Pieces of it All (6 page)

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Blue Rooster. My name is Roarin' Randy and I'm here tonight to bring you Kountry Karaoke. Yes, that's Country with a "K" because I'm crazy .... Wait, that isn't right!" he laughed at his own joke. "We're starting off with a duet by," he glanced at his clipboard, "Harvey and Beth!"

Beth froze as she peered out at the people staring at her: the loving couple, the old man eating soup. He'd failed her. His meal was no longer the main event.
Go back to your soup!
she silently yelled.
Don't look at me!

"Now let's get started. " The DJ handed a microphone to each of them. "Men and women, children too, welcome Beth & Harvey singing a classic,
Islands in the Stream
!"

The overhead lights beamed onto them, the karaoke screen turning on to present the first lines. The music began to play. The words shook on the display as the room spun and the weight of her eyes intensified.
Don't let me fail at this
, she thought.
Please, I have to get through this. I'll look like an idiot in front of Harvey
.

Harvey had already begun singing. A grin filled his face, and he reached out for her hand. Could she let her grip up on the mic to touch him? She was sure she was going to faint. Either that, or throw up. Or both. When she loosened her grasp, she reached to clasp her hand over her mouth. The microphone shrieked as it hit the floor. She sprinted off the stage toward the bathrooms. She threw the door to the bathroom open and before she knew it, her dinner was in the toilet. She wiped her mouth and stood up, leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
Shit.

Chapter Six

"Gross," A teenage girl said to her friend as they passed Harvey outside the ladies room. "Let's get out of here."

Once the girls left the area, Harvey pushed on the swinging door. He stepped in, whispering Beth's name, hoping no one else occupied a stall.

He had never been in the ladies room before. He expected flower wallpaper on the walls and pretty pink sinks. Maybe some of that fruity smelling wood chip shit on the counter. However, except for the urinals, it replicated the men's room. Five stalls lined the wall opposite the sinks. He gently pushed each door open as he stepped in front of the stalls. Beth called out as he reached the fourth.

"Last one."

"I guess karaoke really
isn't
your thing?" he teased as he swung the door all the way open.

"Told you. I've never been one to talk in front of crowd, much less sing. I don't even sing in front of the mirror. That's embarrassing enough." She sat on the dirty tile floor, a wad of toilet paper in her hand.

"Don't be embarrassed. I'm impressed you got up on stage." He knelt down next to her. "You sure won't forget this birthday." She stared at him with her big brown eyes. Even with hair stuck to her red face she was gorgeous. "Come on. Let's go. I'll take you home." He pulled her up, and then tangled his fingers with hers. She stood taller than he remembered, reaching almost to his nose. She put her opposite hand on his arm and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. He wanted to smell her hair. He guessed her scent was strawberry or something flowery - sweet like her.

The restaurant boomed with music, a gentleman on stage singing a song about it being five o'clock somewhere. Harvey gave Beth a smile, hoping she realized this meant no one even cared what happened. He certainly didn't. Fail or not at karaoke, a hot girl walked beside him. A win for him.

They stepped outside and Harvey surveyed the parking lot. "Now where's my bike?"

"Your bike? We're at least five miles back to my house. You're going to take me home on your bike?" The sniffles through her laughs were adorable.

He squeezed her hand. "I'm joking. My car is over there." He pointed to a beat up blue Bonneville a few rows from the entrance. "I got the new battery. It's nothing fancy. Hope that's okay."

"If it runs, gets me home, and isn't a bicycle, then it's fine."

Harvey opened the door for her. He leaned back to check out her long, tan legs and firm ass, his pants tightening as he thought about grabbing it. He'd get to that later. She reached for the non-existent seat belt. "Sorry, they're missing."

"Not very safe, is it?"

He turned the key. "Now, now. I'm a cautious driver. Don't worry." He reassured her.

Harvey kept his eyes on the road, trying to catch a glimpse of Beth whenever she wasn't looking. He couldn't remember the last time he met someone so beautiful
and
sweet. She seemed to enjoy his company. It was different, being wanted. The guys at The Blue Rooster were his friends, he supposed, but nothing matched a female companion. Also, those were the friends he would drink with, at least until he pushed everyone away and drank alone. They hadn't given him any flack about ordering the soda instead of a beer, but the looks on their faces and the coldness in their voices weren't exactly understanding.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you," Harvey finally said as they approached their street. "I just thought karaoke would be a lot of fun. You said you wanted to take some risks. I thought this was a start, without getting too crazy."

"Don't worry. It was interesting, for sure." Beth shoved her hands between her thighs, squeezing them together. "Like you said, I won't forget tonight, and if I want to have some fun, I need to loosen up."

"Within reason. You still have to be comfortable with what you're doing. I'm curious, though, how you expect to be a teacher if you don't like speaking in front of crowds? Are you planning on being one of those online teachers?" In rehab, he managed to take one online course toward his GED. He couldn't stand the Internet. All this social media shit irritated him. He liked being off the grid. Facebook and Twitter and all those other crappy sites were only ways to stalk people. He utilized the sites once while trying to search for his mom, with no luck. Fuck that.

"If it's something I know well, I can do it without a problem."

He wanted her to show him all the things she did well, and desperately wished to be the hands between her thighs.

She rested her arm on the windowsill. "Besides, I think I'll teach middle school. I don't think I could handle high school."

"Aren't middle school kids just adults in tiny bodies?"

"I suppose these days. I never actually thought of it that way." It was cute that she covered her mouth when she laughed.

Minutes later they arrived at Beth's house. The porch light illuminated the front door. Harvey slowed to a stop and put the car in park. "Someone's watching us." The curtain covering the door was slightly pulled back.

"My dad. I'm sure he's snooping. I texted Lucy to call my mom and tell her you were taking me home."

Parents were an obstacle. Even the four years between them seemed an eternity when parents got involved. Her mom seemed nice, but she probably didn't know about his past. Shit. If she found out, that would only ruin things. "Do you think they mind you hanging out with me?"

She shrugged. "My parents are pretty cool. I'm sure they'll give me their opinion at some point."

Cool parents - did those exist? His heart skipped a beat at the mention of 'some point.' He wanted to spend time with Beth again, and he thought she was interested, too. She looked so pretty against the dim lighting of the porch. He reached out and ran his index finger down her cheek. "I like you," he said as his finger left her face. "You're sweet." All the young girls he associated with in the past were ones he would drink with. They didn't have a plan, or any order in their lives for that matter. He needed to attach himself to a good girl, someone to show him the good in the world, someone to make him forget about his past and all the shit he went through.

"I like you, too, Harvey." The redness had receded and her eyes were no longer puffy.

"Next time we won't do something so outrageous, okay?"

"Next time?"

Harvey curled his lip up into a smile. "I'd love to see you again. How about tomorrow? I'm volunteering at a pet fair. Come help me out." He didn't know if he was allowed to bring anyone along, but they probably could use extra hands.

"A pet fair? What are you doing there?"

"I'm helping out at a booth about spaying and neutering pets. It's for Bullet's vet. Twice a year they offer a discount. I want to do what I can to help out." He neglected to add the event served as community service for a drinking and driving incident.

"Wow. Cool. Sure, I'd love to come. I'd better get going. Tomorrow?"

"Definitely." Harvey jumped out of the car to open her door for her. She stepped out and turned to him. He wanted to kiss her, but if her dad was watching from the window, he didn't want him to witness it, and it felt too soon. Slow and steady this time.

Beth waved goodbye to Harvey. He watched her until she closed the front door.

He really hoped he could take it slow.

The door hadn't even closed yet when Harvey's father yelled out, "Where the hell you been? Don't you know your rent is due?" His dad stumbled into the living room, a mixed drink in tow. "I need my three hundred bucks." He extended his hand. "Fork the cash over, kid."

Harvey wasn't in the mood to argue. He knew, though, living with his father guaranteed a fight every night. They couldn't just leave each other alone - too simple. A reason to quarrel always existed. "I don't have it all right now." He swung his legs onto the coffee table, and shoved his hands in his pockets, hoping if he kept them at bay, he'd be less inclined to use them.

His father slammed his glass onto the table. "What the fuck do you mean you don't have it all right now?"

He shrugged, refusing to make eye contact. He didn't even recognize the TV show he was watching, and blocked out the sound. The screen blurred through the glaze in his eyes. "Exactly what it sounds like." What else could he mean? A couple months was all he needed to save enough money to get out of here. His shit hole of a father could disappear and he'd be out of his life. Forever. A few thousand dollars and a steady job would put him on track to freedom.

"Rent was due yesterday. You're late. When are you planning on paying me?"

By this point, his father's sour breath assaulted Harvey's nose, diminishing the last scent he had of Beth's sweet perfume. "I have $275. I'll get the rest to you tomorrow." He pulled the bills from his pocket, licking his finger and carefully counting each one, never losing sight of the television. His muscles tightened as he shoved his hand toward his father. He didn't budge, so he stood up to hand him the money.

His father's bloodshot eyes widened. A slap or punch often followed this familiar face. He couldn't flinch. Emotion drained from his face as well as the color. He had to fight this time with words and respect, something lost on his father. The nerves in his body slithered to the tips of his fingers, seething to wrap around his neck, to be done with this permanently. But fuck if Maggie always hovered in the back of his brain.

And Beth. That damn girl. Once he was on a path worth following, hopefully she'd come with him. Beating the shit out of his dad, no matter how much he deserved every punch, every squeeze taking the breath out of his body, he couldn't do it. His father's eyes burned through his, a bead of sweat dribbling down the side of his father's face.

"Fine." He backed off and Harvey's heart dropped to the floor. "If the rest of the money isn't on the table when I get home from work tomorrow, you're out on your ass. You got that kid? You'll be on the street!"

Maybe that was a better option.

Chapter Seven

The pet fair started at nine, so Beth planned on being ready by eight-thirty. Harvey only needed a few minutes to discuss with the vet which brochures to hand out and issues to consider with the participants. The next spaying and neutering special didn't take place until October, he had told her, but the sooner they began educating people the better.

What did someone wear to an event such as this? After shuffling through her closet for twenty minutes, she decided on a tank top and a pair of Bermuda shorts. Dressy wasn't the way to go if animals were going to peruse around the fair. She slipped on her flip flops and went outside to wait for Harvey.

Anxiety coursed through her, her feet tapping on the wooden porch as the sun burst through the clouds onto her face. Was this considered a date? Did karaoke qualify as one? In high school a boy asked straight out "Wanna go out sometime?" Hopefully things worked out with Harvey, and dating wouldn't even be an issue in college. This was her first "maybe" date as an adult and confusion already set in.

Her heart's pace increased as an engine roared in the distance, dropping drastically as the red car kept driving past. She pulled at her shorts, and yanked the tank top further down over the waistline. Her ponytail grazed her back. She didn't want to spend all day outside and start sweating, so hoped they'd be under a tent of some sort. She'd slathered on sunscreen after she got out of the shower. The fiery sun already warmed her shoulders, not a good sign for her skin.

She jumped when the door opened. "Beth? What are you doing out here?" Her mom asked, still in her pajamas, her hair a mess, and a cup of coffee nestled between her hands. She took a sip and smacked her lips.

Beth realized she never told her about the date, or whatever it was. "I'm going to a pet fair."

"What's a pet fair? You're not coming home with an animal, I hope. Your dad wouldn't be too happy." She still stood in the doorway, now pointing her finger in an accusatory way.

"No, Mom. Do you remember Harvey? He stopped over at my graduation party." If she did remember him, she hoped good things, and she didn't demand her chili powder back.

She crinkled her nose. "Harvey? I think I might. His dad lives down the road, right?" She slurped her coffee again. Beth wasn't going to let it annoy her. Not today. She couldn't be irritated when he picked her up.