My Stardust Melody, Chapter 44, Part Two

[petuniagirl]

"Luke, I do not know how you think this is possibly going to help things. This is not okay," Reid grumbled as he sat down in the passenger seat next to Luke.

Luke rolled his eyes. "It's just a couple hours, and you and Maddie will eventually have to get along sometime. We've been dating a few weeks and you've already made progress. Tonight won't be that bad."

"How 'bout we just kill each other? Have Henry lock us in a closet and see who comes out alive." Maddie seemed small; Reid thought he could take her.

"This is a low-key situation. The music will be so loud you won't even have to communicate with each other. Besides, she's not looking any more forward to this than you are."

"Well, she has some good sense." It almost made him smile to think how annoyed she'd be to know she was in agreement with Reid on any issue.

Luke didn't comment.

Reid huffed, "Couldn't we all just go to a movie?"

Luke started up the truck, then faced Reid. "First, you all would fight over which one to see, so that's no better. And second, this is the only night this happens at Yo's this month, and we always do this. Nathan went last month and enjoyed it."

"I'm pretty sure Nathan got laid that night. I know he comes off as some sort of touchy-feely sap, but I assure you he does his thinking with his dick." He rolled his eyes at Luke naivety.

Luke punched him lightly on the arm. "Look, it's not going to be that bad. Maddie isn't quite as obstinate about you as she used to be. She doesn't trust you, but she wants me happy. She's seen the smile on my face these past few weeks, and she knows you're responsible. Plus, it was pretty hard for her to say much bad about you after you babysat the Natalie and Ethan so she and I could go out while Faith went out with her new boyfriend."

"You smile about me?" Reid asked, ignoring the rest of what Luke said. The image gave Reid a fluttery feeling in his stomach, and he knew this argument was a lost cause. He was ridiculously weak when it came to making Luke happy. Reid suspected they'd be at Yo's in five minutes.

Luke blushed. "Of course, I do. Don't you do the same about me?"

Crap, Reid shouldn't have let on that the smiling had any effect on him. "We doctors are made of sterner stuff than that…Oh, don't look at me with the puppy-dog eyes! Fine. Yes... I smile. Hopefully, only when no one is looking.” He pointed his index finger at Luke and admonished, “Don't tell anyone I admitted that."

Luke grinned. "Aw, it will be out secret."

Reid wasn't sure he trusted Luke's tone of voice, so he narrowed his eyes to impress his point.

"Okay, okay!" Luke laughed. "I won't tell a soul. Even if it could score you some cute-points with Maddie." He faced forward and put the truck in drive.

Reid growled, "I am not transforming myself into a dancing teddy bear." Like he ever wanted to score “cute-points” with anyone, he thought with annoyance.

"Well, there went that plan!" Luke announced with a dramatic sigh. "I was really banking on you winning her over with your soft and cuddly side. I guess you’ll be feuding forever."

"You were?" Reid asked, worried. He tried to envision what that would entail, but it was too awful to contemplate.

Luke glanced at him and frowned. "No, you idiot! You be yourself. If she doesn't come 'round, well then she's an idiot. And since she's been my best friend since we were teenagers, I really don't think she is. Stubborn, yes. Idiotic, no. Like I said, you've already made some strides with her. I'm not the only one who says good things about you, and she doesn't think you’re the Anti-Christ anymore."

"Well, at least I've moved up one level in Dante’s inferno in her book." It was still weird to Reid that he even cared, but Maddie was important to Luke so her opinion mattered. Not that he would admit such a thing. "Who has she heard the good stuff from?" Reid asked.

"Henry mainly, but also John," Luke replied, annoyance evident in his tone at the latter.

John. Any mention of him always seemed to make Luke gloriously jealous. Reid queried, "Hot John the Magnificent Barista?"

Luke laughed. "Do not call him that. And yes. She and John are friends, and apparently John can't stop talking about you and that day you stood up to that asshole…You know, he really should be over that by now."

"The green-eyed monster got you between his teeth?" Luke’s flutter of worry was flattering and completely insane at the same time. Who the hell would look at John if they had Luke? Maybe that stupid barista who worked with John, Reid thought. He seemed imbecilic enough.

"A bit," Luke muttered.

"I wonder if he'll be at Yo's tonight?" Reid asked, relishing the spark that lit Luke's eyes. In fact, he was enjoying every bit of this conversation. Luke had been as good as his word and had accepted Reid as he was. More and more, Reid began to relax and not worry that Luke was going to misunderstand his dry humor and feel hurt by it. Reid was able to express himself and Luke understood him perfectly. Reid was so ridiculously happy that he'd even been caught humming to himself at work. It was embarrassing to be so transparent, but Reid wouldn't trade away the feeling for anything. He had Luke to thank for that.

He reached over and took Luke’s free hand to reassure him (just in case), and Luke’s lips immediately twitched upwards. Reid really didn't know what had come over him these past few weeks. Ever since they'd started dating, Reid had begun noticing every little thing about Luke. How he smiled behind his hand when Natalie had a particularly stinging put-down for Faith before nudging his youngest sister into an apology. How Luke always managed to get soaked when doing the dishes--Reid would have suggested an apron, but Luke in a wet shirt had its advantages. How Luke's head tipped to the side when he was thinking, and how the muscles in his back flexed enticingly when he was grooming a horse. Yeah, that last one really had its advantages, too. How Luke moved through space…

Jesus, if this was what it was like to be in a relationship, Reid's stomach wouldn't be able to take it. He'd turned into some sort of sap, and the worst part was that he got the impression that it wasn't a secret. Nathan had given him an amused and utterly condescending chuckle several times recently when Reid had been staring off into space.

Fucking best friends who thought they knew you too well.

It wasn't worth telling Nathan off--when given the chance, Nathan loved nothing more than to get his mom to lecture Reid on being nice. The asshole knew nothing could make Reid squirm more than that.

"We're not leaving the bar for anything. Not even John’s stupid presence," Luke grumbled, but there was an amused glint in his eyes.

Reid slumped; his latest plan foiled. "But Luuuuke. It's karaoke," he whined.

"Yes, and time's a-wastin' Dr. Oliver. I don't want to miss Henry and Barbara sing. They usually rehearse their routines."

"That's not really selling it to me," Reid groused. If Henry wore a costume, Reid was out of there, he vowed in silence.

It took them less than ten minutes to get to their destination, park, and walk inside. Yo's was packed by the time they arrived. "Please explain to me again how this absurd caterwauling ritual in which people never sound as good as a song I could play anytime I want on my IPod is supposed to be fun? You have heard of downloading tunes, right?"

Luke grabbed Reid’s hand and started dragging him across the bar. "I'm surprised you've heard of it. I figured you still listened to cassettes. Look, there's our table. Oh, Bob and Kim joined us tonight!"

"Joy. I'll try to restrain my happiness," Reid said, monotone, ignoring the age joke. He never won on that issue.

Luke elbowed him gently. "Bob always has such nice things to say about you."

"Bob is senile and demented."

"Guess that's why he likes you." He flashed Reid a brilliant grin. He laughed when Reid narrowed his eyes at him. Reid felt like kissing him. The older man just hoped that Luke didn't apprehend what a sucker the doctor was. As they walked deeper into the bar, Reid realized glumly that Luke probably knew exactly how far Reid was wrapped around his finger. This was karaoke night, and Reid was there for Christ's sake. If that didn’t scream “sucker”…

They had to weave their way through the bar to get to their seats. Yo's was packed with every idiot in town, which meant the entire population was there. Extra tables had even been brought in to support the unusual crowd. Reid shook his head at the amount of fools hoping to live out their rock star fantasies that night.

His only consolation: Yo's had good chicken wings.

Reid threw himself into the chair at the table. He and Luke were the last to arrive. Bob, Kim, Henry, Barbara, Nathan, and Maddie were already seated. Luke was his usual friendly self and immediately began bantering with his friends. Reid nodded at Bob and Kim and rolled his eyes at Nathan over their presence here. He avoided looking at the Dragon Lady and her monkey--Barbara still hadn't forgiven him for thinking Henry was gay, and, well, Henry was Henry. Enough said.

Reid ordered his wings and a beer when the waitress arrived. He looked up at the stage that had a paper banner above it, boldly announcing "Karaoke Night" above it. Reid thought the reminder cruel.

He felt Luke clasp his hand, and he turned toward the blond.

"You okay?" Luke asked. Reid could barely hear him over the noise of the crowd.

Reid smiled. "I'm just having one of those 'Do I have to be here for this?" moments."

"Jerk."

"I try. So when does this sure-catastrophe begin?" Reid asked.

"Any minute. Bob and Kim said they signed up first on the list."

"Great. Good thing I brought earplugs, or the screeching might kill me." It was too bad he was joking as he belatedly realized that earplugs would have been a good idea.

Luke smirked and said, "I think you'll survive."

Thinking he could probably survive anything with Luke present, Reid said, "Probably."

Nathan interrupted, "Hey, Reid. Did you know there's a guy here that had a microchip implanted in his brain that controlled his actions? How awesome is that?"

"Awesome…Insane…I guess that's the same thing," Reid deadpanned. He readjusted his hand under the table so that he could hold Luke's more comfortably. He thought he had the angle just right so that no one would notice what they were doing.

Henry, who was mercifully dressed in all black tonight, commented, "Yeah, my dad was behind that one. If you think Luke's dad is bad, you should really check out the stories about mine." He cupped the side of his mouth and whispered, "You may not want to mention it to Barbara though. She was married to the man…and well… he got her in a lot of trouble over the years."

Reid closed his eyes and said with annoyance, "I swear this town takes hybristophilia to a whole new level. Does anyone not feel attracted to criminals?" He wasn’t even going to begin to think about all the near-incestuous relationships in town. He’d already argued that to no avail.

Henry appeared to give this some thought. "I think all the women I know have been with a guy who has been incarcerated at one point or another. Mainly because they all seem to fall in love with my dad, one of Barbara's kids, Simon Frasier or Craig Montgomery.

"The limited gene pool here is very concerning," Reid commented. Maybe that’s why they all dated each other, he considered.

Maddie actually snorted at that, which surprised Reid. It was a rare sign of approval from Luke’s vengeful guardian.

"I think it's all kind of fascinating," Nathan said. "I didn't picture small town life to be so…diverting."

"If you're trying to suck up to Maddie's brother, you may want to use small words," Reid replied, smirking.

"Hey!" Henry cried. "The truth can sting, you know!" He seemed to procure a martini from out-of-nowhere and took a big gulp.

"You tell me how to get Phil Collins off of my phone, and I'll be nicer," Reid said.

Henry shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He popped an olive in his mouth and chewed.

Reid jibed, "You never do. I really should take my own advice about smaller words."

Luke, who had been watching the exchange, touched Reid's arm and said, "I'm going to go sign up for a song. Do you want me to sign you up?"

"Over my dead body. What are you going to sing?" He hoped Luke didn't sing like a frog--it would be a bad start to their relationship if Luke's singing made Reid have to flee the building in horror.

Luke rolled his eyes. "It's a surprise. But it'll be appropriate to the situation," he said mysteriously. Reid had a feeling he wouldn't like whatever Luke was up to.

Reid ignored the people around him as he watched Luke wander over to the stage. He had to smile as Luke bumped into someone by accident, made his apologies, and left the person grinning. Luke just had that kind of effect on people.

Luke arrived back at the table at the same time that their drinks and food arrived. Bob and Kim got up, presumably for the launch of karaoke night.

Reid, wanting nothing more than a big sip of foamy, alcohol-filled bliss, looked at his tiny cup and said to the brunette waitress, "I didn't order this. I ordered a beer."

"Yes, you did," she replied. "I wrote it right here." She pointed at her notepad like it had the sacrosanctity of a stone tablet.

"I don't care what you wrote. I ordered a beer. This is a jello shot." And it was green. Reid thought all things green tasted bad.

"Well, you'll have to pay for it," she said crossly, tossing her long, brown braid over her shoulder.

So much for customer service, Reid thought. "If you think I'm paying for something I didn't order, you have a screw loose."

"I'm going to get my manager," the waitress huffed and flounced off to from wherever she came.

A minute later, a muscular, blond guy showed up at the table. "Hi, I'm Casey. Jenny says there's a problem?"

It took two seconds for Reid to determine this guy was an idiot. He looked friendly, but, unfortunately for him, dumb as a post. From the friendly greetings of the others at the table, Reid realized Casey was known to everyone. He heard Henry mutter something about Casey being another Oakdale criminal lothario for the younger crowd.
Ignoring the well-wishes coming from the table, Reid said, "Yeah, she's trying to get me to pay for green goop that I didn't order."

Casey frowned. "She wrote down your order. Why would she write down something you didn't order?"

"Um, because she's incompetent?" Reid offered. It seemed obvious to him, but, again, Casey didn’t seem too bright.

"Well, that might be a strong way of phrasing it," Casey said.

Nathan interjected. "How about I fix this? I'll drink the green jello. It's lime, right?"

Jenny the Lousy Waitress, as Reid now thought of her, nodded.

Nathan grabbed the shot and slurped it. He grimaced. "Yeah, that was mint. Not bad though… I don't even taste the alcohol. In fact, I'll have another."

"It's on the house," Casey said. Frowning at the waitress, "Jenny and I are going to have a talk about knowing what we're serving."

At that moment, the music started, and the DJ called Bob and Kim to the stage. "Oh, Grandpa's going to sing!" Casey exclaimed before walking back to the bar.

"Of course, he's a Hughes," Reid complained. "A friendly idiot, I should have known."

"Reid!" Luke hissed. "Casey is going to law school."

Reid bit into his chicken wings and said, "So do lots of morons. Ask Nathan."

"It's true," Nathan said. "But we have much better table manners than the assholes who go to med school." He scowled at Reid who was licking his fingers.

The crowd applauded as Bob and Kim began a sweet rendition of "Baby It's Cold Outside." Their mincing around the stage was so adorable that Reid felt like throwing up.

To himself, he admitted they weren't bad.

Luke leaned over and whispered into Reid's ear, "I know you enjoyed that."

Reid enjoyed Luke's breath on his skin a lot more, he thought. He commented, "I have no respect for Bob anymore."

"Yeah, you do," Luke countered with affection, and a little shiver ran up Reid's spine.

He could feel Maddie's eyes on him and he saluted her with his beer. So far, they hadn't said a word to each other, which Reid thought was probably the safest choice.

Bob and Kim returned, and everyone gushed over them. All Reid could do was roll his eyes. "Not bad, Bob-O, but I'm never taking orders from you at work after that."

"Like you ever did before," Bob returned.

They sat through several mind-numbing performances that included, “Baby Got Back” and “The Thong Song.” Luke really owed Reid for subjecting him to this night.
Finally, Barbara and Henry were called to the stage. They all watched as Henry pulled off his black jacket to reveal a short-sleeve Oxford shirt with several buttons open at the top.

"He's more muscular than I would have thought," Nathan commented.

"That's one of the Seven Mysteries of Henry," Maddie responded. “I’ve never seen him lift more than a martini glass in his life.”

"There's just seven?" Kim rejoined to a chorus of laughter.

"Why is he clearing space in front of the stage?" Luke asked. Henry was ordering people to clear a ten-foot space in front of the platform where the singers stood.

"Did they bring their own headset microphones?" Bob wondered aloud. Sure enough, it looked like Barbara was producing microphones from her large, designer tote bag.

"Oh, no," Maddie moaned, but didn't elaborate. Reid wondered what she knew and if he should run for his life. This was Henry, after all. Anything that merited an “oh, no” from his sister bad to be bad.

The music started, and all eyes were on the raised stage. The opening notes to "The Time of My Life," began playing.

Maddie groaned. "I knew they were practicing a lift the other day. Henry tried to tell me it was some sex thing. He knows that always gets me to shut up."

"Who was lifting whom?" Nathan asked, making Reid and Maddie both laugh. She stopped when she realized what she was doing.

"Good thing there are a couple doctors here," Reid said.

"I do not want to see Barbara's underwear," Maddie groused.

Up on stage, Barbara and Henry were doing a pretty good imitation of the choreography from Dirty Dancing. It was simplified so that they could sing at the same time, but it was still pretty impressive. Henry dived down onto the floor in front of the stage and did his best Patrick Swayze impression. A few people standing nearby even danced alongside the diner owner. How Reid recognized the dance steps, he blamed squarely on Nathan’s appalling love of 80’s movies.

"I can't believe he can remember all the lyrics," Reid commented. With all the dancing, there was no way for Henry or Barbara to use the teleprompt.

"They're pretty amazing, right?" Luke gushed. "This is why I wanted to make sure we got here on time."

"Crap, here comes the lift!" Maddie exclaimed, covering her eyes with her hands and peeking through her fingers.

The whole bar seemed to hold its breath as Henry, in a feat of strength no one thought he possessed, lifted Barbara over his head and they sang, "I've had the time of my life! No I've never felt this way before."

Even Reid's mouth had fallen open at the stunt. When Barbara's feet touched the ground, the crowd erupted in cheers. No one could hear a word of the remainder of the song, and eventually Barbara and Henry finished on a rather graphic kiss.

"I hope there aren't any kids here," Nathan said, looking pointedly away from the stage.

"It's sweet how in love they are," Luke said, but he, too, was looking away from the couple.

The DJ prodded Henry and Barbara off the stage, and they returned to their seats.

"Guys, that was wonderful!" Kim gushed.

"Barbara, I can't believe you let Henry raise you over his head like that," Maddie said. "I would have hidden somewhere before letting him do that."

"Nobody puts Babs in a corner," Henry stated with a grin.

The table occupants groaned at Henry's twist to the Dirty Dancing line. Again, Reid blamed Nathan for his familiarity with the script.

"Oh, good grief. You've been waiting all night to use that line, haven't you?" Maddie accused, slapping a hand on the table.

Barbara replied while taking her seat, "He's been using it all week. It stopped being funny around the tenth time I heard it," she said, glancing irritably at Henry. He swooped in and kissed her soundly on the mouth, and a grin replaced her frown. He sat down beside her, grabbed her hand, and then kissed it for good measure.

Reid looked over at Luke who was beaming with affection at his friends. The doctor leaned in and whispered, "I kiss better than that." Luke's face immediately flushed, and Reid smirked. If Luke was going to drag him to karaoke, Reid could at least have a little fun.

Reid's satisfaction, however, evaporated into steam when Luke said in a dark whisper, "So do I." Well, crap, now Reid was turned on, and his own face was likely bright red. At present, Luke was the one grinning and showing off his adorable dimples. The look on Luke’s face only made Reid’s stomach tighten even more.

The doctor hoped they'd revisit this "no sex" policy soon, he thought as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Closing his eyes, he listened to some college-age girls screeching "Sweet Home, Alabama" into their microphones. It was definitely an antidote to lust.

"You owe me," he muttered to Luke.

"Are you still complaining about being here?" Luke asked.

"Yep."

"Yeah, I owe you, alright," Luke stated as he slid back his chair. "I think I'm next," he said, tipping his head toward the stage.

"Good luck yodeling," Reid replied.

"I'm dedicating my song to you," Luke said.

Reid tried not to scrunch his face up at the idea of that. Dedicating songs? Blech.

Luke got up on stage and grasped the microphone with a firm grip. Reid had to admit he looked kind of hot with his hair pushed back off his face and his blue shirt just a little tighter than usual.

Then the music started. "Fuck, no," he yelled out. From the condemning looks around him, he'd been rather loud.

On stage, Luke was crooning, "How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace?"

Nathan, who'd heard Reid's ringtone many times in the past few weeks, started laughing. "I love me some Phil Collins!" His voice was kind of slurred, and Reid wondered how many of those jello shots Nathan had had. Nathan was always a bit of a lightweight when it came to holding his alcohol.

Luke was a decent singer. Given his talent at the piano, Reid supposed it was only fair for Luke not to be absolutely brilliant at something. Still, he was good-natured as he sang and seemed to have a sense of humor about his limitations--unlike the girls who had just finished singing before him and appeared to think they were ready to be stars.

Bob was laughing at Reid, seeming to get the joke behind Luke's choice. How many people had knew about his ringtone, Reid wondered.
Henry was swaying to the music with a dreamy expression. Apparently this really was Henry's idea of a romantic song. Reid was a little disappointed-all this time he’d been hoping Henry had finally stumbled into a clever way of driving Reid from town.

"What are you going to sing?" Nathan asked Reid.

"I'm not."

"Oh, come on! You should sing something for Luke," his friend cajoled.

“Yeah, you have to sing something! Everyone does,” Henry interjected.

"I'm not going to serenade my boyfriend at Yo's,” Reid stated evenly.

"I'd like to see it," Maddie said. "Luke would enjoy it."

Though her tone was mild, it was a challenge. Nathan was probably too drunk to realize it, but Reid saw what Maddie wanted. The unstated question was whether Reid would go out of his way to make Luke happy. He sincerely doubted Luke's happiness hinged upon whether Reid got up there and sang, but Maddie's opinion might. And changing Maddie's mind would make Luke happy…Well, crap.

Besides, Barbara was giving him a stony stare, and he thought his life might actually depend upon getting up on stage. “Don’t mess with Barbara” was the first rule of survival in Oakdale.

"After you, Mademoiselle," he said to Maddie. If he was going up there, so was she.

She shook her head. "Oh, no. I like to close out the night. I need a drink or two more before I get up there."

Luke finished his song to polite applause. Reid stood when Luke came back, and the blond gave him a questioning look. "You're not mad, are you?" Luke asked.

"Nope. Totally what I deserved. Give me a kiss for luck?" Reid asked.

"Luck?" Luke queried, not sure what Reid was talking about.

"Just kiss me," Reid said, grabbing Luke by the neck and pulling him in for a brief, but still hot, kiss. If he was going to go warble some trite tune, he might as well get some benefit.

Luke blinked, stupefied, at him.

Reid walked briskly up to the stage and didn't have to wait in line to sing. He flipped through the song choices, and finally settled on something that was (A) not a sappy love song and (B) not something that would make him look stupid. He wasn't about to choose anything from the Grease soundtrack, for instance. And he would rather be trapped in a small room with Henry than sing "Ice, Ice Baby." Even if he did know all the words. He couldn’t blame that one on Nathan, but honestly, who Reid’s age didn’t know the lyrics to that cheesy mess?

After talking to the DJ, the music to Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" began. Reid grabbed the mike, waiting for his cue in the mid-tempo beat. He didn't do anything dramatic like spinning around when the song started, and certainly no dancing, but just sat on a stool and concentrated on the song. To his surprise, he found himself enjoying being on stage as people started to get to their feet and clap.

Glancing over at his table, all the occupants but Nathan (who was possibly too drunk to know what was happening) had mirrored expressions of befuddlement. He smiled to himself at the absolutely floored look on Luke's face.

The song wound down, and Reid received thunderous applause. He nodded his acknowledgment and strode back over to the table.

"I thought you couldn't sing!" Luke exclaimed in delight. "That was great!"

Reid grinned. "I said I didn't want to sing, not that I couldn't."

"We should do a duet!" Henry chimed.

"No chance in hell, Hank," Reid replied.

"Did Reid sing?" Nathan asked no one in particular. "He's pretty good. Sister Mary Catherine used to make him do solos in choir class…at least until she figured out he was substituting Latin swear words in some of the hymns."

"How many of those things have you had?" Reid asked. Were those shots pure alcohol?

"Three," Nathan replied while holding up four fingers.

Reid rolled his eyes. "I think you've had enough."

Maddie said, "I cut him off at three. I don't know what's in those shots, but Casey needs to stop serving them."

"It would help if the wait staff knew what was in them," Reid replied, thinking of how their waitress misidentified the beverage as lime-flavored.

"I had a few of those," Henry cut in. "I don't know what the big deal is about. I feel fine."

"Normal human beings actually absorb alcohol, Henry," Maddie retorted. Reid grinned at her jibe.

"Pity for them," Henry commented.

"Maddie, why don't you go sing while I take Nathan to the restroom and try to clean up the green stuff on his shirt?" Luke asked.

"I can do that, Luke," Reid replied, then noticed there really wasn’t any green on Nathan’s shirt. That’s weird, he thought.

"Nope, I got it. You stay put."

When Maddie got up, Kim said, "Oh are you singing? Gosh, I hate to miss but I was headed to the ladies room."

“I’ll go with you,” Barbara exclaimed. “Women can’t ever go to powder their noses alone, you know.” And then they were gone.

Reid noticed there were a lot fewer occupants at the table all of a sudden. It almost seemed like a purposeful exodus. Only Henry and Bob were left. Did he just see Bob stick something in his ear? Probably his hearing aid, he wisecracked to himself. He then shrugged and decided to enjoy the relative peace.

Reid realized why everyone was gone the moment Maddie opened her mouth on stage. She'd chosen "Alone" by Heart, and a pack of wild, barking dogs would have done more justice to it. She screamed her way through, "Till now I always got by on my own, I never really cared until I met you." And when she asked, "How do I get you alone," Reid couldn't even make out the words she was saying. She didn’t sound human. Was her microphone working? He prayed that someone would be merciful and shut it off.

Bob sat there with a small, placid smile on his face. Reid wanted to murder him for not sharing his earplugs. Only Henry seemed to be enjoying the performance. He was standing and mouthing the words to the song along with Maddie. Reid added “tone deaf” to Henry’s long list of deficiencies.

When she finished, there was a short silence followed by a burst of relieved applause and a few "Thank God's" from the audience. As she marched back to the table, Henry hopped up and began clapping. "That was wonderful, Maddie!"

Maddie gave him a speaking glance. "You must be deaf, Henry."

Reid wasn't sure what to say. After all the grief she'd given him over the past couple months, it was tempting to pounce. But Luke would kill him since a significant part of being there was to try to make amends. He hated this wishy-washy agonizing.

Maddie looked questioningly at him, almost daring him to comment.

"That was, uh, unique." Well, that was truthful, Reid thought. And it might be the only time in his life he’d found a tactful response.

The brunette snorted. "Oh, please. It was awful. I only do it because Henry harasses me into it. Karaoke is some sort of weird Coleman point of pride according to him."

"Why choose a song as difficult as 'Alone'?" he asked. “Couldn’t you have found one with…fewer words?” He’d recommend “Tequila”-it only had the one word.

"Well, if I'm going to embarrass myself, I might was well make it memorable," she said with a smile.

"It was definitely that. I think it may replace all the Phil Collins that has been stuck in my head for weeks."

“Sorry,” she said with a rueful smile. She looked to her side and saw that Henry was preoccupied with his phone. Then she shifted forward in her seat and gazed intensely at Reid. "I've been watching you with Luke, by the way."

It took a moment for Reid to catch up to the sudden change in conversation. "Er, okay?" He hoped that didn’t mean she’d followed him around town like Henry had. He’d thought she was saner than her brother, but he wouldn’t bet the proverbial farm on it.

"You're kind to him," she stated.

"I'm not sure how to reply to that."

She tipped her head to the side and said, "I see how you look at him when you don't think anyone is watching. You try to hide it, but you're pretty much wrapped around his finger, aren't you?"

Reid looked at the ceiling. Crap, the list of people who could see through him was growing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Maddie let out an abbreviated chuckle. "Sure, you don't," she said in a patronizing tone. Then, she added in a serious tone, "He's happy. More so than I've seen him in years."

"Is there a point to this?" Reid asked uncomfortably.

"I'm getting there. The point is, Reid, that I think I was wrong about you two having a relationship. You're a better person than I thought you were, and you're…good for Luke."

He saw that it had taken her a lot of courage and humility to admit this to him. He replied, “Thank you.”

She pushed her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture. “I’m sorry for the things I’ve said about you…or to you. I should have reserved judgment, but after you hurt him, it was hard for me to see much past that. I just love him so much.”

“Well, I can’t claim to be any better at waiting to form opinions.”

Maddie gave him a grateful smile. “Maybe, but I’m still sorry. Luke’s happy-I should have perceived it earlier.” Her eyes looked round and sorrowful, and Reid had the dreadful feeling she might leak tears.

“You’re not going to get weepy over this, are you?” Reid asked.

“No, I’m not going to cry,” Maddie huffed.

“Please don’t. I suck at tears,” he said, and she giggled. A thought struck Reid. “You haven’t been drinking those jello shots, have you?”

She laughed. “No, just a couple beers. I’ll remember this tomorrow if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Luke came back with a stumbling Nathan at that moment.

“Hey, Luke, Luke, Luuuuuke” Nathan was saying, practically hanging on the blond. “Has Reid told you how I’m better than him at French?”

Luke chuckled. “Um, no, I can’t say that he has.”

Nathan straightened upright and spread his hands wide. “Big scandal! Senior year of high school, I got an A, and he got an A-. He speaks French comme une vache espagnole.” This seemed to send him into a fit of hysterical laughter. “Like a Spanish cow!”

“Did he get drunker in the restroom?” Maddie asked, eyeing her boyfriend with skepticism.

“You’re so preeettttyyyy, Maaaddddiiieee. Sorry I missed you sing.”

“You only missed out if you like hog-calling contests,” Reid cracked.

Maddie snickered, and Reid could tell that Luke immediately picked up on the shift in the relationship between the brunette and the doctor. The blond’s eyes bounced back and forth between the pair, and then his lips curved into a grin.

Nathan was too tipsy, however, to figure the same thing out. “Reid!” he stage-whispered. “You’re supposed to be nice tonight!”

Reid rolled his eyes.

“Did you really get an A-?” Luke asked, changing the topic.

Reid sighed. “Mr. Luche was a dimwitted and vainglorious bozo. You should have seen some of the idiotic comments he left on my work. He was obviously jealous of the brilliance of my acuity and hell-bent on sabotage.”

Nathan pretended to nod solemnly then snorted, “A-minus acuity. Boy wonder, here, landed himself in detention for a week for just such a speech to old Luche.”

Luke smiled. “Detention?”

“Don’t pretend to be shocked. It was a place with which I was quite familiar.” Then he turned to Nathan, “And you. I think that’s enough trips down memory lane for the night. I might know a thing or two about you I could spill.”

Nathan folded his arms and wobbled from the effort. “Like what? I’ve got no secrets. I’m an open book.”

“Really? Two words: Gatorade bottle,” Reid replied.

Nathan’s mouth shut immediately. “Oh. Okay, then. Let’s change the topic.”

“I am so getting the story behind that out of you tonight,” Maddie said to her boyfriend.

Nathan replied, “No fair taking advantage of a drunk guy…well, unless you take advantage of me.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“You’ll tell me, right?” Luke asked Maddie who was blushing.

“Only if you don’t wheedle it out of Reid first,” she said.

Reid shook his head. “My lips are sealed.”

“I bet Luke can unseal them,” she said.

Reid knew with certainty that Luke could…just not the way she meant. He wondered if he might entice Luke into his condo tonight for a little fun. He had to admit that not having sex, while at times a bit trying, did enhance the pleasure of doing other things. He’d happily kiss Luke for hours.

He leaned over to Luke and whispered, “Are we done karaoke-ing for the night?” When Luke nodded, he asked, “Wanna come to my place?”

Luke turned his face toward Reid a smiled, a sexy glint lurking in his eyes. “You read my mind.”

“How ‘bout I go settle up at the bar?” Reid asked, remembering they had tabs still open. He’d hate to be half way home and get arrested by Luke’s cousin for skipping out on the bill.

“Here’s ten bucks,” Luke replied, reaching in his back pocket for his wallet.

Reid tried to stop him by saying, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it. You drove, so let’s call it even.”

Luke was shaking his head before Reid had even finished, and Maddie was rolling her eyes at her best friend, having overheard this part of the conversation.

“I haven’t gotten him to let me pay for a thing in five years,” she said to Reid. “So, good luck with that.”

Luke, either not noticing or not caring that there was some disapproval in Maddie’s voice, said, “See?” Then he handed Reid two five-dollar bills.

“Okay,” Reid said slowly, still not used to Luke’s insistence on paying for every little thing. He had to admit it stung a little. He took the money from Luke’s hand and walked over to the bar. He didn’t have a ton of experience to draw from, not having many friends or boyfriends, and he’d wondered if Luke’s attitude was normal, but obviously Maddie found it a bit vexing. Luke was just so rigid on this issue, it was somewhat startling. In fact, the more time he spent with Luke, the more he had to agree with Jack and Henry that Luke had a problem accepting help, particularly of the monetary variety.

Not that ten dollars spent at bar was exactly help or intended as such, but Luke seemed to see it that way.

Reid guessed there was no harm in Luke’s stance…unless Reid counted the fact that it put him in agreement with Henry. He could understand Luke wanting to stand on his own two feet, and maybe the blond had taken it a little far. At most, it seemed to cause a little social disruption, and Reid could hardly say much about that. And if this was the worst flaw Luke had, Reid should consider himself lucky. Hell, look at what Luke was putting up with.

Reid then mentally kicked himself for comparing himself to Luke. That would be five points off his score in therapy, he thought with wry amusement-not that there was any actual scorekeeping in therapy. His therapist would have a conniption fit if he ever heard such a suggestion.

Reid got the bartenders attention and settled the bills. Returning to Luke, he decided not to say anything about Luke not ever letting anyone give him so much as a quarter. It seemed like a stupid argument to have. If that’s how Luke wanted it to be, then Reid was fine with that, or would eventually be fine, anyway.

Luke, oblivious to Reid’s preoccupation, smiled as soon as the doctor returned. Reid’s serious thoughts evaporated at the sight of the blond’s levity and enthusiasm. Grabbing Reid’s hand, Luke said, “Let’s get out of here.”