A Fine Mess

by Hughes, Breanna

  CHAPTER 10

  Kiley knew she was supposed to be working, but Graham had left early and since it was last call, the place was starting to clear out. They were a little short-staffed since Erin called in sick, but Kiley was confident she could run the place smoothly enough. If she made it through the night without burning the place down, she knew she would have succeeded. She took a seat on one of the bar stools and started clapping along with everyone else when Harper finished her song.

  “Woooooooo!! Yeah!” Kiley’s hands were starting to hurt from clapping so much, but she didn’t care. She loved the nights when Harper would play. It put her in a remarkably good mood and it made her shifts go by so much quicker.

  Harper smiled when she heard Kiley’s voice cheering for her. The other claps were a definite boost to her ego, but they significantly paled in comparison to the cheers of her self-proclaimed “biggest fan.” Harper grabbed her capo and secured it to the second fret on her guitar.

  “Thank you. Um…so I’m just gonna do one more song and then you’ll all be put out of your misery.”

  Harper’s little self-deprecating joke garnered a few chuckles.

  “If you like what you’ve heard tonight, I’ve got cd’s for sale, so just come see me afterwards. Thanks a lot.” Harper closed out her set with a song called “Been There, Done That,” which she wrote about a guy in high school who made it his personal goal to sleep with every girl in their class. He didn’t reach his goal, but unfortunately, Harper was one of the many girls who fell for his smooth lines her senior year. It took a while for her to get over him. But it was perfect fodder for a song and once she wrote it, she was over it. With her eyes closed and her fingers wrapped around the neck of her guitar, Harper belted out the song secretly hoping she’d get at least a few more tips in the tip jar from a few obliging patrons.

  In the meantime, Kiley continued to watch her friend in complete awe. Unbeknownst to her, a wide smile sprawled across her face every time she watched Harper perform. She simply couldn’t understand why this girl wasn’t famous yet.

  “You must really like this song.”

  Kiley tore her eyes away from the stage to see who dared approach her during Harper’s last song. “Huh? Yeah. I like all her songs.”

  “Is she a friend of yours?”

  “Yeah.” Kiley went back to watching Harper.

  The young man wasn’t deterred. “So, can I get a Jack and Coke?”

  “Huh?”

  “Jack and Coke. Can I get one? It’s last call.”

  Kiley looked over at the young man, who was standing a little too close to her. “Can you give me a couple minutes? Just until the song’s over.”

  “Is this any way to run a business? Denying a customer a drink?”

  Kiley looked back at Harper. “I’m not running a business. I just work here.”

  “What about customer service?”

  Kiley was starting to get annoyed with this guy. She knew by the tone of his voice he wasn’t serious, but he was being a little too smarmy for her taste. “Fine. Jack and Coke, it is.” He didn’t hear her mumble the word “jackass” under her breath. She walked back over behind the bar and began to make his drink. Making sure to add much more Coca Cola than she normally would, just to help lower this guy’s obvious ego. She handed him the drink. “Anything else?”

  He smirked at Kiley. “What are you offering?”

  Kiley rolled her eyes. “How original. That’ll be seven dollars.”

  He handed her a ten. “Keep the change.” He picked up his drink and spilled a little bit on his white Affliction shirt and jeans. “Damn it.”

  Without giving it a second thought, Kiley poured some club soda into a glass and handed it to him with a clean towel. “Here. Before it stains.”

  He started toweling off where he spilled and it seemed to be working. “Thanks. Next time I gotta remind myself that acting like an ass means instant bad karma.”

  “Well, admitting it is the first step.”

  “I’m Matt, by the way.” He put down the club soda-soaked towel and stuck out his hand.

  “Kiley.” She grabbed the towel and tossed it in the empty crate to her left.

  “Well, thanks.” Matt took his drink and started walking back to his group of friends.

  “No problem,” replied Kiley, who looked back up at the stage just in time to see Harper sing her last note as the audience began applauding once more. A few customers took her last song as a sign that the bar was officially closing, even though they were open for another twenty minutes. So after they cleared out, there were only a few people left.

  Harper unplugged her guitar and knelt down to put it back into her case. She fastened the locks on the case, then started rolling up the cables that she unplugged from the sound system.

  “You know you’re a badass, right?”

  Harper turned around and automatically grabbed the traditional beer that Kiley always handed her after every show. “Shut up.”

  “I’m serious! You’re so good and you don’t even know it. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?”

  Harper took a sip of her Duvel and proceeded to put her speakers back in the case. “I’m well aware of your frustration. You make it known constantly.”

  “Well get with it, already! I can’t keep working in this dump much longer.”

  Harper zipped up her speaker case and laughed. “You know, I love how you just assume I’m gonna take care of you if I ever make any money.”

  “Well, of course. The symbiosis in our relationship is what keeps me going.”

  “Symbiosis? What exactly do you bring to this friendship?”

  Kiley turned around and started walking back over to the bar. “Sex appeal. And spunk.”

  Harper watched Kiley walk away. “You exhaust me.”

  “You love it.” Kiley grabbed a trash bag and started filling it up with empty bottles from the various tables she was clearing.

  After Harper finished packing up all her equipment, she grabbed her tip jar, sat down at the bar and started counting out the bills.

  Kiley came back around with a full trash bag. “What’s the word?”

  “Sixty-two…and some change. Not bad for an hour of playing. Even if the first twenty came from Graham.”

  “That was nice of him.”

  “He’s a generous soul. I think he’s just looking out for me.”

  “A generous soul. Yeah, toward you. If he were really generous, he’d give me more money and less hours.”

  Harper folded up the money and put it in her pocket. “Stop complaining. It’s not like you work that hard, anyway.”

  Kiley opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. It was no use…she’d been beat. She stuck her tongue out at Harper, not caring about how juvenile it made her appear. “I’m gonna throw some of this trash out. I’ll be back.” She looked over at the group of guys still finishing off their drinks at a nearby table and called out to them as she headed towards the back door. “Guys, we’re closing up! Time to clear out.

  The group of guys finished off their drinks and started gathering their belongings as Harper pulled the money out of her pocket to recount it again. She had noticed one of the guys in the group talking to Kiley earlier and something told her she wouldn’t be seeing the last of him. She really wasn’t in the mood for one of Kiley’s many suitors coming up to “the friend” to try to set something up, which happened more often than she liked. So she kept her focus on counting the bills in her hands as she spotted him out of the corner of her eye. He was putting on his jacket and reaching into his pocket for something. Harper had reached the number sixty-two four times by now, hoping they would leave and she could stop looking like an idiot repeatedly counting an easy sum of money. As a few of them started filing out the door, she thought she was in the clear. But once she turned around, she was met with an unfamiliar face.

  “Hi.”

  Ha
rper was taken aback. This wasn’t the guy she was expecting. “Uh…hi.”

  “I really liked your set.” The young man smiled shyly.

  “Thanks.” Harper cocked her head to the side, trying to get a read on this guy.

  “I really liked your third song. The part about spending thousands of dollars on an education you’ll never use.”

  “You’re sober enough to remember that?”

  “I only had one beer. I got voted designated driver tonight.”

  Harper tried her best to stifle her emerging smile. This was the first time since the engagement ring came off her finger that a young, good-looking guy talked to her without looking eight inches below her eyes. “Well, I guess your friends are probably waiting for you.”

  He looked over at the door. “Yeah, I guess. Well, maybe we can hang out sometime. Or tell me the next time you’re performing. I’d like to hear you play again.”

  Harper could feel her face getting warm as embarrassment was slowly setting in. She found his invitation flattering, even though she wasn’t at all interested. “Um…I play here a lot. Usually on Saturdays.”

  He nodded and smiled. “Okay. Good to know. Well, maybe I’ll see you around.” He backed away and headed toward the door. But before he could take another step, Matt came charging up, putting his arm around his friend, leading him back over to Harper.

  “Hey. My friend thinks you’re hot,” announced Matt, slurring his speech a little.

  “Neat,” replied Harper. “I’m sure he appreciates you embarrassing him.”

  Matt laughed, unaware of the jab Harper just took at him. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. “Hey, so tell your friend to call me. She’s really hot.”

  Harper took the piece of paper, unimpressed with his approach. “I’ll relay the message.”

  Matt continued to drape his arm around his friend, whose name Harper never caught. “I’m serious. Tell her to call me. And you should call Greg here. Because he’s a nice guy. And he loves music and chicks that play guitar. He’s like a guy groupie.”

  “Dude, would you shut up?” Greg was obviously not amused.

  “What? I’m just trying to get you laid.”

  “Dude, let’s go. We’re done here.” Greg looked over at Harper. “I’m sorry about that.” He guided Matt towards the door. “You throw up in my car and I’ll kill you.”

  Harper lifted her beer. “Here’s hoping he’s drunk to the point that he’ll pass out tonight and wake up with a new personality.”

  Greg laughed. “If only the world were that lucky…”

  They disappeared out the door and Harper was left alone, waiting patiently for Kiley to finish closing up. She looked at her watch and once she realized it was two o’clock in the morning, her body immediately began to feel exhausted. She reached her arms up and stretched out her back. She finished what was left of her Duvel and lifted herself up to throw the empty bottle away in the nearby trashcan. Embracing the rare silence in this place, she rested her hands on the bar, which was made out of rich, dark mahogany. After swiveling the stool around, she leaned back against the bar and glanced at the empty stage ahead of her. She found herself wondering what it was like to be in the audience watching her perform. Did people enjoy it? Did they applaud only to be nice? Did they wish there was a jukebox here instead of some girl screeching out songs she’s written? Did anyone really care about the words that came out of her mouth or the notes she was playing on her guitar? She often wondered why she even bothered with all this. But she always came to one solid conclusion that she often repeated to herself as a mantra: I want to make music. I can’t imagine my life without it, so that must be what I love the most.

  Harper loved being in Tyson’s Bar at closing time. There was something eternally comforting about this place. The setting itself was kept rather dim with a few neon signs scattered throughout the walls. It could be considered a dive, but it had a much more relaxed feel. Its charming appeal often attracted a younger crowd, and Harper never really felt cause for concern among the clientele. They all seemed relatively normal, with the obvious exception of a few overly drunk people. It didn’t have the “smoky air” that’s usually characterized with other bars. After all, this was LA. Smoking indoors was practically unheard of in this town. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about this place. There were no kitschy gimmicks, no crazy posters on the wall or funky uniforms for the staff. There weren’t any clever sayings or signs in the restrooms or over-priced drinks. It was simply a bar and that’s why it was so popular. There were so many other choices for bars and clubs on Ventura Boulevard but Harper, along with many others considered this the best bar in the valley.

  “Almost done,” informed Kiley as she came in from the back.

  Harper was startled by her friend’s sudden, stealthy entrance, and slightly jumped.

  “Wow…why are you so jumpy?”

  “My breath was taken away by your boyfriend.”

  “My boyfriend?”

  “Yeah. You better be careful. He’s a smart one.” She reached into her pocket, pulled out Matt’s number, wadded it up and threw it to Kiley.

  Kiley opened up the piece of paper and read it. “Ohhhhh…THAT boyfriend. Yeah, kind of a tool, but he seems harmless enough.”

  “True. I think brain cells would be required for inflicting any intentional harm.”

  Kiley laughed as she tossed the phone number into the trash. “You ready?”

  “Yeah.” She walked back over to the stage and grabbed her two guitars.

  Kiley flipped the light switches on the wall until the entire place was dark. Once they were outside, she set the alarm and locked the doors. Harper paused for a moment and watched Kiley head toward her car. It only took the leggy brunette a split second to realize she was walking alone. So she turned around to see Harper still standing by the door.

  “Do you plan on walking home? Because I can’t condone that at this time of night.”

  Harper grinned. “No. Sorry…I just…”

  Kiley took a few steps back over to her. “You just what?”

  Harper could feel her pulse quickening as she took a deep breath.

  Kiley could tell there was obviously something on her mind. Harper wasn’t exactly the best at hiding her emotions. She searched her face to see if there was any clue as to what she wanted to say would be revealed.

  “I just nothing. I completely lost my train of thought. My brain is sticking tonight for some reason.” Gripping her guitar cases, she started walking. “Let’s go.”

  Kiley wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but knew it was pointless to even try to get something resembling the truth. “You need some sleep.”

  Harper nodded without saying a word.

  They were just getting into Kiley’s car when a voice called out to them.

  “Hey! You’re not gonna leave without saying goodbye, are you?”

  They turned around to see Matt walking toward them, with Greg awkwardly following a few steps behind.

  “Did you get my number?” asked Matt when he approached Kiley, standing a little too close for her comfort.

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Well, I figured I’d save you the trouble and just wait for you.” He leaned up against Kiley’s car, leaving fingerprints in the dust on the roof.

  “My hands and fingers work just fine. I know how to dial a number,” informed Kiley.

  “I didn’t want to wait too long to hear from you.”

  Harper stood with the passenger door open, unsure of whether or not to get in. She glanced over at Greg, who was standing with his hands in his pockets, kicking the ground in front of him.

  Matt refused to let up on his advances. “It’s too early for me to go home. You wanna go get some coffee, or something?”

  “Coffee?”

  “Or tea…whatever. Come on. You gotta admit, I’m kinda cute.”

  H
e was moving in closer and closer until Kiley could smell the stale beer, whiskey and cigarettes on his breath. She looked over at Harper, her eyes questioning her friend on what she should do.

  Harper shrugged. “Hey, do what you gotta do.”

  Kiley skeptically looked at her friend. “Really? Are you sure?”

  That was a tricky answer. Far be it from Harper to keep her friend from having any fun, but she also wasn’t a fan of being ditched in the middle of the night.

  “You don’t have a car?” asked Matt.

  “I do. But I got a ride from her tonight,” replied Harper.

  Greg took this moment to finally speak up. “I can give you a ride.”

  Kiley looked over at Greg, then back at Harper, who at this point, closed the passenger door and stepped away from the car. Kiley was beginning to feel the same as Harper, not wanting to be ditched in a parking lot in the middle of the night. But she knew her friend needed this. Greg was cute and seemed fairly respectful, so who was she to deny Harper the chance to finally be with someone who wasn’t Finn?

  Kiley smirked playfully. “Oh, I’m sure Harper would love for you to give her a ride.” Leave it to Kiley to leave no double cheesy double entendre unturned.

  Greg walked over, took Harper’s guitars from her and went to go put them in his car. Harper was still a little unsure of what exactly was going on. There were times she wished her best friend was a little more abstemious and a little less promiscuous. This was one of those times. “So…okay. You’ll take Matt home and I…I guess I’ll go home with Greg?”

  “Is that okay with you?” Kiley had difficulty getting those words out seeing as how Matt, somewhat lacking in discretion, immediately started kissing her neck and ever so smoothly trying to shove his tongue down her throat.

  Harper shook her head and impatiently started to walk over to Greg’s car. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She stopped and turned around. “Just be careful, okay?”

  Kiley started giggling as Matt started biting her ear. “I will. Call me tomorrow okay?”