Short Story: Breaking the Fourth Wall with Katie

by Erica Lucke Dean

I stepped through the door and froze. Over the past several years, I’d spent countless hours in this place—every Tuesday night, pre-pandemic, to be precise—but suddenly, I was unsure of where I was. Did they redecorate? Hire an entirely new staff? If I hadn’t known better, I’d have said I wasn’t even in the Whistle Stop. But it was definitely karaoke night—I recognized the song blasting out of the speakers—but no one ever sang that song here. Paradise by the Dashboard Light?

“Erica, you made it.” At first, I didn’t recognize the voice. It was one I hadn’t heard out loud before, but my subconscious knew it as well as my own.

“Katie?” My mouth fell open as I stared at the attractive brunette standing in front of me. She could’ve been me, ten… fifteen… fine, twenty-something years ago.

“You look surprised. We’ve been expecting you.” She flashed a shy grin.

They’ve been expecting me? I hadn’t even been expecting me… I mean, I had no idea they would be here. And speaking of here, “Where am I?”

“Don Juan’s, silly. We come here every Friday night.” An older woman with spiky caramel-colored hair appraised me from behind leopard print glasses.

It can’t be… “Silvia?” I glanced around the room, noting the unusually bright décor. “But…it-it’s Tuesday. I’m supposed to be at the Whistle Stop in Blue Ridge.”

Silvia chuckled as she patted my shoulder. “Somebody started drinking before she got here. Are you singing tonight?”

My head bobbled like a gift-shop toy as I gaped between Silvia and Katie. Two of my favorite characters from To Katie With Love. Characters I’d made up in my head. They should not have been standing in front of me like…well, real people.

“Hey, everyone. Erica’s here. She’s going to sing tonight.” June smiled, her dark velvety skin crinkling around her eyes. “Are you going to sing Patsy Cline? Everyone loves when you sing Patsy.”

Phil finished singing the Meatloaf tune and approached the table. “Now that she’s finally here, we can get this party started! Where’s the beer?” A perky blond waitress set down a pitcher, and Phil scooped it up and took a long gulp before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said, looking directly at me. “Did you forget it was Katie’s birthday?”

“Can I get one of those?” I jutted a shaky finger toward a deep glass filled with a frozen green concoction then stared up at the snarky expression on the face of the girl holding it. Her fiery red hair bounced as she laughed at me. Vicky!

“By all means. Let’s get the writer a drink.” Vicky rolled her eyes as she filled a glass for me.

I snatched the frozen drink from her outstretched hand and immediately began sucking it through the straw by the mouthful.

“Take it easy, there.” Silvia laughed. “We don’t want you dying of brain freeze before you’ve finished the sequel.”

“I-I did finish the sequel. And I don’t get brain freeze,” I said in between swallows.

“Well”—Vicky cocked an eyebrow at me and sneered—“aren’t you special?”

“N-no, I don’t think I’m special.” I think I might be in a coma, though. “Did you say it’s Katie’s birthday? Her thirtieth birthday?”

“Bite your tongue!” Silvia chuckled. “She’s got a whole year before she turns thirty…right, Katie?”

Katie’s face flushed bright red. For the first time since I’d gotten there, I noticed what she was wearing—a short black leather skirt with knee-high spiked-heel boots and a sheer blouse. I wanted to apologize for making her wear it, but I figured, at least in this world, she’d blame Silvia, and why get myself into more trouble than I clearly already was?

“Nice outfit,” I said between gulps. Why I’d asked for a margarita, I had no idea. Margaritas were not my friend. I’d had a bad run in with tequila once upon a time.

Katie gave me a shy smile. “Thanks.” Then threw back the rest of her amber colored shot.

I should have asked for one of those. I love Grand Marnier. I wonder what happened to that bartender. And who’s paying for the drinks here? Can I run up a tab? This is my dream after all, right?

“Katie James? Where’s the birthday girl? It’s your turn to sing!” Several voices interrupted my thoughts.

Next thing I knew, I was standing on the stage with a microphone in my hand while the others sat watching from the cramped booth in the corner. The Etta James song I would’ve never chosen for myself began to play. “Wait a minute! I’m not Katie. I don’t sing this song!” I tried to argue, but as the lyrics rolled up on the screen, I found my voice and gave it my best shot.

Then he walked in. Henry Cavill?

“Cooper!”

A wide smile broke across his handsome face as everyone shouted his name.

Right, not Henry… Cooper. Of course.

Cooper made his way toward the stage, and his eyes locked with mine. My heart kicked into hyper-drive and my knees went weak. If this is a dream, please do not wake me up. He smiled and gave me a nod before turning and walking away to slide into the booth beside Katie. Figures. The chemistry between them was electric. She practically straddled him in the booth as he inhaled her. How no one seemed to notice but me was unfathomable. They’re totally taking this to another genre over there.

As the final chords of my song faded away, the music morphed into something else. Something darker. Night on Bald Mountain? Really? Fantasia? Then a rush of cold air swept by me as the doors flew open and another couple stepped inside.

She was beautiful, dark hair with vibrant streaks of red, and he was… well… be still my heart. He was…

“Jack?” I heard myself say his name.

His face lit up with a wide smile. “Erica! I’m so happy to see you. I owe you big time for introducing me to—”

“Ivie?” I spoke again, dumbfounded to see my other favorite fictional couple in the room. But they didn’t belong in To Katie With Love. Somehow, they’d escaped the pages of Suddenly Sorceress. “What are you doing here?”

Ivie giggled. “I heard someone was having a party.”

Then I heard Phil groan from the booth. “Okay… who invited the witch?”

“He did!” Silvia, Katie, and Vicky all pointed to the black cat sitting on the bar, lapping up a margarita from a saucer.

“H-how did the cat get in here? Are cats even allowed in a bar?” I asked.

“Who, Henry? He’s not really here. He’s just a figment of my imagination,” Katie said.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the scruffy feline as he staggered to a bowl of peanuts and helped himself. “But I can see him.”

Ivie rolled her eyes. “That’s because we’re all figments of your imagination.”

“Waitress!” I waved my hand in the air until the perky blonde came over. “I need something a little stronger than a margarita.”

“Just be glad no one told the vampires where we were going,” Vicky whispered.

“The vampires?” Katie’s eyebrows pulled together, and she glared at Silvia. “What vampires?”

“Don’t look at me.” Silvia chuckled.

“No, not those stupid books you read.” Vicky blew out an exasperated breath. “The writer…she had this vampire serial on her blog. When she remembered to update it, that is. Left them all hanging in limbo for years, from what I heard.”

“I have a name you know.” I cocked an eyebrow at Vicky, but she just shrugged. “And I didn’t leave them—“ Okay, so maybe I did.

“Anyway,” Vicky went on. “We wouldn’t want one of them crashing the party. Their drinking habits are a little more extreme than tequila and beer.”

Another gust of wind ruffled my hair, and I looked toward the door to see Claude, Sebastian, and Victoria saunter in, wearing matching smirks. Someone spoke too soon.

“Hey,” the bartender shouted at them. “We don’t serve your kind in here.”

“Relax. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. We’re not here to drink. We came to sing,” Victoria said.

“What she said.” Sebastian threw an arm over Victoria’s shoulder.        

She shrugged him off, and Claude laughed as he walked up to the DJ. “Have anything by Elton John?”

“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me?” the guy stammered.

“Perfect! Fire it up. I’m ready to sing,” Claude said. “Phil? Care to do a duet?”

“Why the hell not?” Phil polished off the rest of his pitcher before darting to the stage.

“Can I get another one of these?” I held up my empty glass. I may as well enjoy the madness while it lasts, I guess.

“So…” Katie slid into the booth beside me. “About this sequel. How about a few spoilers?”

“Uh… sure.” I sipped my drink. “You should totally brush up on your French.”

Vicky’s red lips spread in wide grin. “French kissing? My favorite.”

If she only knew…