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BB grimaced. “If I hurt her, we have our own family at home who would kick my ass for you. Believe me.”
“You mean, your work family. Yeah, she’s told me about them. She said she feels she can be herself around them for the first time in a long time. I’m guessing it’s another reason why she’s afraid to admit she likes you. She doesn’t want to screw up what she has at KSI.”
“Neither do I.”
“So, I was right,” Cohen said. “You like her too. I knew it. Look, I get why you and Gennessey are holding back, but man, I’m telling you my cousin is worth the risk. That’s my two cents anyway.”
BB didn’t know how to tell Cohen that he completely agreed. Instead, he deflected to avoid admitting what he’s known for a while. “Does Gen know you’re talking to me about this?”
Cohen let out a long, belly-shaking laugh. “Hell, no. Are you kidding? She would kill me, and the death would be slow and painful. And she knows how to dispose of my body where nobody would find me. I’m trusting you to keep this between us.”
“Your secret’s safe with me. The last thing I need is an angry Gen coming after my ass.”
Cohen laughed some more before lifting his arm to point to a spot at BB’s nine o’clock. “There.”
BB turned into the parking lot, immediately noticing the sleek black limo which must be the ladies’ transport. He pulled into the closest empty spot, staring at the flashy building while his skepticism mounted.
“Here?” he finally exclaimed.
But Cohen was already out the door and heading inside the bar, leaving BB to trail behind him and wondering what he was about to walk into.
Chapter Fourteen
Everything about Vocal was bold and bright and loud. BB couldn’t decide where to look because the entire place vied for his attention.
Glossy, dark wood floors shined as if freshly buffed and polished instead of being trampled on by crowds of people with dirty shoes, some with spiked heels. Three of the walls were painted silver while the fourth, the one behind the rich cherry wood bar, was covered with mirrors. The ceiling was dark, reflecting the brilliant strings of lights in all kinds of colors – blue, green, yellow, even pink.
Neon signs appeared all around, either showcasing the name of the bar or showcasing something that represented the bar, such as a microphone or music notes. A dance floor was off to one side while round tables with assorted chairs painted in the same colors as the lights occupied the other side.
Cohen tapped his arm, and BB followed him to two empty stools at an otherwise busy bar.
“Two beers,” Cohen shouted as music flooded the bar, rising above the din. The bartender nodded without missing a beat in filling drink orders.
The music thumped a low, sultry, jazzesque tune which BB recognized as a popular song from the early 2000s. He barely paid attention until the low harmony of a group of voices punctuated the music with the “yea, yea, yea” and “ooh, ooh, ooh” of background vocals. Curious, he swiveled on the bar stool until he was facing the stage.
Four women stood with their backs to the audience as they continued with their singing. Then a fifth emerged from the center and stepped up to a microphone on a stand. The others turned around as the fifth opened her luscious lips.
The voice carried the lead vocals like a pro. Her tone was low and sexy, her body swaying and rolling to the beat of the music. She sang the lyrics as if she was born to sing this song, and she owned the audience with her performance. She crooned the story of a woman who wanted to be released from her feelings for another, and the crowd went wild.
BB, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. Certain his mouth gaped, all he could do was watch the woman sing. The noise of the bar faded to a dull roar, the people around disappeared from his awareness.
All he knew, all he saw was the woman he thought he knew. The woman who, to him, was strong and fierce and loyal to a fault. The woman who now oozed sex appeal, who seduced anyone within earshot with her voice and her moves.
Her shiny hair whipped around her shoulders as she danced in time with the beat. Her brilliant eyes sparkled under the stage lights, her throat moving with the vibrations from her vocal cords. She was beautiful before. On stage, she was memorizing.
She was downright stunning. And BB was lost.
“I take it you didn’t know.” Cohen’s raised voice broke through the spell BB was under.
He didn’t have to look at the man or ask him what he meant. “Not. A. Clue.”
The women were grinning and laughing as they danced on stage, some of them watching the lyrics play on the screen to their right while the others performed the song from memory. When they finished, the crowd went berserk with applause, shouts of encores, and catcalls. BB noted the faint blush to Gennessey’s cheeks as she brushed off the audience’s praise. He still couldn’t turn away, even when he felt Cohen nudge him.
“The karaoke bar was Autumn’s idea. I told her how Gennessey used to come here when her folks were on her case about something. Autumn loves karaoke bars too, so she thought it would be a great time for her bachelorette party. Gennessey had big dreams of being a recording star or a songwriter, and our family thought she was crazy. Like they thought I was crazy for wanting to be an artist.”
BB finally glanced at Cohen. “Why didn’t she try to be a professional singer?”
“That’s her story to tell, not mine. But I don’t think she regrets the choice.”
