Ellie
*
The Wrong Girl Chapter 10 Part 2
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With Tessa’s guidance, I crafted the perfect text invite for Jake to join us. I tried to make it as nonchalant and obligation-free as I could, but under the influence of several mimosas, Tessa was an almost unstoppable force. Even so, Jake agreed to meet us for karaoke.
Suddenly, our fun girl’s night had turned into an evening I had to prepare for, and fortunately Tessa sobered up quickly enough to help me. I settled on a short floral dress with thigh-high boots and a soft, oversized sweater that hung off one shoulder. I had planned on jeans and a t-shirt for girl’s night—ordinarily I wasn’t trying to look hot for bottom-basement karaoke. But Tessa insisted I had to go all in, and she had certainly dated a lot more than I had, so I took her advice. She, however, stuck with jeans.
I’d been purposefully vague about what time to arrive, since I didn’t want it to sound too formal, so I wasn’t sure what time Jake would show. Tessa and I usually slid in a few minutes before the karaoke started because it didn’t draw a large crowd and drinks were cheaper next door at Sarah’s Corner. So, we had a couple steadying rounds of rum and coke before we slipped over to the Aspen Underground.
True to its name, the Underground was actually downstairs from the street level, although not technically underground since there was an outdoor landing. Flyers were taped all over the entry way advertising the specially themed karaoke night, and to my absolute shock the place was packed.
A guy with a mullet and a red, white, and blue sweatband was singing 'Don't Stop Believing' and the audience was singing along.
In dismay, I glanced around and realized all the tables were full, suddenly regretting my high-heeled boots. Damn Tessa; if not for her, I’d be in comfy flats right now. I didn’t see Jake among the crowd, either.
We made our way to the bar and flagged down Max. “Quite a crowd here tonight!” I shouted over the enthusiastic roar of the audience. “What gives?”
“It’s the costume contest,” he shouted back, already fixing our usual drinks. “There’s a big prize. It brought people out of the woodwork.”
Tessa and I exchanged a glance, then dug out our phones to pull up the flyer.
Sure enough, below the large colorful letters proclaiming ’80’s Karaoke’, there was a lot more information detailing the contest and how to win. Apparently, the winner had to not only be in costume but also sing an eighties song in order to be entered.
“How did we miss that?” I asked, and Tessa just shrugged. “Okay, well you don’t get to shame me for not knowing it was eighties night when you apparently didn’t read the flyer, either!”
Max slid over our drinks and we opened our tab, then stood together by the bar, staring out at the crowd.
“So, where do you want to go?” Tessa asked. The singer finished his song and slipped off the stage, and Andy the MC took the mic to announce the next singer.
“I dunno. I guess we could just hang here for a minute and see if something opens up?”
Tessa glanced at the door doubtfully, where more people were pouring in every minute. I scanned the crowd for a table and spotted someone in a giant windbreaker with a huge mustache waving in our direction. He didn’t look familiar; must have seen someone coming through the door behind us.
Tessa nudged me. “Should we go up and put our names in for a song? From the looks of this crowd, it could be a while before we get called up.”
“Yeah, that’s probably smart. Do you know what you want to sing?”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Come on, like you have to ask.”
Careful not to spill our drinks, we slipped between the tables. My phone buzzed in my purse, but I ignored it while we filled out our song request. My phone began buzzing more insistently, indicating a call, so I set down my drink and fished it out.
It was Jake. He must be running late. I canceled the call and opened up a message, planning to text him and tell him it’s too loud to answer the phone, but then I saw he had texted me. When I read his message, I glanced up in shock, then erupted in laughter.
“What did I miss?” Tessa was at my elbow, having turned in the slip, and eager to be in the know.
“Over there,” I pointed to the guy with the windbreaker and mustache, “that’s Jake. I didn’t recognize him, but he got a table.”
Tessa leaned back, a disgusted expression on her face. “When did he have time to grow a mustache?” she commented with distaste. Tessa hated mustaches.
“He didn’t. He’s obviously dressed up for the contest. Come on.”
We wove through the crowd and made our way to Jake, who had incredibly hoarded a table and chairs for the three of us. He hopped down from his stool to hug me in greeting, immediately sending me into another peal of laughter.
Besides the neon-blue, extravagantly oversized wind breaker, Jake had on the tiniest blue shorts I’d ever seen on a man—dangerously close to revealing something that should never be seen in public—complete with white sneakers and crew socks pulled up his calves.
“Wait, you need the full effect,” he grinned beneath the Magnum PI-style mustache. Tessa claimed her seat while I waited, and Jake fished out a pair of oversized, mirrored aviator sunglasses. After placing them on his head, he did a few deep knee bends and lunges, preening for the surrounding crowd, who were enjoying the show entirely too much.
“Alright you win best in show,” I laughed. “You remember Tessa?”
“Of course, nice to see you again,” Jake held out his hand for a shake.
“Likewise,” she answered, then looked back and forth between us expectantly.
I raised a brow. “What?” A new singer was on the stage, and we had to shout over her to be heard.
“You guys should sing something!”
“Oh no, I don’t do duets.”
“You sing with me.”
“That’s different. We sing together.” Wanting to steer the conversation away from this track, I turned to Jake. “Okay, you gotta tell me where you got this outfit. It’s… something.”
Jake grinned, but the way his fake mustache made his upper lip disappear distracted me. “It was my dad’s!”
I burst out laughing. “No way! Does he wear it now?”
“Nah, he’d never fit these shorts now, he’s just kind of a hoarder. But I remembered seeing a photo of him from his Navy days. I always thought it was from Top Gun—like I thought my dad was in that movie when I was a kid. So when you invited me and I checked out the event, it inspired me. I asked him about it and he said he kept the outfit, along with a bunch of his old navy stuff.”
“I’m assuming the mustache wasn’t a hand-me-down?”
It grew too loud to talk, and we waited for the applause to die down, only for the MC to announce, “next up is Captain Wright!”
Jake slid the glasses back on his face. “Looks like it’s showtime, ladies.”
He hopped off his stool, took a swig of beer, and strode to the front to the swelling applause as people got a look at his outfit.
The MC gestured to Jake when he climbed on the stage, prompting a round of hoots from the crowd. “Is this your typical look, or are you entering our contest?”
Jake leaned over the mic to answer. “Uh, that would be an affirmative on the contest, sir.”
“Alright well, your song’s cued up, Captain Wright. Good luck!”
Jake took the microphone and did a couple of lunges for good measure, to the groans and cheers of the crowd.
To his credit, he hit the lyrics right out of the gate, but I couldn’t stop laughing when I realized he’d taken the Top Gun theme all the way. By the time he reached the chorus, the entire bar was signing along with, ‘You’ve lost that lovin’ feeling’. I roared, and Jake worked the crowd; they loved it.
Tessa punched me lightly on the shoulder, casting a sly grin my way. “Okay, I really like him.”
“Well, that’s high praise coming from you,” I teased. “Was it the mustache that did it, or the shorts?”
“Oh, the crew socks. Definitely the socks. But,” she shrugged, a mischievous gleam in her eye, “the shorts are illuminating. Definitely define his, um, best assets.”
Heat rose to my cheeks as my eyes drifted to the spot she was complimenting. “You’re not wrong,” I agreed, leaning in to not be overheard. “From what I felt when we made out, he’s packing heat.”
“Is that a fifty-cal in his pocket or is he just happy to see you?”
My laughter turned into snorts, which made me laugh even harder.
“I mean, I’ve heard of a moose knuckle before, but that thing looks like a mammoth-”
“Tessa, stop, I can’t breathe,” I wheezed.
“Is he part donkey? Because I’ve heard-”
“TESSA!” I gasped, practically choking from laughter."
She rolled her eyes. “Oh fine, you ruin all my fun. I’m gonna go prowl, see if I can ruin some tourist’s night by getting him all hot and bothered and then sending him back to his vacation rental alone.”
She made an acknowledging hand gesture as she walked away, and seconds later, the crowd roared with applause as Jake finished his song and took a bow.
The grin on his face stretched from ear-to-ear when he returned to the table and took his seat.
“Thank you, thank you. That was a rush. It’s been ages since I sang karaoke.”
“You did great. Do you think the costume helped?”
“Yeah, it definitely made a difference. It’s kind of like getting into character.” He slipped the glasses off his face and tucked them into a pocket. “Speaking of, it doesn’t look like you’re in a costume.”
“No, I’m not. We didn’t realize there was a contest, if you can believe it. Tessa and I come here pretty much every month, and it’s usually dead. I think we do it out of habit more than anything.”
Warmth spread across my cheeks. “Thank you.”
“So where did Tessa go? I didn’t scare her off, did I?”
“Nah, she’s hunting.”
His head tilted. “Hunting, like hunting with a gun?”
“No,” I laughed. “It’s sort of a long story, but I’ll try to keep it brief. A while back, Tessa met a guy, and even though she knew he was only in town for the week, she was really into him. She thought they had something, and she was all invested in the idea of a long-distance relationship. Like she was ready to go all in.”
“After a week?”
I shrugged. “I know. She can be impulsive like that. Anyway, they have a great week. He promises to keep in touch, and does a little at first, but just gradually replies less. Then she gets a message from someone explaining that they were the guy’s fiancé and to stop texting him.”
“Ouch!”
“Yeah. So she told her what that guy had done while he was here, claiming he was single and thinking of moving to Aspen Ridge in order to hook up on his boy’s trip. After that, Tessa has taken it as her personal mission to get back at guys like that.”
“Woah, she tracks down their girlfriends and everything?”
“Nah, she’s more clever now, and she doesn’t really want to get involved. She mostly flirts and strings them along—so they don’t try it with anyone else, you understand—and then ghosts them on their last night in town. It’s kind of diabolical, but also kind of hilarious.”
“Remind me never to get on her bad side.”
“Will do, but just so you know, she already said she likes you.”
“It was the mustache, wasn’t it? Ladies love the ‘stach.”
Laughter bubbled out of me. “No, definitely not the ‘stach. But take the compliment, she doesn’t like many people.”
“Well, thanks, I think.”
“You’re welcome.”
Our conversation piddled out, and we focused on our drinks. The current singer was a woman in a hot pink, ruffled dress with black fishnets on her arms, belting out a Pat Benatar song, and she was fantastic. When the applause for her died down, Andy announced, “Now it’s time for some of our regulars. Let’s get Ellie and Tessa up here!”
“Let’s kill this,” she flipped the cap backwards on her head and bumped my hip with hers, handing me a second mic.
I don’t know why, but sudden nerves wriggled in my belly. I was used to this place being dead when we sang.
A loud whistle caught my attention, and I glanced through the bright stage lights to see Jake with his fingers in his mouth. The whistle ended, and he waved, cheering us on.
The music started, and I dropped right in.
Tessa and I alternated the lyrics like we usually did, singing the Joan Jett tune in the style of the Beastie Boys, but singing together on the chorus. The crowd cheered, and even though we knew we weren’t winning any contest, we still had fun.
After our bow, Tessa followed me back to the table.
“Great job. You guys were outstanding!” Jake greeted us with high fives.
“Thanks, but I don’t think we really compare to your performance,” Tessa said with an edge. “I mean, I think you’ve really got it in the pocket with that one.”
“Tessa,” I warned, but she just gave me a sly grin.
“I gotta go. I’ve got a live one. He’s already invited me back to his hot tub.” She rubbed her hands together like a cartoon villain.
“Wait, you’re not actually going, are you?”
“Hell no. I’m going to make him take two more shots, so his buddies have to drive him home. Then I’m going to tell him to pick up non-latex condoms at the market across town because I have sensitive lady bits. And then promise I’m going to meet him but never show, and act like I fell asleep. You know how I do this, Ellie. A little faith?”
“Okay, just let me know you get home safe, crazy. Oh wait, I rode with you. Can you drop me at home before you start your diabolical plan?”
Tessa’s grin curled like the Cheshire Cat’s. “Oh, I’m sure Captain Mooseknuckle can give you a ride.”
Jake choked on his beer.
“Tessa!” How was it possible to be so embarrassed you wanted to melt through the floor, but also laughing hysterically? That was one of Tessa’s unique gifts.
“I can give you a ride, Ellie,” Jake offered, recovering from nearly drowning in beer but clearly blushing profusely.
“See? All good.” Tessa pulled me in for a hug. “You’re welcome. I love you. Wear a rubber. You don’t know where that thing’s been.”
“I hate you,” I replied, still laughing. “Enjoy fucking up someone else’s night.”
“Oh, definitely will!”
“She’s… something else,” Jake commented vaguely, a note of shock in his voice.
“Yeah, she is. She must really like you. She never acts like herself around strangers.”
“I’ll take the compliment?” he replied in a confused tone.
“She’s like a cat. An old, surly house cat, that wants nothing to do with people most of the time. Most people she’ll just ignore. But if she likes you, that’s when she’ll come out and play. Just know sometimes she’ll dig her claws in you while she does it. But that’s how she shows love.”
“Surly house cat; got it.”
“So…” I glanced at my empty glass. “Should we get another round?”
“I’d better switch to water for a while. I may have had a couple of shots to get the courage up to sing, and since I’m driving precious cargo, I need to be extra sober for the ride home.” His eyes were warm and admiring when they held mine.
“Are you drunk now?” I asked, confused. He didn’t seem drunk.
“No, I just don’t want to drink any more and tip over the edge.”
“Well then, why don’t we just leave? It’s really loud in here.”
“So early? I’m okay to hang out a while, if you want to.”
“Oh, do you want to stay for the contest to see if you won?”
“No, I don’t care. It was just for laughs. I just didn’t expect the night to end so quickly.”
And that is when I caught up, my heart beginning to race. “Well… why don’t we go to my place? It’s quieter and we could have another drink or switch to tea or something, if you prefer.” I tried to present it like I wasn’t just inviting him back to my place for sex, but I still wasn’t sure which way I wanted to go.
“Sure, okay,” he agreed, suddenly nervous.
I gathered my purse and stopped by the bar to pay my tab, but Max informed me Tessa’s ‘new friend’ had already paid our tab, and handed back my card.
We were still laughing when we made it onto the sidewalk.
“She really has it in for that guy, doesn’t she? My truck’s just over here,” Jake gestured up the street.
“Yeah, she’s something else. I kind of agree with her, however. They bring it on themselves, being dirtbags.”
“But how does she know they’re dirtbags? They could actually be single guys just looking for a fun weekend.”
I glanced up at him suspiciously and he paled. “Not that that’s something I’d do, but I mean, if that’s what both people want…”
“She has her methods, but I think she targets the ones that feed her the most bullshit.”
Jake held the door to an extended-cab pickup open and I climbed in, buckling my seat while he walked around to the other side.
He waited until he was pulling away to comment, “Is it me, or is it sad that it’s so easy for her to find those guys?”
“I agree, it’s sad. She considers it a service that she does for the younger women in town, keeping them from ending up in the same spot she did.”
“I suppose that was kind of crushing.”
“Yeah. It’s been a few years, and she hasn’t seen anyone seriously since.”
When we made it to my place and stepped inside, Jake let out a low whistle.
“I’m glad we came to your place first. I’d be embarrassed for you to see the box I live in.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” I snorted. “You iron your polo shirts, Jake. You’ve got to keep a tidy house.” Changing subjects, I asked, “Do you want a drink?”
“Sure, whatever you’re having.” He stuck his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker. “And yes, I’m neat, but you have to remember I have two small kids. It’s like a tornado sweeps through every hour they’re at home. It’s impossible to keep up.”
“Somehow I doubt that.” I fixed a pair of rum and cokes and passed him a glass. “Come on, I’ll give you the tour.”
It was one big open space, decorated with ivory marble in the kitchen, pale wood cabinets and floors, the same stone on the fireplace, and neutral-colored furniture. I flicked the switch on the fireplace and led him down the hall, pointing out the bathroom, the guest room, and the master in the back before we returned to the living room and settled on the couch.
“You see? Not big at all.”
“It’s not huge, but it’s spacious. The open floor plan and the high ceilings are part of it, I’m sure.” He gestured at the floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the mountain. “That, too.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. But it’s not a lot of floor space—I don’t need much. I love a fireplace, and a view. I mean, this is why we live here, right?”
“That’s true. And when you own the place, I guess you can afford the view. All I have a view of is my neighbor’s backyard.”
I felt a flicker of embarrassment. “I’m not trying to show off,” I murmured.
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. And believe me, I’m happy with my house. I can’t tell you how nice it is to be in a real neighborhood that’s not on a military base. And we’re right around the corner from my parents, which is the main reason I bought where I did. I’m not judging you.”
The tension in my chest eased. “Okay, thank you.” My eyes turned to the fire, and I took a sip of my drink. Jake copied the movement. Somehow we’d drifted away from the sexual promise of the evening and now it was rapidly growing awkward. Even so, my body was absolutely thrumming with the desire to straddle his lap and unzip that windbreaker. I was considering making a move when he spoke.
“Ellie?” Jake’s voice sounded resigned.
“Hm?”
He paused. “Um, I should probably go.” He stood, taking another sip of his drink, and walked to the kitchen to leave the glass in the sink.
I followed, confused. “Is something wrong? It’s still early.”
He shoved his hands back in his jacket pockets and sighed. “No, I just…” he searched for words for a moment, then laughed. “I just feel ridiculous. I’m in this outfit with these tiny shorts and I don’t feel remotely manly right now. It seems like I should make a move, but then I don’t really know if you want me to, and I’m just thrown off by the whole thing. I think the best option is for me to go home, put my tiny shorts away, and try again by asking you out on a proper date-”
Before he could even finish his sentence, I’d set my glass down and marched straight up to him, determined. If he didn’t know what I wanted, I needed to show him.
Reaching up, I grasped the collar of the windbreaker and tugged him down to kiss me. The cold sweetness of his mouth was cool and refreshing on my tongue, and his arms circled around my body as he kissed me back with enthusiasm.
When I pulled back, his lips followed, searching for mine.
My voice was a low purr when I spoke. “This outfit is hilarious, and I love that you wore it. But if you’re uncomfortable, you know what you should do?”
“No,” he shook his head, confused.
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