Page 1 of Served
Chapter 1
Lucy
“Amy, oh my God! You will never believe this!” I slung my bag onto the bar next to my best friend.
“Oooh, what happened? I love this game! You broke up with Rick. Or you’re gay and coming out!” Amy shot back as she grabbed my arm with one hand while still cradling her Blue Moon with the other.
“I got a callback! I have one more audition, but I may actually get this!”
“No effing way, Luce!” Amy jumped off her barstool and we were jumping up and down together squealing!
“Hey, chill out, you’re scaring the customers!” The burly bartender yelled at us.
“Oh shut it, Jason! Can’t you ever just go with the flow?” Amy shot back. A grimace spread across his face as he tossed a hand towel over his shoulder and walked off.
“Why is he always so damn grumpy?” I asked quietly as we sat down. The other bartender, Jaz, came over and took our orders.
“What’s all the commotion ladies?” Jaz asked as she perched her taupe-colored tatted arms on the bar. “And what can I get ya?”
“Jaz, Lucy got a callback,” Amy squealed. “Get her a Blue Moon on me!” She demanded as she smacked her palm on the bar.
Jaz pulled a bottle from the cooler flashing that big-tip smile. “Wow, that’s pretty awesome. When is it?”
“Tomorrow before you open. I don’t know how many made it, but this is the final callback so maybe my chances are good,” I said before I put the cold bottle to my lips.
“Good luck, honey. I know you deserve it.” Jaz gave me a wink then walked to the other side of the bar. Most of the male gaze around us followed her. She was hands down one of the most beautiful women anyone has ever seen. She graduated from Spelman and was working on her master’s here locally. She’s how we found this place. Amy met her at an art event downtown a couple years back and told us to send her some business. We had seen it lots of times but just never went in. We had gone to another bar while we were in college and a while after graduation but have been coming here ever since. It’s actually closer to our apartment than the other place we used to hang at.
It was an older club with a huge bar, small dancefloor, and a stage. Several bar tables were scattered around so there was plenty of seating. There were comfy chairs in various corners of the club, as well, which were great for studying for the kids still in college nearby. It was fun and cozy with lots of different music played between the house band, DJ, and open stage night. Decent bar food, cold beer, and it was a short walk home.
Amy’s huge brown eyes were beaming at me. She yanked a hair tie from her slender golden wrist and pulled her long brown hair up in a pony-tail. She was about to get serious.
“So, what are you gonna wear? The band has an image ya know so you gotta fit in but also want to say, ‘look at me, I’m lead singer material.’ Do we need to go shopping?” Amy asked.
I twirled a blonde curl around my pale finger. Even though I loved and lived for this music, I’ve never fit the mold. Most people looked at me and assumed I loved pop music based on my looks. Lots of cute skirts, bright colors, and of course curvy girls loved a great fitting pair of jeans. I loved a lot of different kinds of music, but punk and indie rock were my wheelhouse, so this band was perfect. My audition video was in jeans and a black t-shirt but it was very quick and informal. Maybe Amy was right. Maybe I needed to really own the role if I was going to land it.
“We do need to shop. I don’t have anything to match the vibe.”
Amy nodded her head as she took a swig. “Okay, I don’t have to go in until four tomorrow so we can get up early and go to the mall. We’ll get something perfect.”
I leaned against her with my head on her shoulder. I was so lucky to have such an amazing friend.
Amy and I had met in high school and had been inseparable since. She practically lived at my house through high school and even came out to my parents before hers. I thought she was laying the groundwork to come live with us in case her parents went crazy when she told them she was gay. They ended up not caring at all but have since thought we were a thing. I loved her, but not that way. I did of course have to ask when she told me she was gay if she thought of me that way and she said, “you wish.” Rude. I’m a catch. A curvy catch, but a catch, nonetheless.
When we decided to go to college locally, we got a small apartment together near the campus since there was no freshman dorm rule. Even though we graduated several years ago, we still had that cozy apartment amongst the college kids. It was close to everything, inexpensive, walking distance to both of our jobs, and we both had our own bathroom. It still had the cheap furniture we got when we first moved in, but it was very boho chic thanks to Amy’s artistic eye and knack for a good deal at secondhand shops.
Amy was a server at an upscale restaurant near the college and made art she sold mostly online. She really wanted a position at the huge art gallery downtown, but nobody ever quit or retired, at least not since we graduated. I found a decent job with flexible hours at a local radio station in production, but my real goal was to become a songwriter. Having my work sang by some big star, or at least bought, was my ultimate dream. I figured working in radio may help with connections but so far, that hadn’t panned out.
I never intended to be a singer, especially of my own songs, but when we saw the posters that the house band at the club was looking for a lead, Amy pushed me to audition. The club was not terribly far from Atlanta, was extremely close to the college, and was known for debuting big musicians with their open stage nights. Music execs and talent scouts came and checked it out frequently. But the club had a house band for fillers those nights and live music the other nights. The current house band just started and had a male lead but out of the blue, they put up fliers for a female lead. It’s not my own music, but it’s a step in the right direction.
“Hey gorgeous.” Rick tossed his arm over my shoulder and planted a kiss on my cheek. He was cute and fun, but our relationship was still new, and I wasn’t sure he’d make the cut. Amy was not a fan of Rick.
“Can I get you ladies a refill? Hey Bartender, two Blue Moons and a Bud Light,” Rick called out.
Jason moseyed at a slow pace, eyeing Rick up and down as he popped the tops off the bottles then passed them across the bar. Rick laid down a twenty-dollar bill and told him to keep the change. Jason grabbed the bill and rolled his eyes.
“Hey man, is there a problem?” Rick shot back.
“Nope. No problem here. Y’all enjoy your evening.” Jason turned slowly and walked back to the other side of the bar.
