Chapter 12
This is why I don’t enjoy karaoke.
Hazel
“Let’s go!” Sadie pushes me toward the bar.
“I’m tired. I don’t need a night out. I need a night of sleep.” Searching for a new job on top of working two jobs is exhausting.
“Too bad,” Scarlett says. “If you’re leaving this island, we need to get as many sisters’ nights in as we can.”
I groan. “Have you been practicing giving guilt trips?”
She beams at me. “I have. What did you think?”
I give her a thumbs-up. “Good job. Your children will always do what you say. They’ll resent the hell out of you, but they’ll follow your orders.”
“Nope. I’ll bring them with me on work trips to Japan. They’ll love me and probably be bilingual before they start kindergarten.”
“Why don’t you take me on trips to Japan with you?” Sadie asks. “I’m a great traveling companion.”
I giggle. “A great traveling companion? You have to pee every half-hour and are very particular about where you’re willing to go.”
Her nose wrinkles. “I wasn’t peeing behind a tree. We were less than five feet from the highway.”
“Who cares? No one wants to watch you pee.”
“Ha! Remember the car honking at you when you dropped your pants to pee.” She curls her lip. “No strangers are honking at me while I’ve got my pants around my ankles.”
“You could at least not drink a can of soda every hour.”
“We weren’t allowed soda unless we were on a road trip. I wasn’t missing out.”
“Sisters.” Scarlett claps her hands. “Can we forget about stuff that happened over a decade ago and go have some fun?”
“Yep.” Sadie skips to the door. She opens it and motions me inside.
I groan. “Do we have to go to karaoke?”
“Count your blessings. It’s not Mermaid Karaoke.”
Mermaid Karaoke sounds made up, but it’s an actual thing. In the summer, Smuggler’s Hideaway is inundated with tourists. The women dress up as mermaids and sing karaoke at the Bootlegger bar in the hopes of capturing a smuggler. The men buy them shots of moonshine and it’s a party.
I step inside the bar with my sisters and allow my eyes to adjust to the dim light. The music starts up and a dramatic piano chord plays. Addy jumps on stage and grabs the microphone. She begins singing I Will Survive while dancing around the stage.
“Uh oh. Who broke Addy’s heart?” I ask.
“I don’t care,” Sadie says. “Girl can sing.”
It’s true. Addy can sing. She’s wasted working as a waitress at Five Fathoms Brewing.
We make our way through the crowd to a table at the side of the stage. The bar is packed with locals enjoying a Friday night out. Once tourist season hits, no one will have time for a night out since most people work at least two jobs in the summer.
We barely have a chance to sit down before the bartender, Alaia, arrives. She sets a bottle of moonshine on the table along with three shot glasses.
“We didn’t order this.”
She nods behind her. I crane my neck to see who she’s nodding at. I scowl before getting to my feet and stomping across the bar.
“What the hell, Miles?”
He frowns. “What?”
I poke his chest. Bad idea. I can feel his hard muscles. Muscles I’ve touched a thousand times with my hands and my tongue. Concentrate, Hazel!
“Dude, you can’t get me drunk because you want in my pants!”
His face pales. “Shit. I’m not trying to get you drunk. I’m treating you and your sisters to a drink.”
“If you want to treat us, order us some Smuggler’s Martinis. Not a bottle of moonshine.”
“You’re right. I apologize. Three Smuggler’s Martinis coming right up.”
To my surprise, Miles rushes to our table and nabs the bottle of moonshine before making his way to the bar. I return to the table where Scarlett and Sadie are sitting with their mouths gaping open.
“What?”
“You refused free moonshine.” Sadie reaches across the table to place her hand on my forehead. I slap her hand away.
“We’re getting Smuggler’s Martinis instead.”
“I haven’t had a Smuggler’s Martini in forever,” Scarlett says.
Alaia returns carrying a tray filled with martinis. “Three Smuggler’s Martinis for the Harris women.” She hands out the drinks and tucks the tray under her arm. “Remember. These look innocent but pack a serious punch – just like a true Smuggler.”
Sadie raises her glass in the air. “Smuggler’s Martinis. Perfect for people who enjoy their secrets shaken, not stirred.”
I sip on my drink and nearly choke. I forgot how potent these drinks are. Two shots of moonshine and one shot of coconut rum is no joke.
“What secrets are you shaking and not stirring?” Scarlett asks Sadie.
“None,” Sadie squeaks. “We’re next.”
She stands and grasps my hand. I try to tug my hand free but she holds strong. “I’m not singing.”
“You have to. It’s our turn.”
“I’ll sing if Scarlett does.”
Scarlett hates singing in front of crowds. But, to my surprise, she sets her drink down and stands. “What song are we singing?”
Sadie raises a fist in the air. “Yes! The Harris girls are on fire tonight.”
The music begins and I groan when I hear the bright, sparkly synth glissando, followed by energetic and fizzy synths designed to create a feeling of excitement.
“I am not singing ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’!” I shout at Sadie.
She slaps a microphone in my hand. “Yes, you are.”
I retreat toward the back of the stage but Scarlett grabs my arm and pulls me to the front. “I’m not doing this alone.”
“We wouldn’t have to do this at all if you didn’t stand up!”
“What fun is sitting in the corner? Are you a smuggler or not?”
I glare at her. Did she forget I can’t back away from a challenge? She smirks. She didn’t forget.
The lyrics are displayed at the bottom of the monitor and I begin to sing. I scan the crowd. Everyone in here is going to be talking about how bad the Harris girls are at singing tomorrow.
I spot Miles and he gives me a thumbs-up as he maneuvers toward the front of the stage. He dances to the music as he mouths the lyrics. He looks ridiculous. I can’t help but laugh.
“Hazel! Hazel! Hazel!” he chants as he raises his phone in the air with a picture of a flame on it. He sways from side to side as he switches from chanting to singing and back again.
“Holy mermaids. Stop!” I shout but Sadie elbows me and points to the lyrics. Ugh. This is why I don’t do karaoke.
The song finally ends and Miles breaks into applause while whistling. “The Harris girls have got it going on!”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“But I’m not wrong.”
Sadie bows. “Thank you.”
I roll my eyes and push my sisters off the stage. “I am never doing karaoke with you again.”
“I don’t know why not. It was fun. Plus,” Scarlett points to our table, “fresh Smuggler’s Martinis have appeared.”
“Yum!” Sadie grabs a glass and drinks half of the martini in one go.
“I am not holding your hair back when you puke.”
She points to her ponytail. “No need. I came prepared.”
Scarlett sways in her seat. “Weston is going to be annoyed when I message him to pick me up because I’m too drunk to drive.”
“Oh, please.” I roll my eyes. “Weston is probably planning on invading our girls’ night out anyway.”
“He can’t. He’s not a girl. I know. I have proof.”
Sadie leans in close. “Do you have pictures?”
Scarlett rears back, and her chair wobbles. I grab the armrest before she falls over. “Someone’s not used to Buccaneer’s Moonshine anymore.”
“My sister asked for a picture of my boyfriend’s private parts. I’m allowed to be shocked.”
“Private parts?” Sadie barks out a laugh. “What are you? Fifty? No one our age says private parts.”
“Did you forget when my birthday is?” Scarlett narrows her eyes at Sadie but the action makes her sway again.
“I should get you some coffee.”
“Oh, goodie. I’ll have an espresso martini.”
“Me too!” Sadie shouts.
I wag my finger at her. “No way. The last time you drank espresso martinis, you thought you were completely sober and decided to cut your own hair. You cried for hours the next day when you woke up with the scissors in your hand, surrounded by mounds of hair.”
“Fine.” She huffs. “A shot of moonshine and a beer, please.”
“I—”
My answer is cut off when the music begins. A slow, repeating arpeggiated chord progression establishes a romantic and gentle atmosphere. I glance at the stage. Miles is standing with the microphone in his hand.
Oh no. Is Miles going to sing the most romantic song in the world – aka Perfect by Ed Sheeran – at karaoke?
“Oh my mermaid, Miles is singing a sappy love song to all the smugglers in Bootlegger.”
“Nope.” Scarlett shakes her head and nearly falls over again. “Miles Raider is singing a sappy love song to you.”
“He is not.”
She points to Miles and he smiles at me before jumping off the stage and making his way to me. Sadie and Scarlett cheer.
No. No. No. This can’t be happening. I can’t resist Miles when he’s romantic and sweet. I need to get out of here before I throw myself at him.
My body warms and my nipples tingle as he sings to me about finding a love who is beautiful and sweet from mere feet away. My body obviously doesn’t care how hot and cold Miles is. It’s ready for me to throw myself at him. Preferably without clothes.
Escape. I need to escape.