their seats. Nick had a difficult time keeping his eyes on her but seeing her make her way to a door to the side of the stage pushed through the crowd making his way towards it as well.
He finally made it and opening it found himself confronted by a huge man who gave him a stern look. “Get out, nobody comes past this door.”
“But I have to see her please, it’s important.”
“Mister there isn't nobody here you need to be seeing. Clear out now or else there might be trouble.”
“No you don’t understand, I…”
“Nah mister, it’s you who don’t understand. Now get out.”
The door was summarily slammed in his face, leaving Nick staring at its scarred wooden surface. Shit! I don’t believe this!
He made his way back to the bar, found his beer, and miraculously his stool as well. He nursed his next drink for most of the evening waiting for her to come out again, but by the last call there was still no sign of her. Sighing he went back to his hotel, his memories, and crushed dreams.
Nick woke the next morning and nursed his head. The bottle of whiskey he had ordered up the previous night was half empty and he felt like hell. He did not know what was worse: finding Selena who was supposed to be dead or the constant rhythmic pounding in his skull. He decided it was a tossup and headed for the shower. He needed something greasy to help with the squeamishness. A plate of bacon and eggs would do it. That and a few cups of strong black coffee.
***
Nick was sitting away from the nearest window, trying his best at keeping out of any harsh light, when lifting the fork to his mouth he noticed a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw her walking past, her hair bouncing around her shoulders exactly as he remembered. Wanting to catch her before she was lost again, Nick pulled out his money, took out some dollar bills which he threw on the table, and raced outside, the other occupants turning their head in astonishment at his actions. Not giving them a thought he raced down the pavement to the corner searching around desperately.
She was nowhere to be seen. She had been swallowed up by the crowd on the street. Cursing under his breath, he made his way back to his room and ordered up a pot of coffee from room service. He needed to think and for that he needed his mind to be clear. Selena was dead wasn’t she? He could not figure whether what he was seeing, experiencing, was real, or whether over-work and fatigue were making him see things. All he did know however, was that he needed to find her look-alike as he had to make sure.
Nick got to the bar early that evening. He made sure that he sat in the corner opposite to where she had been sitting the previous night, and hunkered down to wait. He wanted to watch her to make sure of his facts before acting.
It was about an hour later that his vigil met with success. Selene wafted in carrying a guitar case. “Hi Jake!” She waved towards the barman. The sound of her voice cut through him like a knife, the jaunty way in which her arm moved as she waved bringing back memories of their time together. It had to be her! He watched as she moved towards the door she had escaped through the previous evening and came back out a few minutes later. She ordered some food at the bar and sat in her corner, munching down her fries and taking the odd bite from the burger that took pride of space on the plate. Finally when she’d had enough, she pushed the plate aside, took the last sip from her soda, and nodded towards the barman who he now knew was Jake. The barman flipped a switch under the counter and a spotlight came on highlighting the same stage as the previous night, and she was once again making her way to it.
As the bar quieted down, Nick made his way forward, asking the first available girl he saw to dance. As she moved in his arms, his gaze kept wandering back to the lonely figure up on the small stage, watching her fingers dance over the
He finally made it and opening it found himself confronted by a huge man who gave him a stern look. “Get out, nobody comes past this door.”
“But I have to see her please, it’s important.”
“Mister there isn't nobody here you need to be seeing. Clear out now or else there might be trouble.”
“No you don’t understand, I…”
“Nah mister, it’s you who don’t understand. Now get out.”
The door was summarily slammed in his face, leaving Nick staring at its scarred wooden surface. Shit! I don’t believe this!
He made his way back to the bar, found his beer, and miraculously his stool as well. He nursed his next drink for most of the evening waiting for her to come out again, but by the last call there was still no sign of her. Sighing he went back to his hotel, his memories, and crushed dreams.
Nick woke the next morning and nursed his head. The bottle of whiskey he had ordered up the previous night was half empty and he felt like hell. He did not know what was worse: finding Selena who was supposed to be dead or the constant rhythmic pounding in his skull. He decided it was a tossup and headed for the shower. He needed something greasy to help with the squeamishness. A plate of bacon and eggs would do it. That and a few cups of strong black coffee.
***
Nick was sitting away from the nearest window, trying his best at keeping out of any harsh light, when lifting the fork to his mouth he noticed a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw her walking past, her hair bouncing around her shoulders exactly as he remembered. Wanting to catch her before she was lost again, Nick pulled out his money, took out some dollar bills which he threw on the table, and raced outside, the other occupants turning their head in astonishment at his actions. Not giving them a thought he raced down the pavement to the corner searching around desperately.
She was nowhere to be seen. She had been swallowed up by the crowd on the street. Cursing under his breath, he made his way back to his room and ordered up a pot of coffee from room service. He needed to think and for that he needed his mind to be clear. Selena was dead wasn’t she? He could not figure whether what he was seeing, experiencing, was real, or whether over-work and fatigue were making him see things. All he did know however, was that he needed to find her look-alike as he had to make sure.
Nick got to the bar early that evening. He made sure that he sat in the corner opposite to where she had been sitting the previous night, and hunkered down to wait. He wanted to watch her to make sure of his facts before acting.
It was about an hour later that his vigil met with success. Selene wafted in carrying a guitar case. “Hi Jake!” She waved towards the barman. The sound of her voice cut through him like a knife, the jaunty way in which her arm moved as she waved bringing back memories of their time together. It had to be her! He watched as she moved towards the door she had escaped through the previous evening and came back out a few minutes later. She ordered some food at the bar and sat in her corner, munching down her fries and taking the odd bite from the burger that took pride of space on the plate. Finally when she’d had enough, she pushed the plate aside, took the last sip from her soda, and nodded towards the barman who he now knew was Jake. The barman flipped a switch under the counter and a spotlight came on highlighting the same stage as the previous night, and she was once again making her way to it.
As the bar quieted down, Nick made his way forward, asking the first available girl he saw to dance. As she moved in his arms, his gaze kept wandering back to the lonely figure up on the small stage, watching her fingers dance over the
Similar Books
