Page 27 of Hope After Loss

Her alluring, melodic voice.

Cheers and hoots from the men who have stopped their drinking and pool playing to focus on the two of them rise from the darkness.

I can see the moment that Anna lets go and starts to belt the words of the song as she and Brandee shimmy and shake all over the stage.

Damn.

Morris leans over the table. “Shit, that’s hot.”

I slide my eyes to the side. “Don’t even think about it.”

“What?” he asks.

“Go hit on the girl who keeps pouting every time she looks this way. Not Anna or Brandee.”

His brow furrows. “What’s wrong with Anna and Brandee?”

“Nothing. They just aren’t the kind of women you can win over with drinks and cheesy pickup lines.”

His eyes focus on the stage. “No, they certainly are not,” he agrees.

Then, he looks back at me. “Why are we sitting here then?”

Why are we?

“Because they are our friends and they invited us to join them.”

He huffs. “Well then, they’re just going to have to deal with the flirting because this charm isn’t something I can turn on and off. It’s who I am.”

I laugh so hard that I choke on my beer.

The girls finish their song, and the emcee encourages the crowd to clap louder.

“Maybe we can get these two to sing another one for us tonight,” he says as they make their way down the steps and back to us.

“Maybe, if you’re lucky,” Brandee calls.

I stand and pull the chair out to help Anna sit back down.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you talked me into doing that,” she declares.

“You were great. Why didn’t you tell me you could sing?”

“Yeah, you have a beautiful voice,” I agree.

She blushes again as she removes her jacket and pats at the glistening skin of her chest, and I swear it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

“I can’t sing. I can just carry a tune better than most of the people in this bar tonight,” she muses.

“That’s good enough. Let’s pick another one.”

Anna shakes her head. “No. One—that’s it. I’m done.”

Brandee sticks her bottom lip out.

“Not gonna work,” Anna proclaims.

Brandee’s eyes shift to Morris. “What about you?”