Page 74 of This Time Around

“I see the wheels turning, Peach.”

“Everyone deserves to be as happy as we are, Slugger.”

“Don’t push,” Andy said. “It will happen if it’s meant to be.”

“Sometimes we just need a gentle push.”

“Or a ghost to lock us in a room together,” Andy suggested.

“That too.” I looked over at Ollie and saw he was deep in conversation with Archie while the rest of the table watched the activity on stage. I hadn’t seen Archie smile like that in a very long time, and I desperately wanted to see my friend happy. Except, Andy was right. People had to find their way to one another.

I just hoped it didn’t take twelve years for them to see each other again, and then another two years of acting stupid on top of that before they figured it out.

“I’d like to propose a toast,” I said to the table. Everyone lifted their glasses of soda or water. “To serendipity.”

“Serendipity,” they all said then bumped glasses.

“Idon’t know, Faith,” I said looking into the mirror in the dressing room. “I think I look like the lovechild of Burt Reynolds and Evel Knievel, not Kenny Rogers.” I stroked my hand over my fake beard and took in my leisure suit. “I don’t think I ever saw Kenny wear a leisure suit.”

“It was the best I could find on short notice,” my sister said.

“Uh,” said a masculine voice from behind me.

“Just Andy,” I told Tony when I could see he didn’t know how to address me. I’d been behind the scenes enough to know he called the queens by their stage name.

“Okay, Just Andy. You’re up in five minutes.”

“Oh, Faith. I’m not sure I can do this.”

“Knock it off,” she said. “You’re going to be amazing, and Milo will be so surprised.” She smiled at me and tears swam in her eyes. “I love you so much, Andy.”

“Damn it, now I definitely have to go through with this harebrained plan.”

“It was your idea,” she reminded me. “I’m just helping you out.”

When Milo told me Peach was going to perform a few songs as Dolly Parton, I came up with the idea of joining Peach on stage dressed as Kenny to sing a duet before I dropped to one knee and proposed marriage. What better time than when both our families were in attendance to raise money for Ryan’s Place? I sure as hell couldn’t back down now after I asked for Dennis and Jackie’s blessing.

“Are you sure Milo knows the words to this song?” I asked.

“Positive,” Faith replied with a laugh. “We used to sing it in the car all the time.”

“Was that before or after you became Linda the cheating whore?” I asked.

“Before, duh. How could I be Kenny after Milo blew my ass up on that boat? That dude wasn’t good enough in bed to die for either.”

Her antics relieved my tension until Tony said, “Okay, Just Andy, Peach is wrapping up ‘9 to 5’ so you’re up.”

“Wish me luck.”

“Break a leg,” Faith said. I gave her the evil eye. “That’s what they say in show business.”

I walked out from behind the curtain as soon as the music for “9 to 5” ended. The crowd hooted and hollered when they saw my ridiculous outfit. Peach turned around to see what the commotion was about and clutched her chest when she saw me walking toward her. The grin on her face was enough to melt my fear, and the music for “Islands in the Stream” began playing when I reached her.

I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but my Peach didn’t give a damn. Whatever I lacked in musical talent, I made up for with swaying hips and emotion. We made one hell of a fucking team, Peach and I. When the song ended, I slowly lowered myself to one knee, careful not to rip a hole in the crotch of the leisure suit and reached for Peach’s hand.

“I told you this time around would be different. What do you say, Peach? Will you share your life with me?”

“There’s no one else I’d rather spend it with, Slugger.”

After we soaked up the adoration from the crowd, I slipped Tony a fifty-dollar bill to play lookout while I lived out my dressing room fantasy with Milo.

The End!