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My best friend visits me from the west coast every year, and every year I make him take me out to karaoke. He has the voice of an angel, while I can barely croak a tune. I would give my left arm to be able to sing, but sing I cannot, so I love to sit and hear this beautiful man sing to me beautiful songs.

We are both theater people, we love to play and need to be out and about. Now that I am a busy mother of two, I don't get out much. These yearly visits are about it for me, so leaving dear hubby home with the kids, I dash off without a backward glance to be someone else for a while. One year, we decided to take this concept to another level.

We arrived at a Karaoke bar we had never been to before. "Let's pretend to be married," says I. "Ok, let's be from....Detroit," says he. And so "Sam and Debra Delany" hooked arms and whisked into the bar.

After listening to the usual drunken renderings of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "The Power of Love", it was my friend's turn to sing. I had to prod him when the DJ asked for Sam. As usual, the minute he opened his mouth and that golden voice poured into the room, the place went quiet and people actually turned to watch and listen. I looked up at my "husband" all dewy-eyed, and said to the woman beside me, "That's the song he sang to me at our wedding." She placed a hand over her heart and looked at me in awe. When the song was over, the place exploded in cheers, and as he was walking back to the table, the DJ announced, "That was Sam and Debra's wedding song." A collective Aaaawwwww rose from the crowd and they applauded harder. I was stunned! We never discussed that!

We did look believable, however, when he sat down and we hugged and giggled into each other's ears. The entire night continued this way. As usual, after he sings, my friend and I become local celebrities, and this time, being from Detroit and all, we were even more interesting to the small-town east coast folk. We were chatting with everyone who came by our table, and whenever "Sam" got up to sing, everyone listened. We fielded questions like "How long have you been married?" and "What do you do in Detroit?" and we consistently gave the same answers without having discussed it at all! We were totally on the same wavelength, keeping in character, and having the time of our lives. We laugh about that night to this day, seven years later.

Karaoke for me is so much fun, even though I will never venture near a microphone. It gives my best friend and I a place to go out and have fun, while thoroughly enjoying each other's company. My friend sings for me, and wraps me in the music.

Learn more about this author, Sheri Bertaux.
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