Page 42 of Sounds Like Love

That surprised me. “Yes. How did you … ?”

“I do pay attention, bird,”he admonished.

“But don’t you have work? I mean, I don’t know what you do, but you can take off? And a last-minute flight issoexpensive—”

“I need a vacation,”he interrupted,“and I used my miles.”

“I’m touched. You must really want me out of your head,” I teased.

“As much as you want me out of yours,”he replied, and promised that he’d see me in a few hours.

“Oh, about that,” I added, tugging at my braid. Why was I suddenly nervous? “I’m working tonight. My family owns a music hall. I’m home for the summer helping out. It’s—it’s small. And sort of … eclectic. Don’t judge too harshly.”

“Who’s playing?”

“A Bette Midler drag cover band called Sexy Beaches.”

He barked a laugh, bright and joyful.“Oh, I willnotmiss that!”

And that was that. Sasha was coming to Vienna Shores—and maybe with him here in person we could figure out how to get out of each other’s heads. Even though, secretly, I was beginning to enjoy his company.

SEXY BEACHES WERE,in fact, killer. Just not in the way I thought they would be.

To be fair, the Bette Midler drag cover band and their sappy rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings” didn’t leave a dry eye in the house, but if I had to pour one more Sex on the Beach, I was going to lose my will to live. Then again, it was better than being asked to pour a Hairy Nipple, for obvious reasons. Halfway through the set, we ran out of whipped cream and Mitch dipped out to get more schnapps from the store. Meanwhile, I refilled the bowls of roasted peanuts and tried to keep Dad from running himself into the ground. This was the liveliest I’d seen the Revelry since I got here.

I kept checking my watch and peering into the crowd, wondering if Sasha had arrived yet. I was almost afraid to ask—and our link had been quiet most of the day, the earworm louder than either of our thoughts. I was beginning to dread it, now that I assumed it had everything to do with our connection.

Toward the end of the set, I finally heard from Sasha.

“Bird, I think I’m here.”

I about dropped the glass I was holding.Now?

“Now,”he agreed.

Oh.I quickly served the drink and rubbed my hands on my shorts. Why were they clammy all of a sudden? I checked my reflection in the liquor shelf mirror before getting a hold of myself. What was I doing? It didn’t matter what I looked like.

I slid up to Mitch at the other end of the bar. “Hey, I gotta go meet a friend real quick, do you think you can hold down the fort?”

“A friend?” he asked, eyebrow wiggling. “Maybe anold friend?” He thought it was Van.

“No, it’s—”

“The hell is happening in the lobby?” he interrupted, looking toward the exit, where a small crowd began to gather in front of the photo wall.

“What a charming venue, bird. I can see why you love it.”

My heart rose into my throat. I untied my apron, guessing it was a bachelorette party or something. “I’ll go see what’s up.”

“Tag it out,” he replied, high-fiving as he slid up beside me to take the next order.

I dipped out from behind the bar. Most of the crowd was nodding along to another Bette Midler song, cell phones in the air like candles, swaying like reeds in the wind.

Where are you?I asked.

“A bit distracted at the moment.”

I squeezed through the crowd and into the lobby. There, quite a few people had defected to gather around some guy, taking photos with him and asking for his autograph.

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