How to Steal Your Best Friend's Fiancé - London Casey Page 0,59
up.”
“Right,” I said. “I really do have to get going.”
He put his right hand out. His hands were thick, which fit the rest of his look.
“Emily,” he said. “I want you to come back here and sing again. As soon as possible. I want you to have your own set too. Pick some songs. And just get up there and go for it. Good singers bring in more people and I make more money. The bad singers help a little, but not as much.”
I thought about Liam singing.
The fact that he threw himself to the wolves to get me to sing…
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
“Sounds good,” Ernie said. His cell phone started to ring. “You talk to Faye. And Carla too. Then let me know.”
Ernie produced a business card.
Then he turned and answered his phone.
I started to walk and I caught myself smiling.
Me? Singing on stage? My own show?
I instantly thought about playing guitar.
I saw myself on stage, singing and playing…
It was too good to be true.
Kind of like Liam.
“What are you still doing here?” Lucy asked as she flipped through the pile of receipts.
“Sending you home,” I said. “Go home.”
“What? Why?”
“Take a break,” I said. “Enjoy the afternoon and night.”
“It’s my job to close up.”
“Not today.”
Ember walked from the back and knocked on the wall. “Hey. I’m out. Are you two good?”
“Emily is kicking me out,” Lucy said. “She’s up to something.”
“Oh. Juicy.” Ember hurried around the counter. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I said.
“You have someone coming here, don’t you?” Lucy asked.
“What?”
“Oh, damn,” Ember said. “There’s only two possibilities…”
“Which are?” I asked.
“You’re meeting someone to get rid of the business,” Ember said. “Or…” She pointed to Lucy.
Lucy smiled. “You’re meeting that hot guy who got you soaking wet.”
“What?” I yelled.
“Liam,” Lucy said. “When he broke the pipe in the bathroom… you were wet…”
“Oh,” I said. “Right.”
“So, is it him?” Ember asked.
“No,” I said. “It’s new friends.”
“You have friends?” Lucy asked.
“New friends?” Ember asked.
“You two are horrible,” I said.
“Well, tell us what’s going on,” Lucy said.
I backed away from the counter. “I sang at a club last night. And I met a few other singers. And that’s that.”
“You went out last night?” Ember asked.
“Was Liam involved in this?” Lucy asked.
I didn’t answer.
My cheeks did it for me.
Ember laughed.
“Stop it,” I said.
“This is something,” Lucy said.
“What is?” I snapped.
Lucy slowly put the receipts on the counter and stepped away. “Nothing. I’m going home. My boss told me to.”
“I’m going home too,” Ember said.
“You both suck,” I said.
“One last thing,” Lucy said as she reached under the counter for her balled up coat. “You look happy right now. That’s all I’m going to say.”
“I second that,” Ember said as she walked to the back of the bakery.
A few seconds later I was alone.
The front door was locked.
The chairs were up on the tables.
And I couldn’t calm my mind.
Everyone was right.
I was happy. I liked to sing. I wanted to do it again.
But there was one thing really wrong.
I didn’t want to do any of it unless Liam was with me.
“Oh, this coffee is perfect,” Carla said. “Damn, you have something here.”
“You think?” I asked.
“She’s right,” Faye said. “This is good. I never knew about this place before. You’re kind of in a bad spot.”
“I’ve heard that before,” I said.
“You’re at the end of a not so busy street,” Carla said. “This building is yuck too. No offense.”
“I don’t own the building,” I said. “I just lease this spot.”
“Then get out of here,” Faye said. “I know someone who-”
“No thanks,” I said. “Trust me. No thanks.”
“Fair enough,” Faye said.
They both kept looking around.
It was hard for me to take pride in the business. I knew all the dirty secrets. I knew where the skeletons were hiding.
I knew what I wanted too and it wasn’t this place.
“Sorry for coming over now,” Carla said. “You’re all closed up.”
“I wouldn’t be able to focus otherwise,” I said.
“I think it’s cool,” Faye said. “I feel like a badass chick. In a business after it’s closed.”
“Like you and Dozer that one night?” Carla asked. “If Ernie ever finds out what you two did…”
“Shut up,” Faye said.
“Yeah, about Ernie,” I said.
I looked at Carla.
She batted her eyes. “What?”
“He said you and him…”
“That was a long time ago,” she said. “I fell for the whole I own the place and you’re beautiful thing.”