Page 107 of Hollywood

Tex grinned. “My boyfriend has a great voice. He’ll be going up in a few minutes.”

Cam turned appraising eyes on me. “Well, I look forward to that. He’s not hard on the eyes either, is he?”

“He’s sure not,” Tex agreed with an appreciative smile. “But don’t get any ideas.”

“Meow.” Cam laughed. “I love a possessive man. What can I get you to drink tonight? We’ve got some great specials. The Pink Banana?—”

“Just a Bud for me. I think we’ll take an order of the Orgasmic Load?” Tex showed me the menu. “That sound good, darlin’?”

“Uh, yeah.” I glanced at the list of IPAs and selected one of my favorites, but my mind wasn’t fully engaged. I was still stuck on what Tex had said about the karaoke.

Cam tapped our order into a tablet he held. When he took his perky ass across the room, I looked at Tex. “What did you mean, I’d be going up there in a few minutes?”

“I signed you up online.”

My stomach somersaulted. “You didn’t.”

“Well, yeah. You love to sing. That’s why I brought you here for the date.”

“Tex! I like to sing at home, alone. I sing in the shower or while I clean. I don’t…” I waved a hand toward the stage. “Perform.”

“It’s just karaoke. Most of these people aren’t even good.”

“Then you go up there,” I said shortly. “The last time I was in front of an audience, I was modeling because my mother insisted on it. I hated all those eyes on me.”

He stared at me, forehead furrowed. “Shit, I’m sorry. I fucked up. I just wanted to do something special for our date. Something memorable. I wanted you to know that Iseeyou, but…fuck, I guess I didn’t see you as well as I thought I did. I thought you enjoyed the attention.”

“I do, I guess. In the right situation.” I gave him a strained smile. “Especially when the attention is coming from you.”

A drag queen with bright bottle-red hair piled on her head sashayed out. “Well, that was something, wasn’t it, folks?” She placed one finger in her ear and twisted it. “My hearing may never be the same.”

The crowd laughed.

“Well, who’s ready for our next number? Maybe this one will beon key.”

“Hey!” the bride called while her girlfriends all booed.

The drag queen just grinned, not fazed by their outrage. “Hey, honey, when you get onstage, everyone’s a critic. Try living my life.” She gave her generous hips a swish, and the crowd laughed.

“All right, next up we’ve got Hollywood! Ooh, he better be good with a name like that!”

“Oh god.” My stomach churned. I hadn’t even had a drink to dull my nerves.

“Don’t worry, Holls. I’m going to make this right.”

Tex pushed out his chair and started toward the stage. I sank down, face hot, and tried to wish myself invisible. I could just imagine what that sassy drag queen would have to say about me bailing on the karaoke.

Tex got up there, they exchanged a few words, and suddenly he was strolling onto the stage.

I straightened. What was this?

The music started up. It was “Love Me Tender.” God. I loved that song. Tex cleared his throat and began to haltingly sing. Oh, no. His voice wasn’t bad, per se, but he was more just saying the lyrics than giving them the resonance they needed.

I stood and drifted closer to the stage, unable to look away as he sang badly in front of a whole bar full of people. He wasdoing this for me. To make up for his mistake. To apologize. But he didn’t have to do that. It was an honest misunderstanding. He’d tried to do something special for me, even if it was misguided.

His voice broke on a note, someone booed, and I couldn’t take it anymore.

I ran up the steps and took the microphone from him. There was a beat as neither of us sang, missing a note. Tex’s eyes met mine.