Hot Mess

~“Stumblin’, but yeah, you still lookin’ hella fine,”~

~Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, and I’ma make you mine.”~

~Well, you’re a hot mess and I’m fallin’ for you…”~

~— Cobra Starship~

***

The moment I stepped into the Drunken Irish’s Beer Place, I was surrounded by a sea of pirates. There were Jack Sparrow lookalikes, Will Turner wannabes, and Elizabeth Swann doppelgängers.

The pub already had a pirate vibe, so not much decoration was needed. But someone had hung swords on the walls and replaced the usual chairs with barrels.

It felt like I’d stepped into a different universe, like something out of a medieval book I’d read.

Not spotting anyone I knew, I decided to head to the bar.

I made my way to Frey’s usual spot. My mentor was serving pirates their drinks, looking every bit the part of a pirate himself. He wore a pirate hat that, I had to admit, made him look even more attractive.

His outfit consisted of a long black coat with zigzag ends, black jeans tucked into black army boots, and a black tee.

He noticed me and came over, flashing his charming bartender smile.

“What can I get you, young lady?” he asked, then did a double take. “Veronica?”

Something about him not recognizing me at first made my heart flutter. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Why the big eyes, Frey?” I asked, tilting my head.

He blinked, then laughed.

“I didn’t recognize you for a moment there,” he said, giving me a kind smile. “You look great tonight.”

For some reason, I blushed. I never blushed at compliments. What was going on with me?

“Thank you,” I said, my voice suddenly shy. I wasn’t usually shy.

“So, what can I get you tonight?” he asked. “You look like you could use some good whiskey.”

“I think I could use some good whiskey, too,” I agreed. Moments later, I had a glass of golden liquid in front of me.

“Thanks,” I said, downing it in one go.

“Whoa, easy there,” Frey cautioned, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t get too drunk. You just got here, right?”

“So what?” I asked, blinking innocently. “It’s been a while since I drank or partied. I want to let loose tonight.”

I needed a break from all the drama in my life, even if it was just for one night.

“I get that,” he said, “but please take it easy. The last thing I want is for my student to get too wasted to even stand, so please try to moderate your drinking, okay?”

I sighed. “You’re no fun, Frey.”

“Deal with it, you’ll thank me later,” he said, winking. “Have a good night and if you need a drink, come only to me.”

With that, he was off to serve other pirates.

I turned around, intending to find someone I knew, like Oliver or Lucy, when I noticed Hailey Pritchard watching me.

She looked concerned, but I’d learned the hard way to be suspicious of her concern.

I narrowed my eyes and saw she was standing with Jax and Oliver, who were talking. Hailey, however, was silent and watching me intently.

It made me feel a little sick to see her watching me like that. But I didn’t back down and simply watched her back.

She looked great tonight, I reluctantly admitted to myself. She wore a short pirate dress with a brown corset and cowboy boots that made her short, slim figure look longer.

Her auburn hair shone in the dim light, and her coppery eyes were even redder than usual. She was too beautiful, and my self-confidence threatened to evaporate, but I didn’t let it.

She wouldn’t make me feel inferior to her again.

Something hardened in me, and I turned back to the bar.

“Frey!” I called, and my mentor arrived after about a minute.

“You called?” he asked.

“I need another shot of whiskey please,” I said, and when he opened his mouth to argue, I added, “Don’t worry. I’m not some lightweight. I can handle it.”

“Fine,” he conceded, “but that’s your last one.”

After I downed another shot of whiskey for courage, I turned around again and saw that the trio were now joined by Jo and Erin, both trying to impress Oliver and Jax, and both looking quite tipsy.

Hailey, meanwhile, hadn’t taken her eyes off me.

Feeling bold from the alcohol, I lifted my chin and started to make my way toward the group.

I must have been giving off some kind of vibe, because I noticed men looking over at me with lustful eyes.

As if sensing my approach, Oliver and Jax, along with Jo, Erin, and Hailey, who was still watching me, looked up and saw me.

Oliver’s face went slack, probably shocked by my daring outfit, while Jax’s jaw dropped. Erin’s face turned crimson with anger, and Jo looked no less furious.

Suck it, bitches.

Hailey, however, looked at me with something akin to anxiety. I wondered where the confident, headstrong Hailey I knew had gone, but I wasn’t complaining.

I’d take anxious Hailey over bully Hailey any day.

When I reached them, I smiled innocently.

“Hey,” I said, and knew the alcohol was starting to kick in because I didn’t feel any trauma from seeing both Erin and Hailey there.

Jax, true to his word, was decked out in a Will Turner costume. He looked good, really good. Not quite Orlando Bloom level, but definitely drool-worthy.

Women were eyeing him, each hoping to be the lucky one he’d take home tonight.

A pang of jealousy hit me, which was weird. I mean, why should I care if Jax was interested in other women?

Thankfully, I had a drink in my hand to help me deal with these unexpected feelings.

“You’re stunning,” Jax said, his voice heavy with desire. His gaze was glued to me. “I could look at you all night.”

Jo looked shocked at his blatant admission of attraction, and Erin shot me a death glare.

Hailey, on the other hand, looked desperate.

“Thanks, Mr. Cole,” I replied, smirking as his eyes clouded over, “but I’m not here to be admired.”

I turned to Oliver and gave him a hug. “How’s it going, big bro?”

“You need to change your costume, sis,” he said, laughing awkwardly, “every guy here is staring at your chest.”

“Let them stare,” I replied, winking at him. “Seen anyone interesting here?”

Something flickered in his eyes.

“No, not here,” he said, and I thought I detected a hidden meaning, but I wasn’t sure. Did my brother have a secret girlfriend? Interesting…

“Well, I think I’m going to dance,” I announced, breaking the awkward silence. “Catch you guys later.”

I was about to leave when a voice stopped me.

“Veronica, can we talk?” Hailey asked, stepping away from the group. Her eyes were pleading.

I crossed my arms and looked down at her.

“About what?” I asked, mildly curious. If she started being mean, I’d just walk away.

“I need…” she took a deep breath. “I need to apologize.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“You already did,” she’d apologized on the rooftop a few weeks ago. Not that I was interested in hearing it, of course. “Why now? It’s a party, I want to have fun, not revisit the past.”

“But I need you to listen, and now’s the best time,” she said, her face set with determination.

Sighing, I leaned against the wall and said, “Well, you won’t let me go until you say what you need to say, so go ahead.”

I was grateful for the whiskey that gave me the courage to face her.

She took a deep breath.

“I was horrible to you in high school,” she admitted, her eyes filled with regret, which was almost laughable.

Hailey? Regretting how she treated me?

“I… I was out of control, and my thoughts were toxic, and I was just a terrible person.”

“True,” I agreed, not sugarcoating it.

She winced.

“My parents died two years ago,” she suddenly shared. “After they passed, I started reflecting on all the bad things I’d done. I started going to church.”

“I started praying for forgiveness, so I wouldn’t lose anyone else.”

I was taken aback by her confession.

“I see,” was all I could say, my voice flat, but inside, I felt a strange sense of pity for her.

Losing both parents was a harsh punishment, even for her.

“When I saw you at Wynntec,” she continued, her hands clenched, “I knew I had to apologize and try to make things right. And then I found you in the bathroom at the welcome party–”

“Wait, hold on,” I interrupted, my eyes wide. “You…you were the one who found me?”

Back then, I was about to pass out when I heard someone shouting, but I’d never really thought about it…

She nodded, her eyes welling up with tears.

“I… I saw you there, and remembered you did something similar in high school, and I couldn’t…” she took a deep breath. “I needed to apologize, so I am. I’m sorry, so sorry for everything.”

I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say.

Before I could respond, Lucy appeared. She was dressed as Elizabeth Swann, which basically meant she looked like a pirate with a brown wig.

“Veronica!” she slurred, clearly having had a few too many. “I want to dance with you!”

I glanced at Hailey, and then Lucy suddenly thrust a large glass of beer into both Hailey’s and my hands.

“Drink up, bitches!” she yelled, starting to dance wildly.

The timing couldn’t have been better. I downed the beer, and saw Hailey doing the same.

Who cares about what Hailey did or didn’t do?

Once the glass was empty, I felt a little dizzy.

Grinning like an idiot, I let Lucy lead me to the bar. Hailey, I noticed, followed us.

Not that I cared. She could do whatever she wanted.

“Let’s dance here!” Lucy screamed, moving to the music.

Feeling even more intoxicated, I shouted, “Let’s dance on the bar!”

Somehow, I managed to climb onto the bar, earning whistles from the crowd. I started to dance with an empty beer glass in my hand, moving to a trance track I liked.

After a few minutes, Lucy climbed up next to me and we danced together, much to the delight of the men in the crowd.

The crowd began to close in around us. Hailey, just as drunk as I was, climbed up on my other side. Suddenly, I was sandwiched between two women, dancing like a wild thing.

If you’d told me earlier that I’d end up dancing with my high school nemesis and a woman I’d pegged as a workplace bully, I would’ve laughed in your face.

But here I was, tipsy and carefree, dancing with these two women.

Someone in the crowd shouted, “Kiss!” and the chant was quickly picked up by the others. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

I shared a glance with Lucy, who laughed and shook her head, flashing her engagement ring at me.

A reminder that she was already spoken for. I shrugged and kept dancing.

The chanting continued, and I knew they wouldn’t stop until two of us locked lips.

To my surprise, Hailey shot me a wicked grin. Kissing my high school bully? Why not? It didn’t seem like such a bad idea in my current state.

So, I leaned in and planted one on Hailey fucking Pritchard.

The crowd erupted in cheers as our kiss deepened and my tongue tangled with Hailey’s.

I’d kissed a girl before—Laura, to be exact—and it had been gentle. This was anything but.

We were both sloppy from the alcohol, but it was fun nonetheless.

Yeah. I’d just kissed the girl who’d caused so many of my problems. How messed up was that?

Eventually, we broke apart, much to the disappointment of the male spectators. I vaguely wondered where Frey was. I hadn’t seen him since the start of the night.

But then again, I wasn’t in his section, and he was probably too busy to notice what was happening here.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my leg. I looked down to see Jax’s determined face.

My eyes widened. Then, thanks to my drunken clumsiness and Jax’s strength, I lost my balance and tumbled into his arms when he gave my leg a hard tug.

“You’re coming with me,” he whispered in my ear. Before I knew it, we were out of the Drunken Irish’s Beer Place and in Jax’s car. Not that I was complaining.

Through my blurry vision, I saw Jax driving. He parked next to a fancy apartment building, then led me inside. His touch sent tingles shooting through me. We got into the elevator.

The ride to the fourteenth floor was short. He led me out and into a spacious apartment that I assumed was his.

Then, as if he couldn’t resist, he wrapped his arms around my waist, leaned down, and kissed me.

I didn’t care one bit.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, earning a groan from him. His hands began to work on my costume as the kiss deepened.

I knew where this was headed, and I was more than ready. I wanted him. I wanted him now.

A cramp briefly twisted my stomach, but it disappeared when my dress hit the floor, leaving me in my underwear.

Jax’s eyes were clouded with desire.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmured.

He kissed me again, his tongue invading my mouth almost forcefully. His hands moved to my breasts, pushing my bra aside and tweaking my hardened nipples.

“You’re mine,” he growled into my mouth. The next thing I knew, we were in the bedroom. I was sprawled on his bed while he stripped off his clothes.

And I didn’t care. I just wanted him, if only for tonight.