finished the last strains of an old favorite, Tenth Degree , and decided to stop for the night. It had been one of those joyful sets where she felt connected to each member of her small audience. She had played their emotions as she plucked the strings of her guitar, lied to them and made them believe every lie. She painted colors in their minds that had never been there before, the music flowing from her like water.
" That's it. My band is Fates of Surrender. We play this Saturday at Neumo's. Thanks for listening."
She was met with the loudest applause an audience of two-dozen could produce. Thankfully, she didn't see anyone wearing a scarf. No stalkers here.
Hollis had informed her that the blade she carried in her boot would require a concealed weapons permit. Until she had a chance to fill out the forms, she'd have to be careful to not get caught.
The thought distracted her from trying to remember how her first song went. She'd improvised it as she performed, based on an idea she'd had in the car. She hoped she could hold it in her mind long enough to write it down, so she could play it for Trey. He had inspired it.
Maybe Brandon had a notebook. The chords were easy, but some of the lyrics...
The room cleared out as she packed up the borrowed guitar.
" Excuse me," she heard.
She stood to see a beautiful woman with straight, jet black hair, sparkling blue eyes, cream-colored porcelain skin. The length of her leather jacket ran past her short periwinkle skirt, to long legs and a pair of knee-high boots.
" Yes?"
" Your music..." the stranger said. "It fell on my ears and sank below the surface of my soul. Yet it is I who drowns."
Jina blushed. "Wow, thanks. I've never heard such a flowery compliment before."
Her lilting voice sounded like music. "I have never been submerged in music like yours before. That first song seemed familiar. Where have I heard it before?"
" Oh that?" Jina laughed. "I made it up as I went along." She paused. "Wait, I hope it didn't sound familiar. I'd hate to be copying someone else by mistake."
The woman shook her head. "No, that song belongs to no one else but you. Perhaps I heard it in a dream."
Jina smiled. This is why she played. For the audience, to give them pleasure. Especially when they took the time to give back in the form of praise.
" So you're from Fates of Surrender ?" the woman asked. "I've seen your posters."
" Yep. Fates is my current band. A label approached my last group, but I didn't want to be tied down, so I signed over the rights and let them find another frontwoman."
The woman seemed pleased to hear this. "Art comes before success, is it?" she asked.
Jina laughed. "Yeah. That's why I stay indie. What good is cash if you don't own your life?"
" When corporations control art," the woman replied, "it all sounds the same."
A kindred spirit, it seemed. Jina felt drawn to this woman, and imagined the two of them sitting down for coffee in some dark little place.
" Do you do anything else?" she asked.
Just faerie hunting , Jina thought. Aloud, she said, "I paint now and then. I don't get much time anymore."
" Your paintings must be magnificent, if they're anything like your music." The woman's eyes never wavered from Jina's, searching, like she was looking for something.
" Well I like them, but then, I know the artist." Jina smiled, reluctantly breaking her gaze to finish zipping the guitar in its case. "I brought my portfolio, but it's in another room." She looked back up, smiling again, hoping she'd take the excuse to follow her to Brandon's studio. She didn't want this conversation to end so soon.
" May I see it?"
" Sure, let's go. I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?" She picked up the case and led the dark-haired woman up a flight of stairs to the next floor.
" Jett. Jett Brightgrove."
" It fits you. Your hair, like jet." Jett rewarded her compliment by revealing more of her smile that shone through her eyes. "I've not seen you around here
" That's it. My band is Fates of Surrender. We play this Saturday at Neumo's. Thanks for listening."
She was met with the loudest applause an audience of two-dozen could produce. Thankfully, she didn't see anyone wearing a scarf. No stalkers here.
Hollis had informed her that the blade she carried in her boot would require a concealed weapons permit. Until she had a chance to fill out the forms, she'd have to be careful to not get caught.
The thought distracted her from trying to remember how her first song went. She'd improvised it as she performed, based on an idea she'd had in the car. She hoped she could hold it in her mind long enough to write it down, so she could play it for Trey. He had inspired it.
Maybe Brandon had a notebook. The chords were easy, but some of the lyrics...
The room cleared out as she packed up the borrowed guitar.
" Excuse me," she heard.
She stood to see a beautiful woman with straight, jet black hair, sparkling blue eyes, cream-colored porcelain skin. The length of her leather jacket ran past her short periwinkle skirt, to long legs and a pair of knee-high boots.
" Yes?"
" Your music..." the stranger said. "It fell on my ears and sank below the surface of my soul. Yet it is I who drowns."
Jina blushed. "Wow, thanks. I've never heard such a flowery compliment before."
Her lilting voice sounded like music. "I have never been submerged in music like yours before. That first song seemed familiar. Where have I heard it before?"
" Oh that?" Jina laughed. "I made it up as I went along." She paused. "Wait, I hope it didn't sound familiar. I'd hate to be copying someone else by mistake."
The woman shook her head. "No, that song belongs to no one else but you. Perhaps I heard it in a dream."
Jina smiled. This is why she played. For the audience, to give them pleasure. Especially when they took the time to give back in the form of praise.
" So you're from Fates of Surrender ?" the woman asked. "I've seen your posters."
" Yep. Fates is my current band. A label approached my last group, but I didn't want to be tied down, so I signed over the rights and let them find another frontwoman."
The woman seemed pleased to hear this. "Art comes before success, is it?" she asked.
Jina laughed. "Yeah. That's why I stay indie. What good is cash if you don't own your life?"
" When corporations control art," the woman replied, "it all sounds the same."
A kindred spirit, it seemed. Jina felt drawn to this woman, and imagined the two of them sitting down for coffee in some dark little place.
" Do you do anything else?" she asked.
Just faerie hunting , Jina thought. Aloud, she said, "I paint now and then. I don't get much time anymore."
" Your paintings must be magnificent, if they're anything like your music." The woman's eyes never wavered from Jina's, searching, like she was looking for something.
" Well I like them, but then, I know the artist." Jina smiled, reluctantly breaking her gaze to finish zipping the guitar in its case. "I brought my portfolio, but it's in another room." She looked back up, smiling again, hoping she'd take the excuse to follow her to Brandon's studio. She didn't want this conversation to end so soon.
" May I see it?"
" Sure, let's go. I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?" She picked up the case and led the dark-haired woman up a flight of stairs to the next floor.
" Jett. Jett Brightgrove."
" It fits you. Your hair, like jet." Jett rewarded her compliment by revealing more of her smile that shone through her eyes. "I've not seen you around here
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