Not much ever happened on Wednesday nights at the pub. A few people came and went, singing a couple of songs in between. You see, I run a karaoke lounge on the outskirts of the city. A little establishment, plenty to drink and a pretty good selection of music to choose from.
Oh yeah, my name's Raven. No last name, just that, Raven. I tend the bar when no one is singing, but on a slow night like this one, I usually go up to the stage myself and get a little practice time in.
Well, I was in the middle of what I consider my best song, Cowboy Love by John Michael Montgomerry, when a large man came strutting in. He wasn't obese; he was solid as a rock, all two hundred pounds of him. He looked like he trained hard and often. He had a smile on his face as he entered.
"You the barkeep?" he asked, glancing at the empty bar.
"I am. What can I get for you tonight?" I said, putting the microphone back in its cradle.
"Well actually nothing at the moment, but I was wondering if a few friends could possibly book the place for the night. You know, sorta private party type booking."
"I don't se why not. When would you like to book?"
"Now, for tonight." He clarified.
"That might be a problem. I can't shut down the place for a private function without some notice. My regular…"
He flashed me a thousand-dollar bill, interrupting my small protest. He asked me if it was still impossible to do.
"This is for the booking, and we'll pay you double the cost of your drinks all evening. Is this now possible?"
Not being a fool, I gladly accepted the offer and started closing down the bar. Luckily for me, no one else was there at the moment.
Matt, the guy's name, picked up his cell phone and dialed. He informed his friends that the place was secure, which I found to be an odd way to talk, and told them to come no down.
A million ideas came flooding through my mind. Did I just book the place for some form of illegal activity? Where they gangster coming in? How about drug lords? Why did he say the place was secure? It would certainly explain the cash flow.
About half an hour later, a small group of about twenty people made their way into the bar. Three of them came up to the self-serve section and placed the order for the group. Finishing preparing their drinks and ringing them in, I moved over to the stage and passed out the karaoke song lists.
That's when I saw her. I couldn't believe my eyes, and then I realized why she was there. She was filming in town, and the shoot was all about karaoke singers and the places they sang in. What better way to learn that to participate? Yes, it was Gwyneth Paltrow.
She smiled at me as I handed her the song list and I was so star-struck that I hadn't even noticed that right beside her sat her movie co-star, Huey Lewis.
"Excuse me, but do you happen to have 'I want a new drug' in your selection?" he said, a smile turning into a laughter as I realized who was asking. All I could do was nod my head yes.
I went back up to the stage, fumbled through our master list and found the corresponding disc number. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as Gwyneth and Huey talked and laughed together, their entourage doing the same.
Just as I was turning to face the disc rack again, I caught a glimpse of Gwyneth looking toward my. I quickly looked back and saw her eyes lowered to watch my butt as I moved along the stage. Feeling a little self-conscious, I sat down on a nearby stool while putting the disc into the tray of the machine.
