Page 27 of Hittin' the Right Note
He turned, in what would no doubt prove to be a futile effort, to Bryce for help.
“What do you have to say about all of this?”
Bryce, who was currently taking a very meditative sip of his cosmo and making eyes with some twink across the bar, turned his attention back to Luke.
“Oh, are you finally talking to me?” he asked. “I was starting to wonder whether this whole conversation was going to go on without me. So what’s happening again?”
“Katrina wants to take me and Mikey on one of her tours of the Ohio Valley and its historical sites,” Luke said, as patiently as he could. “She thinks it’ll be a good chance for the two of us to bond and it’ll remind Mikey of all the reasons why the history and heritage around here would make for good music.Ithink it’ll be a waste of time, both because Mikey couldn’t care less about history and also because I don’t want to get myself into a situation I can’t easily get out of. I mean, can you imagine the two of us having to spend an entire tour together?”
If Luke hated Katrina trying to run his life and play matchmaker, he hated the look Bryce was giving him right noweven more. It said he knew Luke was full of shit and he knew Luke knew he was full of shit. It was one of the disadvantages of having a best friend who actually took time to get to know you and seemed to actually give a shit not just what you thought but how you thought.
“Ugh, fine,” he said finally, throwing up his hands in disgust. “I don’t know why I deal with the two of you, and I don’t know why I ever thought I was going to be able to win an argument. I should’ve known the two of you would find some way of getting me to agree to this idea, no matter whether I really want to do it or not.”
Katrina couldn’t resist the opportunity to smirk yet again, and despite himself Luke actually found it endearing.
“Seriously. I don’t know why I put up with you both,” he said, and they just laughed.
The restof the night passed pretty quickly, and before he knew it Luke was standing outside the bar, giving them both hugs. Both Katrina and Bryce had a habit of getting a bit sloppy drunk, but that was fine with Luke. He’d gotten used to taking care of them a long time ago, and it made him feel useful, like he was paying them back for all the times they’d taken care of his drunk ass when he'd let his sorrows get the better of him.
“Are you sure you’re going to be ready to lead a tour tomorrow?” he asked Katrina, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Becuase I’m not sure you’re going to be in any fit state to do anything involving lots of brain work. At least not without a major hangover. We can always reschedule to another time…”
He let his voice taper off, trying to make it clear he’d be very okay with a raincheck, but Katrina wasn’t going to let him get away so easily.
She wagged a finger in his face, and though her words were more than a little slurred, her eyes were fierce and determined. She meant business, and there would be hell to pay if he didn’t do what she said.
“Luke Carter, you are going on my tour with Mikey Shmiles tomorrow, and that’s all there isssh to it. Do I make myself ... .clear?”
The last part came out even more slurred than the rest of it, but Luke thought he got the drift.
Just tell her yes so we can get them into their Ubers and get the hell out of here.
So that’s just what he did, even though he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to call Mikey Smiles and invite him on any historical tour. Katrina seemed satisfied, and so did Bryce and so, after several more hugs, Luke made sure they got into their respective Ubers and they were on their way home, and then he finally made it to his truck. Once he was inside, though, he faced the daunting prospect of driving all the way from Wheeling back to Fish Creek, which was going to take at least an hour, assuming he was following the speed limit.
Thereissomething you could do to make the time go faster,he thought.If you’re willing to do it.
He shook his head, hardly believing he was even thinking about calling Mikey Smiles at this time of night but, once he’d thought about it, the idea refused to just go away. Instead, it just kept pestering him in the back of his mind, reminding him how easy it would be to call Mikey and how nice it would be to hear his voice and how he might actually enjoy the chance to get to know the Ohio Valley better and, and, and…
And before he knew it his phone was in his hand, and he was dialing the number Brenda had put in his pocket.
I must be losing my mind,he thought but, strangely, he was…happy.
At least until Mikey picked up.
CHAPTER 10
LUKE—2005
“Okay,” Mikey says, after delivering yet another of his remarkable performances. “It’s your turn.”
Luke hates to admit it, but he’s jealous of the way Mikey always manages to hit the right note each and every time he tries. All Mikey has to do is hear something once, and he’s able to sing it back with perfect pitch and perfect rhythm. It’s a skill Luke has never been able to master, and it makes him nervous whenever the two of them sing together.
Things have mostly settled down since a week ago, when they’d agreed to be boyfriends, only to be reminded of why they had to keep it secret. Luke had told Mikey they were going to be okay, but things had been a little tense since then.
Luke knows it isn’t fair to hold Mikey to a standard he hadn’t agreed to but, if he’s being honest, he’d hoped his new boyfriend would be the one to say they should go public. Still, it’s pretty cool to have an actual boyfriend, even if the two of them are the only ones that know about it.
“I’m not sure I’m ready. You’re just so damn good, Mikey. I can’t compete.”
Mikey puts his hands on his hips and gives Luke an “are you kidding me” look. It seems to be his unique speciality, and Luke finds it both annoying and also very cute.
