Jasmine Kisses: Southern Comfort, #2

Chapter One

A smile crossed Ellie’s face when she noticed new flower buds on her potted jasmine plant. The scent was heavenly, and even though she lived in snowy, cold Wisconsin, she cared for and nourished the plant to encourage winter blooming. She had a sentimental connection to jasmine, even though Luke thought she was crazy to be obsessed over it. As much as I love flowers and plants, I should have been a florist, she thought. The short growing season up North made her want to live in the South more than ever, but with the fairly decent job Luke had, she knew that would never happen.

Ellie gathered the clothing scattered about on the bedroom floor. It was laundry day, and not even her chores or the looming weather forecast could change the sense of anticipation she felt. She was both happy and nervous. Saturday was only three days away. She would finally slip into that wedding gown, link arms with her father, and walk down the aisle of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in downtown Milwaukee. Ellie Ford would soon become Ellie Baker, the bride of her longtime boyfriend, Luke Baker. After a four-year engagement—three years longer than he’d originally promised—they were finally getting married. It’s about time he bites the bullet and makes an honest woman of me. Now I’ll be as legit as they come.

Ellie had never wanted them to live together before marriage. She thought living together would make marriage lose its luster and newness. She was old-fashioned and proud of it, but as often as Luke stayed over, they slept together most of the time anyway.

The monotony of late winter stared her in the face as she peered out the window of the laundry room while separating the whites from the darks, her delicate items from Luke’s rough and tough work jeans. Five inches of snow was in the forecast, and the skies looked dreary. She was so over living in a place that looked as if it were on a black-and-white TV show. That was what six months of gray winter in Milwaukee reminded her of. Ellie couldn’t wait until the honeymoon, when she and Luke would head south to warmer weather. They’d planned eight days of touring Savannah and Charleston. The South was close to Ellie’s heart, as she remembered spending many summers there visiting her grandma in Charleston. The slower, genteel lifestyle and the history of the South always beckoned her to come and stay awhile.

Ellie shook her head and got back to the job at hand. Daydreams came far too easily for her. She dreamed of a house and several kids in a safe, quiet suburb, hopefully within the next five years.

Because Luke worked in construction, Ellie always checked his pockets for nails, staples, and woodchips before doing laundry. I should wash his clothes first so he can take them home tonight. She mindlessly went through his jeans and tossed each pair into the agitating washer after she emptied the pockets. A folded piece of paper was lodged deep in the front pocket of one pair of his faded work jeans. Before tossing the paper into the plastic garbage can jammed between the washer and dryer, she unfolded it to take a look. Accidentally throwing away something work-related wasn’t acceptable to Luke. He would decide if something was worth saving or not. The letterhead on the slip of paper showed it came from the Motel on Main in South Milwaukee. Scribbled across the small sheet of paper in ink was the name Amber Glow, along with a heart and a phone number. Ellie stared, hoping for the information she had just read to disappear as if written in invisible ink, but there it remained, and she had to deal with it.

***

Oh my God, oh my God, Gina, what the heck am I going to do? Ellie had speed-dialed her best friend.

"Hello to you, too, and what in the world is going on? Give me a second, I have to pause Days of our Lives. Now what’s troubling you?"

I found the dreaded piece of paper in Luke’s jeans pocket. You know, the one every woman fears finding.

You mean a woman’s phone number? Gina asked.

That’s exactly what I mean. Ellie’s most recent manicure was already chewed to shreds.

What does it say? Should I come over?

Of course not. We’re supposed to get dumped with snow.

Oh yeah, damn it. So what does it say?

It says Amber Glow, with a heart and a phone number.

Amber Glow? That sounds like a stripper’s name. How gross.

"It is a stripper’s name, Ellie squealed. I called the phone number, and it connects to a strip club on the south side called Stallion’s Corral. Plus she wrote this crap on a piece of paper from a cheesy motel right in the same neighborhood. You know what that means, don’t you? Damn it, I just gnawed off my manicure." Ellie left the clothes in the laundry room and headed for the refrigerator. A cold six-pack of Bud Lite sat on the top shelf. Ellie cracked one open.

Who cares? You can get false nails before the wedding. Oh my God, are you still getting married Saturday?

I don’t know. Crap. What do I say when he comes over later?

I can’t talk to you like this. Skype me in five minutes. I’ve got to make myself a snack and grab something to drink.

***

Gina turned off the TV and ran into her recently remodeled kitchen with quartz countertops. She threw together a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with spicy mustard. With a bag of sea salt chips and a soda in one hand and her plate in the other, she headed to her office to log on to Skype and wait for Ellie’s call. She sat on her new Herman Miller Embody office chair and placed her plate on the desk. Gina stared out the window of her luxury high-rise condo overlooking Lake Michigan as she waited for the singsong Skype notification.

Finally, geez, she said as the screen came to life. Ellie’s distraught face was staring straight at hers. Okay, put that piece of paper up to the screen so I can see it.

Crap… I left it in the laundry room. I’ll be right back. Ellie returned and held the paper up to the computer screen, facing Gina.

That’s not good, not good at all. Maybe it was a bachelor party thing.

Don’t think so. The bachelor party was last month, for Pete’s sake, and why is the note written on motel letterhead? That ass is cheating on me, Gina. I can feel it.

Is it considered cheating if it’s with a stripper? I mean, it isn’t like he’s messing around with a coworker.

Well, if he was, he’d have to be messing around with a guy. There aren’t any women on his construction crew.

Oh yeah…so that means we’ll have to follow him.

This is my worst nightmare. How could I be so naive? When would we have time to follow him anyway? I’m supposed to be getting married in three days, Ellie wailed.

Is he staying over tonight?

No, he’s picking up his clothes on his way home. He said that because of the weather forecast, he was going to sleep there tonight so he can park in his garage. You know, having a garage in the winter is really helpful.

You’ll have your garage someday, Ellie, and a house, and a white picket fence, and kids. You might even have a husband, too. Okay… I’ve got to think this through. He said he’s going home, which in man code really means he’s going to the strip club.

In this weather? Ellie asked. I just looked out my office window, and the snow’s starting to accumulate.

Guys can’t help themselves. He does have a four-wheel drive truck, you know. We have to follow him or get to the strip club first. Don’t forget, I have a ton of wigs we can use as disguises. Call the club and ask if Amber Glow is working tonight, then call me back.

With the remote in hand, Gina plopped back down on the sofa to continue watching her favorite soap.

***

Ellie was lucky to have beautiful, exotic-looking Gina Angello as her best friend. Gina always had her back. Italians were loyal that way. Not only was she filthy stinking rich, but she was also the owner of five upscale hair salons in metro Milwaukee. Going to the strip club incognito would be easy thanks to the selection of wigs Gina kept at home for just that type of emergency.

Ellie dialed Gina, and her friend answered immediately.

What’s up? Is the stripper working tonight?

Yes, from six until midnight. Now what should we do? I’m going to marry that jerk just to spite him. How dare he do this to me? Ellie began to cry into her cell phone.

Hold your horses. We have a reconnaissance mission to do first. I’ll call Dano and ask to borrow his SUV. That way Luke won’t recognize either of our cars, plus the SUV has four-wheel drive. What time is Luke going to stop by?

He said around five thirty. Gina, I don’t have much time to figure this out.

I know. That’s why it’s imperative we do it tonight. Be dressed and ready to go at six. I’ll bring over a long black wig for you, and I’ll already be wearing mine. It’ll be short and blond.

Okay. See you then. I’ll call you the second he leaves.

Normally, Ellie would have confided in her mom, but her discovery about Luke felt too personal to discuss with her. After all, Maureen Ford wasn’t inclined to say nice things about men. She and Ellie’s father, Steven, had divorced ten years earlier after she found out he was involved with a woman twelve years his junior. Steven and his mistress had long since parted ways, but Maureen brought up his infidelity as often as she could. Having her ex-husband walk Ellie down the aisle seemed like a betrayal to her.

The Black Forest cuckoo clock Ellie inherited from her grandmother chirped out from down the hallway in the dinette. The clock had been hanging on that wall ever since her grandmother passed away in 2012. Ellie could afford only a small apartment, but being a self-employed e-book cover designer still had its advantages. She could work in her pajamas if she wanted to, and she never had to call in sick. Ellie set her own hours and was fortunate to have plenty of repeat clientele. Her job paid the bills and afforded her a small savings account, and she was certain her financial situation would improve once she and Luke were married. She’d move into Luke’s modest house, and they would pool their earnings. Somebody, at some point in life, had told her that two incomes were always better than one.

Chapter Two

Luke’s truck pulled into the parking lot of Ellie’s apartment complex, and the sound was familiar to everyone living there. The old muffler that had been dragging the ground and throwing sparks on the pavement had been wired in place, but it was still loud enough to shake windows. Luke charged through the door and headed for the kitchen before saying hello. Two gulps from a cold beer always came first.

Hey, babe, how’s it going? Get any new assignments today? He stood leaning against the kitchen doorframe, looking better than any man Ellie had ever known, wearing a carefree smirk. Luke’s brown hair was pulled back in the ponytail he wore to work every day, a style he said made his job in construction much easier. In all honesty, Ellie knew he had no intention of cutting the hair he was so proud of. He said women often told him those long locks made him look rebelliously delicious. Luke was strong, muscular, and nearly six feet tall, with baby blue eyes that always rocked Ellie’s world. Or at least they had until two hours ago.

Are you sure you want to drive home tonight? she asked without answering his initial question. Ellie knew Luke wasn’t really interested in her profession or the fact that it actually paid her bills. To him, anyone that worked from home wasn’t actually working. Her job was a cute hobby to him.

I can handle it. The truck made it through the snow so far, but it was fishtailing a bit. I’ll feel better parking it in the garage overnight, plus I’m sure I’ll have to get up early and shovel out the driveway. You know how those snowplows are. Maybe you can take over that responsibility once we’re married. You have a lot of time on your hands being home all day. I better run before the traffic backs up. See you tomorrow, babe. With his freshly laundered clothes in hand, he leaned over the back of the couch and gave Ellie a peck on the cheek while she watched the weather report on TV.

As soon as the door slammed behind him, Ellie jumped off the couch, grabbed her cell phone, and peered out the corner of the window facing the parking lot. Luke had just climbed into his truck and was heading for the street.

***

Gina’s phone rang as she drove to Ellie’s. She was only five blocks away. Hey, El, is he gone?

Yeah, he’s gone, but he infuriates me, I swear. I’ll unlock the door for you. I’m going to change now.

Put on something ordinary so if Luke is at the strip club, he won’t be gawking at us. Gina waited for an affirmative response before realizing Ellie had already hung up.

Gina found a parking spot right in front of Ellie’s unit. The snow hadn’t yet filled in the exposed pavement. This must be where Luke’s truck was parked. Yay, I scored a great spot. So far, so good. She entered Ellie’s minimally furnished apartment that had been built in the ’60s. The kitchen cabinets were of some type of blond wood that was the fad in those days, and the Formica countertops had a tiny floral pattern. Gina felt bad for Ellie since her own life was in such stark contrast to the lifestyle of her dearest friend, but neither of them ever talked about it.

I’m here, and I’ve got your new look. You’re going to love this wig. Gina chuckled as she walked into Ellie’s bedroom. What the hell are you wearing?

I’m dressing hot, why? Isn’t a strip club a cleavage heaven?

Sure, but we aren’t trying to attract attention, you know. Look at me. I look like shit. You need to change and dress more like me.

Fine. I never go out as it is, and now I have to dress like I’m going to the dollar store.

Now you’ve got the right idea. We need to stop at Walgreens and pick up some reading glasses, too. We’ll get the weakest ones we can find.

What for? We both have perfect vision. Ellie pulled off the deep V-neck sweater and folded it nicely. She opened her dresser and put the sweater in, smoothing it before she closed the drawer.

Just as more camouflage so we can hide in plain sight. It’ll be fun.

Yeah, until I kick Luke’s teeth in if he’s there. I swear, men are all untrustworthy.

Well… we’re only doing surveillance this time, nothing more. We’ll figure everything else out later. He may still be innocent.

I don’t even believe you said that. He innocently had a strip club’s phone number on motel letterhead in his pocket? I should take his picture to that motel and ask if anyone recognizes him.

Now you’re really going off half-cocked. Hurry up. It’s already six o’clock. I still have to secure this wig to your head. Gina pulled the wig out of the case she had brought along. This is very high quality human hair, girlfriend. Be nice to it.

Ellie was a gorgeous young woman in everyone’s eyes, especially Gina’s. Ellie resembled a fresh-faced pixie with a perfectly upturned nose. She had faint freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks, just enough to fool people into thinking she was a teenager rather than a young woman of twenty-seven. Her thick strawberry-blond hair had a slight wave and just brushed her shoulders, and her doe-like hazel eyes melted anyone who looked deeply into them. Friends called her Tinker Bell, but when she dressed up and put on makeup, there was no mistake. Ellie was a drop-dead gorgeous woman.

Sit down on the toilet seat and don’t squirm. I’ll have this wig in place in just a second, Gina said through a mouthful of bobby pins. Okay, you’re good. Take a look.

Ellie stood and faced the bathroom medicine cabinet mirror. Wow… I could really fool anyone, and so could you. It’s like I’m you and you’re me, except you’re more voluptuous.

I am Italian, hon. It’s in my genetic makeup. Okay, let’s go. We still have to stop for readers.

***

Ellie was thankful they didn’t have to drive too far. The roads were slick, and traffic moved slowly. Strangely enough, the parking lot of Stallion’s Corral was packed. Gina found a spot at the end of the sixth row from the front door.

I’d never notice Luke’s truck in this crowd anyway. Holy crap, I wonder if this place is always jammed or if guys are here waiting out the weather, Ellie said.

Seriously? One thing I love about you, El, is that you actually are sweetly naive.

Right, but that could also be my downfall. I’m too dense and too trusting. I wonder how long Luke has been coming here. He’s probably on their frequent flyer program.

That’s gross. Come on, ladies first, Gina said, pushing Ellie in front of her through the door.

Good evening, ladies. Twenty bucks each, please.

The bouncer looked intense and enormous, sporting tattoos all over his neck. Ellie wanted to complain about the cover charge but decided to bite her tongue. She didn’t want to be thrown out before they even crossed the threshold. He took their money and stamped the back of their hands. The interior was dark and crowded, and the only thing that stood out was the elevated stage. Four spotlights focused on four strippers as they performed crazy gymnastics on their individual poles.

Check that out, Ellie squeaked. Maybe that’s what I need to get. How in the—

"Just find a place to sit. We’ll critique the performers later. I don’t