“The bride-to-be has arrived. We can officially declare this bachelorette version of karaoke night open!” Joby Tisdale announced.
Hoots and hollers followed this declaration.
“Piper, would you like to kick us off?” he asked.
“Sure.” She made her way through the room, shaking hands and accepting hugs on her way to flip through the book of songs that she knew almost by heart.
What says I’m getting married tomorrow?
She had Joby cue up Meghan Trainor’s “Dear Future Husband” and worked to put on some sass for the number. Her girls lined up behind her for backup, adding impromptu fifties style choreography, while she sang and simpered to the audience. But she just…wasn’t feeling her usual zing. If the audience noticed, they certainly gave no indication. The applause made her miss Myles. She’d gotten used to singing with him here. Flirting through song had been the most fun she’d had in ages. Being with Myles in general was fun. He delighted in saying and doing the outrageous, just to make her smile. Which made them exceedingly well matched.
She just wished he were here with her tonight.
Oh for heaven’s sake, woman, you’ll see him tomorrow. You’re marrying him tomorrow.
She waited for some kind of nerves to hit as Tyler took the little stage for a rendition of “Exes and Ohs.” And though she felt some unease, it had nothing to do with Myles and everything to do with the grand social event his grandmother had planned. Much as she enjoyed performing, she didn’t want to be on display for her actual personal life. A part of her worried that they wouldn’t survive all the scrutiny.
She wanted a chance for them to focus just on them. No audience. No pressure. No loan repayment hanging over their heads. Just her and Myles. As things would have been had his investor not decided to pull out.
Just one more day. Then the circus will be over.
But because she was missing him, Piper put herself back in the queue with Gershwin’s “Someone To Watch Over Me.”
They’d made their order for an extra large sausage and mushroom pie and garlic knots by the time her turn rolled around again. Piper took the stage and began to sing. She poured all the longing she felt into the music, automatically making it a true performance, not just a song. The door opened and, as if she’d summoned him with the power of her voice, Myles stepped inside, followed by Tucker and Brody.
Nobody was looking at him. But she felt it the moment his eyes met hers. His lips curved, slow and sexy, and he crossed the restaurant toward the stage, taking an empty seat. Piper took her bedazzled microphone and left the stage, singing to him now as she wound her way through the crowd and sat on his lap for the final few bars of the song.
Everybody went nuts.
She flipped off the mic and leaned in to kiss him. His hand snaked up her back and into her hair as he slanted his head to take the kiss deeper. Winding her arms around his shoulders, she relaxed in to that strange mix of comfort and heat. How could he make her feel so safe and reckless in the same moment?
“Hey!” Miranda protested. “This is a bachelorette party. You can’t be here.”
In response, Myles slid his arms around Piper’s waist, holding her in place. “I do believe it is a free country. And we men wanted to sing.”
“I think you knew I was missing you,” Piper whispered, nuzzling into his shoulder.
“I was missing you back,” he murmured.
“Objection!” Tucker declared. “You’re not supposed to hang out with your intended the night before the wedding.”
“Piper and I haven’t done a damn thing the traditional way in the course of our relationship. Why on Earth would we start now? That wouldn’t suit her or me. We stay. Get on the roster.”
“You, me, ‘Wanted, Dead or Alive’,” Brody announced, heading for the list.
Piper stared at Myles.
“What?” he asked.
“You really get me.”
“I should hope so. I’ve made rather a study of it.”
An ache set up in her chest and she pushed up, suddenly needing to move, needing space.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She squeezed his hand. “I just need a breath of air. I’ll be back in a minute.”