As Sean launched into “YMCA” pointing at Jack and Aaron, several patrons (including Jules and Lauren) did the famous dance moves. Aaron and Jack seemed annoyed as they pounded their beers. Lauren bounded toward her husband and embraced him, nearly causing him to lose his balance in his high heels.
Knowing there wouldn’t be enough room at the table for everyone and ill-prepared to interact with Aaron, Nicole moved away and found a spot by Jules on the wall. Deep down she’d known Aaron would show up, but she had no idea what to say to him and didn’t think she could manage a casual conversation.
“I’ve gotta take a break,” Sean announced hurriedly. He guided his girlfriend over to the booth where Jack, Aaron, and Lauren had joined Shilah.
“You are one sexy bitch,” Shilah said to Jack, who winked. They tapped their drinks together, toasting.
“Do I have any makeup left, or did you use it all?” Lauren chimed in.
“This is what took us so long. I had to wait for ‘Her Royal Highness’ to get all dolled up.” Aaron rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“How was the carving contest? Did anybody lose a finger?” Sean looked from Jack to Aaron.
“No 911 calls this year.” Aaron took a long swig from his bottle of beer and sighed.
“Who are you supposed to be?” Avery asked Aaron.
“Tonto.”
Shilah chimed in. “You girls aren’t the only ones call each other to coordinate outfits.” Avery cackled.
“You look more like the Indian from The Village People.” She flipped the fringe on Aaron’s vest and scoffed.
“We prefer the term Native American,” Aaron informed her as he bumped fists with Shilah.
Avery slugged him in the arm. “Well, you aren’t going to be much competition for Jason in that.”
Nicole couldn’t see Aaron’s face, but she could see him do a double take from behind. Avery had apparently surprised him.
“Why the hell would I need to compete with that tool?” There was a pregnant pause at the table.
“Okay, what the hell did we miss?” Nicole heard Jack mutter. As if summoned by his question, Jason and Joy approached the table.
“Jack. Love it,” Jason gushed as Joy hung on his shoulder staring down at Aaron haughtily.
“Ay yi yi, chica. This is gonna get ugly,” Jules said to Nicole, emphasizing the last two syllables dramatically.
“Yeah, I’m kind of torn. I don’t want to watch, but I can’t look away,” Nicole whispered in reply.
“Let’s go get a drink.” Jules headed off and Nicole followed without a backward glance.
Aaron’s long day instantly went from bad to worse. Joy’s costume was amazing. His eyes automatically tailed along the curve of her hip and he quickly shook off his lascivious train of thought, remembering she was the captain of Crazy Town.
What a hot mess.
Jason looked as douchey as ever, and seeing his arm around Joy made Aaron want to smack the smug look off of his face. He somehow kept his cool.
“Aw, look. Barbie found her Ken,” Aaron murmured.
“Yeah. It’s kinda nice to be treated like a lady.” Joy’s reply felt cold.
“Maybe if you acted like a lady, you’d be treated like one,” Aaron responded, remembering her scathing comment about Nic and Ike. Joy’s eyes flew wide and Jason looked surprised and opened his mouth.
Aaron stood and poked a finger in Jason’s chest.
“Do yourself a favor and don’t say a word.” He stepped back and turned to Shilah, who stood in anticipation of a fight.
“I think we’re gonna need a couple more pitchers of beer. I’ll go get ‘em.” Aaron sauntered away. Unhappy with this turn of events, he was kicking himself for taking so long to call Joy. He found a welcome escape at an empty barstool. He looked down the bar and waved to get Colin’s attention. The bartender was deep in conversation with a hooded figure who must’ve been a hot chick, judging by Colin’s horny expression. As Aaron opened his mouth to call to him, Colin reached out and pulled the girl’s hood down, leaning down to whisper in her ear. Aaron nearly fell off his barstool.
Nicole.
He felt like someone had kicked him in the nuts and watched helplessly as they cavorted. He had the most vivid sense of déjà vu; Nic’s familiar expression and mannerisms combined with Colin’s small build and dark hair reminded him of seeing Nicole and Ryan together. The similarity was uncanny and he broke out in goose bumps. Deeply disturbed, he was about to walk away when Colin turned and spotted him.
“Hey, Aaron! What can I get ya?”
Aaron’s eyes shifted to Nicole. She glanced at him and the smile disappeared from her face. She took a sip of her drink.
“I need three pitchers and a couple glasses,” he replied, without taking his eyes off of her. Nicole’s costume was tame compared to the other women in the bar, but something about the way her braided hair exposed her neck and her peach, creamy skin made his pants tight. She’d glanced at him again and reacted to something in his expression, turning her attention abruptly back to her drink. Colin brought the pitchers to him and placed them on a tray with two glasses. Aaron tossed a wad of cash onto the bar and snatched the tray from him.
“Do you need some help there?” Colin called after him. Aaron kept walking.
When he returned to the table, he saw that Joy and Jason had made themselves at home near the pool table in the next room. Joy was sitting on Jason’s lap and his hand was resting on her inner thigh. Lauren and Jack were all over each other. Considering their costumes, it was a mighty strange sight. Shilah and Avery sat across from them paying little attention to anyone but each other.
Shilah and Avery left the table as an old woman in a cowboy hat ended her semi-decent version of “Fancy.” Shilah was packing his cigarettes. Aaron briefly considered taking up smoking to get away from Jack and Lauren, who continued their public displays of affection.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have left Aaron with Lauren and Jack.” Avery muttered as she and Shilah walked out into the supremely brisk air of the evening. The water was illuminated by the lights of Port Frank across the river. Shilah attempted to light his cigarette but the wind was making it challenging. Avery moved to act as a human shield.
“Aaron’s a big boy. I’m sure he can handle himself,” Shilah responded as he exhaled. Nicole’s confession about Aaron and Ryan’s fight popped into her mind and she frowned. She planned to confront him tonight when the opportunity presented itself.
“Does it bother you that Jason came with Joy?” Shilah seemed to be studying her features by the light of his cigarette. Avery felt her face break into an amused grin.
“Hell no! Boy, did Aaron seem surprised.”
She saw his lips curve upward slightly and she tried not to stare directly at them.
“What about you, Shilah? Do you have a stalker, too?” Proud of her nonchalant delivery, she held her breath as she waited for his response. She was rewarded with his perfect white smile.
“Knowing what you told me about Paige, I almost did.” She mockingly slugged his shoulder. He laughed heartily. “No. No stalkers, girlfriend, or submissives.” Avery snorted and shook her head.
“Aren’t we a couple of pathetic wallflowers?” Avery teeth chattered as she spoke. Shilah flicked his cigarette out into the dark.
“Are you cold?” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Avery felt her heart jump to her throat as her body tingled at every point of contact. She seemed to fit against him perfectly, as if they were designed to be a set. His closeness and the way his arms felt around her nearly took her breath away.
“Avery! Get that sweet ass up here. You’re next,” Sean bellowed into the mic. Avery and Shilah pulled apart suddenly and looked at each other in surprise.
“Damn.” Shilah swore as Avery grudgingly turned and pulled him back into the bar by the hand. Once they approached their table, she took off for the stage in a rush.
Aaron saw Avery and Shilah return.
Shilah looked frustrated. The music started and when “Shut up and Let Me Go” by the Ting Tings flashed across the large projection screen, Lauren jumped to her feet and dragged Jack, Shilah, Aaron, and Jules onto the dance floor. Aaron danced awkwardly with The Mexican Grim Reaper, which was the preferable alternative to a Mobster, The Lone Ranger, and the Sweet Transvestite. Jules seemed really cool.
Avery’s showmanship was rather sexy, and she worked the mic stand in a filthy manner. She made a huge production out of aiming the song at Jason. Shilah laughed and whistled appreciatively. Aaron noticed that Joy was watching him, and he ignored her. Lauren danced up to Jason and yelled, “Shut up and let me go!” as she pointed in his face. Jason looked like he wanted to flee.
Meanwhile, Nicole made her way past the dance floor, a martini in hand and was yanked into the dancing crowd by Jules. Aaron admired her ivory décolletage peeking out from underneath her buttoned cape and nearly laughed when he noticed her hiking boots. She had leaves pinned in her braided hair, making it looks as if she’d been taken for a roll in the foliage with the big bad wolf. She refused to look at him and spun away, patiently tolerating Lauren's grinding dance moves. She made a break for the back of the bar.
Avery’s song was over and the dance floor burst in applause. Shilah approached the stage, motioned for her to come closer, and grabbed her around the waist. He slid her suggestively down his body until their eyes met.
Jack leaned over to Aaron and whispered. “He’s getting laid tonight.”
Aaron smirked back, knowingly.
As they all headed back to the table, Aaron was stopped in his tracks by Sean’s booming voice.
“Oh no, Aaron. You can’t go just yet. We’re almost done here and you’ve got a song to sing. Who wants to hear Aaron Foster?”
Aaron wanted to vanish as the crowd roared. A bit of a local celebrity, he could never show his face in the vicinity of a microphone without someone putting it in front of him. A glaring example of his claim to fame: he was forced to sing “I Can’t Help Falling in Love” at Nicole and Ryan’s wedding reception. It was their song, according to Ryan. Like so many other moments as a member of the supporting cast of “The Ryan and Nicole Show”, it had been torturous. He was in no mood to entertain a bunch of drunks and he had two women in the bar that wanted to stone him. Making a mental note to nard Sean, he reluctantly took the stage.
“Can somebody bring me a beer please?” Lauren ran to him with a half a pitcher, which he held in one hand like it was a giant mug. He had slammed most of it when the music started and the familiar tune made his heart sink. Sean had put on one of his signature tunes. Unfortunately, it was Matchbox Twenty’s “Back 2 Good.” The lyrics to the morose song couldn’t have been more awkward, lamenting about what it’s like to be with somebody and have someone else on your mind. Thankful that Nicole had vanished, he sucked it up and did what was expected of him. As he performed, he couldn’t help but notice the admiration of the crowd and the uncomfortable glances amongst his table companions.
During the last chorus, Nic emerged. She seemed to be intentionally hanging in the back of the crowd, but her gaze was fixed on him. As he brought the tune home, he tried not to look at her and failed.
The music ended and the bar was silent. A moment later the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. Aaron nodded to the audience and handed the mic to Sean, who slapped him on the back. He descended the stairs and was mobbed with hugs, high fives, and kisses from random women. As he approached his table wading through the well wishers, he found himself face to face with Nicole, who had approached from the opposite direction. She went to dodge at the same moment he did, but in the same direction. It stung when he saw the discomfort in her eyes as she seemed to plot another escape. Aaron stood his ground and she was forced acknowledge him.
“Why don’t you join us?” He reached out to put his hand on her shoulder, and then remembered why she was avoiding him and thought better of it. On some level he realized he was screwing with her mind, but he just couldn’t seem to stay away from her. She seemed to consider, then nodded cautiously.
They took the last remaining chairs at the table, which happened to be across from one another. He considered this arrangement, and after mere moments decided he needed to be right beside her to hash it out. He approached Jules, who was on Nicole’s right.
“Can I trade seats with you? I really need to speak with Nicole,” he whispered, trying to charm her with a smile. She looked him in the eye, her expression hard.
“Alright, Aaron. Just get your fucking dimple out of my face.” With a curt nod, she was gone. He swiftly took her chair. Nic eyed him warily.
He rested his elbows on the table and settled in for what he hoped would be a positive conversation. He opened his mouth to speak and Sean’s voice rang out.
“The bar’s not closing but sadly, karaoke is coming to an end. With the last song of the night, everyone give a round of applause for my little brother, Colin O’Connell!”
Colin took the stage theatrically and Nicole turned to watch. Aaron blew out an exasperated breath.
As the music started, Colin spoke into the mic.
“Everybody get out on the dance floor.”
Abruptly, they were alone at the table. The moment was painfully awkward. Deciding his awful night could only improve, Aaron opened his mouth to ask her to dance. Colin pointed at them.
“Nicole, I need you up here.”
Aaron shot her a look of surprise and noticed that she looked astonished as well. She blinked at Colin, glanced around the room and shook her head. Lauren was yelling for her to get the hell on the stage, and the rest of the crowd joined in. Colin encouraged them and spoke into the mic again.
“You heard them, Nicole. You promised me a dance.”
Nicole rolled her eyes and did as she was told. Sean gave her a stool to sit on.
Aaron heaved a regretful sigh and watched unhappily as Colin proceeded to make a spectacle of singing “Closing Time” by Semisonic. He was a great performer, and Aaron felt deflated and jealous. Nicole blushed and covered a laugh as Colin got on one knee in front of her to sing the lyrics, suggesting that he wanted Nicole to take him home. Nicole seemed to be enjoying every moment of his serenade. During the musical interlude, Colin tossed Sean his mic, pulled Nicole to her feet and slow-danced closely with her, as if they were the only two in the room. The audience ate it up.
Jules appeared in front of Aaron and offered her hand. He took it and then she led him to the dance floor.
The song ended, and Aaron grudgingly admitted to himself that Colin had brought the house down. Colin bowed and motioned at the crowd to applaud for Nic. As Colin pulled her into an embrace, Aaron hesitantly clapped along with everyone else. Jules stepped in front of him, her hands on his shoulders.
“You need to pull your head out of your ass.” She ordered. Jules had rarely spoken to him before tonight, and he couldn’t believe his ears.
She stomped off in her Doc Martens, leaving him stunned.
Though it was only 11:30, a good number of people began to file out of the bar when karaoke ended. As the ladies at his table were gathering their belongings, Lauren sent Aaron on a beer run with Jack. Aaron hoped and prayed that Jack would change before they left for the liquor store. Sean O’Connell and his girlfriend, Trish, volunteered to bring some hard liquor and a mixer. Aaron was overjoyed when Jack reappeared with the duffle bag from the truck and headed for the men’s room. He’d been apprehensive when Jack told him there was an after party at Nicole’s. As he watched Colin leave the bar with her, he nearly choked on his beer.
After being stopped several times by partiers who gushed about his performance, Aaron noticed Avery at the bar settling the tab. He saw Jason reach out from his seat and run his hand up Avery’s shapely leg. She jerked away and slapped him. Jason chuckled, unfazed. Seeing no sign of Joy and aware that Shilah was helping Sean pack up, Aaron felt morally obligated to offer Avery some support. As he approach
ed, he heard her icy tone.
“Please tell me this means you’ll stop calling me and texting me for hook-ups.”
“Come on, cherry. Why can’t you just admit you’re still hung up on me?” Jason leaned casually on the bar in his ridiculous costume. Aaron stopped at a table near them to put on his coat.
“Delete my number from your phone.” Avery replied and turned to Aaron, her expression somber and serious.
“You and I need to have a conversation.” She crossed her arms and Aaron was uncharacteristically nervous.
“About what?’
“Ryan. And Minneapolis.” Her eyes searched him for a reaction. He felt like she’d thrown a drink in his face. Seeing her determination and being unsure how to respond, he nodded.
“You’re coming to Nic’s.” It wasn’t a question.
“Well, I sure as hell can’t drive anywhere anytime soon,” he snapped.
She nodded curtly as Shilah appeared at her side. They followed Jules and Lauren out into the cold. Aaron turned to look for Jack. Just when he was sure the night couldn’t be more unpleasant, Joy sashayed toward him. Unable to help himself, he watched her strut toward him in her unbelievable costume. She tossed her long blonde hair as she locked eyes with him.
“Aaron.” Her lips were turned down in a sexy pout.
God, she’s sexy. Too bad she’s crazy.
He nodded at her and proceeded to the back to find Jack. As he entered the back room, he saw what had caused Jack’s delay. Paige Green and some sexy dominatrix had cornered him near the pool table. Thankfully, Jack was now wearing jeans and a camouflage jacket. He’d washed his face, though Aaron could still see makeup around his eyes and glitter in his hair. Jack was white as a sheet and was listening to Paige with wide, disbelieving eyes. Aaron joined them.
“Are you ready, Jack?”
“Aaron Foster. Long time, no see.” Paige cooed.
“Paige.” He gave the old high school mattress-back a brief sideways glance and looked back at Jack expectantly. As they made their way out of the bar, Jack still seemed perturbed.
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