“Scarlett!” I exclaimed. She knew we only sang karaoke when we were alone. She paid no mind to my protest so I motioned for Olivia to follow us. If I had a free hand, I’d drag her along but my beer was rather important at this moment. It might just give me enough courage to do something stupid, like sing in front of a bunch of Russians.
Olivia better not even think about leaving me alone with Scarlett. If we were going to be embarrassed because of this, we would do it together.
As soon as we got onto the stage, the singer handed us the microphone and Scarlett motioned for me to take it.
“Why amItaking it?” I wondered, annoyed. Scarlett was the one that eagerly accepted this offer, not me. “I don’t like to sing.”
“Your voice is the best out of the three of us,” Olivia answered with a small smile and I shot daggers her way. She was supposed to be my best friend first!
“And your dancing beats any of ours, so they’ll stare at your ass more than listen to your voice,” Scarlett added.
I rolled my eyes and the Russian singer laughed.
“Those are really good arguments,” she said in a heavy accent.
“Ok, here we go then. Embarrassment of a lifetime.” I took a swig and finished the beer in my hand then traded it for the microphone she was offering.
I turned towards the podium and all eyes were on us. It reminded me of my recitals when I was a kid, when I danced across the stage.It’s just entertainment, I heard my mom’s voice.
“Y’all ready for some country?” I spoke into the microphone, with a wide smile.I might as well throw in some country accent.
This was going to be a night to remember for sure. The crowd eagerly nodded their heads and men leered at us. “This song is for all you cheaters out there.”
I could already spot a few smiles faltering and it was exactly the courage I needed. I turned my head to my left where Olivia stood, and then to my right where Scarlett was. “Ready?”
I glanced back at the musicians on standby with their instruments. “Will it be a problem if we move around the stage?”
In unison they shook their head, smiling widely, and ready for some fun.
“Let’s do this then,” I mouthed to girls and winked at Scarlett.
It was the song we played on repeat for months after her boyfriend cheated. That asshole! Scarlett’s family arranged her marriage with a man she had never met when she was seventeen. She rebelled at every turn; protesting the marriage, waiting for a man to come along that she’d fall crazy in love with and would marry her under her family’s noses. It seemed strange to me that Scarlett’s family would have arranged a marriage for their daughter but her family was nothing if not strange. Neither my father nor grandfather trusted them, saying her family’s dealings were barely legal. So it played out that Olivia, her twin brother, Scarlett and I were always hanging out at my place. They were all part of the family.
The tunes started, each string of the guitar hit right home and without realizing it
I took a step forward and the words flowed through my lips, “I hope she makes you smile...”
My voice and instruments became a single tone. I really loved this song and the words to it although they would forever remind me of Scarlett’s cheating boyfriend. And how we dumped a bowl of sugar into his gas tank.
The euphoria took over with each beat. Scarlett and Olivia must have felt the same. The whole club faded and the only thing we had was each other and this moment. We snapped our fingers in the beat of the song as we danced and sang the words that meant so much six months ago. But now, it seemed so insignificant. There was so much shit coming down the pipeline between Olivia’s and Scarlett’s upcoming forced marriages. It made me grateful for my family but also terribly sad that I couldn’t do something to help my best friends. Well, short of running away, but we were too old to run away. Right?
I took Olivia’s hand and winked at Scarlett, our bodies moving sensually in sync. After all, we danced to this song a million times.
“When you lean for the kiss,” three of us sang the melody in a synched up voice, our tones complementing each other. “I hope you feel sparks…”
Our bodies warmed from dancing. The adrenaline was pumping through our veins, and we swayed to the music.
When the last tune ended, the room went utterly silent for a fraction of a second. The three of us shared a look, our breathing slightly hitched, cheeks burning. And then the thunder of cheering and applauding came about, followed by our relieved smiles.
“Oh my gosh,” Olivia exclaimed. “We should be singers.”
“No way,” I cackled. “They only liked it because they are Russians listening to Americans sing.” Besides, I loved my degree and what I studied to do. I couldn’t wait to start my new job. Amongst all the craziness, it was my sanity.
We all chuckled and Scarlett pulled us both into an embrace. “I don’t want to go back home.” Her words were a whisper in our tight circle.
There was sadness on her face. She wanted to marry for love and who could blame her. We should spend the rest of our lives with a person we love, or at least like. My heart squeezed for Olivia, her face held a hint of fear. She had become too good at hiding it. Although I understood too well why she was getting so good at hiding it. The man that her father owed a debt to was truly someone to fear.
I hated that these amazing women were in this horrible position. I wanted to fix it, make it better for them. Despite all the fucked up shit that had happened to me, I was lucky to have my amazing family.