hair out of a fashion ad and a smile out of a toothpaste commercial, stepped up to the bar where Annie had been and extended his hand for a bro-clap. I obliged.

“What’s up, man?” I asked.

“Nothing much. Good night, huh? Man, the new girl can sing.”

I smiled. “She’s something else.”

“Yeah, she is. Harrison said he was going to make a move on her before he found out she’s only eighteen.” He shook his head. “Brutal.”

“Trust me, I know.”

His expression shifted into assessment, then realization. “Ah. You too?”

I made a half-assed psh noise. “Please. I like her, but she’s barely out of high school. We’re just friends.”

Jett didn’t say anything, but one dark eyebrow rose.

Annie pushed back through the crowd, breathless and grinning. “She’s got us all set up! Come on!”

Cam’s voice came through the speakers announcing us, and Annie hurried me out from behind the bar, all while Jett watched, laughing so hard, his hand was pressed to his stomach.

I shrugged at him, which only made him laugh harder.

The second Cam thrust a microphone in my hand, I regretted every decision I’d made to bring me to that point in my life.

The opening piano riff began to play, and I held that mic with a sweaty fist as I looked over the expectant faces of the bar patrons and my coworkers, who had incidentally halted all work and were watching with unbridled anticipation.

Worse: they were listening.

But then Annie took my hand, looking up at me with big, encouraging eyes and a smile that made me feel like I could climb mountains.

And with my magic feather in my hand, I sang.

I sang with timid discord at first, but Annie was unabashed, nurturing my courage. But she didn’t sing to the crowd. She sang to me. And then it was like it was just her and me.

We air-guitared—I had logged hundreds of air-guitar hours in my youth, and I had to say I was really convincing—and we got a little psychedelic during the bridge. The crowd sang through the end with us, and we were all sailing away to our futures together.

When the song was finally over and the crowd clapped and cheered, Annie bounded into my arms, saying with her lips near my ear, “See? It’s about how you feel. I hope you feel good, Greg.”

And I did, better than I would ever be allowed to admit.





5





Hearts On Fire





Annie

“Who’s that one?” I asked, pointing to the extra-fat goldfish in Meg’s tank as his tail worked a little too fast to keep him afloat.

“That’s Titus. And that one in the back is Athena. This one in the grass is Bruce Wayne because he’s a loner, and that one is Giggles because it looks like it’s smiling. See?”

I did see and laughed.

“That’s the one I named after Aunt Susan.”

“I love that.”

“So,” Meg said, “how was Greg?” She stretched his name into three syllables, fluttering her lashes.

“He’s fine, thank you. We sang at karaoke last night. He’d never done it; can you believe it?”

“That’s so sad,” she said as she sat at the foot of her bed where Balthazar, the golden retriever, had taken up residence.

“I know! Oh, and he convinced me to eat a Monte Cristo.”

Her mouth popped open. “He got you to abandon the sweet-and-salty rule? Are you sure he’s not your boyfriend?”

I made a face. “Since when are you so into boys? Do you have a boyfriend?”

She shrugged and ran her hand down Balthazar’s shaggy back. “Maybe.”

It was my turn to gape. “Well, go on and tell me.”

“His name is Jake. He brings me a brownie every day, and he always picks me for his team in recess, no matter what we’re playing. We’re reading The Hobbit together.”

I shook my head, smiling. “That’s some serious reading for the fourth grade.”

“It’s kind of hard, but I’ve got a dictionary on my phone. And Jake and I talk about it, so that makes it easier.”

“I still can’t believe Mama let Susan get you a phone.”

“It was the only way they’d let me walk to school by myself,” she said. “Anyway, is sweet-and-salty Greg your boyfriend or what?”

“I don’t know where you get these ideas,” I said. “I shouldn’t have even told you his name.”

“Why shouldn’t I know the name of your future husband?”

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my friend. He’s way too old to be my boyfriend. He’s almost too old to be Elle’s boyfriend. It would be…weird. Like if Jake were twenty.”

She paled. “Ew.”