Page 18 of Dark Verse

“How old is this system?” I ask them.

Danica and Avi turn to Kap. He scratches his chin for a moment.

“Shit, this was installed the year I graduated high school,” he laughs. “So that’s…fifteen years give or take.”

His words make replacing this system an immediate priority for me. That is not going to be cheap and will eat up a substantial portion of the budget for revamping this venue. Moreover, that just added at least two weeks’ worth of work, again pushing back any initial relaunch date. Okay, so a twelve-week assignment just became fourteen to fifteen. And that’s if everything we need and order is both in stock and delivered on time.

Something in my gut tells me that it is not only wishful thinking, but I’ll be finding more gremlins in this building soon enough. I keep my groan internal.

“All right,” I say, “Let’s put some music through the system. Give me a chance to hear what we’re working with.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

RAVEN

AROUND TWO-THIRTY in the afternoon, my midday slump starts to take over. Most of the staff leave for a break, so Danica and I set up in the tiny office in the back with two cups of coffee. It’s a cozy space, the grunge vibes are somehow charming in here. I see the signatures and stickers of bands that have played this venue throughout the years. I recognize a few of the names, all of varying degrees of fame. I see at least one GRAMMY-winning band up there, with their signatures and band sticker framed, setting it apart from all the others. This room is the only indication that the last manager even liked music. Real thought was put into this room, or at least the walls. I see open spaces for future bands to sign the drywall.

“Would you like to switch gears for the auditions for this afternoon?” Danica asks.

“Yes. The bands are coming in an hour or so, right?”

“Yes. Now I’ll send this to your new work email as well, but I printed off this information for our potential bands. We set up the ad just a few days ago, and it’s already generated more interest than expected,” Danica begins.

The room is small enough that she doesn’t even need to leave her chair to reach the printer. She hands me the two sheets of paper.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I went ahead and weeded out a handful that I knew wouldn’t be good fits. Maybe they were too inexperienced, had a bad reputation, or weren’t in the right genre for a house band. One can only listen to so much Lo-Fi before they start falling asleep.”

Shaking my head, I say, “I don’t mind at all.”

It shows me that she has initiative. It will also give me a chance to evaluate her taste in music and what she considers a quality band. I don’t plan on making this a permanent relocation, even if this assignment already appears to be longer than I initially thought it would be, so I am already, on some level, looking for my replacement. I look down at the pages, readjusting my glasses as I do.

Nine band names appear with basic information laid out for me. The name of the band, the genres they play, the years they’ve been active, and the member names. I don’t recognize any of the names on the first page. But the last band name on the second page jumps out at me.

Knox Knight and the Nightshades.

Blinking rapidly, memories of that night flood back to me, my pussy clenching without my permission.

“Any preferences?” I ask, pushing my voice flat to hide the sudden heat I’m feeling.

“I was actually pleased to see Heirs of Delusions fill out the form.”

“What form?”

“Just a form that was linked to our socials. There were about twenty bands and artists that filled it out while it was open.”

I nod. You gotta love modern technology sometimes.

“Have you worked with them before?”

“No, actually. But I’m a personal fan of them.”

“Anyone else?”

“I feel like I’ve heard of the Nightshades before, but I don’t remember hearing their music. Still, they have the general kind of experience I think a place like this wants. We could pull up some of their music if you’d want to hear them or the Heirs.”

“No. I like to go in with as few preconceived notions as possible.”

Hard to do when you’ve had one of the band member’s tongue down your throat, Raven.