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Buster gave him that small, lopsided smile, and then he disappeared back into A.S., leaving Ted wondering again who else had noticed his interest in Mandy.
The place had filled up, he noticed as he walked back to the boys. One of the tables held Mandy and her aunts. Miss Marla had her foot resting on a chair. Ted nodded, but didn’t look that way again.
He didn’t need his friends joining the dots and linking him and Mandy together. There would be hell to pay.
Ted definitely hadn’t noticed that Mandy wore a pale blue dress that was loose enough to fit him in there too. Her hair was scraped back into a knot at the back of her head.
The beer and snacks started flowing, and soon Ted was in conversation with Newman about his job. The man stepped in to help failing companies and did some troubleshooting.
“Write down what you want to sing.” Joe handed a piece of paper to Ted, who pushed it straight to Newman.
“You’re chickenshit, is what you are, Hosking.”
He didn’t disagree.
The singing ranged from good, to terrible, and then worse. When Bas from the garage got up with his wife and sang a love song, they all sighed. The man sang like an angel. When he finished there were whistles and calls for more. Blushing Bas promised to sing again later.
“Mandy and Miss Sarah to sing next!”
Ted turned as someone spoke and looked at Mandy, who was looking horrified. She said something to her aunt, who simply got to her feet and took her niece’s hand. Mandy shook her head. Miss Marla appeared to start crying.
“They’re good, those two.”
“What?” Ted looked at Jack.
“Miss Sarah wants Mandy to sing with her because usually she sings with Miss Marla, but due to her broken leg she’s opting out. Mandy’s not keen, as is evidenced by the dramatic head shaking, so Miss Marla has started crying.”
“That’s hardly fair,” Ted protested. “If she doesn’t want to do it, she shouldn’t be forced to.”
“It’s not like they’re asking her to drive a getaway car, Ted. Just sing a song. Lighten up, bud.”
“Mandy doesn’t like being the center of attention.”
“Well, maybe it’s past time she learned,” Jack added. “That girl’s been in hiding too long. I hadn’t realized it until Rory told me some stuff.”
“What stuff?”
He watched the debate raging between the Robbins sisters and Mandy. She was waving a hand about; Miss Marla had a napkin and was dabbing her eyes.
“Stuff, girl talk. I can’t share as it was told in confidence, and Rory would be pissed if she knew.”
“Chickenshit.”
“You know my girl, right?”
“You have a point,” Ted said, still watching Mandy’s table. Rory could be mean when she wanted to.
“Bingo,” Jack said when Mandy threw her hands in the air.
Mandy let Miss Sarah lead her up on the stage. She was dying on the inside, Ted could see that by the hand wringing and pale complexion, but she was up there.
He wanted to grab her and make a run for it. Which told him he was right in needing to distance himself from this woman.
He should date someone; that would get rid of this infatuation with Mandy. He knew it would pass. He just wished it would hurry up.
The music started, and Miss Sarah started to sing. Her voice was nice, kind of sweet, and then Mandy joined in, and he forgot to breathe. She was tentative at first, but there was no doubting she could carry a tune. He’d heard her the other day, but he hadn’t realized just quite how good she was.
“Holy crap.” Luke whistled.
