Jace scoffed. “That was obvious.”
“You knew?”
“Of course, I knew. I saw the way he was looking at you. Why do you think I acted like a jealous arsehole?” The hint of humour had a smile tugging at my lips.
“It was kind of an arsehole move to call yourselfmy husband.”
He wore a wistful smile, a glint in his eye, “A boy can dream.”
I shoved his shoulder and laughed. “Don’t try to charm me, Lister.”
“Can’t do it, Kryten. Charming you is my life’s purpose.”
I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, I had to have a strong word with Margie since she didn’t give me any warning about bringing Dominic. She agreed she overstepped and promised to back off my romantic life. She can go a little overboard when she wants to help.”
Jace arched an eyebrow, obviously not feeling as forgiving towards Margie as I was. But I knew a lot about her, and I understood why she tried so hard to be a good friend. She’d had a rough start in life, had gotten pregnant young, like me, and lost the baby to a rare disease, then was estranged from her family in the aftermath. It was why I was so amazed by the success she’d made of herself, but she did really want to find someone to share it with. It was why she dated so much, and why she wanted me to find someone, too.
“I think she’s just lonely, and she doesn’t want me to end up where she is.”
“It’s understandable. She’s an attractive woman, though. Surely she can find someone who’s interested in her.”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds, especially nowadays. Dating apps make people treat others like they’re disposable. I was actually thinking of introducing her to Dixon. She saw him the other day, and her jaw practically dropped to the floor,” I said with a chuckle.
“I could mention her to him,” Jace offered. “See if he’s interested.”
I grinned, enjoying the idea of matchmaking. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Margie, and Dixon was hot. I’d never say so to Jace, of course. If I did, he’d probably make sure I only ever had Isla watching over me for the rest of however long this strange period lasted.
“So, what are you going to sing?” Jace asked after a moment of quiet.
“Oh, I’m not singing. I’m merely here to watch.”
He smirked. “You little freak.”
“To watch the karaoke performances. Don’t twist my words.”
His smirk deepened. “Whatever you say, Kryten.”
Standing, I rolled my eyes once again. “I’m going to go say hello to your parents. And if you even think about signing me up to sing, there will be hell to pay.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied, though the wideness of his grin said otherwise.
I feared my name being called every time a performance came to an end. Look, I had many talents but singing wasn’t one of them. I wouldn’t wish my vocal stylings on my worst enemy. Then, just when I let myself relax since the night was beginning to wind down, it happened, though not in the manner I expected. I’d taken a seat next to Francesca and her friends when someone played a very familiar song intro.
Glancing up at the stage, I saw that Jace had joined the band, having requisitioned a guitar from one of the musicians. The jaunty melody swept me up, and the biggest smile I’d worn in ages spread across my face.
16.
Jace
I knew she’d love this. Shannon fought against a smile and lost the battle. As I moved into the microphone and began singing theRed Dwarftheme tune, I saw her shoulders bounce with a chuckle. When we were young, we’d sing along at the beginning of each episode, knowing every single word by heart.
I held her gaze from where I stood, and though the song wasn’t in any way romantic, I felt like I was singing the greatest love song ever written. It wasn’t the content but what it meant to both of us, how a single tune could bring me all the way back to the best part of my life when I’d been falling deeply in love with her and hadn’t even fully realised it.
“Get up here!” I called in between verses, but she shook her head. Fran moved behind Shannon, encouraging her to join me on stage, but she continued to refuse. I let it drop, knowing she hated attention, and instead launched into the guitar solo. Several cheers came from my friends and family, and suddenly everyone was singing along to the chorus. For the first time in a long time, I felt the joy in music. It had been such a mixed bag for a while, but tonight I felt that carefree spirit I’d once had start to return. It was all down to Shannon, her smile, her tinkling giggle. She filled my heart up with the nourishment it desperately needed.
When I finished the song, Fran and several of her friends began hounding the band about doing the theme tune toGame of Thrones. The poor guitarist, whose instrument I’d borrowed, had a hard time explaining that you can’t do karaoke to an instrumental piece.
“We can hum along, though,” one of the girls argued, and I fought a chuckle at the idea of them hogging the mike while enthusiastically humming along for two whole minutes.
