of Taffy’s childhood just seemed to be wiped clear. The psychiatrist said they would come back over time, but not much had. In some ways, this had made moving on easier. Every so often, when she was just falling asleep, or in that deep relaxation pose at the end of yoga class, an image or scenario would come back to her.
Taffy murmured, half to herself, “I don’t think I’ll ever feel at home anywhere but New York.”
She finished the last sip of her second beer, and Ethan pushed his untouched second towards her.
“Don’t you want it?”
“You can have it. I’m driving.”
Maria smiled approvingly. “I’m off duty, but I’m always on the lookout, McCoy.”
They definitely had a flirty thing going. Taffy pushed aside her empty beers and ploughed into her third. She considered ordering another shot as she turned to Ethan.
“So you gonna sing or what? Isn’t that why we’re here?”
“We’re here so you can observe some of the local culture.”
“Or contribute to it,” Maria said as Taffy tried, unsuccessfully, to hold back a burp.
“The culture I’m used to is the Metropolitan Opera and Tony Award–winning Broadway shows.” She clinked beers with one of her empty bottles.
Maria smirked. “You can take the girl out of the Big Apple, but you can’t take the Big Apple out of the girl, is that it?”
“Precisely.”
Maria leaned forward. “And what if her core is rotten?”
“Hey,” Ethan said jovially. “Remember we’re just out for a good time.”
Maria leaned back in her chair and watched a geeky-looking hipster wrap up his version of “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” by Bachman Turner Overdrive.
“My turn,” said Ethan standing up. “Play nice.” He headed for the stage. As he cued up his song, he tossed the list over to Taffy. She shook her head.
“You don’t seem like the shy type,” Maria said.
“Just because you’ve seen my driver’s license doesn’t mean you know anything about me.”
“Don’t I?” Maria placed her elbows on the table and met Taffy’s slightly drunken gaze. “Spoiled little rich girl needs a reset. Moves out west for a change of scene. Thinks her life is so hard because of some tragic event in her past—”
“You don’t know anything about me.” Emboldened by drink, she shared a thought she hadn’t meant to say out loud. “You’re just jealous because Ethan likes me.”
Maria laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
From the stage, Ethan said, “This goes out to the two lovely ladies at my table.” The first few drumbeats rumbled through the bar. The Rolling Stones, of course.
“I saw how you looked at him while you were singing.” Taffy downed the rest of her beer and waved to Ted for another. “But all’s fair in love and war, ain’t it?” She picked up the list of songs and tried to focus on the titles.
Maria was shaking her head in disbelief. “You’ve got it all wrong.”
“We’ll see about that.” Taffy stood up. She wobbled. And then she wove her way to the stage as the audience applauded Ethan.
Taffy took the microphone from him before the next guy in line could start. She pointed to a song title and took a deep breath. She had to sing fast because as soon as she stood up she realized she had to pee.
The opening chords to Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” twanged through the room. Taffy sort of sang-yelled the lyrics. She tried to sing to Ethan but the lights made it hard to find him in the crowd. Halfway through the song, it occurred to her that she hadn’t sung nor lip-synced a song since before her mother died. She had to swallow a lump in her throat. The effect of this made her voice even more Joplin-esque. She was surprised to hear the audience roar with applause when she was done.
She stumbled off the stage and headed straight for the restroom. In her inebriated state, she was only half mortified at what she had done. When she returned to the bar, Ethan found her before she found
Taffy murmured, half to herself, “I don’t think I’ll ever feel at home anywhere but New York.”
She finished the last sip of her second beer, and Ethan pushed his untouched second towards her.
“Don’t you want it?”
“You can have it. I’m driving.”
Maria smiled approvingly. “I’m off duty, but I’m always on the lookout, McCoy.”
They definitely had a flirty thing going. Taffy pushed aside her empty beers and ploughed into her third. She considered ordering another shot as she turned to Ethan.
“So you gonna sing or what? Isn’t that why we’re here?”
“We’re here so you can observe some of the local culture.”
“Or contribute to it,” Maria said as Taffy tried, unsuccessfully, to hold back a burp.
“The culture I’m used to is the Metropolitan Opera and Tony Award–winning Broadway shows.” She clinked beers with one of her empty bottles.
Maria smirked. “You can take the girl out of the Big Apple, but you can’t take the Big Apple out of the girl, is that it?”
“Precisely.”
Maria leaned forward. “And what if her core is rotten?”
“Hey,” Ethan said jovially. “Remember we’re just out for a good time.”
Maria leaned back in her chair and watched a geeky-looking hipster wrap up his version of “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” by Bachman Turner Overdrive.
“My turn,” said Ethan standing up. “Play nice.” He headed for the stage. As he cued up his song, he tossed the list over to Taffy. She shook her head.
“You don’t seem like the shy type,” Maria said.
“Just because you’ve seen my driver’s license doesn’t mean you know anything about me.”
“Don’t I?” Maria placed her elbows on the table and met Taffy’s slightly drunken gaze. “Spoiled little rich girl needs a reset. Moves out west for a change of scene. Thinks her life is so hard because of some tragic event in her past—”
“You don’t know anything about me.” Emboldened by drink, she shared a thought she hadn’t meant to say out loud. “You’re just jealous because Ethan likes me.”
Maria laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
From the stage, Ethan said, “This goes out to the two lovely ladies at my table.” The first few drumbeats rumbled through the bar. The Rolling Stones, of course.
“I saw how you looked at him while you were singing.” Taffy downed the rest of her beer and waved to Ted for another. “But all’s fair in love and war, ain’t it?” She picked up the list of songs and tried to focus on the titles.
Maria was shaking her head in disbelief. “You’ve got it all wrong.”
“We’ll see about that.” Taffy stood up. She wobbled. And then she wove her way to the stage as the audience applauded Ethan.
Taffy took the microphone from him before the next guy in line could start. She pointed to a song title and took a deep breath. She had to sing fast because as soon as she stood up she realized she had to pee.
The opening chords to Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” twanged through the room. Taffy sort of sang-yelled the lyrics. She tried to sing to Ethan but the lights made it hard to find him in the crowd. Halfway through the song, it occurred to her that she hadn’t sung nor lip-synced a song since before her mother died. She had to swallow a lump in her throat. The effect of this made her voice even more Joplin-esque. She was surprised to hear the audience roar with applause when she was done.
She stumbled off the stage and headed straight for the restroom. In her inebriated state, she was only half mortified at what she had done. When she returned to the bar, Ethan found her before she found
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