Abby continued, "You then will lose any privileges you ever even dreamed of having for an unspecified amount of time, during which you will become the Siamese twin your father and I never had. You will eat with us, watch TV with us, do your homework with us, and sleep on a mattress in our room. By the end of this horrific experience you will have submitted and it will all have been a huge waste of time or you can crawl back in that window and we will pretend this did not happen."
"How fast did she get back in bed?" Lauren cackled.
"She didn"t even take her shoes off," Abby said, laughing with all of them.
The water and Kamikazes arrived. Harper set the alcohol aside for a minute. Lauren was still nursing her beer and Harper needed to drink lots of water, if she was going to sing. Alcohol dried your vocal chords out, especially beer, in Harper"s case. She could drink tequila and sing into the wee hours, but beer really wrecked her voice. She had been challenged and her Oklahoma pride was at stake. Harper"s mother taught her to sing. Her mother told Harper that she was a perfect mimic. She could hear certain singers and nail their style perfectly, but mimics don"t make money, scientists do.
Harper finished the second bottle of water by chasing pretzel sticks down, after knocking the salt off them. She excused herself to the restroom. It was difficult to sing with a full bladder. Just as she started to wash her hands, Dee burst into the bathroom.
"You gotta hurry; they"re calling your name."
Harper"s heart jumped into her throat. She finished washing and drying, ran her fingers through her hair and stepped back into the bar. Some hanky-panky had been going on while she was gone, because the next thing she heard was an announcer type voice.
"And now ladies and gentlemen and you b.i.t.c.hes over there. Yes, you b.i.t.c.hes over there. You know who you are. Anyhoo, here all the way from Antlers, Oklahoma, a brand new country b.u.mpkin fresh off the farm, let"s give it up for Harper Lynch."
Harper flushed uncontrollably, but bit the bullet and took the stage. She knew this was the hardest part. Once she started singing the music took over and her nerves disappeared. She knew she just had to get through getting started. The rest would take care of itself, because once she was on, she was on. She could entertain with the best of them. She had rocked the armory back home more than once and she couldn"t remember how many solos she sang in church and school.
The music started and the words began to roll by. She sang the first verse, of the Smokey Robinson hit.
"People say I"m the life of the party, cause I tell a joke or two."
The crowd began to sway and Lauren had a wicked grin on her face. Harper invited the crowd in on the chorus and pretty soon the whole bar was singing the entire song. Harper was leading because she had the microphone, but the bar was taking over. After the first, "I need you, I need you," Harper jumped off the stage. She continued to sing making her way over to where Lauren was standing and singing with everyone else.
Lauren was watching Harper approach as she sang, "Since you left me if you see me with another girl, seeming like I"m having fun."
The wicked grin was turning into an all out smile. Lauren was radiant. Harper reached her, held out her hand and Lauren stepped right up on the chair seat and onto the table. Harper encouraged the other members of the team to join Lauren. Before the end of the song they were all in chairs and on the tables, including Harper, singing Motown with their friends, at the top of their lungs.
The crowd roared when it was over. Everyone climbed down off the furniture, but they continued to shout and clap. A cheer of encore started in the back of the bar and made its way loudly to the stage where Harper was replacing the microphone in the stand. The chant grew so loud she finally said yes.
"It"s got to be a little slower this time. I don"t think I have another one like that in me," she said into the microphone.
She stepped back to the guy running the machine. They talked for a few seconds. He nodded yes and Harper headed back to center stage, where she pulled up a stool. "This is one of my new all time favorites. I hope you like it. It has to be one of the best videos I"ve ever seen. G.o.d Bless Sugarland"
"I love your accent," some drunken chick yelled from the back of the room.
"Well, bless your heart. I like yours, too," Harper had them in the palm of her hand, now could she keep them.
The music started. Harper made quick eye contact with Lauren and instantly knew it was the wrong thing to do. Harper would never make it through this song if she looked at her. She looked away. The words came clear and strong from her throat. Harper lost herself in the emotion of the song and the audience melted away. She played the scene out in front of them, like it was happening for the first time and they were witnesses.
"I"ve been sitting here staring at the clock on the wall"
A spattering of applause and whistles grew, as the crowd recognized the song, "Stay," followed by shushes from the ones who wanted to hear. Jennifer Nettles wrote the song from the point of view of the other woman, something Harper was beginning to understand more intensely.
Harper sang the song as if she had written it, because of something personal in her own life. She"d never had an affair, but she was as close as she had ever been to having one now. She went on through the verses begging her lover not to go home to the wife.
She still hadn"t looked at Lauren. She looked over the top of the heads in front of her, at her imaginary lover, until she reached the next lines. For some reason she turned and looked right at Lauren, who was staring at Harper in disbelief.
"You keep telling me, baby, there will come a time
When you will leave her arms and forever be in mine"
Harper almost lost it. The emotion bubbled up in her voice. It worked for the song. Harper finished strong on the last chorus when the woman tells the lover she will not wait anymore.
"Baby, why don"t you stay...?"
The crowd roared again. Harper"s team was giving her a standing ovation. She stepped off the stage took a bow and went straight for the Kamikazes on her table. She grabbed one and slammed it back. She sat down and let out a deep sigh. She was so glad that was over.
"G.o.d d.a.m.n! Girl you can sing," Abby said, reaching for a high five.
The girls yelled celebratory salutes at Harper, she smiled and nodded and was extremely glad when the next singer started and she too could sing. The crowd quieted to hear her sing Carrie Underwood"s version of "I Told You So."
Harper finally looked at Lauren, who was staring at her with her mouth open. "s.h.i.t, Harper. I had no idea." Lauren grabbed Harper"s knee. "You are amazing."
Harper leaned in so Lauren could hear her, "Thanks for bringing me, I"m having fun. How about you? Having fun yet?"
"Yes!" Lauren shouted, throwing her arms up in the air, which got everybody"s attention at the table.
Harper laughed, shouting over the music, "I just asked her if she was having fun."
Abby leaned over to say they were leaving. She told Harper how much she enjoyed her singing again. Julie and Alicia left with Abby, but not before Abby whispered, "Be careful." Dee and Chita decided to go to a bar with a younger crowd. Ellen and Becky said their goodbyes and once again Lauren and Harper were alone, just like that.
"Harper," Lauren grabbed her hand, "you want to get out of here?"
"Yeah, I do. Let me call my man, Max, the Tar Heel taxi driver and we"ll be on our way."
Harper waited to call until they came outside. It was easier to hear. It had gotten colder, but Harper was so warm, from all the singing, she put her coat around Lauren"s shoulders.
"Why you are quite the Sir Galahad, Harper."
Harper grinned, "It"s the cowboy way."
"Well what are you in the mood for now? It"s your night out on the town."
"To tell you the truth, I"d like to go home and get out of these tight a.s.s jeans," Harper said honestly.
"Then home it is. Sure I can"t talk you into going dancing. Those jeans do look really nice on you," Lauren teased.
"Nope, you can"t flatter me now. It"s too late."
The taxi pulled up with the beaming Max, at the wheel. "Was that quick enough for ya"?"
Harper opened the door again for Lauren. She wasn"t emulating a man. She just felt like treating Lauren like a lady. It came natural to her. She watched her father treat her mother that way. On the way home, they talked about dancing on the table and how much fun it had been. Harper didn"t ask what Abby and Julie had been talking to Lauren about.
Lauren wanted Harper to sing to her before they made it home. Lauren was fading fast. The heat in the taxi was taking its toll. When they pulled in the driveway, Harper had her arm around Lauren, with her head resting on Harper"s shoulder. She reached into the coat that Lauren was wearing to get money to pay Max. Lauren was asleep in la, la land and began to snuggle against Harper"s neck.
"That"s a beauty you got there. You"re lucky," Max added, "my wife is twin to a sow, but sweet as the day is long. You need some help getting her in the house."
"Yes, Max, I would be eternally grateful if you could help me," Harper said relieved to have the help.
Max helped her get Lauren in the door. Harper tipped him again. He told her to call him anytime. He knew a good customer when he saw one. Harper shut and locked the door, while holding Lauren up with one hand against the wall. When she put her arms under Lauren"s to help her walk toward the couch, Lauren put her arms around Harper"s neck and started kissing her face. Soon her mouth was locked on Harper"s. They kissed desperately for what seemed like minutes, but could have only been seconds. Harper pulled away first. She put her hands on Lauren"s chest and pushed her back against the wall, tenderly.
"Lauren, you don"t want to do this. I don"t want to do this."
Lauren mumbled, "I don"t know what I want." Then she crumpled to the floor, in a waterfall of tears, tears that had been a long time coming.
All Harper could do was sit beside her and hold her while Lauren purged, her body shook and she keened out soul-deep pain. They didn"t speak. Harper just let her cry. When the crying eventually subsided, Harper moved Lauren to the couch, where she took off the duffle coat and Lauren"s poncho. Harper went upstairs to get her a blanket and pillow. Lauren sniffled and lay down like an obedient child. She was out within seconds.
Jasper finally got to go out. Harper thought she should call Shelby and let her know where she could find her wife. She tried Shelby"s cell number. She got voice mail and left a message. She checked the contact info Lauren had programmed in her phone. There was a home number, so she tried it. She got voice mail, again. She listened to the message.
Shelby"s voice was so professional, "Hi, you"ve reached Shelby and Lauren. We"re not able to answer your call at the present. Please leave a message."
"Shelby, this is Harper. Lauren had too much to drink and I couldn"t send her home in a taxi, alone like that. She"s asleep on my couch. You can come get her if you want, but she"s fine on the couch. Call to let me know you got this message. Call anyBEEEEEEP."
Harper looked at Lauren, after she hung up.
"That"s the story of your life, isn"t it?"
Chapter 8.
"You"re the reason G.o.d made Oklahoma...," blared out of her alarm clock. Harper downloaded the song and created her own ring tone, on her clock. Her daddy used to sing her that song. He came in every morning, of every day that he was at home to wake her. He would pull up the blinds to let the sunshine in and sing the song until Harper got out of bed. Sometimes she acted awful to him, but he just smiled and sang.
She let herself remember their faces, smiling at her, waving goodbye, as she trotted away to join the team on the bus. She told her parents, she wanted to stay with the team, because all the girls were riding the bus. They had just won the tournament, in their division. It was time to rock the bus. She loved those kinds of trips home. The bus her team traveled on was custom made for them, so it was more comfortable than the average car. Harper could stretch out and walk around.
She climbed on the bus, turning to wave one last time. Later that night, her parents were killed on 69 North just south of Durant, when a drunk driver, going over one hundred miles an hour, lost control of his car, crossed the gra.s.s median and went airborne, crashing into her parent"s car. When the bus pa.s.sed the scene hours later, they were still cleaning it up. Harper didn"t recognize her parent"s car, the model of it indistinguishable, in the ma.s.s of crumpled steel.
"You"re the reason G.o.d made Oklahoma...," blared out again, when the snooze timer went off. Harper locked away the memories and turned the alarm off. She climbed out of bed in her flannel pajamas. She went to the bathroom, while Jasper went downstairs. She splashed cold water on her face to help wake up. Why had she set the alarm for eight thirty? She couldn"t remember. There was movement downstairs; she heard one of the backdoor"s dead bolts slide out and a door opened.
"s.h.i.t, Lauren was downstairs. Harper dried her face and hopped down the stairs two at a time. She ran into the wall, making the turn at the bottom of the stairs, when her momentum carried her across the hardwood hall floor. Her white cotton socks had no grip. She bounced off the wall and shuffle/slid down the hallway toward the Great Room. Harper found the couch empty, with the blanket folded neatly, the pillow laid on top. Lauren had been up longer than Harper that was obvious.
Harper located Lauren, on the deck, holding her poncho close to her body. It was freaking cold outside. There was frost on the pumpkin, so to speak.
"I told you we all drink a little too much, once in a while," Lauren said.
She must have heard Harper coming, because she kept her eyes on Jasper doing his morning rounds. He started peeing on the first tree every day, and then he went to the next and so on. He never had enough to make it all the way around. Still, he started on the same tree, every day. Harper wondered if he would ever figure it out.
"How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?" Harper said, as she came to the railing beside Lauren.
"Well, you can answer a question for me." Lauren still had not taken her eyes off Jasper. "Did I kiss you or did I dream that?"
Harper thought carefully before she answered, "Yes, you really kissed me, but..."
Lauren cut her off, "So, I really kissed you? Then why the f.u.c.k did I wake up on the couch?"
Harper relaxed. Lauren was smiling. They were going to laugh it off, like it never happened. That was fine with Harper. She didn"t have to keep it a secret, if it didn"t happen. When Lauren turned to face Harper, Harper grimaced. Lauren"s eyelids were purple and swollen from crying.
"Come in the house, we need to get some ice on your eyes. I think I have a cuc.u.mber in the vegetable bin."
Harper led Lauren by the arm back to the couch. Lauren appeared broken to Harper, she moved ghostlike, a sh.e.l.l of herself. It worried Harper so much that she hunted around for the team roster. She followed down the list of names until she found the one she needed. She punched the number into her phone and pressed dial.
A groggy female voice answered on the other end, "This better be a life or death emergency. It"s my day off."
"Abby, it"s Harper. I have a problem. Lauren is here. She"s been here all night."
"Jesus, Harper. I told you not to get in the middle of those two."
"No, no, no. It"s not like that." Harper tried to get the words out before Abby could interrupt. "She had too much to drink. She pa.s.sed out in the taxi. I couldn"t send her home alone, in that condition; with a taxi driver I didn"t know. She kind of had a break down, a meltdown really, after I got her inside. I left a message for Shelby, but I haven"t heard back from her. Lauren slept on the couch. But this morning, I don"t know, I think there"s something wrong."
"Keep her there. I"m on my way." Click and Abby was gone.
For the next twenty minutes, she did everything she could to make Lauren, who was now weeping quietly under the cold compress, comfortable. She made Lauren take some Ibuprofen and drink some orange juice. She also tried to get her to drink a sport drink to help balance her electrolytes and replace fluids. It was amazing how much water alcohol could suck out of your body. Harper drank a G2, and then a bottle of water. She put some soft jazz in the CD player. When she couldn"t think of anything else to do, she simply sat and held Lauren"s hand.
The doorbell rang. Lauren jumped.
"It"s okay. I know who it is. It"s okay," Harper said, squeezing Lauren"s hand.
Harper left Lauren on the couch and went to the door. She could see Abby and somebody else through the beveled gla.s.s. She opened the door. Somehow Abby had managed to pick up Julie and make it here in record time.
"Where is she?" Abby said in a hushed tone.
"Down the hall. On the couch." Harper said, hanging up their coats in the hall closet.
Abby and Julie left Harper and charged down the hall. Harper followed close behind. When Abby sat down, Lauren lifted the compress.
"Oh Abby, my life is so f.u.c.ked up." Lauren started to cry harder and fell into Abby"s arms.
Julie reached in her purse and pulled out a prescription bottle. Harper watched her intently. Julie pulled out two pills and handed them to Abby.
"It"s Zanex. It"ll calm her down." Julie said to Harper, as an afterthought.
Abby pulled Lauren"s chin up. "Here, sweetheart, take these. It will help."
Lauren took the pills without hesitation then returned to rocking and crying in Abby"s embrace. Harper wanted to hold her. She wanted to make it all go away. Maybe she should have slept with Lauren last night. She did the right thing and look what happened.