Quiet One

Jukebox

The conversation flowed with surprising ease. They chatted like they had known each other for much longer than they actually had. It made sense as they had been through such an intense series of events together. They had spoken daily as they worked to find Hannah and unmask her kidnapper, only to have it turn out to be someone so close to them. Someone within their circle of friends. The one who helped lift the mood during the dark moments and who knew when to crack a joke and ease the tension of it all. It was hard to accept it all. But this night was about new friends and making happier memories. It definitely did not feel like the first time they had gotten together, even though that was indeed the truth.

"Hey, is that a jukebox?" MC noticed the large display screen on the wall showing different bands and song titles.

"It sure is! You can scan the code there and then select songs using the app on your phone," Lilly supplied the answer.

"Fun! Let's pick out songs to play. I feel like dancing!" MC replied excitedly.

She opened the app on her phone, scanned the code, and was taken to the song index.

"I am going to buy some songs and want each of you to pick one, okay?" MC added in the payment and selected the first tune.

"I know exactly the song I am going to pick," Thomas spoke up first. "Hannah, will you dance with me?"

"Aw, man. Are you going to pick a sappy love song?" Dan complained.

"Hey, if you don't like it, pick something different for your song. I want to dance with my girl," Thomas retorted back. "What do you think, Hannah? Will you dance with me?"

"I would love to, Thomas," Hannah replied offering him her hand as she rose, but at the same time smirking over at Dan chuckling as he rolled his eyes.

Dan only got more irritated as Everything I Do by Bryan Adams started playing.

Look into my eyes
You will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart
Search your soul
And when you find me there
You'll search no more

"Aww, that is the perfect song for them," Lilly and Cleo cooed watching their friends slow-dance together.

"You got to be kidding me! MC, hand me your phone, my pick is up next," Dan humphed.

"Oh, and I am after Dan!" Cleo chimed in.

The music stopped. Thomas and Hannah returned to the table as the next song started up.

MC laughed. "Dan! Metallica's version of Whiskey in the Jar? You got to be kidding me!"

"What?" Dan looks around the table as everyone joins in the laughter. "Seriously, what?"

"Jack Daniels," MC used the tongue-in-cheek nickname she had for her friend. "You're so predictable! Of course, that is what you would choose." She chuckled playfully shoving him in the shoulder before turning to her other friends. "Cleo, pick something we can go dance to, okay?"

"Oh, I found one. See, here is what I picked," Cleo shows MC the phone.

"That is a great one for dancing, but um, why did you pick it?" MC questioned.

"Well, you know how much I love baking. I saw this one with sugar in the title. If I remember correctly, it even talks about peaches and cream, you know like baking a peach crumble with your friend," Cleo answered naively.

"What song did she pick?" Lilly inquired.

"She picked Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me," MC laughed. "Oh, Cleo. That isn't referring to baking dessert. Don't you know what that refers to?"

"No. I guess, I really don't," Cleo says bewildered.

MC leans over, whispering in her ear. The color slowly creeps up Cleo's face as she starts to get flustered and embarrassed.

"Hey, don't worry about it! It is still a great song for dancing, Cleo," MC reassured her while blushing a bit herself over what she has just whispered. "Cleo! That gives me a great idea for one of my favorite dance tunes. Ever listen to the band Letters to Cleo? My pick is going to be I Want You to Want Me. Get ready to dance ladies!" she beamed while taking a sip of her drink.

MC scrolled through the songs index and selected a few more tunes before inquiring of the group, "There is one song left, who is picking it?"

"That is my pick," a voice said as an arm reached over MC's head plucking the phone from her hands.

MC's eyes followed her phone upwards tipping her head back. "Oh, it's you," she said seeing Phil standing right behind her chair scrolling on her phone looking for a song. A small smile appeared across her lips as she remembered that first phone call when he had said the same words to her.

"There. I will be back when that song comes on," He hands her phone back staring down at MC's upside-down face. "See you soon, sweetheart," he said with a smile, and then he was gone.

MC couldn't stop the color that came to her cheeks, as she looked back to the table of friends in front of her. She really hoped no one noticed it under the flush of color that was already there from her drink. As she picked up her glass to take the final sip, she spoke, "Ok, who is ready to dance?"

The ladies all got up to enjoy the dance floor while Thomas and Dan chatted and finished their drinks. MC had a great time, dancing and singing with her friends. That random text from Thomas had started a chain of events that brought them into her life and she couldn't imagine life without them now.