“Shake It Off. Are you ready, we’re up next?” Smiling, she releases my hand and bounces on her tiptoes.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
When it’s our turn to sing, I am surprised to see Claire and Riot are joining us. By the look on Riot’s face, he is there under duress.
The bar buzzes with energy as we step onto the stage. A neon sign flickers overhead, and the low hum of conversation fills the room. The four of us huddle around the microphone, and across the crowd, my eyes find Logan’s. His face lights up with a wide grin, and of course he’s already got his phone out, ready to capture my impending humiliation. I shake my head and narrow my eyes at him, which only makes him laugh harder, throwing his head back. I may never live this down.
“Are you ready for this?” the DJ calls out, as the opening beats blast through the speakers. Everyone hoots and hollers in response. “I can’t hear you,” he yells, cupping his hand over his ear and the crowd goes wild as they cheer us on.
The first verse kicks in and we attempt to sing along. We are not good, not even a little bit, but that’s half the fun. Riot hangs back a little, but surprisingly he knows all the words off by heart. By the time we hit the chorus we are full blown yelling, shakingour arms and hips. A group near the pool table wave their arms in the air and sing along with us. Apparently, there are Swifties here tonight. Almost everyone from our table is on their feet clapping and hooting for us. To her complete embarrassment, Carson is singing, dancing and circling around Meg. Logan uses his fingers to whistle his encouragement.
When the final “Shake It Off” echoes through the speakers, we take a dramatic bow, and the bar erupts with applause. I know it’s not for our talent but rather our commitment to the bit. So much fun!
Breathless, Claire leads us down the stairs and away from the stage. “I need a drink.” She fans her flushed cheeks.
“I’ll come with you.” Still buzzing with energy, Beck takes her hand. “Do you want anything?” she asks me with the biggest smile.
“Just water for me. I’ll meet you both at the table.” Riot follows them to the bar, and I try to find my way back, but the trip is slow. I am stopped at least a dozen times for high fives and side hugs for my stellar performance. When I reach our group of friends, Logan is notably absent.
Scanning the room, I sit down next to Ryan and ask, “Where did Logan go?”
He tips his head towards the side exit. “He thought he saw someone he knew and went over there to see.”
“Did he say who?” I question as I tie my hair up off my sweaty neck. All our close friends are accounted for, why would he follow someone outside into an alley? Who knows, maybe it’s someone he met through work.
“No, he just excused himself and left,” Ryan replies distractedly as he watches our friends at the bar intently. When Beck starts chatting animatedly with the bartender, Ryan’s scowl deepens. This is an interesting development. I’ll have to update Logan.
Looking at Meg, I silently ask if she knows where Logan went, and she shakes her head. “No idea. I was watching you up there shaking your ass when he left.”
“Damn right you were,” I beam at her.
On stage, a trio of men sway back and forth as they try to hit the right notes to “Friends in Low Places.” An oldie for sure. They won’t be winning any talent contests, but they have already won the hearts of the three scantily clad women singing along and dancing seductively in the front row. Good for them.
I’m watching another performance when I feel Logan come up behind me and place his hand on my shoulder.
“Hey, where did you go?” Looking back at him, I place my hand on top of his and smile. He returns it, but I sense that something has changed since I hit the stage.
He rubs the back of his neck and looks away. “I just stepped outside for a minute. I thought I saw someone I knew but I missed them.”
Turning in my seat I get a better look at him. Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he tries to reassure me. “I’m just tired and have a touch of a headache. Do you think we can head out soon?” The noise in the bar is deafening and it continues to get louder the more people drink and the later it gets.
“Sure, let’s go. I have fulfilled my best friend duties for the night.” A look of relief washes over his face as he bends down and kisses the top of my head. Pushing back from the table I rise to my feet and grab my bag.
He pulls me into an embrace, and I can feel the tension leave his body. “Are you sure everything is, okay?”
“Yep, I’m just ready to take you home.” He holds me closer; his hands rub up and down my back. “You were great up there.” He points towards the stage and smiles.
“Sure, I was.” I laugh into his chest. “Next time you are singing with me.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Fall is my favourite season,” I announce, walking into the kitchen buttoning up one of Logan’s plaid flannel shirts over a thermal. It pairs nicely with my leggings and wool socks; I think I may have to keep this one as well.
The last couple of weeks have been amazing. I’m sure it looks like we are moving quickly but it feels more like we just picked up where we left off. Absorbing him back into my life feels natural.
“I remember. Pumpkin and apple everything, sweater weather and spooky season all rolled into one.”
