Chapter 17
Brian
Upstairs, I found the usual mayhem. Sully stood at the kitchen counter with Tia cradled in one arm, using his free hand to type furiously on his laptop while Sloane played Monopoly with Greta, Murphy, and T.
J. Jess smiled while chatting with Lo while Kit quietly read a book on the couch.
Cal sat on the couch behind Murphy, holding that damn cat while he coached Murphy on his Monopoly real estate acquisition strategy.
“Brian,” Jess trilled, giving me the kind of smile that made my heart skip a beat. “Did you hear? The Grasshopper is having karaoke night on Saturday.”
Teeth gritted, I narrowed my eyes on Sully. He’d done this. He’d bought a machine and bribed Gunner, the owner, to put on karaoke nights in his quest to win back Sloane.
He swayed, shushing Tia, who stirred in his hold, and lifted one shoulder. “My wife needs a night out.”
Sloane beamed at him.
I was not quite so elated, and my reply was automatic. “Great idea. I’ll babysit.”
“Awesome,” T. J. said. “Will you buy us new Legos, Uncle Brian?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile. I would have bought that kid a Lego factory to get out of karaoke.
Still glaring at my friend, I scooped his daughter from his arms. “What do you think, gorgeous?” I cooed at her perfect little face. “Wanna hang out with Uncle Brian? I can’t buy you Legos yet, but when you’re old enough, how about a pony?”
Sloane hissed. “Stop offering to buy her a pony.”
“Brian,” Cal said sharply. “Don’t be a wanker. You babysat last time. Lo and I would love a night with the boys and the little princess.”
I shot him a look. The last thing I wanted was to get roped into karaoke night.
I’d done my time back in law school, but back then I tolerated it for the cheap drinks and the chance to blow off steam after long study sessions.
I didn’t have money or time for much else, so when Sloane dragged us, we usually went along.
But the last thing I needed was a night of bad singing and ear-splitting noise.
“Brian.” A gentle hand landed on my bicep, though quickly, the sensation was joined by that of nails digging into my skin. Lo tilted her head over to where Jess was happily chatting with Sloane. “You should go. With Jess.”
I blinked rapidly. On second thought, the thought of a night out with Jess, even as friends, made even my most hated activity palatable.
She glanced over at me, her smile wide and her eyes swimming with excitement. And suddenly, I realized I’d willingly walk over hot coals to make her happy. I’d been riding a high since our almost-kiss in my office and would take any excuse to spend time with her.
“It’s been years since I did karaoke,” Jess said.
Cal sat back on the couch, rubbing his hands together.
“We should go too,” I found myself saying. Had I been possessed? Potentially, but the prospect of a night with Jess, even with Sloane shrieking her way through Def Leppard songs, was too good to pass up.
“The girls were planning a sleepover at my friend Lana’s,” she said.
Cal clapped. “It’s a date. The lovely Lola and I will be on babysitting duty. You four get out and have fun. So much fun. Get knackered and get Brian to do his John Mayer impression.”
All the blood drained from my face. I had wiped that from my memory. And I thought we’d had a gentleman’s agreement never to speak of it again.
But Cal was already going. “He’s got that raspy voice, you know. And he never sings. But when we all went out after Sloane and Sully tied the knot, Brian got very drunk and sang ‘Your Body is a Wonderland.’ Every lass in the building was throwing their panties at him.”
Sully barked out a laugh. “I was so pissed, but even I remember. That was when your hair was floppy and you were more depressed than usual.”
“He’s got a good voice,” Sloane said. “We never knew because he refused to sing.”
Jess’s eyes widened. “Why, Brian Machon, you are full of surprises.”
“I’m not singing,” I said firmly as I broke out in a sweat.
Sully barked a rough laugh. “Sure thing, mate.”
The Grasshopper, the bar across the street, was a dive similar to the one we frequented in law school. Creaky barstools and old vinyl booths. The cheap, strong drinks made up for the poor lighting.
The place was packed. Karaoke night was turning out to be great for business.
And, of course, Sloane got priority song choices because Sully had bought the damn machine, and he and Gunner, as well as Neal, the bartender, had entered into some kind of blood oath regarding karaoke nights.
I didn’t pretend to understand, but my friend had gotten his wife back, and he was not going to risk losing her again.
Sloane would sing karaoke in an empty parking lot, so the crowd made her extra excited. She wasn’t a terrible singer, though she rarely got the lyrics right, but that only added to her enthusiasm.
“What are you singing tonight, sweetheart?” Sully nodded to the emcee near the small stage.
Neal delivered all of our usuals. Guinness for Sully, red wine for Sloane, Jameson neat for me.
“And what can I get this beautiful lady?” Neal asked with a smile.
“I’d love a glass of sauvignon blanc.” Smiling, Jess scooted in close, her arm brushing mine.
“And Neal?” Sloane said, leaning forward to get his attention. “A round of redheaded sluts to get things going.”
She looked at the rest of us and raised her wineglass. “I’m pumping and dumping tonight. May as well do it right.”
I did not take shots. It wasn’t responsible. But my skin was starting to itch.
Jess looked so pretty tonight, wearing a dark pink dress with these bow strap things. I desperately wanted to untie one, but that would have been deeply inappropriate.
Even so, the urge to touch her was burning me up. After the moment we’d shared in my office, I could think of nothing else. I could not remember ever wanting anything this badly. I didn’t think I’d ever needed to be near someone like I needed Jess.
It was like I hadn’t taken a full breath in twenty years. Only now, when she was in the room, could I fully inhale.
Even in this stuffy dive bar while people butchered top-forty hits.
So when Neal brought the shots, I downed one immediately and asked for another round.
The alcohol was alcoholing, depressing my central nervous system.
It was the only thing keeping me from running out of here screaming.
Sloane had sung once, a painful yet enthusiastic version of “Dancing Queen,” and Jess was in her element.
She glowed under the neon lights, making friends with regulars and belting out “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls like she was auditioning for The Voice. It was adorable.
“Having fun?” Sully asked.
“I feel like I’m being audibly waterboarded by synth pop,” I replied.
He just grinned at Sloane, completely ignoring me, as she and Jess wandered back to our booth. It was still jarring, the way his perma-scowl could so quickly transform into a bright smile when he spotted his wife. He might be my oldest friend, but he was a complete mystery to me some days.
“I signed us up for a duet,” Jess said, plopping onto the bench and almost landing in my lap.
“No,” I said.
She patted my arm and gazed up at me with the kind of look that scrambled my brain cells, making me incapable of decent judgment.
“Good thing I asked for more shots,” she teased.
“I can’t sing,” I said.
“We know that’s not true. And even if it was, when it’s karaoke, you sing with your heart, Brian. Not your voice.”
I had no idea what the hell that was supposed to mean, so I dutifully downed another shot and prayed they wouldn’t call my name.
But luck was not on my side tonight. By the way Sully was smiling when the emcee said my name into the microphone, I had to wonder if he’d tipped the guy to call me next.
“And now, welcome to the stage, Brian and Jess.”
Jess grabbed me by the front of the shirt and forcefully pulled me out of the booth.
Damn. Until this moment, I hadn’t realized how strong she was. Must have been from all that yoga.
Guiding me toward the stage, she waved to her adoring fans.
“What are we singing?” My hands were shaking. No, this was not happening. I wanted to dissociate. To hide. But Jess’s warm grip kept me grounded, and my feet kept moving as she pulled me on stage.
We stood in front of the monitor, and as the opening chords began to play, I recognized the song. Even so, the monitor looked blurry. Disney?
She nudged me hard, and on autopilot, I held up the microphone. “I. Can. Show you. The—”
She looked at me in horror. “Read the words,” she whispered. Eyes bulging, she took over for me and sang Aladdin’s part flawlessly.
I struggled to focus on the monitor, but when Jess reached down and squeezed my hand, it was like the haze engulfing me dissipated and I was free.
My vision cleared and the words came.
The crowd faded away, and the two of us faced one another, our hands clenched, as we sang. I couldn’t take my eyes off her face. She was so beautiful, and in this moment, we were the only people in this building, in this city.
When the music stopped, the room erupted in cheers, startling me from my stupor.
Every eye was on us, and Sully and Sloane were on their feet screaming.
My face flamed and my collar was suddenly too tight. What had just happened?
I was drunk and I’d made a fool of myself, that’s what.
Halfway back to the table, I realized we were still holding hands.
“Water,” Jess mouthed, pulling me toward the bar.
Thank fuck. My body temperature rivaled that of the sun right now.
At the bar, Jess looked up at me, her body practically plastered to mine in the crowded space. “Thank you for doing that for me.”
I should have said something charming. Or I should have smiled and kept my mouth shut. But drunk Brian was not quiet, contemplative Brian. So instead, I chose to say, “You’re so pretty.”
Her eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“I said you are good at karaoke,” I mumbled, fooling no one.
She elbowed me in the ribs. “That’s not what you said.”
I should have run away. Maybe jumped behind the bar and hidden under the ice maker. At the very least, I should have kept my mouth shut. But did I? Nope. I kept going.
“Fine.” I huffed. “You are pretty. Beautiful, actually. And your smile is infectious. It makes me want to be near you. At this rate, I’d follow you into battle anywhere, anytime.”
Did I stop there? Oh no, I did not. My stupid mouth, fueled by J?germeister and lust, kept going.
“I can’t stop thinking about the other day in my office. When I was going to kiss you.”
My brain was a swirl of alcohol and song lyrics and need. Because kissing her seemed like a wise choice. The decision was simple and so damn smart. At least in this moment. Both then and now, I knew I’d do anything to touch her, to taste her. Even if it meant blowing up everything else in my life.
With her bottom lip pressed between her teeth, she looked up at me, her dark eyes wide and her hand fisting the front of my shirt again.
Like this, I swore I’d gone back in time several decades to the days when we would stare at one another across crowded dive bars before running back to one of our rooms to snuggle in a twin-size bed.
To the nights we spent walking around Boston, eating dollar pizza slices and dreaming about where life would take us.
The same kind of heady euphoria that washed over me back then returned. Because when I was with Jess, things were right. I was right. And anything was possible.
“Bri—” She snapped her mouth shut, her eyes widening.
“Well done, mate.” Sully clapped me on the shoulder, causing Jess to take a step back. “You really nailed it.”
I stared at him for a moment, my brain struggling to catch up.
On the one hand, he had just saved me from doing something really fucking stupid. On the other, I wanted to punch him for interrupting my moment with Jess.
Mind still muddled, I picked up the bottle of water Neal had placed in front of me. I needed to get sober and get it together.
“Thanks. It’s because I had a great partner.” I winked at Jess.
She gave us a thumbs-up while chugging her bottle of water.
My heart sank. A thumbs up? After what we had just shared? The hand-holding, the singing, the shirt-clutching?
Shoulders slumped, I followed Sully back to the table. Fuck, it was time to sober up and stop lusting after my client.