Page 145 of Finally Mine
Aldo was crowded up against Gloria’s side. Everything, even a night at Remo’s, was different with him next to her.
Nerves shimmered in her belly.
She’d spent the better part of this year putting herself out there, but this was taking it to a new level.
The crowd cheered as Frank and his cohorts exited the stage, and Gloria’s stomach churned.
“Do you think Cher ever gets stage fright?” Gloria asked Aldo.
He brought her hand to his lips and fake mustache. “Sweetheart, with everything you’ve faced down this year, a little karaoke is nothing.”
Fred, the bar’s owner, was back on the stage calling for quiet. “It’sgonnabe an old-school night, folks. Put your hands together for our next act, Sonny and Cher.”
Aldo gave her hand a squeeze and flashed her that charmer’s smile. And the stage suddenly didn’t seem so high, the lights weren’t quite as blinding. Nothing was as scary with him by her side. He led the way onto the pencil-thin stage, bounding up the step. And there sat Harper, front and center, her cheeks flushed. The glee of the community overriding her sadness for the night. Harper clapped a hand over her mouth when she got a good look at their getup.
Hand-in-hand they approached the mic. Aldo leaned in, his big, booming voice carrying over the bar noise. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Gloria and I would like to dedicate this song to the woman we owe everything to. This one’s for you, Harper.”
“We love you,” Gloria said, blowing Harper a kiss.
The music started, and with a shared laugh, Aldo and Gloria swayed together to the beat. Gloria broke into “I Got You Babe” in the singing voice she hadn’t used since that high school musical.
“Oh my God,” Harper mouthed from her little table.
Aldo crooned, Gloria tossed her hair Cher-style, and the entire bar hummed and swayed along.
The moment was coming. Their own little sparkling second in an evening overflowing with love. Gloria knew Harper would be over the moon. That’s what friends did. They loved and cheered for each other no matter what was going on in their own lives.
She watched her friend’s face carefully as Aldo sang about giving her his ring. And when he held up Gloria’s hand, when the lights hit the ring just right, Gloria felt Harper’s joy as sharp and swift as if it were her own. She felt the crowd’s too when the entire bar got to its feet. They were cheering for her. For the happily ever after that she’d earned.
Harper jumped up, eyes shining bright, and blew them a kiss.
It was the perfect moment.
They finished with a flourish, and then Aldo was bending her over backwards and laying a kiss on her that had the crowd roaring. Or maybe that was just the blood in her head, the joy in her system.
There was no more “poor little Gloria Parker” here. No more Gloria Who Left Glenn After the First Time. Only Gloria Parker, the luckiest woman in town.
* * *
Gloria hopped off the stage,and Harper dove for her hand. The diamond sparkled like the bright, shiny promise it was. They wrapped each other in a fierce hug. “I am so happy for you two.”Harper’s voice quavered with feeling.
Gloria cupped her friend’s cheek in her hand. But words failed her.
“We wouldn’t be here without you, Harp,” Aldo yelled over the noise, moving in for his own hug.
“We’re hoping you’ll agree to be our maid of honor,” Gloria said, clasping her hands together.She was planning a wedding. Dear Lord help her. She needed her best friend by her side.
“Are you serious?” Harper yelped. “Oh, you guys! I would be honored!”
Gloria hugged her again. “Mind if we join you?”
“Please! Sophie disappeared. I can’t believe she’s missing this.”Gloria and Aldo shared a mischievous look.
Someone produced a third chair, and they all crowded around the tiny table.The excitement of the moment, of what was to come, gave Gloria goosebumps.
Harper leaned in. “This is a pretty incredible send-off,” she whispered with a sad smile.
Gloria bit her lip and smiled. She didn’t trust herself not to shout “Just you wait!”
