Serendipity (6 page)

Faith discreetly studied her nemesis, from the woman's silky black hair to her wide green eyes. Lissa would be attractive if not for the perpetual frown on her face, Faith observed. Recalling that Kate mentioned she was recently divorced and betrayed, Faith decided to try and not take her attitude personally.

She turned to Stacey, whom she hadn't seen in ten years. “You need to fill me in on what's been going on in your life!”

“I will. But first let's order drinks. I see you already started,” the blonde said approvingly.

“The uptown girl's drinking Bud from a bottle. Slumming with the rest of us!” Lissa noted, a renewed sour expression on her face. “I'll have a Bud Light too!”

“We all will,” Kate said, deciding for everyone, and shooting Lissa a warning glare at the same time.

“Coming right up, ladies!” Joe called back.

“So you've obviously been reintroduced to Lissa,” Stacey said, diplomatically. “Do you remember Tanya?”

Faith nodded. “We were in a lot of the same classes.” “Including chorus,” Tanya said. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks.” The dark-haired woman seemed friendly enough, Faith thought, relieved she didn't have another Lissa on her hands.

Joe placed four bottles on the bar.

Everyone grabbed theirs and Kate slid the last in front of Faith. “I figured you could use a cold one. Joe said our regular table's ready, so let's go sit.”

A few minutes later, the women were settled around the table, Lissa, Tanya, Stacey, and Kate chatting like old friends, catching each other up with their day. More than anything, Faith wanted to retreat, to hide away in her small upstairs apartment, but she refused to allow herself the luxury.

Kate tried to include Faith in the conversation, but eventually Faith would lose track of the people or the stories and she'd revert to being an outsider again. Faith twisted her hands together in her lap, telling herself that each time she met with this group of women, or any other group she became reacquainted with, she'd be more comfortable. She had no choice but to believe it.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Joe's booming voice reverberated through the bar. “We've come to the moment you've all been waiting for.”

Loud hoots and hollers followed his announcement.

“It's time for karaoke!” With his light brown hair and beach-bum T-shirt, Joe was the epitome of the comfortable host, engaging the crowd. With a flourish, he pulled down a big screen behind him. “Hit it, Lenny!”

His deejay put on a rousing version of Journey's “Don't Stop Believin',” and the words to the song flashed behind him on the screen.

“These are for anyone who wants to join in or in case our brave soloist forgets,” Joe explained.

The crowd responded with a round of applause.

“So, who's up first?” Joe asked.

“I don't know why he always asks. Tradition's always the same.” Tanya shook her head and sighed.

“Watch this,” Kate whispered in Faith's ear.

An overweight man with a comb-over stepped onto the stage and grabbed the mike. “Anyone have a song preference?” he called out to the audience.

“Who is that?” Faith didn't recognize him.

“It's Bill Brady!” Kate pointed out.

“The quarterback?”

“Yep.”

“The one who dated—”

Stacey hung her head in shame. “The one and only,” she said from beneath the curtain of hair that had fallen over her face.

Faith grinned. “Wow. What happened? He was so hot in high school.”

“Heredity happened.”

“Is he married?” Faith asked.

“With children. And he looks like Al Bundy too.” Stacey groaned. “He went away to Texas A&M, played football, got drafted, blew out his knee in practice, and never recovered. So he came home and runs his dad's hardware store.”

“Give the man a round of applause,” Joe said when Bill's off-key rendition was finished.

Faith dutifully clapped.

“Who's up next?” Joe asked.

Nobody responded.

“A boring crowd. Just what I need. Come on, folks.” He glanced around the crowded room and his eyes settled on their table. “Ladies!” he crooned in a sexy voice.

“Oh, no,” Faith muttered.

“Ladies!” Joe said again. “I know you're as talented as you are beautiful. Want to know how I know? Because I went to school with you and at least two of you were in chorus. One of you even had a solo!”

Faith placed her hands on her burning cheeks. He remembered? She and Kate used to be all rah rah, participating in clubs and activities like cheerleading, chorus, and even an afterschool singing club.

“Look at them acting shy when just last month they brought the house down!” He pointed to the three women sitting beside her.

Faith's eyes opened wide. “You did?”

Lissa shook her head and groaned. “I'd just broken up with my boyfriend. My kid was staying at his father's in New Jersey.”

“She was drunk!” Stacey gleefully reminded her.

“So were you!” Lissa shot back. “And you.” She pointed at Kate. “As a matter of fact,
you
dragged me up there!” This time she spoke to Tanya.

“I'm waiting!” Joe said. “We're all waiting.” The patrons in the bar responded, clapping and encouraging them to sing.

Suddenly a waitress appeared at their table with shots of vodka.

“We didn't order these,” Faith said.

“On the house!” Joe spoke into the microphone as if he'd heard her. “Have a few of those and we'll get back to you in a little while. Jean here wants her turn.” He handed the microphone to a middle-aged woman with frizzy black hair and a housedress on. She began singing while her husband clapped and egged her on.

Faith glanced at the small glasses of vodka, sure Kate would turn down the straight shots of alcohol, but along with the others, she picked up the small glass.

“Faith?” Kate cajoled, clearly expecting her to join in.

“Yeah,
Faith
?” Lissa called her out.

A definite dare. Her tone, her stare, her expression clearly stating she thought Faith would say no. Because she was too good to sit in a bar and do shots with the locals.

Well, maybe a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Faith Harrington would have said no, but more because she'd have been afraid she would get in trouble. But she definitely would have been curious. Without a doubt, Faith Harrington Moreland would have considered herself above this kind of behavior.

And that was the driving factor behind her choice now. Never breaking eye contact with Lissa, Faith picked up the shot glass.

“To old friends, new friends, and becoming friends.” Kate held Lissa's gaze as she spoke.

Then all three women downed their shots before Faith could blink.

Faith tipped the glass and did the same, forcing herself not to cough as the fiery liquid burned its way down. Faith glanced at the stage and knew it would take more than one to give her that kind of courage.

“Another round?” she asked the waitress.

Three shots later, Faith found herself tipsy and on stage with the other women, singing “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer, from 1999, and revisiting her youth.

Apparently, the alcohol had done its job, relaxing her, spiking her energy and her mood, because she got into the song as well as the dance to go along with it. She hadn't expected to have such a good time.

She sang the chorus when suddenly a sense of heat and awareness swept through her. She glanced across the room to find Ethan, leaning against a wall, arms folded across his broad chest.

Watching her every move.

Faith's hips shook, her body moved in time to the music, and Ethan couldn't tear his gaze away.

He'd had no intention of leaving the house, let alone coming out to Joe's Bar. But Mike Ferraro, the brother of one of Ethan's old high school buddies, had heard Ethan had bought the house on the hill and stopped by to see for himself. Ethan and Mike's older brother, Carl, had gotten into more than their share of trouble together, and Mike had often tagged along.

Ethan had invited Mike in and they'd shared a beer and caught up. Apparently, Carl had knocked up his high school girlfriend and they'd gotten married the summer after graduation. These days, Carl was an electrician like his father, with two sons and a baby daughter. It was hard to imagine his friend settled down, but apparently Carl had discovered he liked his married life, a far cry from Ethan's tour of duty and solitary path. Mike, meanwhile, two years younger than Ethan and Carl, had cleaned up his act too, no longer getting into fights or trouble. Instead, he used his hands working construction, and like Ethan, he was still single.

When Mike suggested they head on over to Joe's, Ethan had said yes immediately. At home, the walls were closing in on him, the echo of silence mixing with the memory of his brother's disdain and Faith witnessing his humiliation. The sheer emptiness of the large house was driving him mad. To the point that even showing his face in downtown Serendipity held some sort of perverse appeal.

He hadn't expected to find Faith here. She lived above the bar, but even with her change in circumstance, he still considered her above a place like this. But not only was she here, she was on stage, singing.

Suddenly, she locked eyes with his and awareness shot through him, as hot and heavy as the beat of the music. He remembered the song from his high school days, the words washing over him as Faith mouthed the lyrics.

To him.

 

And he wanted to. Badly. An ache settled low in his stomach, making him want in ways he barely recognized. Without warning, the music stopped and the entire bar treated the women to a round of applause. Ethan and Mike included.

“They're hot, huh?” Mike asked, tilting his head toward the women on stage. “So which one's got you so worked up?”

Ethan didn't answer. Didn't want anyone to know Faith Harrington could get past the aloof exterior he intended to project to the town.

“No answer?” Mike shrugged. “Then you won't mind if I try my luck with Faith Harrington. She's back, she's hot, and considering the way her family fortune's turned, she'll probably want someone to console her.” He grinned. “And I'm just the man for the job.”

The words twisted in Ethan's gut. “I mind,” he muttered. No way would he let Mike near her.

His friend's laughter rumbled in Ethan's ear. “That's what I thought. I was kidding. I saw how she was looking at you. I just didn't know if you were interested too.”

“I just want to convince her to do my house,” Ethan said, his voice lacking conviction.

“I thought you wanted her to
do
you.” Mike chuckled.

Ethan had had enough of his friend. He decided to see if he could, in fact, convince Faith to take the job. “Go get yourself a beer. I'll meet you at the bar.”

“Looks like you're too late.” Mike pointed toward the women who had returned to their table.

A man Ethan didn't recognize stood behind Faith's chair, his hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him and smiled.

Ethan's shoulders stiffened. “Who the hell is that?”

“Nick Mancini. He owns the construction company I work for. He's also her ex. They used to go out back in high school, but she dumped him.”

“You were the same year as them, right?” Ethan asked, remembering.

Mike nodded. “One day they were
the
couple and the next it was over.”

Faith had dumped Nick, Ethan thought. That had to be a good thing. “It was ten years ago. I'm sure Mancini's over her.”

Like you are?
a voice in Ethan's head taunted him.

“Sorry, but word around the office is he's not. The boss wants a second shot.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me construction workers gossip like a bunch of girls?”

Mike shrugged. “I'm just repeating what I heard. Thought you'd want to know you had competition.”

“Unless Nick Mancini has a house he wants decorated, I don't think I need to worry about him.” From the corner of his eye, Ethan saw Faith rise, wobble on her high heels, steady herself, and make her way toward the restrooms on the other side of the bar.

Ethan took that as his cue. “See you later,” he said to Mike.

He strode across the room and down a hallway where he leaned against the wall across from the bathrooms and waited. He planned to be here when Faith walked out.

 

 

Faith glanced in the bathroom mirror, wondering if she looked as tipsy as she felt. The room spun a bit, so she couldn't tell. The only thing she knew for sure was that Ethan was in the bar and he'd immediately zeroed in on her. For a brief moment, nobody else in the room existed as she sang “Kiss Me” to
him
.

Then Nick had come over, being all too friendly to her, and Faith had needed an escape.

Well, she'd had her break, and she'd better get back before Kate sent out a search party. She swiped some gloss over her lips, fluffed her hair, and headed for the exit.

She stepped out the door and found the man of her fantasies waiting there. Arms crossed over his broad chest, a dark look in his intense eyes.

“Hi,” she said, intending to stride past him, as if there hadn't been that charged eye contact between them when she was on stage.