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“We were together in the hospital unit,” she explained. She nodded
with her chin as she picked up her wing again. “Ted and Shaheim were orderlies,
Pete was another of the nurses. I never knew Sinbad real well, but you can tell
which one he is.”
    “The big, black, bald drummer?”
    “Right the first time.”
    “Not his real name, I hope.”
    She laughed. “I doubt it. He never said
much. Was pretty quiet.”
    With Sinbad on drums, Ted on the bass and
Shaheim on piano, Pete rounded out the quartet with lead guitar. With no
introduction, they launched into a rousing rendition of Anchors Aweigh ,
getting the patrons to join in on the chorus. John had heard them play several
times here at Parker’s and always enjoyed their liveliness. Watching them with
Lauren, however, made him thoughtful.
    He wasn’t concerned about the fact that
she’d slept with Pete. That was over there and had no bearing on over here. No,
there was something else. Another dynamic at play here he couldn’t quite put
his finger on.
    The band launched into the Army’s song and
again, the crowd joined in to keep those “caissons a’rolling along”. From there
they went to the “halls of Montezuma” in a salute to the nation’s Marine Corp.
From experience he knew they’d launch into the “wild blue yonder” next. Beside
him, Lauren chimed in on the choruses for each of the military songs,
applauding and whistling with her fingers between her lips at the end. Her
third beer was already gone. John knew that was going to be either very good or
very bad.
    “And now, I’d like to call on an old friend
to come up here and sing the last song in this set.”
    The band members exchanged puzzled glances.
John frowned. The four songs of the armed units of the US military forces were
the only four in this set. He knew their routine.
    “Ladies and gentlemen, a special treat
tonight. Fresh back home, the Siren of Iraq herself, Lauren Carr!”
    The three guys in the band broke out in
grins. John looked at Lauren, who stepped into the limelight with only a small
smile of apology for him. She must’ve known what Pete was going to do and even
though she’d protested, she’d decided to stay and sing. With mixed feelings,
John watched her take the mike like a pro and nod to the others in the band.
    The opening notes gave away the number and
a smattering of applause greeted the familiar tune. For over ten years it had
been the theme song of a popular TV series, although John doubted that more
than a handful of viewers actually knew the lyrics. But he did. And so did
Lauren. Her voice, a soft, sexy alto sang out the words, “Through the early
morning fog I see…” She swayed with the music, losing herself in it. When she
got to the words “suicide is painless”, John saw her close her eyes in pain and
he had to wonder just how much was an act. Why hadn’t he put it together
earlier? MishMASH they called themselves. They started every evening with the
same four songs to salute the military. He knew they were all former soldiers,
but it never occurred to him that they might have served together in a hospital
over there. Not until Lauren stood to sing that haunting song.
    She finished, opened her eyes and bowed to
the audience who sat mesmerized under her spell. Breaking it, she threw up her
hands in a whoop and called out to the band, “Come on, boys, let’s finish with
a flourish!”
    Shaheim pounded out the opening notes of Great
Balls of Fire and she and Pete shared vocals on the rousing number. Her
eyes sparkled and her voice was incredibly good. She’d given him no hint of the
talent that lay inside her. Her showmanship put the audience in the palm of her
hand.
    It ended and the house erupted in applause.
She was a hit. Giving each of the band members a hug, she waved one last time
to the audience and came to rejoin him at their table.
    “I hope you don’t mind. That
was…unexpected. And fun.”
    “You’ve performed with them before.”