Taking Shots
Page 109

 Toni Aleo

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Again, Shea shook his head. Jakob had been living in Nashville almost as long as he had, didn’t he know anything about the damn town?
“You mean Wanna B’s? You’re pitiful, Jake,” he laughed as Jakob chuckled.
“No I’m drugged up, dude. Anyway, yeah, I think they’re there.”
“Cool, I guess I’ll roll over there. I was trying to surprise Elli,” he said, going to the bedroom to change out of his suit, “Wanna roll out with me?”
“Um, I don’t know. Harper might get angry.”
“She’ll be okay, I’ll be there in ten.” Shea hung up and threw his phone on the bed, before stripping off his suit to put on a pair of jeans and a button down long sleeve dress shirt. After doing his hair, and putting in his contacts, he was out the door and on his way to Harper’s apartment since that was where Jakob had been staying. Harper lived in a small condo building, unlike his large one; it was red brick, and old looking. He remembered Elli saying it was huge inside. But it was a studio condo, something he could never live in. Shea needed a bedroom.
Shea called Jakob, letting him know he was there, and watched as Jakob limped to the truck. Shea cringed watching Jakob trying to get in the truck. He was obviously in pain, but Shea knew not to ask him if he needed help. Jakob was an ass when he was in pain. Shea learned that early on, and knew not to mess with him when he was hurting. After buckling his seat belt, Jakob looked over at Shea. His nose was completely healed, only a little yellow around the base.
“It hurts like a bitch, man.”
“I bet. Only a couple more weeks, though,” Shea reassured as he backed out, heading towards Broadway, where the bar was located. When he saw Elli’s truck, his pulse picked up. It had been a long, agonizing two weeks. He had missed her so much and couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms, kiss those luscious lips of hers, and lay her down in the bed that he had missed as much as he missed her.
Shea parked the truck beside hers and notice that the place was busy, like always. He waited at the front of the truck as Jakob hobbled his way towards him. They entered and made their way, slowly, through the crowed bar. When they got to an opening in the crowd, Shea saw Harper sitting off to the side, waving her arms in the air, but he didn’t see Elli.
“I didn’t know Elli could sing. She’s damn good, too,” Jakob said. Shea looked over at him, seeing that he was pointing up at the stage. Shea looked over at the stage and that’s when he noticed two things.
The first thing was that Elli’s pants were extremely tight.
The second was that she was extremely drunk.
“Oh, my God,” he muttered as he watched her sing. It was the first time he had ever heard her beautiful voice, but he couldn’t enjoy it, because she wasn’t singing with a smile. No, she was glaring and pointing and basically cussing out some guy by the bar. The guy she was singing to kind of looked like Jakob as he leaned against the bar, with a smug grin on his face and his arms folded across his chest.
“Who’s the guy?”
“I don’t know, let’s go ask Harper,” Shea said through clenched teeth, heading towards Harper. Shea felt that if he went over there, the smug grin that was on that ass**le’s face would be on the floor.
Harper was screaming ‘Get it, girl’ at Elli when they reached her.
“Hey guys!” she gushed when she noticed them. She moved past Shea, wrapping herself up in Jakob’s arms.
“I missed you,” she said up to Jakob. He smiled lovingly at her, kissing her nose, before pointing over to the guy.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
Harper squashed up her face, like something didn’t smell good, and basically growled out, “That ass hat is Justin.”
Shea whipped his head back to look at Harper.
“Justin, as in Elli’s ex?”
“The one and only. He actually had the gall to tell her she looks good. Which, of course, she does, but she looked good when she was with him, too,” Harper slurred.
Harper’s head fell to the side as she looked Elli over, “I’m actually surprised Elli’s still dressed.”
Shea looked over at her confused, “What? Why’s that?”
“Because that girl can’t keep her clothes on when she’s drinking tequila, and she’s had a lot!”
Shea raised his eyebrow, looking back at Elli, who was only wearing a little tank with her extremely tight jeans. Harper almost fell off the stool she was sitting in, but Jakob caught her before she hit the floor. She was just as smashed as his girlfriend, the same girlfriend that had just threw her mic down after hitting the last note of the angry song perfectly, and throwing her middle finger in the air as she made it down the stairs, coming towards them.
For the love of God.
“That was awesome, babe! Tell that ass**le! Because he stole your happy, he made you cry-” and off they went singing the chorus again. People around them sang along, while some cheered them on.
Great, they had fans.
When they finished, Harper cheered for Elli again as she grinned widely at her, then Elli let out a squeal when she saw Shea.
“Shea!”
She almost fell twice as she made her way towards him, slamming her body into his and kissing him lavishly. He tasted beer as she swirled her tongue with his sloppily, and had to pull back. She was too drunk to be kissing.
“Hey, baby,” he said, kissing her nose, then the side of her mouth as she smiled up at him.