Chapter 15 Jack
The prospect of a night out has everyone in high spirits, and those spirits only climb higher when we tumble out in front of a quaint-looking pub in the nearest village. In large, wonky letters, a blackboard outside the door proclaims, karaoke tonight!!!!!!!
When I follow him through the door, the bartender looks up from behind the beer taps, her face brightening as we all filter inside.
Apart from a few locals, the place is pretty dead, and I can almost see the pound signs in her eyes at the sight of us.
The noise level increases dramatically, an instant buzz in the air.
Several people head straight for tables surrounding the small stage that has been set up at the back, the karaoke machine, forlorn and ignored, in the middle.
A bored-looking younger guy sits to the side on a barstool, a clipboard covered in band stickers in his hand, and he too perks up at our rowdy entrance.
“Do you have any ABBA?” Simon’s excited voice cuts over the crowd… It’s possible that he might have already had a drink or two; he finished earlier on set than I did today, leaving once we finally had the riding scene in the bag.
What a shit show that was… Although once Reckless Ed’s one true love was removed from the scene, it went well enough. If I hadn’t been stuck on the horse’s back like a useless barnacle, I’m sure I would have found it funny. As it is, let’s just say I’m looking forward to a night off.
“Drinks first,” I say, and Arjun nods in agreement.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asks, after serving a couple of other customers with brisk efficiency. She’s a pretty blonde with a Cornish accent and I smile as I lean against the bar.
“What do you recommend?” I pitch my voice low.
Her answering grin stretches wider. “We have a couple of beers from local breweries that are good. I’m a tequila girl myself.”
“Nice.” I run my hand across my jaw, considering. “I’ll take two pints of the IPA and two shots of tequila.” I catch sight of Scott making his way through the crowd, and lift my hand in greeting, gesturing for him to grab a table. “Actually make that three of each.”
“Good choice,” the bartender says with a wink.
She sets about making the drinks, and I’m half-thinking it might be nice to strike up a bit of a flirtation when I’m distracted by a familiar sweet citrus scent. One that makes all the hairs stand up on my arms.
As casually as I can manage, I turn to the side, and Cynthie is standing next to me, her forearms resting on the bar.
She’s wearing tight jeans and a top made of slinky, silver fabric that leaves most of her back bare. When she turns to look up at me, her lips are painted the red of stop lights, warning signals, imminent danger, and I swear my vision goes hazy.
“You made it,” I say, blandly.
She shrugs. “I like the company… with one notable exception, of course.”
“Of course.”
The bartender finishes delivering the drinks I’ve ordered.
“Could you add four more tequila shots to his tab?” Cynthie asks, shooting her the sort of charming smile I’m never treated to. “And a bottle of pinot grigio?” She places her hand on my arm, and I look down at her fingers. “Drinks are on you, right?”
“Right,” I mutter, too discombobulated to come back with a response as I hand over my card.
I can’t even concentrate on chatting up the pretty bartender, because Cynthie Taylor is a walking threat to my sanity, and my traitorous heart leaps about like an Olympic gymnast doing a full floor routine whenever she’s near.
How is it possible to be so consistently annoyed by a person, and yet also painfully turned on by their presence?
I swear, even in my dreams she won’t leave me alone, and I’ve been waking up every morning hot, hard, and increasingly frustrated.
This level of obsession is troubling: I’m about five minutes away from turning into one of those stalkerish Twilight vampires my sister is obsessed with.
I’m already alarmingly aware of Cynthie’s scent; next it’ll be drinking her blood under a full moon with my wolf friends (full disclosure, I may have drifted off during the film Lee dragged me to). It has to stop.
Most importantly of all there is this: all my focus needs to be on work.
If there’s one thing my dad has drummed into me, it’s that you don’t fuck around on set.
The film comes first. Always. Is this totally rich coming from him, considering he met my mother on a film set and they had a raging affair when they were both married to other people?
Absolutely. But it doesn’t mean he’s wrong…
In fact, if anything, it’s further proof that he’s right.
This is my chance to prove myself, and getting distracted by Cynthie Taylor and her sexy mouth is not an option.
Balancing her drinks and glasses on a tray, Cynthie only grins and cuts away through the crowd, while I stop myself from turning to watch her go.
“Three of your finest ales, please, barkeep!” Rufus suddenly booms from beside me, and I’d say he’s already more than half cut as he tries to get a good look down the barmaid’s top.
She gives him a thin smile and starts pouring his drinks.
“Good place, this,” Rufus says to me with a wink.
“Always nice to get a look at some of the local talent.”
When Arjun and I gather ourselves and finally make our way toward Scott, we find him grinning happily in the company of Cynthie and her little coven, all crowded around a small table in front of the stage.
Arjun is, naturally, delighted. I place Scott’s pint down in front of him with a little more force than necessary.
“Thanks for the drinks.” Patty smirks, as Arjun pulls out the seat beside her.
“We brought lemons and salt if anyone wants them,” Arjun says. “Cynthie left before the bartender gave them to us.”
“She was probably distracted by Jack’s shit attempts at flirting.” Cynthie snorts into her wineglass.
“No lemons for Cynthie,” I say, twitching the plate away from her. “She’s bitter enough.”
“As fun as this is,” Hannah pipes up, “I think you two should declare a ceasefire for tonight.”
“I agree,” Liam nods. “It is our night off.”
“Can’t we all just be friends?” Scott asks, spreading his hands expansively, and looking at his enormous pupils, I’d say he’s higher than usual tonight. “ Love … right?” he finishes, profoundly.
Cynthie shrugs. “I’m not the one you need to worry about.”
I give a short bark of laughter. “I can be perfectly civil. It’s you —”
I’m interrupted by Hannah’s gusty sigh. “Off to a great start, guys.”
“How about this?” I lift my shot glass, my eyes meeting Cynthie’s in a challenge. “Temporary truce. One night only.”
Her gaze narrows. “Sure. I can pretend I don’t despise you for a few hours. Probably.”
“I mean, I guess it’s something,” Liam says doubtfully.
“To peace in our time!” Patty lifts her tequila shot.
“Peace in our time.” We all echo her toast, tipping back the shots, and biting into lemon slices with grimaces and groans.
The alcohol slips pleasantly into my bloodstream, just as the microphone lets out a screech of feedback, and Jan, the second AD, launches into an enthusiastic rendition of “Bat Out of Hell.” Just like that, the energy in the room spikes, and the air fills with whoops and cheers.
“Oh, hell yes.” Liam beams. “I’ll get us more shots. This is going to be a great night.”
“I need to sign up.” Arjun leaps to his feet. “You haven’t lived until you’ve heard me sing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart.’?” He grins at Patty, who does her best not to smile back.
“You’re such a dork,” she mutters, but Arjun looks far from discouraged.
In the end, everyone signs up for something, and the next hour is spent getting increasingly tipsy, and egging on whoever is onstage performing.
When it’s my turn, I can’t help the swagger in my step.
I had singing lessons with one of the best vocal coaches in the country from the age of nine until I was sixteen, so I approach the microphone with confidence.
My go-to karaoke track is “I’m on Fire” by Bruce Springsteen, and I’d love to say that I manage to avoid looking at Cynthie while I sing, but that would be a lie, especially because all the lyrics about burning up for someone feel uncomfortably relevant.
For a split second, I catch a look on her face, an answering flash of heat. Then, deliberately, she looks away and buries her face in her wineglass.
I leave the stage to enthusiastic applause.
“Wow, man,” Scott says. “That was better than Springsteen.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Cynthie mutters, but when Hannah sends her a warning look, she plasters on a smile. “But it wasn’t bad.”
“Can’t wait to see what you’ve got, Taylor,” I smirk.
Something dangerous creeps into Cynthie’s expression then, but she doesn’t respond, only turns to the stage where Arjun is about to deliver on his promise.
This he does with more energy than skill. I wouldn’t have expected “Total Eclipse of the Heart” to inspire quite so many hip thrusts, but everyone laughs and cheers as he thoroughly enjoys himself.
Patty watches through her fingers, but she can’t help the delighted chuckle that escapes her.
“Is it just me, or is this kind of hot?” she asks Liam.
“It’s really something,” Liam agrees diplomatically.
After Arjun finishes, Mark and Marion go all in on “Summer Nights” and the entire pub is on their feet, joining in, yelling the lyrics back and forth.
Simon’s version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” is another hit—his falsetto taking everyone by surprise.
It’s a good night. Cynthie and I even manage to remain reasonably civil, barely glaring at each other at all.