It was a dive bar on the south side. They rarely attracted any big names but every once in a while the barely lucid patrons were treated as guinea pigs for new material from a well known band. Usually they were guys that got their start playing late night gigs on Sunday nights or they used to drink there after band practice. Mostly it was a place for wannabe's to talk smack about some hole in the wall record producer that was going to make them into a big star. Sometimes you ran into a haggard groupie who told half-truths about the rock stars she slammed with back in the day.
I came in there once in a while to chat with my friend Justin who bartended there. Usually it was just a pit stop on my way downtown to the happening clubs. I grabbed a Jack and Coke from my friend and sat listening to a watered down version of Bodies coming from a tired looking boy on stage. I sipped my drink while I waited for my friend to take a break. I barely noticed when the band stopped and some roadies started testing equipment. Justin motioned to me that it would be a few more minutes and I left to go check my makeup in the mirror. I was meeting a girlfriend later who promised to introduce me to her boyfriend's super cute brother. I had dressed more casual than usual, wearing a pair of tight black satin pants and black T-shirt that that had a pair of red lips sequined across my chest. The red contrasted nicely with my long dark hair and I had painted my own lips cherry red to match my shirt. I adjusted my makeup, shook out my hair and headed back to the table.
Justin was waiting for me and I sat down in a chair across from him with my back to the stage. We chatted for a few minutes while another band warmed up. Several times I winced at the shrill sounds coming from the amps but I was pretty used to the mediocre talent by now. Several more minutes passed and Justin and I joked about bands we had seen here and then a slow guitar began to ease in between the conversation and drunken laughter. I didn't pay much attention at first and then slowly realization dawned on me as the voice that had imbedded itself into my mind so deeply I could recognize it in the loudest of crowds made its way to me. I glanced quickly at Justin to see a slow smile spread across his face. Almost knocking over the table I whipped around in my chair and not even 20 feet away from me he stood. His long blonde hair falling around his face, partially covering his baby blue eyes. He was wearing a pair of ripped jeans and a muscle shirt just as he had fifteen years ago. As he sang a song I knew by heart I could only watch, hardly imagining that there were only 20 other people in this room with him and I. His smooth bluesy voice rang out over the listless patrons as they talked amongst themselves. I was lost in a reverie of steel guitars, drums and that yankee voice with the slight southern twang.
I didn't notice when Justin returned to the bar nor did I notice when most of the room emptied out to move on to their final destinations of the night. I was lost on him, watching his smile, the way his body moved in rhythm to his music. From this dark corner in a nothing bar in the middle of nowhere I found my own piece of heaven. My plans with my friend were no longer a forefront in my mind.
After about two hours the spell was broken when the sultry voice I have loved since grade school came to quiet. Slowly I turned back around in my chair, taking a sip of my now watered down drink. I realized now that my body ached from sitting at such an odd angle for so long and laughed at how ridiculous I must have looked sitting there drooling over him for so long. I turned to say something to Justin and realized he was gone too. I laughed even harder amazed at the complete loss of time I had just experienced. I grabbed up my purse to leave, turning to head to the bar to say goodbye to Justin and ran smack into a sweaty body wearing a white muscle shirt. I knew who it was before I even looked up. For that reason I didn't want to look up so I stood there, frozen, embarrassed at my clumsiness. Then that voice, that voice right there next to my ear said.
"Your friend asked me to bring this to you."
I felt something cold touch my hand and only by sheer will did I not drop the glass of ice water. I slowly raised my head, forcing myself to look at him, knowing I was blushing fiercely. He smiled at me and I almost lost my balance so I quickly sat back down. To my growing surprise he asked to join me. Sitting there in dumbfounded silence, thoughts racing through my head, questions overwhelming me, I didn't even notice he was talking to me for the first few moments. He had such an easygoing smile, it was hard not to smile back. As soon as I did I felt immediately more comfortable.
We talked until the bar closed. Trading information about our lives, our loves and our passion. In the beginning I had so many questions about his career but they seemed to fade, as I became increasingly interested in the person sitting before me. Over the course of a several hours he had transformed from an untouchable superstar to an exciting intelligent guy. We found we had many shared interests, the passion for our work our most common thread. It was 2 am when Justin gave me the sign that it was time to say goodbye. I felt like a very special dream was coming to an end. When I walked out into the parking lot I knew I would turn back into just another groupie. I was very reluctant to say goodbye and dare I hope, but he appeared to be as well. Before I could utter those final words, he offered to walk me to my car. Quickly concealing the bubble of shocked excitement that rose to the surface I smiled and quietly nodded. Gathering my purse, I waved a quick goodbye to Justin and we walked out the door.