Summertime Sins
Chapter 3: Think Twice
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 3.5 | Chapter 4-1 | Chapter 4-2 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6
Feeling melodramatic and spastic
She ain't made of west coast plastic
And I lie awake with an aching
Is it all in my head like she said
Hokis, Eve 6
In addition to being one of the busiest nights of the week, Open Mic night was usually Jake’s favorite. As an amateur musician, he relished the opportunity to take the stage and play some of his favorite songs for a captive audience made more compliant by copious amounts of alcohol. Tonight, however, was a different story altogether. He couldn’t wait until all the drunken idiots went home; couldn’t wait until all the wannabe rock stars ceased their caterwauling so the throbbing in his head would go away.
It had been just over twenty-four hours since his auspicious rendezvous with Kate and that bastard Ethan. He hadn’t run into either of them since, but Jake was almost positive he would see them tonight. Kate was particularly fond of the open mic night show. She was a formidable singer, and, last year, the two of them had performed a rather heady version of Lover, You Should’ve Come Over by Jeff Buckley. However, if Kate were to be in attendance tonight, she would have her weaselly boyfriend in tow.
Jake went about his duties in robotic fashion: popping the caps off of beer bottles; mixing, stirring, and shaking cocktails; pretending to listen to the incoherent ramblings of the inebriated; politely rebuffing half naked beauties throwing themselves at him while blitzed out of their minds. What bothered him wasn’t necessarily Kate’s chosen profession, disconcerting though it was. By and large, Jake believed everyone deserved a second chance, and he wasn’t one to hold someone’s past against them. After all, he had certainly been involved in his fair share of horizontal dalliances with members of the fairer sex.
What was really eating at him was the shock of the revelation…and the unnerving introduction to Ethan: someone about which he had heard plenty of unsavory things the year before. When he and Kate went their separate ways at the end of the season, she had been resolved to leave her borderline abusive boyfriend to pursue a long distance romance with Jake. They planned to call and text each other all the time. They were going to meet halfway whenever possible for amorous weekends in each other’s arms.
Instead, Kate was seemingly coerced into maintaining her status quo, which meant Jake hardly heard from her. It had taken a while, but he finally resigned himself to the fact that theirs was a one and done summer fling. He buried those feelings deep within, never to be felt again. Or so he had thought.
“…Jake Riley!” he heard a familiar voice boom out of the speaker like thunder. With a start, he realized it was his turn to take the stage as his dad motioned enthusiastically for him to come on down. During the summer season, his parents generally left Jake to run the place, but they always made an exception for Open Mic night. Wearing his tackiest Hawaiian shirt, Dad would ham it up as the emcee, while Mom sat in the rowdy crowd, laughing and cheering on her boys.
The platform was set up on the establishment’s riverside dock, festooned with gleaming string lights that ran along the railing and were suspended from an overhang which sheltered the clientele during raucous summer storms. Another of Bayport’s notorious salubrious breezes glided in from the river, caressing and cooling the perspiration on Jake’s skin as he brandished his acoustic guitar; a PRS1 cutaway with a body of light brown wood. He plugged it into the amp and deftly began to check the instrument’s tuning.
“How’s everyone doing tonight?” he inquired of the boisterous onlookers. A deafening cheer of approval thundered back at him. Jake shook his head in mock disappointment. “That bad, eh?”
The throng of revelers, already fond of him, roared with laughter. Jake feigned surprise.
“What? Was it something I said?” Another round of hysterics swept through the crowd. He started casually strumming his guitar. The crystal clear sound dripped from the speakers in a soft, honeyed tone. “You guys know I’m something of a country music fan. However, you should also know I’m not much of a singer, so you’ll have to forgive me if I butcher this tune.”
Jake’s strokes grew more purposeful and rhythmic, his fingers picking out the opening chords of Jason Isbell’s Cover Me Up. More tumultuous cheers erupted when the song became clear.
A heart on the run
Keeps a hand on a gun
Can't trust anyone
As he continued to passionately croon the song’s poignant lyrics, Jake saw Kate standing at the bar with Ethan beside her, belligerently requisitioning drinks from a harried looking Ben Wilson. Kate smiled warmly and blew a kiss in his direction. Almost like some sort of sixth sense went off in his head, Ethan turned around just in time to see the affectionate gesture. He grabbed Kate by her upper arm and whispered harshly in her ear. Ben returned with an armful of cocktails, and the bickering couple threaded their way through the multitudes.
And the old lover's sing
"I thought it'd be me who helped him get home"
But home was a dream
One that I'd never seen 'til you came along
Jake’s mom caught his eye. He nodded imperceptibly when she mouthed, Is that Kate?
So, girl, leave your boots by the bed
We ain't leaving this room
'Til someone needs medical help
Or the magnolias bloom
The song reached its stirring and emotional conclusion, and Jake bowed humbly as his boozy audience gave him a standing ovation. His dad took the stage to sing Jake’s praises, as well as to announce an intermission in the evening’s impromptu performances.
Making his way back towards the bar, Jake did his best to avoid Kate and her entourage, but the antagonistic Ethan wasn’t about to be ignored, and he stepped directly into Jake’s path.
“Nice song,” Ethan grunted. “I had no idea you were such a talented musician. Play often?”
“Not really,” Jake demurred. “I mostly just play down here in the summertime.”
“Is that how you and Kate met? Did you sweep her off her exquisite feet with a seductive song?”
“Listen, man, I’ve got to get back to work now.” Jake moved to sidestep the interloper, but Ethan caught his wrist and aggressively yanked him back around.
“Don’t be rude. I’m not done talking to you yet.”
Jake struggled to maintain his composure, intense rage simmering just beneath the surface. “Let go of my arm.”
Ethan’s grip tightened momentarily as an arrogant leer spread across his shifty face, then he released his hold and smirked innocently. He raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Relax, guy. I only wanted to introduce you to some people. I figured you like taking girls that belong to me, so I brought a couple for you to choose from.” He waved over two scantily clad women loitering next to Kate. “A fine pair of blonde specimens: just how you like ‘em.”
Jake shook his head in disgust and turned away once more. This time Ethan dug his fingers into Jake’s shoulder. Jake spun around with his fist raised and arm cocked back. Kate suddenly materialized and inserted herself between the two, a silent plea in her eyes for Jake to walk away. Jake’s father appeared at his side.
“Is there a problem here?” the older man asked warily. Ethan slipped on his most obsequious grin, shaking his head in an easygoing manner.
“No problem, sir. Right, Jake, old buddy?”
Jake lowered his fist hesitantly. “Right. No problem at all.”
“Just a misunderstanding.” Ethan dropped a wad of cash from his pocket onto their table. “We should be going now.”
“Yeah, I think that’s probably for the best.” Jake’s dad concurred. Ethan rounded up Kate and the two blondes and forcefully herded them towards the riverside exit. When they were out of sight, Dad turned to Jake with a quizzical look and his eyebrows raised in concern. “You want to tell me what that was all about?”
“Not really.” Jake’s reply was decisive and curt.
“What’s Kate doing with those people? Is there something I should know?”
“Trust me, Dad, you don’t want to know. You really don’t.”
Afterword: To enhance the impact of this story, listen to the song below after you read.
If you enjoyed reading my Thoughts, consider showing your appreciation by helping to make my dream of quitting my day job a reality.
Paul Reed Smith
This is great, Josh. The attention to the characters and setting is perfect so it makes you feel like you’re in the bar with them. Obviously, because of what I’ve been watching, I’m getting Road House vibes off this, so I’m glad to hear that Ethan will get what’s coming to him 👍🏼😁
Just a small point: I have hearing loss, so I have trouble making out the lyrics to those songs. I can continue pulling up the lyrics on my phone while I listen on the computer, but it might help if you could do lyric videos?