Page 12 of Protecting Her

“What can I get you?” The bartender asked, a blond man with lovely gray eyes. Tall and muscular, he didn’t look like the kind of man many would mess with, not with those broad shoulders and his height. He had to be over six and a half feet tall.

“Just a beer, please,” I said and looked around. I’d seen the wink he gave me, but I let it go.

I looked over at the stage, saw the lights above that would spotlight the performers, and my heart thudded softly. I’d never really experienced stage fright, so I just closed my eyes and the world disappeared. I was actually quite excited to get up on that stage and perform. I wanted it desperately. I wanted it so much it surprised me.

“Thanks” I murmured as the beer appeared at my elbow, and the bartender walked away.

The room started to fill up as I sipped at the beer. There was room for a good crowd, and it would be a nice place for my first performance as a paid artist. If I got the gig.

I had to audition, but I was confident. The way people reacted to my music told me all I needed to know about my chances. Maybe it was a little bit of overconfidence, or stupidity, but I just knew I’d be on that stage more than once.

“How long has the bar been open?” I asked the bartender when he came my way to check on me.

“A couple weeks. They redesigned the whole thing; it was a jazz bar until then. Times have changed, and they decided to update it.”

“So it was always a bar?”

I’d barely spoken to anyone for days now. It was nice to have someone to talk to.

“Yeah, but this is a new venture. We’ll see how it goes.” He excused himself when a man showed up with a request for drinks, and I turned in my bar stool to look around.

A good mix of younger patrons and old sat around in chairs, and a good crowd had built up. It would be a good venue and would keep money in the hotel. Not a bad idea.

It could have been worse. It could have been a lounge in an airport hotel. Or I could still be in London. I’d have to find a way to thank Kevin.

I saw a pen on top of the bar and picked it up to write lyrics on a napkin. The song flowed from the pen, and I had the music in mind already. I’d write it all down later and play it to make sure it all worked, but I knew I had a winner on my hands.

I kept pulling napkins from the dispenser on the bar and had a neat little stack by the time I paid my bill and left. I’d been given a chance many would die for, and tomorrow, I planned to make full use of it.

Ember

“Next,” I heard a voice call out and took a deep breath.

Beyond the curtain that hid the side of the stage sat three judges. People I didn’t know, who would judge whether I suited their tastes or not. I had worked on the song all night, and it was perfect now. I bit my lips, tightened my grip on the guitar, and walked out to the stage.

I took a seat on the stool there and waited for their directions.

“Thanks. What do you have for us today?” A woman, blonde and beautiful, sat at one of the tables close to the stage with two men on each side of her. She had a smile on, but I’d been here as long as she had been. I knew the competition wasn’t that fierce and couldn’t help but feel even more confident.

I thought Kevin might be there, but he wasn’t and that disappointed me a little, but I didn’t let it stop me. “I have a self-composed song. It’s called “Bad Habits.”

“Thanks, you can play when you’re ready.” The woman sat back, her gaze interested, but nothing more. There’d been seven performers before me. I knew she must have been bored by now.

I pushed down the number on my chest that a staff member had given me and brought up my guitar. I closed my eyes, strummed the guitar, and began to sing along to the music my fingers created. “You gave me the moon and took me through the stars. You took away my bad habits, but made me want more.”

I saw three captivated faces when I opened my eyes for a moment and carried on through the next verse. By the time I’d finished I knew I had the gig. They hadn’t been this animated all afternoon. All three clapped when I finished the song and the woman sat forward.

“What’s your name, honey?” she asked, and I grinned.

“Ember Jones,” I replied, and she looked like she’d just solved a puzzle.

“Right, you didn’t need to audition. You’re already on the list. But thank you for that. You just made the whole day worth it.” I knew the competition behind me grumbled, but I didn’t care.

“You’re serious? I have the job?” I couldn’t believe it, but at the same time, the impossible kept happening, so this wasn’t that out of the ordinary.

“Yep. Says so right here.” She held up a clipboard and grinned. “I’ll see you later about the schedule.”

“Oh my god. Thank you! Thank you so much!” I couldn’t stop the way my hands shook as I stood up and walked off the stage.