It didn’t take much for us to break into hysterics. The boys clapped and cat-called, “Go, Aaron!”
As Adam got up from his chair, he confidently strode towards the stage and took the mic.
“Ah, yeah, it’s Adam.” He smiled coyly toward our table. Bell near on deafened me by putting her fingers in her mouth and whistling.
I never could do that.
Adam cleared his throat. “All right, um, there’s been a bit of a change of plans. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic tonight so I thought I might take a trip down memory lane.”
“Hello?” said Sean, leaning forward in his chair.
“But I’m going to need your help, because ya see, I can’t do it on my own, and there is only one person in this room that can complete this duet …”
“Oh God!” Ellie stared towards the stage, her eyes wide with horror.
“And that person is Ellie Parker.” Adam pointed, directing the spotlight to her.
“Ellie! Ellie! Ellie!” Adam chanted into the microphone, encouraging the entire room to join the chorus, none louder than our own table. Toby placed his beer down before grabbing Ellie’s hand and pulling her out of her seat toward the stage.
“Traitors! The lot of you.” She glowered back at us. It only led us into further hysterics, watching her take each furious step up to the stage where Adam waited, grinning from ear to ear as he handed her a microphone.
“I hate you so hard right now,” she said to him.
Adam’s smile just got bigger.
“They fight like a bloody married couple,” said Ringer.
“They’ll get married one day – no one else would put up with them,” joked Chris.
“Don’t be awful,” said Tess.
“All right, now you have to cut us some slack,” Adam said. “It’s been a while.”
It was a pretty high-tech set-up as far as outback pub karaoke went. There was a screen at the foot of the stage for the singers and one mounted on the wall for the crowd to sing along if they so desired.
The music started up just in time for the song title to flash across the screen:
‘Islands in the Stream’, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.
“No way!” laughed Sean.
“Ugh, I remember it now – hours and hours they practised in his bedroom.” Chris grimaced.
“I love it!” I clapped in excitement.
“Better save your enthusiasm until it’s over,” said Ringer.
Confidently, Adam took the lead with Kenny’s lyrics, and he was good – really good. We were all stunned into silence. Then Ellie kicked in with Dolly’s part and we were all smiling and eyeing each other with surprise. They were kind of … excellent?
“I am beginning to wonder if my little brother really joined the army or if he’s been touring the professional karaoke circuits.” Chris looked on with a mixture of horror and pride.
By the chorus you could hardly believe that Ellie had protested in the first place. Eye contact, a bit of heart clutching, it was a well-rounded performance that had us all up on our feet singing along, cheering for Ellie and Aaron. He would never live that down.
As the duet faded to a close and the screen went black, the crowd went wild. Adam took Ellie’s hand and they bowed. It was an unlikely end to our road trip, a trip that was originally supposed to be girl-free and full of fish, camping, talking sport and drinking beer. Instead, it had ended up so much more and I hoped everyone had enjoyed it as much as I had. I looked over at Chris, marvelling in his laughter, the way he was so completely relaxed and happy. He banged the side of his stubby with the edge of his car key.
“All right, on that rather disturbingly impressive note, I propose a toast.” He centred his beer in the middle of the table and everyone followed suit in a multitude of clinks.
“To the new millennium,” he said.
“To the new millennium!”
With no takers on stage for karaoke, music started up and we all cheered and headed to the dance floor as Meat Loaf’s ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Lights’ played.
Not one of us opted out of busting a move; even Ringer twisted as best he could on crutches. Who would have guessed that in a dank, dodgy little bar we could find so much entertainment? It wasn’t a place you’d want to be involved in an after-hours lock-in or anything, but come closing time, knowing this was our last night away from home, we sang and fist-pumped the air until our voices were hoarse. We belted out the final request of ‘Just Like Jesse James’ like it was our own personal theme song. I don’t know if it was the beer, the music, the atmosphere or – hell, it might have been Villa Co-Co magic – but what happened next was a serious game changer. In the middle of the dance floor, Chris turned me into a spin and pulled me into him like he had done a dozen times before, except this time he held me there. His eyes fixed on mine so intently my smile slowly fell from my face. And for the first time Chris leaned forward and in front of his mates – our mates – he kissed me, really kissed me. Cupping my face, Chris kissed me with no mind of who saw or what whistles and cheers and taunts came from around us (and there were plenty of those). Chris Henderson kissed a girl for all to see and my heart swelled with absolute tenderness and joy, because that girl was me.
Can’t wait to read more about the
Onslow Boys?
Be sure to catch the exciting spin-off to
C.J Duggan’s Summer Series…
Forever Summer
‘Adam & Ellie’s Story’
By C.J Duggan.
2014
You see there’s this boy.
He makes me smile, forces me to listen, serenades me out of tune and keeps me sane, all the while driving me insane. He's really talented like that. But for the first time in since, well, forever, things are about to change. The question is, how much am I willing to lose in order to potentially have it all?
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Coming May 2014
Someone Like You
By C.J. Duggan
‘Sometimes, life breaks your heart.’
The idea was simple enough. Lock myself away for the summer, devour copious amounts of chocolate, listen to 80’s power ballads all the while mastering a list that would completely reinvent myself to my friends back home.
Operation Summer Fun: Get drunk, party hard, and lose my virginity!
But when the sound of piercing power-tools soon drowned out my power ballads; my chocolate stash was devoured by tradies and just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse and all hope was lost…
There was Rex Shervington.
Eighteen-year-old Lola Kudrow has always followed the rules.
But when her world is shattered by the ultimate betrayal, she flees the small town gossip and seeks refuge at her sister’s house in the city.
With only a few weeks to reinvent herself before the dreaded Valedictory ball, her plan is clear: It’s time to break some rules.
The one thing that definitely isn’t a part of her plan is living on a building site, especially sharing it with the likes of Rex, the snarky, gorgeous builder who sleeps on the lounge room couch. The very same builder who accidently discovers her mortifying list of rules to be broken.
Operation Summer Fun is in full swing, and what could be more fun than a willing accomplice? Not much. Rex Shirvington is definitely no stranger to breaking the rules. And in the course of a few hot summer nights, he’s going to help Lola break them all.
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Acknowledgements
Writing is a very solitary endeavor, but it is the people by my side that make it so utterly rewarding.
Much love to my amazing husband Mick, for continuously reminding me to eat, drink and sleep. For being the beautiful part of my reality and supporting me in all I do, I know it’s not easy but I wouldn’t want to share it with anyone else.
I am blessed with such a talented hard working team, these ladies always go above and beyond for me. A special thanks to: Sascha Craig, Sarah Billing
ton, Anita Saunders and Keary Taylor.
Many thanks to my formatters Karen Phillips, Emily Mah Tippets; my proofreaders Lori Hereford and Frankie Rose.
Always grateful for the love and support of my friends and family, especially Mum, Kevin, Dad, Daniel and Leanne.
My fellow Authors for their inspiration, support and friendship: Frankie Rose, Jessica Roscoe, Lilliana Anderson, Keary Taylor, Pepper Winters. I adore you ladies and would be truly lost without our daily chats.
To my fierce ‘Team Duggan’ warriors, for your unwavering support and enthusiasm. For always spreading the word and fighting the good fight to help put the Summer Series out there for the masses. I feel incredibly privileged to have each and every one of you on my team and in my life, thank-you.
A special thank you to Jessica Rt from the Three Bookateer’s. For being the most lovely, helpful PA any author ever could hope for. I cannot thank you enough for your support and guidance.
To all the bloggers, reviewers, readers who have enjoyed and shared the Summer Series. For taking something away from the story, for loving and embracing the characters. In a world that is often dark enough, it has been an absolute pleasure injecting it with a bit of sunshine.
I am not sad that this story is over, because I will be taking you all back to Onslow very soon. And as for what is to come? …It’s only the beginning.
About the Author
C.J Duggan is a Number One Best Selling Australian Author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn’t writing books about swoony boys and 90’s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.
That One Summer is Book Three in her Mature Young Adult Romance Series.
For more on C.J and ‘The Summer Series’, visit
www.cjdugganbooks.com
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Also By C.J Duggan
Dedication
Praise For
Quote
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four