Page 6 of High Note

Sighing, she stood up, flushing as another round of applause sounded. But she took a bow with a flourish, flashing her trademark dimples. If she knew one thing about show business, it was that you never left the stage without giving the audience what they wanted.

Chapter Four

“So, is it true? Was Skyla Bridey here the other night?” Kiley leaned her elbows on the table, eyes alight as she waited for her lunch pizza.

“Yep. And you and the M&M crew weren’t here.” Kirsten fought the urge to tense up. Skyla Bridey was the commercial, shiny shit that she hated. She knew she wasn’t good enough to make it; she knew this small-town stuff was the best she could hope for.

But she still wanted to keep this tiny part of Summit Springs for herself, dammit.

“Damn. I hear she sang with you.”

“She hijacked my set, you mean?”

“Ouch.” Kiley’s girlfriend, Brittany, winced. “That’s kinda sketchy.”

“She’s just so used to it, I think. Singing lead. She couldn’t help it.” Kirsten shrugged, trying not to be a twat. She was at work, wasn’t she? She needed to remember she was representing Cherry, not herself.

“Mmm. She’s hot, though. Is she that hot in person?” Kiley asked.

“She’s pretty. Blonde, femme, stacked like a brick shithouse.”

“Yum.” They all had to grin at each other.

She blew out a breath. “I’m just jealous, I think. I mean, she’s so…mainstream.”

“Well, you aren’t. Nothing about you is mainstream.”

“Except for my Tuesday set, right?” she teased, laughing good and hard.

“Right.” Kiley waved a hand. “Don’t worry. No one will believe you meant to do that.”

“I will stomp you with my big girl boots, woman,” she threatened.

“I’m not scared of you. You’re a kitten.”

“Speaking of kittens…” Kirsten had six of them in her house, and they needed homes.

“Nope. I have a border collie.” Kiley shook her head resolutely. “They would all end up in my closet living in my boots or something to get away from her.”

Brittany grinned. “She herds houseplants.”

“She’d love one. She could sing her little herding song to it…”

“No. No, no, no.” Kiley crossed her arms and looked stern.

“What is Kiley no-ing.” Liz Apodaca wandered over, beer in hand.

“I have kittens. Black and white, orange marmalade, tortoiseshell.” She was keeping the calico, because that one looked just like her mama cat, Deenie.

“Oh, wow. I would love one for the office. You know the cabin kids would keep it company at night.”

“Absolutely. Come over to the house tomorrow and meet them. They’re litter-trained and everything. They have their first two sets of shots too.”

“Sure. I’ll do that.”

“Do what?” Liz’s wife joined them. Lupe raised an eyebrow.

“Meet the kittens.”

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