I stared in horror at my friends' gloating faces. "Did he just call my name?"

The man with the microphone waved a slip of paper in his hands. "Nicole Malone, we hear it's your birthday? Come on up."

"You've got to be kidding me," I grumbled.

Sarah shoved against me with her shoulder. "Go on. You gotta do it."

"No, I don't," I hissed. It was bad enough my three closest girlfriends dragged me to karaoke on my thirtieth birthday, but to embarrass me by having me stand in front of a crowd of self-deluded crooners was beyond humiliating.

Michelle and Heather jumped from their barstools, each taking a hand and pulling me toward the stage.

"Ah, there's the beautiful birthday girl. Come on, sweetheart. We don't bite." Given the karaoke master, or whatever his title was, wore a studded collar around his neck, I couldn't take his word for it.

Accepting there was no way out of standing center stage while enduring an off-pitch rendition of the Happy Birthday song, I faked a gracious smile and walked to the front of the crowd.

Catcalls and whistles pierced the air in the packed bar.

I took my place next to the Pat Sajak of the karaoke world when suddenly a spotlight flipped on. Great. Now the whole room can see my red face.

"Woo hoo! Go Nikki!" Sarah was really going to get it when I returned to the table.

The announcer put his arm around my shoulders as if we were good buds. "Ladies and gentleman, it's the lovely Nicole Malone."

Crazy cheering broke out. You'd think I was a celebrity with their level of enthusiasm. And I had to admit that their energy was contagious. Just to be a good sport, I curtsied. So what if they sang Happy Birthday to me? I was a big girl, officially a real adult. No longer a twenty-something.

Wow. That was a depressing thought. Thirty years old in an uninspiring job and no relationship to speak of, unless you counted my live-in Scottie. And no, I didn't have some hot-kilted guy waiting for me at home. My Scottie was a dark haired cutie who liked walks in the park and belly rubs. Read the Exclusive Story Here