Naomi still wasn't sure how dinner had turned into karaoke, but at least she didn't have to go home. On the other hand, she wasn't sure she wanted to hang out with Oliver for this long, either. He had been acting weird since his return. Naomi couldn't quite place her finger on what changed since he left, but she felt it. That new dimension to his personality and character.
"What do you want to sing?" Oliver asked, scrolling through the digital book of options.
Naomi craned her neck to peer over his shoulder. "I'm fine. You sing if you want to."
Her mother would surely frown on any frivolity such as singing. In fact, if she knew this place had a bar, Naomi's mother might summon her home right away. Oliver must not have told her.
"We'll sing a duet, then." Oliver scrolled through another page, clearly looking for something specific.
Naomi shook her head, though she doubted that Oliver saw. He could be so pushy sometimes, always desperate to have his way whatever it took. Oliver's search for perfection had become an obsession, it seemed.
Not that Naomi had room to say anything. She had become obsessed with perfection, too.
"This one." Oliver clicked a selection, set down the tablet, and handed Naomi a microphone.
The first notes played, slow and yearning.
The door burst open.
Two men stumbled in, one holding the weight of the other. A drunken mistake, perhaps? The man in the black cap didn't look very stable. The other man... Oh no.
Naomi pulled back, startled, but managed to keep her composure. Until Kieran looked up and locked eyes with her. As always, that magical spark of connection pulled Naomi in and stole her breath.
"Hey! What's going on?" Oliver rose to his feet, stiff shoulders shouting his agitation.
Kieran lifted a hand and waved it as if to clear the air. "Sorry. My mistake. Wrong room."
"If you made a mistake, fix it," Oliver snapped.
Kieran nodded, his face the perfect mask of contrition. "Of course we will. Just let us rest here for a minute. He's heavy."
Their acting could certainly use some work. How did they expect to fool Oliver with their level of deceit? Naomi set her microphone on the cushion next to her and rose to her feet.
"Mr. Colburn?" For effect, she threw a bit of surprise into her voice. "What are you doing here?"
Kieran, for all his flaws and imperfections, had always possessed the ability to read a situation and adapt accordingly.
"Oh?" Kieran pointed a finger toward Naomi as if he had just realized she existed. "Why are you here?"
Oliver turned to shoot a look between the two. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, but all he asked was, "Doyou two know each other?"
"He teaches at the university," Naomi explained simply. Better to keep things vague, since she didn't know Oliver's true intentions anymore.
"My friend and I came out to unwind. He had a bit too much to drink." Kieran kicked at the man's shin.
Now that she could see him better, Naomi realized she knew him, too. Donovan, Kieran had called him. The friend who had scared her out of her wits. In the end, after a time spent in his presence, Naomi found Donovan wasn't as bad as she had thought. Just... aloof.
Oliver nodded, long and slow as he perused the situation. "Why don't you two hang out here for a bit, if you know Naomi? She has so few friends."
"Oh, I wouldn't call us friends, per se..." Kieran's grin appeared and disappeared faster than a gust of wind, but Naomi saw it. He wanted to tease and flirt in this situation? Adventurous, at best. Fatal, at worst.
Naomi flicked her hair behind her shoulder. "Acquaintances, though."
"Naomi and I were just about to sing a duet." Oliver picked up his microphone from where he had dropped it. "Hope you don't mind, acquaintance."
Naomi flinched at the hostile way he said it. Oliver had always protected her, much like her mother. He didn't like the unknown variables of people without a proper background. That's what happened when one came from money and had lived through so many people using him for one purpose only. Oliver had grown wary as a young man. It clearly hadn't gotten any better over the years.
"By all means, go ahead," Kieran agreed.
"Why don't you take a seat if you're staying?" Oliver's attention left the men who had intruded and landed on Naomi. He rested a hand on Naomi's shoulder. "Shall we, then?"
"Sure." Though, she didn't really want to sing. What would Kieran think of her voice? She had no talent, no rhythm. No ability. Would he laugh at her?
Kieran crossed past Naomi to find a seat. His fingers brushed hers as he did. Naomi inhaled sharply, but caught the instinctual reaction before she breathed out. When she did breathe again, it was slow and controlled. No one could know how Kieran affected her with just a touch. Naomi, herself, didn't want to admit it.
Oliver started the song over, tossing a reassuring smile to Naomi as he began the first verse.
Naomi waited for Oliver's attention to go to the lyrics on screen before she chanced a glance to Kieran.
Kieran had made himself comfortable, reclining like a king on the seat nearby. He had even gone so far as to help himself to one of the sodas that Oliver had ordered for Naomi, since she assured him she didn't drink alcohol.
Kieran raised the bottle of soda in a sort of toast before he took a swig.
Naomi refrained from rolling her eyes. Kieran clearly barged in with ulterior motives, but she couldn't place them. It annoyed her, that he managed to surprise her. Naomi had always been ready and able to read other people like an open book. Too bad that Kieran's book was written in a foreign language.
Oliver nudged an elbow against Naomi's arm, signaling that it was her time to sing.
With a deep breath meant to calm her nerves, Naomi followed the lyrics on screen. It wasn't that she didn't know the song. Naomi had heard it before and knew the tune. The thought of Kieran staring at her made her nervous. Would he tease her about this later?
Yet the song went on, and Naomi powered through it. If Kieran teased her, so be it. She had endured worse.
But, when she looked back at him, the look in his eyes spoke anything but mirth. Naomi didn't know what she had done, but on rare occasions she had seen that same look pass through Kieran's eyes. The look she couldn't interpret, but also couldn't get enough of.