Page 98 of Caper Crush
“How do you know William?” I lean against the plastic seatback.
“We dated briefly,” she says.
“Why’d you break up?” I ask.
“She was a fool,” her friend says.
Kiyoko plays with her bracelet. “I had a crush on this other guy at the same time, and I was annoyed with my grandmother for setting me up on a blind date.”
“I’ve told her that her grandmother can set me up on a date anytime she wants,” her friend says. “Her grandmother has excellent taste.”
“I think he is dating someone now,” I say before she gets her hopes up that he’s single. I flip through the catalog to figure out what songs to sing.
When William comes back, Kiyoko invites him to an accounting get-together. He accepts.
Kiyoko asks, “William, what song are you going to sing?”
“I don’t sing,” William says.
“Why are we doing karaoke if you don’t sing?” I ask.
“I’m a good listener,” he says.
“Duet with me. It’ll be good,” I say.
“I’m not Rex.”
“Let’s do a duet,” I say. “You can do the male part of ‘Barbie Girl.’ You can talk most of the male lines.” And this will show his playful side. He looks pained, but I butt him with my shoulder.
“Okay,” he says.
We sing “Barbie Girl.” I dance around him, even sliding up against him at one point. William gets into the spirit of it, hamming it up, especially as I sashay around him. He’s a good dancer.
We sit down. The room is pretty small, and we’re all crowded next to each other. William is between me and Kiyoko.
“You can sing, William.” Kiyoko pats his arm.
“I wasn’t exactly singing,” William says. “But thank you. I’ll stick to clapping for you guys, though, from now on.”
Kiyoko brings up some event both their grandmothers are attending. It sounds significant. William reminds her that they met at that event initially. They discuss some mutual friends in common.
Kiyoko finishes her beer and insists on singing again. She sings “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette, staring straight at William.
William blushes.
I whisper, “Shouldn’t you tell her we are dating?”
William whispers back, “Yes, but I can’t tell her right now. After that song.”
I pick “Wild Women” and sing it to the room.
Kiyoko is leaning against William. There’s plenty of space, though, between her and her friends. She doesn’t need to be stuck to him.
She picks “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 and sings it with some side glances toward her friends, but mostly to William.
I whisper to him, “You should sing ‘I’m Taken.’ Over and over again.”
William snorts.
