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5
Nick
Iheard about the party that was going on next door. My dad told me that I should come by and say hello. It was a businessman that he was trying to work with and considering that my dad was usually the top dog in the area, it was strange to see him so excited. I told him that I would go later on that night, but I had a set to do at the bar first.
It wasn't the greatest venue that our band played at, but it was one of the regular places. I always tried to remember where I started. I wasn't too far ahead yet, but I was on my way. Our manager was convinced that all we had to do was keep plugging along, and eventually, everyone would appreciate what we had to offer. That was exactly what I wanted to hear, so I wasn’t sure if I could believe it or not. It could have just been hot smoke after all.
I didn't tell my dad that I had a set to do first, though. He would have been outside if he knew that I was planning to do a gig.
I was hoping that I would find Molly at the bar. She said that she was going to come out and listen to my set, and I was hoping I would be able to apologize. Whether my dad felt she was good enough or not didn't matter to me. I thought that we had a good time together and that was all that mattered. I wasn’t too worried about marriage and relationships. I was just trying to have some fun.
When I scanned the bar and she wasn't there I was put off for a moment, but then I saw the rest of my band mates that were starting to show up, and I knew then I would have to talk to her later. She was probably mad at me from what dad said. I didn't blame her. He could be a jerk, a real jerk. He never seemed to get how rude he was, or maybe he just didn't care. Honestly, with him, it could be either way.
I saw Tommy coming in and he asked me what was going on.
“Nothing.”
“I hear there's a big party over by your place. So many people have told me about it.”
“Yeah, I don't know their names, but dad asked me to swing by after we're done here. You going?”
Tommy shrugged like he wasn’t sure one way or another. Tommy didn’t make plans, he just did what he wanted. It was much like his hair, that at the moment, was blue and spiked upwards with enough products to be considered a fire hazard.
“So, he was cool with you playing tonight?”
He smirked at me and I just looked away. We both came from similar backgrounds, good families, and high expectations. Just like me, Tommy had bucked the trend and now he was actually just disowned by his parents. They had left him to struggle on his own, figuring that he would just finally give in and go work for the company like his dad wanted.
Tommy had not done that. He was convinced that our band was going to make it big. I hoped as much as he did, but I knew better. I knew the statistics, and even though my manager hyped us up every time we saw him, I had to wonder if it would translate into reality. I wouldn't say I was much of a pessimist, but I was a realist, and I knew in reality that there was only a very small chance of really making something of ourselves.
Tommy was excited, though. The place was packed and there was supposed to be some big record producers that were going to be listening to us tonight. That's why there was no way that I could pass it up. I was excited, too, but it was more reserved. I hated to get my hopes up for nothing.
“Do you think that they're going to be here?”
We didn't even have to talk about who they were. It was all that we had spoken about last time we were together.
“I don't know, Tommy. If they come, great. If not, we're just going to keep on doing what we do.”
“That's easy for you to say, Nick. I’ve got rent to pay.”
I offered him some money and he told me that he didn't need it. I know he did, though. I made a mental note to take care of his rent for a little while for him. I would just call his landlord and do it that way. I didn't want Tommy to know. Maybe he would think that it was his dad and they would come to some kind of agreement finally. The stalemate was hard on my friend.
Jesse and Colt got there a little bit later. We were ready to get on stage, and Molly still hadn't showed up. I was starting to think that my dad really had messed it up with her. Dad should have just kept his mouth shut, but since he never did, I knew that I might lose Molly. How could I expect anybody to deal with him? I barely could and he was my dad.
Everybody was pumped up to play and it seemed like the stars were aligning, because the music coming out was perfect. We had practiced the same songs at least a dozen times, some of them hundreds, and they never sounded this good. There was just a vibe in the bar and with the band. Everybody was on the verge of feeling like this was it.
After the first set, we went to the bar to get a drink. It would be a few minutes before we played anything else and there were quite a few more people there. I was hoping that Molly would have showed up by now. I know that she was mad at me, but she had to forgive me. It's not like I could stop my dad from what he said. At least she didn't hear everything that he said about her. If she did, she probably would never talk to me again.
She wasn't there, though. After a few quick scans, I realized that she probably wasn't coming. There was an urge to call her and see if she was coming, but that wasn’t like me. I wasn’t going to chase a girl, even if they were as fun as Molly. Dad was probably right. She wasn’t for me. But that didn’t mean that I thought any woman was for me. Some men aren’t meant to be domesticated and I liked to think that I was one of those men.
I was about to sit down at one of the stools at the bar when my hand slipped and I almost fell, catching myself just in time before I completely embarrassed myself. For a moment, I looked around, hoping that nobody had noticed. This woman had noticed, though, and I could see her put her head down a little bit to giggle.
She was beautiful. And she was somebody that I'd never seen before. Long, dark, black hair that was almost to her waist. It was pulled back and braided down the middle of her back. She had dark skin and green flashing eyes that were now laughing at me. I didn't like to be laughed at, but I didn't seem to care. I just wanted her attention and now I had it. Where did this girl come from? All thoughts of Molly were gone.
When I started to walk towards her, I could get a better look at her. She had freckles that fell across the bridge of her nose, as well as tiny flecks of gold in her eyes. Her chin and nose were small, yet her mouth was generous, lips full. Who the hell was this girl? My heart stopped in my chest, and it took a minute for it to restart after she smiled my way, immediately brightening up the whole room. I didn't believe in love at first sight, but whatever this was, whoever she was, I believed in that.
I stopped next to her and asked if she minded if I sat down next to her.
“Of course not. It's a free country.”
