And it was noon.
I sat up and looked around the apartment.
“Noon,” I whispered.
And the world didn’t end.
I got some sleep and life continued to function.
I didn’t answer Carla’s call.
Instead, I wandered into the kitchen and made some coffee.
Carla sent me a text that I didn’t read until I returned to the couch with my cup of coffee.
My plan was to stay in my PJ’s all day.
Give Liam a taste of his own medicine.
Hole up and think.
Ignore him.
Lie to him.
Even though there was this sense of… excitement…
He and Miranda weren’t together anymore.
Which meant…
I looked at my phone for distraction.
Where are you? We’re meeting Ernie at 1. You have to be there. Don’t be a Robin!
I smiled.
I looked at my guitar, balanced on the chair in the living room.
I looked at my coffee.
Was I really going to sit around and waste the day?
I mean, I already slept in… I ditched work…
I chugged the coffee and got changed.
Change of plans.
I was going to pretend I was a rock star.
The empty club had a much different vibe to it.
There was a guy behind the bar, wiping it down, getting everything set up for another afternoon and night. The stage was empty with a microphone, bar stool, and a deep red curtain that covered up the backstage area.
Most of the tables had their chairs upside down on them.
Ernie sat at the biggest table, with money and receipts around him.
Carla and Faye spotted me, jumped up and ran toward me.
I had my guitar case strapped to my back.
“And she plays guitar,” Faye said. “I love this woman.”
They hugged me like we had been friends for decades.
They made me smile as I hugged them back.
“Thanks for showing up,” Carla said.
“Ernie wants to hear us sing,” Faye said.
“Right now?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Carla said. “That a problem?”
I looked at the stage.
Jitters ran through my body.
Then I pictured Liam up there, singing.
I laughed. “I’m always ready to go.”
We walked to the table and saw Ernie gnawing on an unlit cigar like a dog with a piece of rawhide.
“Look at that mouth go,” Carla said. “Where was that when we were together?”
Ernie looked at her and slowly plucked the cigar out of his mouth. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.”
Ernie slowly snarled his lip. “I played your pussy like a violin, Carla.”
“You weren’t part of any orchestra down there,” Carla said.
“Oh, here we go,” Faye said.
“What the hell is happening?” I whispered to Faye.
“They do this,” Faye said. “They revisit their sex life and then end up… you know…”
“I was conducting, Carla,” Ernie said. “I was making you make noises that nobody ever heard before. There were famous animal explorers tracking the sounds, looking for new species.”
Carla laughed. “Looking for life? That’s about it when it comes to you pleasuring me. So dull that even the crickets fell asleep.”
I stepped forward. “Hey. Enough comparing Carla’s vagina to symphony instruments. I came here to play guitar and sing. Not watch a back-door deal in the making.”
“He never went near my back door,” Carla said.
“Because you don’t know how to have fun,” Ernie said.
“I went down on you while you were on a video conference call!” Carla yelled.
“Big fucking deal,” Ernie said.
“You two need to just get married,” Faye said. “Just call it what it is.”
“Faye fucked Dozer on the bar one night after closing,” Carla said.
“What?” Ernie said.
“She’s joking,” I said. I started to laugh. “Just joking. Right?”
Ernie looked around. “I have to figure out these receipts. Go make music.”
As Carla walked by Ernie, she put her hand to his shoulder.
He kissed her hand.
Carla blushed.
Faye looked at me. “Told you.”
I shook my head. “That’s quite the relationship you have there, Carla,” I said.
She pointed at me. “Aren’t you the one fucking an engaged guy?”
I gasped. “No. We didn’t… no. And he’s not engaged anymore.”
“I need those details,” Faye said.
I laughed. “After we sing.”
Ernie wandered from the table to the stage.
He stood with his arms folded, watching.
When we finished singing two songs, he slowly clapped.
“You like what you see?” Carla asked.
“I like what I hear,” he said. “You three are good. Especially you.”
Ernie pointed to me.
I laughed with a weak giggle sound.
Carla elbowed me. “Don’t go fucking my man there, okay?”
“What?”
“She’s got a man of her own,” Faye said. “The previously engaged hot guy that was here with her that night.”
My face was bright red.
“I like all of this,” Ernie said. “Feel free to use this place anytime you want. Practice. Write. Sing. Whatever.”
“Strip tease?” Carla asked.
“I’ll gladly pay,” Ernie said. “All three though.”
Carla hurried to take her shoe off and throw it at Ernie’s head.
“If she takes off her panties next, I’m out of here,” I said.
Ernie started to belly laugh.
Carla looked at me. “Do you think I’m a whore?”
“No,” I said.
“I’m not,” Carla said. “I wouldn’t go from a shoe to my panties. It would be both shoes, then pants… then panties.”
“Oh, right,” I said. “I messed up the order. Sorry.”
Ernie waved a finger as he walked away from the stage back to his table.
I had never in my life met two people who I felt so close to without really knowing them.
We went to the side of the stage and I put my guitar back in its case.
“Ernie was right,” Faye said. “About you, Emily. You’re talented.”
“I haven’t played a guitar in years,” I said. “Or sang.”
“Why not?” Carla asked.
I stood up. “Life.”
“It’s your life,” Faye said. “You get to choose what to do.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Seriously,” Carla said. “Don’t be afraid of life. Nobody is going to make it out of here alive. So who cares?”
“I do,” I said. “Way too much about everyone.”
“Put yourself first,” Faye said.
“And the hot guy’s cock second,” Carla said with a wink.
I laughed and blushed. “I haven’t seen… or… whatever.”
“Maybe you should,” Carla said.