Page 38 of Missing Pieces

Summer looks at me with a smirk and I start to worry a bit about the song she chose. Then she hands me a shot. I can’t tell if it’s because she’s nervous or she’s worried I’m nervous. Once the first few notes of the song start, I laugh because this is the perfect song for her to choose. Especially since we just met. We cheers our glasses and down the shots. She takes on Miranda and I do Carrie and it might be the Fireball talking, but I feel like we knocked it out of the park as we sing the last few “oohh something bad.”

We are both giggling and jumping up and down when we get off the stage and all our friends are cheering for us. Even a bunch of other random people in the bar cheer. We high five each other and crash back into our seats still giggling.

“Just so y’all know I totally recorded that on my phone and I am sending it to Brett, so he knows how you really feel.” Ivy laughs as I see her sending the video out.

Summer and I talk a lot more after that. She’s so easy to get along with and I can’t wait to hang out with her more once we get back to White Creek. I even agreed to come over and look at her house to talk about design updates and decorating.

All of a sudden, I hear the DJ call out Tacoma’s name. She turns around and glares at the table trying to figure out who put her name in. She reluctantly walks up to the stage. I look around to see who could have done it and see Laney whispering to Casey with a smile on her face.

When Tacoma starts singing “Jolene” the entire place goes quiet and all eyes land on her. This song is super difficult to sing. No one can even try to take on Dolly Parton at a karaoke bar, but Tacoma has an incredible voice, captivating the entire crowd. Even the bartenders stop serving to watch. She gets a standing ovation when she finishes and slumps back to the table taking the seat next to mine.

“I know it was you Laney and I am so gonna kill you.”

Laney holds up defensive hands and then turns back to Casey giggling.

I look at Tacoma. “You were incredible. I’ve never heard a voice like that.”

“Thanks,” she mutters. “I hate being up on stage.”

“Why? You could be singing for a living!”

She shrugs. “I just don’t like the attention all that much.”

I look over at her and gesture at her outfit. She laughs. “Okay I like attention but not really on stage. I like singing but prefer to do it among friends only.”

“Well you had the attention of everyone and I bet there are gonna be a few guys coming up to you after that.”

“Good! Free drinks!”

I can’t help but laugh at that and remember how me and my friends dressed scantily in college to get free drinks.

Sure enough about two minutes later the server walks up to the table with a round of shots and nods toward some guys at the other end of the bar who are raising their glasses to us. We all take the shots and I hear Taylor swear and run off to the bathroom with Casey close behind her.

Tacoma leans over to me. “Hey, I am sorry about earlier. I was pissed off because that is just how I get about my brother. It has nothing to do with you.”

I nod. “I really had no idea about the truck. Ivy told me after you left.”

“Yeah, well he’s an asshole sometimes. But I’m over it,” she says and takes a sip of her beer.

“How did you get over it?”

“Well, one I texted him and called him a dick. And two you let me borrow this dress so I figure you can’t be that bad.” She grins at me.

I push her slightly and she almost falls off her chair, but I grab her just in time. I start laughing. “That’s what happened to me when I first got to White Creek. I was so drunk I fell off a bar stool.”

She laughs. “Don’t tell me my stupid brother treated you like a damsel.”

I shake my head. “Nah. Trace was my hero that night. Walked me all the way across the street back to the hotel I was staying at.”

“Trace is always the hero.” She leans an elbow on the table and rests her chin in her palm. “So you really like my brother?”

Another loaded question. “I don’t really know much about him. We’ve hung out a few times and I guess I like spending time with him.”

“You can treat him like a dick as much as you want. Then blame me.” She looks around the bar and then sighs. “He must really like you if he let you drive the truck. Part of the reason I was so mad about the thing was because he would never let me or Raelynn in it. It was like he wanted to keep that memory for himself and it pissed me off.”

I grab her hand. “Well if you are ever in White Creek and I’m still driving it, I’ll let you go for a ride.”

She thanks me and we spend a few more minutes talking before Summer decides she wants to go somewhere else. Bella mouths Tootsie’s at me and I shake my head laughing.

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