The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland

horror . A blinking neon sign proclaimed ‘Karaoke Speed Dating ’ in large letters. They might as well have hung a giant ‘Loser’ placard around the neck of every poor sod entering! Old Compton Street heaved with all manner of humanity, and passersby were shooting the pair curious glances as they hovered outside the entrance. Despite her severe misgivings, Emma was desperate to get off the street. Even listening to losers looking for love was better than being ogled.
    ‘Come on.’ She grabbed Alice’s hand and tugged her into the club. Inside it was dark, except for a spotlight on the stage, with a karaoke machine set up to the right. Emma shuddered, imagining herself under that bright light, belting out a tune—or trying to, anyway.
    ‘Hello, I’m Suzy. Welcome to karaoke speed dating!’ chirped a tiny woman with jet-black hair and so much eyeliner that her lids struggled to lift. She glanced at her clipboard. ‘Do you have tickets? Hope so, since we’re sold out tonight.’
    Sold out? Emma’s eyebrows flew up in surprise that people voluntarily submitted themselves to this.
    Alice nodded. ‘Yes, we’re Alice and Emma. I booked in advance.’
    ‘Perfect.’ Suzy made two ticks on her clipboard. ‘So, ladies, welcome ! Now, this is how it works. You’ll both sing together in a team. The eligible bachelors will watch and note on their scorecards if they’re interested. As they sing, you’ll mark them. After a brief break, we’ll match interested men with interested women in a duet sing-off.’
    ‘Sing in a team?’ Emma turned to her friend. ‘You said I wouldn’t have to karaoke!’
    ‘Oh, come on, Emma. You’ll have a blast!’ Alice responded, smiling reassuringly at the organiser. ‘She’s just shy.’
    ‘Shy and tone deaf,’ Emma mumbled, poking Alice in the side for not telling her the whole truth earlier. This sounded worse than Chinese water torture. Sophie’s words about the poker up her arse came to mind, and Emma gritted her teeth. Well, at least she wouldn’t need to brave the stage alone. Alice was used to the spotlight , and Emma could cower behind her. Anyway, it wasn’t like she knew anyone here, thank goodness.
    Ha, she was thinking positively! ‘It’s the only way to survive this ordeal,’ she grumbled to herself.
    ‘Right, you two go on in and grab a drink. First one is on us.’ Suzy smiled benevolently, as if they hadn’t paid forty pounds for th e tickets.
    ‘Okay!’ Alice rushed to the bar and ordered two shots of God-kn ows-what, then handed one to Emma. ‘One, two, three !’
    Emma tipped back her head, grimacing as the sweet, cloying taste of Baileys filled her mouth. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done a shot, let alone Baileys. Maybe at university? To grace the stage, though, she’d definitely need Dutch courage. Or something even stronger—Amazonian courage? Was there a drink for that? If not, there should be.
    ‘I’m going to grab the song list, so we can choose our tune!’ Alice’s voice burst with enthusiasm.
    ‘Okay. I’ll order us another round and find somewhere to sit.’ After getting two large glasses of Cabernet, Emma spotted an empty table at the back of the room. The basement bar was still relatively empty, and—disappointingly for Alice—dotted with groups of women, anxiously tittering and gulping drinks like they’d been in the Sahara for a year. Even in the dim light, Emma could see the women were done up to the nines, sporting short skirts and dresses better suited to street corners. In her trusty jeans (only jeans!) and black tank, she felt underdressed, even though she had slipped on a pair of low-heeled black sandals lurking forlornly at the back of the wardrobe. Already, a blister was forming on her heel.
    ‘Right.’ Alice returned, clutching a binder with laminated pages. Her face dropped as she surveyed the room. ‘Not many guys, are there? Well, it’s still early. I wanted to get the lay of the la nd an