“Yeah. Real elaborate stuff. It’s like…a party trick,” he says.
And the knot inside me loosens, eases up. I give a small smile. I guess we all have hidden talents. “That’s cool,” I say.
“Same for you,” he replies, then clears his throat and nods. “But get that dog, will ya, man? And figure out what the fuck you’re feeling for this woman. Or what you want.”
Dance lessons? Another night at Prohibition Spirit? An evening with her like the one we had in San Francisco, and even the morning after we never had?
What I want is all of the above. But want leads to heartbreak. And I’ve had more than enough of that.
* * *
I’m heading to the door in the late afternoon when my phone rings with a FaceTime call from my sisters. Hmm. I don’t want to be late, but I never turn down a chance to connect with them.
“What’s up?” I say when I answer.
Rachel peers behind me. “Are you watering Pucker?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, Mom.”
“You named your plant Pucker?” Juliet asks.
“No!”
“You did,” Rachel says. “Well,Pucker Upis the plant’s full name.”
“It’s not, and you did,” I point out.
“I hate the wordpucker,” Juliet says.
“I hate the wordmoist,” Rachel adds.
“Why did I answer the phone?” I ask the universe.
“Because you love us,” Juliet says.
“So much,” Rachel seconds.
True. But I glance to the door. “I need to…”
Do I tell them what I’m doing? A dance lesson? The teasing will be endless.
“Do what?” Juliet asks, jumping on my unfinished comment.
“Get to…a thing,” I add. Sincethingis apparently my word of the day.
“Oooh, what kind of a thing?” Juliet asks.
I clench my jaw but then bite the bullet. If I told Banks, I can tell them. At leasttheyknow I can hold a tune. “Chloe roped me into doing a fundraiser,” I grumble. “I have to sing.”
I can’t not invite them to the fundraiser though. I’d face their side-eyes for the rest of time if I didn’t give them the chance.
“Are you going to do ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’?” Rachel asks.
“No,” I say quickly, then tell them the song.
“Oh, I love that one,” Juliet coos. “Will it be karaoke-style?”
“No. And don’t tell anyone I do karaoke,” I say. “I don’t need the whole town knowing.”
