“Caroline is a friend of the family.” Good to know. I’ve always dismissed Lydia as a bit empty-headed and boy crazy. But tonight, she’s coming in clutch.
She turns to me. “Everyone knows that you and Colin aren’t an item. So... ” She waves her hands at the two of us. “Have at it.” She pivots and walks down the hall. Her hips swaying in her tight black pencil skirt.
“She’s certainly something,” Liam says.
“Have at it!” I say, waving my hands toward her retreating figure.
“She’s not my type.”
“What about Caroline?”
“That’s never going to happen,” he says.
“Why not?’
He hums. “She’s not what I’m looking for?”
“Oh... and what are you looking for? Wait, let me guess, someone who would impress your aunt. Maybe a doctor or someone with a PhD. Bonus if she’s related to a senator.”
“No. More like someone who stands up to my aunt.”
“Oh!” Is he talking about me? The way he’s looking at me; I think he might be. I’ve totally forgotten to hate him.
“You’re silent, Lettie. That’s not like you.”
“I believe,” I begin slowly. “You said something nice about me. That’s not like you.”
“Lettie, Lettie, I have so many nice things to say to you.”
“And I have so many insults for you.”
He barks a laugh that rumbles through my core, filling me with an on-edge expectant feeling, like hearing thunder in the distance.
“I’m aware,” he says. Aware. The perfect word to describe him. Alert, aware, keen. He studies my face, and I feel the force of his gaze, which terrifies me. So, I do the only thing possible. I excuse myself and hide in the bathroom.
But not long was the interval of tranquility; for when supper was over, singing was talked of. —Pride & Prejudice
11
I’m not fond of karaoke. Fine, I detest it. But Jane and Charlie, the bundles of sunshine and glitter that they are, live for the stuff. And tonight is all about them. (If it were about me, Lettie would have sat at our table.) We kick off karaoke with the newly engaged couple singing “I Got You Babe,” which is perfect because Charlie and Jane are that couple who call each other babe unironically. Up on the small stage rented for the party, they dance and sing effortlessly; they must have practiced this, perhaps even choreographed the dance routine. Then again, those two are so in tune with each other, they could very well be making up these moves on the spot. At the line about her wearing his wedding ring, Jane holds up her ring and waves it to the crowd. Everyone cheers.
They are so blissfully in love; it makes me sick. No, I think the right word is jealous. How cool would it be to have your person? I glance over at Lettie, sitting a couple rows in front of me and to my right. Colin’s arm rests on the back of her chair. The oldest move in the book. I’m confident she doesn’t like this guy, so why bring him?
When Jane and Charlie finish, Lydia drags Aedan and Max on stage to sing “Hot to Go” with her. She’s teaching them the dance on the spot. They’re terrible, but it’s awesome.
There’s a lull after Jane’s dad performs “Billie Jean.” Probably because no one wants to follow his epic performance. The guy can seriously moonwalk; I did not see that coming. Perhaps I should have. I mean, he was a professional soccer player. Charlie takes the empty seat beside me and whispers, “I’ve got ‘Lady in Red’ all cued up for you.” He nods his head slightly toward Lettie, who is indeed wearing red.
“That will never happen,” I answer.
“Oh, I thinkitwill,” Charlie replies with a knowing grin. “It will. If not tonight, eventually.”
I know exactly what Charlie means, even if I pretend not to. I can’t help it. I glance over at Lettie again. Jane pulls her out of her seat, tugging her hand all the way to the front. Lettie protests but is laughing when they get on the stage. The music swells; Lettie takes the microphone. She seems nervous at first, but she has a fine singing voice. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; her cousin is April Rain. My phone tells me the song is “Crazy for You” by Madonna.
Lettie quickly warms up to the performance and is soon totally lost in the song. I might be reading too much into this, but it feels like she’s purposely not looking my way, which suits my purposes. I stand up and take out my phone to film about 30 seconds of her karaoke performance. She doesn’t dance, rather she sways. Behind her, Jane dances and sings backup with zest. Whenever they look at each other, they break into smiles in a way that makes me think they’ve sung this song together many times. I put my phone away and enjoy the show.
Lettie reaches the chorus again, and her gaze lands on me. She fumbles over a couple words. I expect her to hurriedly look away, but she keeps her eyes steady on mine. She continues, her voice gaining assurance. Looking right at me, she sings with more emotion and less polish, giving each word extra meaning. I realize too late that the song has ended, and everyone is clapping. I’m still standing, staring at Lettie while she and Jane take a bow.
Colin marches on stage, a man on a mission. He says something to Lettie as he passes her. She returns to her seat; my eyes follow her every move. He takes the microphone and belts out “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. And in case anyone doubted his intentions, he points at Lettie as he sings. I have to hand it to the guy; he puts his whole heart into it. And whoa, this tune is not subtle. At first, Lettie watches his performance with composure, but every time Colin sings about finding the love of his life, her mask cracks a little until her expression is polite terror.
