Page 4 of The Singer and the Silent Type

Lorena’s fingertips brushed my hand before she murmured, “Thank you, Cody.” She followed Iris inside, leaving me to stare out at the streaks of sunset overtaking the sky, trying to figure out what the hell just took place.

She kissed me. Or I kissed her. I couldn’t believe it actually happened. Looking down to see my hands slightly trembling, I almost laughed at myself. I’d worked with huge animals, rough men, extreme equipment in dangerous conditions, and nothing ever rattled me. But one kiss from the girl I’d been crushing on hard, and I felt like I’d been struck by lightning.

Chapter Three

~ Lorena ~

I’d always known that the world was a strange and wondrous place. But to go from admiring my crush to kissing him out in the parking lot was a bit much to take. I felt like I’d be blushing for the rest of the night, but I knew that nobody else saw us. Iris tended to gossip about positive things, never personal things.

“Are you all right?” Iris asked, looking worried. “I heard that some guy grabbed you, but Cody took out the trash.”

“I’m okay,” I said, my voice sounding tiny. “It happened more than once when I worked in the city.”

She turned to face me, her long beaded earrings swinging. “I’m sorry that’s ever happened to you, but it should never happen here,” she said sternly. “If we weren’t so slammed tonight, I’d tell you to go home and shake it off.”

My hands flew up in protest. “No, really, I’m fine. Thank goodness Cody had an extra shirt, so I don’t have to entertain everyone with a peep show.”

She handed me a fresh apron, laughing lightly. “I like your attitude, Lorena. It should be a good weekend for tips, so let’s all just hustle hard.” She patted me on the shoulder as I went back out to the main room.

I caught a few glances of sympathy from the women, but the men didn’t look at me unless I was directly asking them about their order. Maybe they were embarrassed that they had gotten an eyeful of my lace-covered boobs. I certainly tried not to think about it, rushing around, pouring beer and smiling as if nothing had happened. Cody was back at his favorite spot, flashing me sneaky smiles now and then.

Even though the bar was extremely busy, the vibe stayed fun and friendly. Iris had everything in this place down to a science. I swear, she must have been studying bar psychology for years, or maybe it was just in her blood. Everything she did, there was a reason for it.

I knew that today’s special was chosen because it was everyone’s favorite. She often did this to get some food into people so they didn’t just drink.

There was a small window near the front that was open, and one directly across from it at the back. This created a cross breeze to keep the air fresh. Apparently, if some people overheated, it got them feeling antsy and riled up.

There was one thing that we never wanted in a bar full of rough cowboy types – a fight. It scared the women off, and usually ended up breaking something expensive. There had been no fights since I’d been working here, but Alice, one of the cooks, told me that there had been a few doozies now and then in the past.

The sound system was playing mellow country music, mostly oldies. Iris was the only one allowed to touch the volume. If it was too quiet in the room, everyone could hear everyone’s conversation, and she said that just triggered bad vibes. But if the music was too loud, people had to raise their voices to talk to their friends. This created aggression, she claimed.

I enjoyed a wide variety of music, but my voice was particularly suited to country. My biggest dream was to sing with a country band, and now that I was actually living in the country, I was going to find a way to make it happen.

There was no sense in me ever dreaming of becoming some sort of pop star with a big record contract. They tended to look like fashion dolls who lived in pink Malibu beach houses, not clay fertility dolls with big breasts and wide hips. Whatever – we can’t help the way we’re born.

But my voice was a gift. Every music teacher and vocal coach I’d ever studied with had told me that. All I had to do was ditch the stage fright and get out there to find a band who needed me.

Running around the bar, I often found myself singing along to various songs as I approached people’s tables with their drinks and food. I found it was a great way to break the ice, and they would often sing along for a moment with me.

It finally seemed that everyone in the room had everything they needed for a minute, so I dashed back to the bar where Cody sat. He watched me pouring myself some ice water and dropping lime slices into it.

He smiled as I took a few sips. “Drinking on the job?” His deep voice was too sexy for his own good.

“Yes, the lime makes me tipsy, so look out.” I stopped myself from clapping a hand over my mouth. Was I actually flirting with him? What on earth was wrong with me today? Or was I still high from that incredible kiss?

He seemed to like it, nodding and chuckling. “Can I get you another beer?” I asked.

“Actually, I’ll take a coffee, thanks.”

Pouring quickly, I brought it over, as he waved away the cream and sugar. With a tilt of his head, he urged me to come closer. “I was wondering if maybe I could give you a ride home tonight,” he asked softly.

Maybe he knew that I usually got a ride home with the kitchen staff. Come to think of it, he always sat right in front of the phone and the schedule. “ I’ll be here pretty late,” I said, ?

??But if you don’t mind waiting...”

“I don’t mind at all,” he said quickly. “I’d like to make sure that you get home safe, especially with so many strangers in town this weekend.”

My gigantic grin seemed to amuse him. As I tried to think of something saucy to say, there was a tiny buzz, and the music stopped.

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