Chapter 122

“Not really,” my aunt corrected. “I could’ve stayed there, under the right circumstances, but mom’s career took us elsewhere. If I’d been older and had my own money, I might’ve stayed.”

“Number Forty-Four!” called out the karaoke host for the evening.

“Alright, that’s me,” dad announced as he got up from the table. “Ladies I need backup.”

Mom and Freja stood and followed him. Jeanie blinked as she swayed slightly. “Iono, I might be a li’l too drunk for this.”

“Move your ass, slut!” dad said in a commanding voice and Jeanie practically hopped to her feet.

“Ooh, yes, daddy!” she giggled as she swished after them and scampered up to the platform. I stayed at the table and watched, wondering what the heck was going to happen. This was our first time up, since the docket seemed quite full. The crowd got a little quieter as the five of them got onstage, probably because dad took up most of it and the four women accompanying him were really hot.

“I need two more mics!” dad called out to the emcee, who nodded and got two more standing mics put up on the stage. Dad sat in the middle while mom and Alexa stood with of one mic, Jeanie and Freja with the other.

“What’re we singing?” Alexa asked, not seeming to care that people could hear her through the mic.

“You’ll find out…” dad said easily, before nodding to the emcee.

The song began and everyone in the bar began cheering loudly. Alexa and mom laughed and hugged one another while Freja bounced up and down giddily. I grinned broadly. I couldn’t wait to see this. The intro over, dad began singing.

“It was a hot summer night
and the beach was burning.
There was fog crawling over the sand.
When I listen to your heart
I hear the whole world turning.
I see the shooting stars falling
through your trembling hands.”

People were cheering as he sang and I was rapt watching as my family, including my newly-extended family, entertained everyone from the stage. As the next stanza began, the four girls began their backup vocal part, leaning into their microphones and crooning.

“You were licking your lips
and your lipstick’s shining.
I was dying just to ask for a taste.
We were lying together in a silver lining
by the light of the moon.
You know there’s not another moment
Not another moment
Not another moment to waste!

Well, you hold me so close that my knees grow weak.
But my soul is flying high above the ground.
I’m trying to speak but no matter what I do
I just can’t seem to make any sound…“

The entire pub was silent, listening to the music and excited for the next part of the song. I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. I tried not to stare at Alexa, watching them all intently.

“And then you took the words right out of my mouth.
Oh it must have been while you were kissing me.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
And I swear it’s true,
I was just about to say I love you!”

“LOVE YOU!” the girls chorused into their mics, looking at one another.

“And then you took the words right out of my mouth.
Oh it must have been while you were kissing me.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
And I swear it’s true,
I was just about to say I love you!”

“LOVE YOU!“

“Now my body is shaking like a wave on the water
And I guess that I’m beginning to grin.
Oh we’re finally alone and we can do what we want to. And the night is young
Ain’t no-one gonna know where
No-one gonna know where
No-one’s gonna know where you’ve been.

“Well you were licking your lips
and your lipstick’s shining.
I was dying just to ask for a taste.
We were lying together in a silver lining
by the light of the moon.
You know there’s not another moment
Not another moment
Not another moment to waste.”

I just stared at the scene, rapt. In spite of my secret with my aunt, in spite of the hopelessness of our cause… at that very moment, I felt like the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet. This was my family, and they were killing it. I never wanted this moment to end.

“And then you took the words right out of my mouth.
Oh it must have been while you were kissing me.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
And I swear it’s true,
I was just about to say I love you.”

“LOVE YOU!”
“And then you took the words right out of my mouth!
Oh it must have been while you were kissing me.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
And I swear it’s true,
I was just about to say I love you.”

Dad stood as he began the crescendo repeat of ‘you took the words right out of my mouth’ while the girls echoed him and the crowd was now singing along joyously. The girls were gyrating while singing and dad was doing this absurd pelvic thrust that made me laugh. Then they put their arms over their heads and clapped for the final lines and the audience did the same. They finished and there was thunderous applause and cheering while they all bowed.

Dad allowed the girls to exit the stage first and then lumbered down after them, back to our table. Drinks kept arriving, bought for us by other patrons until the table was almost overflowing. Dad and I had our work cut out for us. Mom snuggled up to dad, thanking him for such an amazing experience.

Pretty soon, my back teeth were floating and I excused myself to go drain the lizard. After what seemed like an interminably long time draining a bladder that apparently had the capacity of the Hoover Dam, the door to the tiny bathroom muffling the strident and often ear-punishing karaoke beyond, I was zipping up when I thought I heard talking. Women talking. Two very familiar voices.

I looked around in confusion, wondering where the Hell the sound of mom and Alexa talking was coming from. I spied a vent over one of the stalls behind me. I looked around and went in, locking the door behind me. The music outside ended and I could hear them a little more clearly, but it was still difficult. I stood on the toilet carefully, getting as close to the vent as I could and cupped my ear, hoping to understand.

“You’re sure you’re okay, darling?”

“Really, Kar, I’m fine. I’m happy for them.”

“I just want to be sure, Alli. I mean, she came to see you, after all.”

“I know.”

“And you’ve told me what you meant to one another, that you thought maybe you’d been in love in times past.”

“Maybe we were, and I think maybe we’re soul-mates, after a fashion. But this is really okay with me. Her being in love with Jeanie doesn’t affect my relationship with her at all.”

“They’ll probably just include you in their depravity.”