#anywhere

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please come take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please come get him, fast as you can!

Well, he's big and strong like a bear,
Even has all his hair!
But I just cannot stand him, Jolene
All he does is sleep and eat,
I'm tired of his smelly feet...
I've really had enough of him, Jolene.

This quarantine is killin' me, and I can not hardly see
Spending just another minute with him, Jolene.

Now I can easily understnad
You may not want my man
But you don'tr know what it would mean to me, Jolene..

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please come take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please come get him, fast as you can!

Well you can have your choice of men,
But I don't want to see him again,
He's getting on my last nerve Jolene...

I had to have this talk with you,
My happiness depends on you
And whatever it is you decide to do, Jolene.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please come take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please come get him, soon as you can!

Jo-leeeeeeeeene!

NOt many folks were there... but some look up, confused, and most smile

She is nervous, she knows, and it isn't her best performance. Seeing a bored face or two in the crowd also makes her nearly flub a few lyrics as she tries to remember the parody on the fly.

Dagmar CLAPS. "Another!"

But folks applaud moderately and some do laugh

Piper steps back, she has a smile on, and waves as she steps behind the stage. She's good at putting on a smile, it's a performance after all.

"Now, sing what you WANT to sing" Mickey says "No jokes, from the gut"

"I'm really better than that, I promise. I think, I was just nervous."

getting a sip of water.

And - her mind goes blank. What can she sing?

A glance to Dagmar, mute request for help!

"I Hope You Dance?"

She blinks, and thinks for a moment, and takes a breath. "I... I can do that."

Mickey gets up, "Ladies and gents, that last song was to humor me, this one is to thrill you... I present to you, my daughter, Piper McCormick from Ole Jersey"

that gets them smilling

She half stumbles stepping back out, looking to him in surprise, and... her eyes well up. A brilliant smile.

He smiles back and gives a thumbs up

Dagmar wraps her arms around her midsection in a self-hug, watching the pair.

Piper takes a breath, deep, she knows how to breathe properly as a singer ought, and she starts into the song...

"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder..."

She starts a little shakey, but soon her voice is projecting, filling the small venue.

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Finishing up with eyes that threaten to well over.

Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
And wonder where those years have gone....

The last note trails away, soft, poignant.

there's one woman with a tear down her cheek. APplause, and not as a courtesy!

Dagmar is misty-eyed but smiling.

"I need to call my dad" Says one purple haired man with two nose rings

"me too" Says a big biker with a huge beard, tattoos that promise death, "well, mom. she.. she always believed in me"

"tru dat, Snuggles, tru dat" a friend nods to the biker

Piper steps back, and gives a little smile to Mickey. "I hope that was okay."

"OKAY? It ... it was briliant. PIper? I'm an echo, I can distort words but I can't ...." he sputters trying to think of how to tell her while abiding his pooka nature

She beams at him. "I'm glad you liked it." Simple, letting him know he's understood.

And he smiles "More than fairy tales and happy endings"

"I have so many questions." She admits. "But I guess, you're right in the middle of a set." A sheepish look.

"Pumpkin time is when I'm free" He says making a 12 sign

"But tomorrow during the daylight...I might be free from consulting with the pentagon?"

"Then, I can come by to talk more tomorrow, if that's okay?"

"i'm a headliner... And Headliners go to Days inn room 404"

he laughs 'or answer phone texts" A nod

She trades her number with him, then returns to Dagmar. "We should let him get on with the set, I think I messed up the club vibe a little and he'll need to recover the room."

"He'll do it, I'm sure."

"Polly will do it, Pelvis will do it, and the greatest collection of voices since Fluffy and Mel Blanc had a love child" he assures . He gives a hug to Piper, then looks at Dagmar 'you a hugger?"

Brow furrow. Nod.

Piper throws herself into the hug from the other side. "Troll sandwich!" She says gleefully.

A laugh, and a hug from the side from the man and he says "Her height will blot out the sun, but we shall hug in the shade"

"Gack."

"Nope, nope. You live here now." SQUEEZE.

A squeeze then "Alas, I must leave the hugging duties to you, Sgt. Piper... the show? must go on!" And he parts from the hug and waves

heading to the dressing room

Left behind, Piper hugs Dagmar alone, and harder.

Dagmar gives Piper a good, solid, back-cracking squeeze.

"I don't think I'd have had the courage to go through with it, without you." She admits to Dagmar.

She shrugs. "You were plenty brave."