Page 118 of Instant Karma

“No! No. It’s just…” I check my watch: 5:59 p.m. “I didn’t expect…”

“Hey, I value punctuality,” he says.

I raise an eyebrow at him.

He shrugs. “At least, I’m starting to.”

Quint and Jude share a fist bump and some muttered boy-ish niceties. Ari has left a spot open on the other side of the booth, next to Jude, but Quint slides in next to me.

I swallow and scoot in a little farther to give him space.

Ari returns, bouncing nervously on her toes, and they all start talking about karaoke and Ari’s song—neither Quint nor Jude has heard of it, either—and Ari sighs dramatically when she hears this.

“It’sso good.I can’t understand why it wasn’t a single.”

“I look forward to hearing it,” says Quint—and I think he means it.

“Are you going to sing?” Ari asks him.

Quint guffaws. “Nope. There is zero chance of that happening.”

“Come on,” says Ari. “You can’t be that bad.”

“And even if you are,” I add, “it isn’t about beinggood,necessarily. It’s about letting go of your inhibitions for a few minutes.” I drop my arms to my side and give them a shake, a charade of “loosening up.”

“Okay,” says Quint, giving me a sidelong look. “Then what song areyousinging?”

I wrinkle my nose. “Nothing.”

“Aha.”

“Anyway, this is a work meeting.” I nudge my notebook toward him.

“Ah, the Prudence idea journal. I should have known I’d be seeing this again.” He starts flipping through pages, but then Carlos arrives to take his drink order. “Oh, what was that thing you guys were drinking last time? With the cherries?”

“A Shirley Temple?” says Ari.

“Yeah.” Quint snaps his fingers. “I’ll have a Shirley Temple, please.”

“You got it,” says Carlos. He shoots a sly, semi-curious look at me, and I know he’s wondering whether this is myboyfriend.But thankfully he doesn’t say anything. I don’t think I could keep from looking mortified if he did.

As Carlos walks away, Quint turns to Jude. “So you said you guys used to do karaoke as a family?”

“When we were kids,” says Jude. “But it’s been a while.”

Quint’s eyes twinkle. “Maybe you guys should do a duet or something. For old times’ sake.”

“Oh!” says Ari, clapping her hands. “How about ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’ by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty? I love that song. And you’d be so good!”

“Ew, gross,” I say, at the same time Jude sticks his thumb at me. “Sister, remember?”

Ari deflates. “Oh. Well…” Her eyes light up again. “Maybe Pru and Quint should do it!”

“No, no, no,” says Quint. “Count me out.” He glances at me. “I wasn’t kidding when I said that the idea of doing karaoke is pretty much my worst nightmare.”

A waitress brings his beverage, all fizzy and pink.

I pull my own glass toward me, a soda, slick with condensation, and take a sip from the rim.

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