Page 34 of Broken Melody
“I keep pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.” I chuckle, but she doesn’t. “I mean, I sing karaoke at the bar where I work. A record producer comes in, hears me, and asks me to audition for a band. I do, and I’m asked to sign with them? I mean, is this real life? It can’t be. I keep waiting to hear that someone is punking me.”
“Punking you?”
“You know…like on those reality TV shows.”
“Ah, gotcha.”
“Let me tell you, Maddox,” she says and I think it’s the first time she’s said my name. I like the way it sounds in her sexy gravelly voice. “Fact is, this kind of stuff just doesn’t happen.”
“Sure it does – there are lots of stories of talent getting discovered in unexpected ways. There’s a famous actress and model that attended a basketball game. While she was there, her face was displayed on the fan cam when they did a random scan of the crowd. A modeling agent there tracked her down. Or how about the famous lingerie model that was discovered while shopping at the mall with her mom? A legit modeling agent thought she had the perfect look and gave the mom her business card. Stuff like that happens – maybe not a lot – but it does. So whynotyou this time?”
“Because stuff like this just doesn’t happen to girls like me.”
“Girls like you?”
“Yes.”
I frown, wait for a second but when it’s obvious she isn’t going to expound, I ask, “What kind of stuff happens to you then?
She laughs bitterly and the sound makes the hair on my arms rise. “The kind of stuff that could make your toes curl. The kind of stuff that gives you nightmares and breaks your heart, Maddox. Those are the kinds of things that happen to girls like me.”
Her voice is quiet, and I get the feeling she’s trying to process all of this. It’s happened quickly and she has to be reeling. I remember when the guys and I signed. We felt like dust in the wind, floating and blowing all over the place for a few days while things became official. “Well not this time, songbird. This time, something amazing did happen to you.” I want to change the tenor of the conversation. I’ll come back here another time. After all, we’re supposed to be celebrating.
“Songbird?” she asks and I can see her smile out of the corner of my eye and I shrug in response not really sure where it came from, it just seems fitting. “You’re right,” she says suddenly. “Why not me? Maybe this time, for once, the universe is on my side.”
“I’d say it is,” I tell her and give her a quick smile before my attention is diverted due to our arrival at the club. The place is already packed given the fact there’s a line all the way down the street, and parking is hectic. I pull right up to valet parking, not wasting time looking for a spot. When we get to the door, we walk straight to the bouncer not even bothering with the line.
“Hey Rico, how’s it going?” I greet the bouncer that seems to be here each time we come.
“It’s all good, man. I’ll call up and let them know you’re on your way in. Have a good night,” he says as he lets us in immediately, not caring one bit about the people protesting in line. I wonder briefly how long they’ve been waiting. When he turns to them and yells, “Shut up!” Sailor giggles a bit uncomfortably and I smile with her.
Once inside, I stop in the doorway for a moment to look around the room. It’s crowded. There are bodies writhing on the dance floor, alcohol is being poured in multiple glasses behind the bar, and lights flashing along with the loud music pumping through the speakers. Dolce Vita is one of the hottest clubs in L.A. We like to come here because the music they play is great, the bartenders mix a good drink if you like cocktails, and the VIP section is always made immediately available. Once they even kicked out another group to make room for us.
The atmosphere tonight feels euphoric making the blood tingle in my veins. Sailor, who’s next to me, must feel it too because she’s unconsciously moving to the beat. I want to take her hand in mine, walk to the dance floor, pull her into my arms and move along with her. Instead, I take her hand and instruct, “Follow me.”
I maneuver through the crowd and head to the VIP entrance at the back of the club. I’m met half way, “Mr. Colt, welcome back to Dolce Vita. I’m Meg, please come with me.” She opens the VIP door and we follow her up the stairs. When we reach the second floor, we’re led to our favorite room. It looks down over the dance floor and we have our own personal bar with a bartender inside. The rooms up here don’t have doors, only curtains, but a security guard stands outside of each to make sure uninvited people don’t receive access. There are plush couches and chairs lining the walls, and large glass pane doors that can be opened or closed separate us from the crowd below. As we walk to the glass and look down, a few people point and stare, but we’re mostly ignored – the sight of us here not uncommon.
“Nice,” Sailor says as she looks around.
“You’re in the big leagues now,” Henley teases with a laugh.
“Sailor, let’s go down and dance,” Britt says.
“I will, just not yet. I’m thinking a drink is in order,” she says and I follow her gaze to the bar and the bartender.
“Do you want me to order you a drink?” I ask her.
She looks at me and smiles, “Actually, am I allowed to go behind the bar and make everyone a drink?”
“You don’t have to do that. We have someone that can do it for us.”
“I know. But how are you guys going to find out what an amazing bartender I am if I don’t mix the drinks myself?”
“Well, have at it then.”
She smiles and does just that. She says a few words to the bartender and he smiles at her, and gestures for her to help herself. Of course he stands back and enjoys watching her do just that and part of me would like to punch him in the face given how he’s looking at her.
“You can leave,” I tell him. He frowns but I hold his stare. “We’ll send for you if we need anything.”
