Just Say Yes by Elizabeth Hayley

ten minutes, decided to split it between them. Walking out of the restaurant, Tim turned toward Roger and drew him into one of those manly half hugs. “Thanks.”
    â€œWhat for? I haven’t done anything.”
    It was a standard Roger response, and Tim let it slide without correcting him. Because, ultimately, Roger had done
everything
for Tim. And Tim hoped he knew it, even if he refused credit. “I’ll see you soon?”
    â€œYou know it. Take it easy. Call me if you need me.”
    Then the two men turned away from each other and went their separate ways. Roger’s last words echoed in Tim’s mind as he walked toward his truck. Tim wanted to call someone, but it wasn’t Roger. So, while convincing himself that he simply wanted to talk to a friend, Tim dialed Quinn’s number.

Chapter 6
    Style
    Quinn glanced around the dimly lit bar tentatively. About fifteen glossy wooden tables sat behind the barstools, and six cracked red pleather booths lined the windows in the front of the run-down establishment. A worn-out baby grand piano stood on top of the small wooden stage at the one end of the room. Memorabilia from the local music scene hung on walls, as did some oversized mirrors, which Quinn figured were strategically placed to make the cramped space feel somewhat larger. There was no doubt in Quinn’s mind that, in its day, The 89th Key had been a hot spot where locals came to listen to music and blow off a little steam. But by the looks of things, “its day” had probably been about sixty years ago, and not much upkeep had been done to the dingy establishment since. As her eyes took in the bar’s patrons, Quinn couldn’t help but think that some of those same people were old enough to remember when the place didn’t make you feel like you needed a shower after you left.
    She took a sip of her soda and looked at her watch. Tim would be there soon, but it wasn’t soon enough. When he’d called to say he’d gotten stuck at work covering the beginning of someone’s shift, she’d been disappointed. But she hadn’t felt the same sense of panic that she felt now. Thankfully, Scott and Lauren had agreed to go with her at the last minute, but their presence did nothing to quell her fears. Truth be told, she
should
have felt some sort of hesitation. That’s how she knew singing karaoke in front of a crowd was something that was clearly out of her comfort zone. Sure, she’d been a little anxious before stealing the pack of gum the previous week. But there was something more . . . adventurous about that. It had felt like a challenge—a game she had to win. Quinn had a sinking suspicion that once she’d had a turn onstage, there’d be no winners in the place.
    â€œSooo, Quinn,” Lauren said slowly as she sipped on her beer, “what exactly are we doing here?”
    Quinn set her glass down gently on the table and settled back into her chair. She hadn’t told Lauren much of anything when she’d called her earlier, despite the fact that they’d been best friends since elementary school. She took a deep breath as she prepared to explain herself. Quinn wasn’t sure why she hadn’t told the girls about her story assignment. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was probably because she didn’t want to hear them deny what she knew was the truth.
    But Quinn was relieved when, as she told Lauren and Scott about her article and how Tim had become involved—which Quinn was grateful they didn’t question her about—Lauren gave Quinn a warm smile. “I think it’s an awesome idea. I can’t wait to read your article.” Lauren stared at her for a moment before confusion swept over her face. “But my original question still stands. Why are we
here
? I mean, there are plenty of other places for you to lose your karaoke virginity. What would possess you to