Never Signing Off

  Buzz After taking my shift at the bar that night, Jared started working as a bartender. He did his best to balance his personal performances with working for Reggie. It wasn't exactly hard work. Serving drinks can be easy once you know what you're doing. Not to mention, I was there to pick up his slack. Reggie might have minded paying two people to do one job, if he wasn't so preoccupied by the amount of money he had been making. He isn't the type to be obsessed with money. He opened this bar because it was his dream. But his dream was leaving a hole in his pocket. “ I owned this bar for five years before I hired you here.” He tells me, leaning against the bar. I'm watching Jared swerve around the crowd, swaying his hips to the music coming from the stage. “ I was barely breaking even. I only made extra money on the nights the bands came in.” He laughs, shaking his head. He's watching the band on the stage now. “ I noticed when you and Crystal ...

  Upcoming Surprises I've grown so accustom to quietly entering my own house. Most of it is to surprise the occupants. But I also like to scan the immediate area so I know what I'm walking into. I'm still not used to the sight I come home to most days. I don't think I ever will be. But I can't deny, I love it. To think, only a few short weeks ago this seemed like an impossibility. Now, it's happening right before my eyes. It's funny how life comes together in the most unexpected of ways. I walk across the floor towards the kitchen, only glancing over my shoulder at the two of them in the living room. They're both half-dressed, either for comfort or because they didn't bother getting dressed after. I don't judge either way. They've both worked hard to get here. I notice that the television is on and I can see they both have black controllers in their hands. They are playing some racing game, by the looks of the screen. A...

  Picture Perfect Madeline stayed for a while after her pancake dinner. We played a few rounds of poker over a bottle of scotch. She needed to nurse a hang over and I never need an excuse to drink. It's my night off, after all. I figured I would take advantage of it. It's been a few hours since she took off, heading back to her boyfriend. Jared has been telling me about his night, working for Reggie. He's got a beer in his hand, while I'm finishing off the bottle of scotch. “ He wants me to work on occasion.” Jared announces. I nod. “ It's been a while since you worked in the service industry, it's quite a change.” I warn. He nods, pulling at the label of his bottle. “ Yeah, but, I'm helping out a friend, right?” He counters. I nod again. “ This is true. He loves having you around too.” I agree. He laughs. “ He loves having anyone around.” He observes. I laugh. “ Yeah, he's a social butterfly.” I agree, briefly looking at the couch....

  Pancakes For Dinner My eyes slowly flutter open and I look around the room. I'm exhausted, even after sleeping. Two flights in the last day and a pile of contracts to read can do that to a person. I don't know how the Hollywood fuckers can manage. I want to sleep for days. Days. It doesn't help that every ounce of energy I had left was given to the person asleep beside me. I smile, slowly pulling myself out of the bed. There's no sunlight coming in from the window. At first, I think it must be too early. Maybe I didn't sleep as long as I thought. The clock says it's 5:00 though, so the sun should be in the distance. Then I remember I got off the plane at five am, so that means it's five in the afternoon. We slept the entire day away. Oh well. I grab the jeans that are laying on the floor and pull them over my hips. I reach for my shirt, pulling it over my head. But it's not mine. It's the black Cramps t-shirt he was wearing last night. Oh w...

  Home Is An Empty Bed I open the front door, resting against the frame as I push it open. It's somewhere around five in the morning and I'm tired from the two flights. I've never been a fan of flying, so more than one flight in a day is not my ideal way to spend time. I kick my shoes off on the rug that lines the entrance way. I drape my coat over one of the chairs in the kitchen. Then, I head down the hall towards my room. I pause in the hallway, caught off guard by the high-pitched giggling I hear coming from inside the guest room. There are a million thoughts running through my head, but my mind rests on "I guess Hunter is back". I take a deep breath before stepping forward, trying to prepare myself for the sight. I take the lightest steps possible, making sure my footsteps are faint, almost impossible to hear. You'd have a better chance catching the heart rate of a mouse. I peer around the corner, looking into the room. There's a small...

  Confession “I'm glad you're here.” He whispers, pressing his nose into mine. I softly kiss him, adjusting on the hotel bed. He has his arms rested above my head and he's holding himself up with his elbows. His room looks lived in, which makes sense because it is. It's got a burgundy theme, from the carpet to the curtains. The bed has a tacky blanket draped over it. It's burgundy and beige and it matches the pillow covers. There's a small dresser on the wall beside the door. On top of it is a small television and a bunch of stuff that belongs to him. His Xbox is one of the items on the dresser, along with his controller and a handful of sandbox games. Most of his personal effects are in the bathroom, even though it's clear his bathing is rare. There are two night tables, one on either side of the double bed. Both have lamps on top of them and one has the hotel phone as well. Underneath the window is a small wooden table with a burgundy chair beside ...

  Record Label I'm waiting in the boardroom on the top floor of the label’s office. He told me he was negotiating his next album, but he never told me why. He planned to have me singing on the album, which required convincing his label that I could be added to his contract. It also meant that I'd have to sign off on some of the album concepts. I figure it meant I would be touring with him too. Not because I want to, but because it was going to be required. Jared took my shift at Reggie's so I wouldn't have to rush to get back on the plane. Reggie didn't seem to mind. He had told me last week that since Jared started coming around, business was booming. I noticed it without him having to say so. Jared started playing acoustic sets a few times a week. That brought in a whole new crowd. Then, when the word got out that Jared was a regular, other bands wanted to start playing. So, Reggie had to hire double the staff, buy double the liquor. But, he didn't hav...