Page 42 of Going Deep
Anna’s offended “Hey!” nearly drowned out Ginger’s snort.
“Okay, okay.” She nodded at the phone. “Can you find me some Adele?”
“Sure.” Anna reached for the phone, missed, and tried again. “What song?”
“Surprise me,” Ginger said and climbed to her feet.
She took a few deep breaths, filling her lungs and emptying them completely while Anna scrolled through her phone.
“Got it!” Anna slid out of the chair onto the floor, dragging Lola to sit down beside her. The third stooge, Henry flanked her other side. “I feel like I should get a lighter,” she whispered.
Lola frowned. “Why do you want a lighter?”
“So I can hold it up. You know, ‘cause it’s a concert.” Anna raised her arm in the air and mimed waving a lighter in the air.
“Okay, you’re cut off,” Lola told her.
Ginger was laughing when the opening strains of Rumor Has It filled the room. “Oh, this is a good one. I can work with this.”
“Wait!” Anna bounced up to turn off the music, then ran out of the room again. To keep him from bounding after her, Lola hooked her hand in Henry’s collar.
Ginger looked at Lola. “What’s she doing?”
“I have no idea.”
Anna ran back into the room and shoved something into Ginger’s hand. “Here.”
Ginger looked down to see what she was holding. “Why am I holding a hairbrush?”
Anna gestured. “You gotta have something to sing into. You know, like a microphone.”
Ginger glanced at Lola. “Did she put pot in the brownies?”
Lola just sighed as Anna turned the music back on then plopped down between Lola and Henry again. Henry welcomed her back with a slurping kiss.
“Okay,” Anna side, wiping her face off. “Sing.”
Ginger grinned as the music once again filled the air. “I really love you weirdos.”
“Sing!” Anna shouted.
Ginger was laughing so hard she completely missed the first verse, but she managed to get it together in time for the chorus. By the time the second verse came around, she was finding her rhythm. Closing her eyes, she opened up and let it roll.
Anna and Lola began to hoot and holler, making her laugh as she sang. She began to really get into it, dancing along with the music, crooning into the hairbrush microphone. Anna jumped to her feet to dance with her, singing along drunkenly. Lola even got into it, and soon the three of them were singing at the tops of their lungs, Henry adding his mournful howls to the chorus.
None of them heard the front door open.
Grant pushed open the front door. “I can’t believe you bluffed me with a pair of goddamn twos.”
“I can’t believe you’re such a lousy poker player,” Simon countered with a grin. “Maybe you should get your wife to give you a few lessons.”
Michael snorted out a laugh at the look on Grant’s face. “If you guys are going to punch each other, can I watch?”
“I’m not punching anyone,” Simon said. “If I beat you up, Anna won’t invite me for dinner anymore.”
Grant snorted. “Yeah. Remember that.”
Michael grinned at the music and laughter coming from the living room. “Sounds like girl night was a success.”
