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When Colin announced he wanted to go out for his birthday everyone had agreed, he was 26, Daphne had agreed to come but she wouldn’t be drinking as she was pregnant, no one had expected what Colin had ultimately decided.
Colin had said that he’d booked a room so they had some privacy, he’s just said it was a cocktail bar so when all the adult Bridgerton’s rocked up at the address in Soho he had given… they all groaned.
Karaoke Box…
Every single one of them could remember what happened the last time they’d ended up in a karaoke bar…
Penelope who had been trying to get the location of her boyfriend’s birthday event from him for the last month, with no succuess, blushed furiously at the memory of Kate’s Hen Do and how they’d met the boys who’d gone out for “quiet” drinks… and the absolute carnage that had come about as a result of Michael and his bloody whiskey…
It had been a bloody good night Penelope had to admit, and the results when she’d gone back to Colin’s had been mind blowing…. And she couldn’t help but wonder if he was after a repeat performance.
“Colin really…?” Kate had grumbled at him as they all met outside the bar.
Colin just beamed in his usual jovial way “what. I happen to know this bar makes some of the best cocktails in London, has some of the best snacks which we all know is key on a good night out… and the fact it is a karaoke bar is just a happy coincidence.” he smirked.
Colin gave all the rest of the men a knowing grin which caused Daphne to blush, cradling her swollen stomach she followed her sisters, and future sisters in law inside, who were all blushing furiously.
All of the men gave Colin an appreciative high five as they went in.
Penelope wasn’t really comfortable singing in public, she didn’t have the confidence that Kate seemed to ooze, she’d always been in the shadows, even at home, even to this day, 6 months in, her mother still can’t believe that she, Penelope Featherington, is dating Colin Bridgerton…
The only reason she’d been on the microphone that night, was cause Kate and Sophie who were incredibly drunk, along with Daphne, had dragged her and Francesca up on stage in front of 50 or so people and they’d belted out Spice Girls, Wannabe… it had been one of the best moments of Penelope’s life.
She and Eloise at school had been the odd balls, the ones who sat at the back of the room, who were never picked for teams, well Eloise was but she usually just refused to play if Penelope wasn’t, unless it was hockey, or archery… but that night, she’d felt like one of the cool girls, like she belong and that she finally had sisters who loved her and appreciated her for who she was…
She was free to be herself when she was with the Bridgerton women, they accepted her, they loved her and it’s probably why she felt more comfortable in her own skin.
Colin helped, Colin really helped her self confidence, he loved her curves, in fact he loved them. He didn’t care if she thought she was fat, she was perfect for him and told her regularly how perfect she was for him. She didn’t see herself that way, she was starting to see her own self worth, he’d compared her to a shorter Christina Henedrix and it had given her confidence.
It took four rounds of drinks and 3 rounds of shots to get everyone tipsy enough to start singing.
The women, sober Daphne included, had gotten up and sung Sister sledge’s “are family” to start of the evening.
Colin got up with Michael and they sang “sexy and I know it” and both had to be stopped by Francesca and Penelope from stripping their tops off as they sang..
After a few whiskey’s Anthony had gotten up and sung “Can’t take my eyes off you” from Frankie Valli and turned Kate into a puddle and a flushing mess.
But then she got up and sang “Hate That I Love You” which had Daphne and Sophie laughing, Sophie so much she fell off her chair.
Penelope and Colin had gotten up and sung “I got you Babe” together and much to Colin’s annoyance Penelope had gotten up and Sung “You’re the one that I want” with Michael. Francesca had cackled her way through it.
Daphne was sat filming every single one of the performances, cackling as she secretly added shots of vodka to everyone’s drink.
She’d had to threaten a drunk Simon with pain of death if he got up.
Daphne had giggled and gagged her way through Benedict’s performance of “Your Body is a Wonderland” which Sophie had blushed and fanned herself the entire way through and being a little more drunk than the rest, the two of them disappeared for Eloise and Francesca’s rather dramatic drunken performance of “Wind Beneath my wings”
Phillip, Eloise’s new boyfriend just looked on in amusement wondering what the hell he was involved with as Anthony, Benedict and Colin all stood up and crooned their way through “Can’t help falling in love” to which Sophie, Kate and Penelope had all stared, mouth’s open, visible heart eyes clearly on their face… literally couldn’t stop the grins on their faces.
And not to be outdone, Michael stood up and crooned “All of Me” at Francesca who turned into a withering mess.
Kate and Sophie got up, both very unsteady on their feet and and belted out “i’ll be there for you” together and danced around the room like idiots.
Eloise then dragged her brother’s and two sister’s up and they all performed “ABC” by the Jackson 5, to which had the Spouses howling as they had a full dance routine to go along with it. Michael had to hold onto Sophie as she was laughing so hard at the dance moves. Simon was desperately trying to hold the camera still.
Everyone was shook as Eloise and Penelope got up and performed “Low” together, Phillip and Colin’s mouth dropped as they watched their respective girlfriends dropping low, gyrating on each other, Kate whistled, Sophie cheered, Daphne covered her face and Francesca howled laughing.
Anthony and Benedict both blinked and turned back to their drinks in shock.
However… The finale of the night came, when a very drunk, bleary eyed Colin stood up and proclaimed to Penelope “this is for you babe…” and proceeded to sing Fat Bottomed Girls.
Colin knew it was a favourite song of Penelope’s and he had seen her and Eloise singing it and dancing to it countless times in clubs, it was one of her favourite songs when she was doing Zumba in his front room and usually led to him dragging her off to do a different form of exercise.
Anthony gaped at his younger brother for a moment as Colin began singing and dancing around, Eloise stood on her seat next to Phillip and began belting it out alongside him, even Phillip stood and joined in the singing after much coercion from Eloise.
Benedict who seemed barely conscious was holding onto Sophie who was in his lap and they seemingly were singing along as well.
Michael and Francesca started singing as well and Kate was too busy cackling with laughter.
Daphne who had started filming, dropped her phone in shock as Penelope, who was very drunk at this point, seemed to forget all her cares and worries got up and started dancing with Colin as he sung
“ Across the water, across the land
I've seen every blue eyed floozy on the way
But their beauty and their style
Went kind of smooth after a while
Take me to them naughty ladies every time”
And Penelope started Gyrating of Colin. As he finished and Penelope turned around and wrapped her arms tightly around him, pressing her lips to his, it seemed to trigger the “yep it’s home time” as everyone, despite being very drunk all saw Colin’s hands on Penelope’s bottom.
The couples all seemed to rather quickly flee the room after this and pile into taxi’s giggling. Daphne grinning wildly at the stacks of blackmail videos she had of her siblings and in-laws…
As Colin and Penelope stayed wrapped in each other’s arms before Colin picked her up, threw her over the shoulder giving her bottom a spank as he carried her drunkenly through the bar into a taxi and back to his place…
And later, when she lay in his bed, the entire world spinning around her from the drink and the dizzying heights Colin had worshipped her to… Penelope decided that Karaoke was the absolutely the best thing in the world.