“Hey, you can’t deny that I make a very good pirate,” Cosmo grinned. “I have the peg leg and everything!”
Sometime during the night, Babsie made a discovery in the list of available songs. With a gleeful grin she added another name and song to the list. It wasn’t announced until around twenty minutes later. And when it was Rita looked up in astonishment.
“What?” she whispered.
“Don’t look at me, I didn’t…” Taylor trailed off.
“Babsie,” they said together.
“Go on Rita!” Babsie cheered. “C’mon, I haven’t heard you sing in yonks.”
Rita looked a little embarrassed, but after some encouragement from many others, she finally took to the stage. She took the mic tentatively and the first bars of the jazz song came on.
“Wow,” breathed a friend next to Taylor. “I had no idea she could sing.”
“She used to be a jazz singer.”
“Used to? She’s lost nothing.”
Taylor grinned.
The night wore on. People started leaving. At one point, Isaac spotted Justin Timberlake looking around anxiously.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“I can’t find Loretta anywhere.”
“Hmm. Have you tried the bathrooms?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ll send her straight to you if I see her.”
“Thanks Isaac.”
About fifteen minutes later, Babsie, who had been showing some guests out, heard a shriek. She raced over and spotted Britney gazing into the downstairs bedroom with a horrified expression. She was about to ask what was wrong, when she saw it for herself. Loretta and Sam were smoothing out their ruffled clothing with guilty looks on their faces.
“Loretta!” Britney cried. “What the heck do you two think you’re doing?”
The two didn’t answer.
“It looks like they’re trying to get their clothes back on,” Babsie remarked dryly. “I can’t wait to tell your parents, Sam.”
Sam looked worried.
“Come on Loretta.” Britney said sternly. “We’re going back to the hotel. And when we get there, I think you and me are going to have a little chat.”
Loretta looked pained.
“Mo-om…” she began, but saw she wouldn’t get anywhere and turned to Sam. “I’ll talk to you later.”
He nodded and moved as if to kiss her lips, then thought better of it and pecked her cheek instead (well, he had already moved, wouldn’t want to waste that momentum completely).
“Sorry about this,” Babsie said to Britney.
“Not your fault. Oh well, at least now we know who this secret boyfriend of hers is.”
“Mmm, yes I know a few people who will be glad to know who Sam’s secret girlfriend is too.”
Britney nodded, then she and Loretta found Justin, and they left. Babsie located Taylor and Rita and told them what had happened. Loretta wouldn’t be the only one in for a long chat that night.