Page 18 of Rebel Without a Claus
“Yeah, yeah. Aunt May insisted.” I nod toward her, where she’s happily chatting with Eve’s mom. ”And you dicks know I can’t say no to Aunt May.”
Jack smirks. “And you being here has nothing to do with a certain high school sweetheart who’s back in town and currently flipping through the karaoke songbook?”
I grunt, taking a sip of my beer instead of answering as Nicholas chuckles. I slide him a glare. “We were never sweethearts.”
“Man, I can’t believe she’s back. After everything that happened…” He shakes his head. “Have you talked to her about it?”
“Nope.”
Jack gives me a knowing look.
He’s about to say something else when a loud voice crackles through the speakers.
The lights dim and a grown ass man dressed as an elf in striped tights runs onto the stage. “Welcome to the nineteenth annual Caroloke! Thanks for coming everyone! We have a packed lineup this year…”
My eyes swing over to where Eve is still flipping through the book of song choices, worrying her bottom lip.
“—So sit back, grab a drink, or three, and let’s get started!”
I down half of my beer as Old Man Duncan takes center stage, singing the Little Drummer Boy.
This is going to be a long ass night. I catch the eye of the bartender and order another beer when Gemma Reynolds sidles up beside me. The beauty queen of Holly Ridge leans against the bar, nudging Jack out of the way and bats her overly made up eyes at me.
“Well if it isn’t Luke Dawson. I didn’t think we’d see you here tonight,” she says with a smile full of more teeth than I remember.
“Well,” I grunt, trying my best not to appear too interested, “Aunt May is extremely persuasive.”
“Tell the truth…” Gemma walks her fingers up my forearm. “Did you come to hear me sing tonight? I can put in a song choice especially foryou.” She leans in, purring suggestively toward me. “Maybe a little Santa Baby…”
I don’t get a chance to answer because the announcer is booming into the microphone, “Up next is Eve Winters!”
My head snaps toward the stage ignoring Gemma’s delighted cackle.
Eve slowly makes her way to the stage through the clusters of people. God, I remember that terrified look and those hunched shoulders so well. She climbs up on stage and saunters over to the emcee. With trembling fingers, she hands him a slip of paper. I see her jaw set in determination and can practically feel the panic radiating off of her.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Jack says.
“I can’t believe she’s actually doing it,” Nicholas adds.
“Please give a warm Holly Ridge welcome to one of our very own,” the emcee calls out again. “She’s back after sweeping Los Angeles off its feet and now she’s ready to win the title here at Caroloke! Miss Eve Winters, singingAll I Want for Christmas is You!”
The room erupts with applause but Gemma merely snorts. “This oughta be good. I can’t believe she has the nerve to singanythingin this town again after nearly costing us the show choir title.”
Jack snorts. “That was years ago.”
I slide a glance to Gemma. “Besides, what do you care?” I ask. “You got to sing the solo and take the win instead.”
Her scowl quickly lifts back to a flirty smile. “It was a duet, remember? I miss singing with you, Lukie.”
Nicholas raises his brows at me. “We all miss your singing,Lukie,” he mocks me.
After a quick roll of my eyes, I cut them back to the stage. A tremor shudders through Eve and she grips the mic with shaking hands as the intro music starts playing.
Nicholas chokes on his drink. “Oh bro… This is going to be brutal.”
I open my mouth to agree, but before I utter a word, Eve belts out the first note. Or shrieks it, anyway.
Jack winces like someone smeared jalapeno on his contact lens.
