Pieces of it All Read Online Free PDF Page B

that so unfortunate?" She bellowed, leading Beth and her mom to two massage chairs.
    "Please, have a seat. Take off your sandals. We're going to paint those nails a sassy shade of red. Donna will be right over to help you, Beth. I'll get started on my old pal Sharon here."
    Taking off her shoes, she pleaded, "Please don't call me old, Ann." She rubbed her hands on her thighs.
    Ann gently took her feet and placed them in the basin. "I'm teasing you. Lighten up. Don't forget we're the same age, dear!"
    Meanwhile, Donna found her place by Beth, beginning the massage and pedicure. She remained silent as the two ladies began their gossiping and reminiscing.
    After forty-five minutes of listening to their chatter, Beth wanted to move onto the next "event" her mother had planned.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
     
    "No arguing - I'm buying," Lucy insisted as she held the heavy door to The Blue Rooster for Beth. "Your birthday dinner is on me."
    Most of the locals spent their evenings at The Blue Rooster, a dinky restaurant on the corner of Washington and First. Frank and Carol Chandler, a couple Beth's dad knew on a professional and private level, owned the establishment and breathed new life into the dwindling restaurant. Months of replacing doors, a few bouts with exterminators, and a ton of new paint paid off well for the Chandlers. The inside, decorated in a woodsy theme, screamed cute from every angle. Each booth had a birdhouse on a stand, focusing on a different type of bird. Ironically, specialty burgers ruled the coop.
    "Where should we sit?" Lucy and Beth scanned the room, a few tables fresh from patrons, dirty dishes still occupying them. The hostess greeted them, and sat them right away in a freshly cleaned corner booth. The rectangle table was now spotless, with their silverware wrapped neatly in periwinkle napkins. A dangling blue light softly lit the area. They sat opposite each other, allowing enough room to rest their purses on the cushions.
    Lucy drummed her hands on the table. "I can't believe you're finally eighteen! You're such a baby!"
    Beth wondered at what age people would stop referring to how young she was. With a July birthday, she was one of the youngest in the graduating class. She had to wait to take driver's education, while all her peers drove before her. Lucy had been eighteen for six months and already had a credit card with a small line.
    "Anyway," Beth bypassed the commentary. "Thank you for dinner. Totally not necessary."
    "Your birthday only comes once a year. Think of this as a make up dinner, too." She grabbed the menu, browsing over the contents. "What are you getting?"
    Opening the menu, Beth asked, "Why do we look at this every time we come here? We always get the same thing." Looking up at each other they said in unison, "Blue cheese burger with curly fries." They closed their menus as the waitress approached.
    The tall brunette pulled a notepad out of her apron and a pen from behind her ear, causing her hair to fall slightly and a few strands fell on her shoulder. Her name tag read "Jessica."
    "What can I get you?" Her eyes made contact with everything in the room besides Beth and Lucy. They gave their traditional order, adding in a diet soda for each. "That all?" The waitress asked.
    The girls smirked at each other, knowing a good tip was out of the question. "One more thing. Why is this place so busy tonight?" Beth pointed out the small availability of tables. Across the room, the bar didn't have an empty seat, leaving many forced to stand.
    She pointed to a sign and walked over to the next table. The sign advertised a country karaoke contest with the winner getting a fifty dollar gift certificate to The Blue Rooster and a guitar autographed by Tim McGraw. "Should be an interesting night." Lucy glanced around the room. "By the looks of everyone here, no one pops out at me as a superstar."
    Beth certainly wasn't. Over half the people who sang karaoke had no right to. If she heard