something that after 400 years, he had begun to doubt he had. The hitch in his happily-ever-after was her species. Humans couldn't be Other.
Two thirds of the way through the set, between songs, Chad set his guitar down and said something quietly to Glenn. Glenn smiled stupidly at Drake and handed Chad the microphone.
"How're you folks tonight?" Chad poured on the charm. "You doin' all right?"He paused while the crowd cheered. "Now folks, I got a problem, maybe you can help me with it. You think you can help?"He winked at Drake and turned back to the crowd. "I ate breakfast tonight at Mickey's Diner – you been there?"
The audience erupted again and he tapped his foot while he waited for relative quiet. "So tonight, I ate breakfast with one of the roadies, Drake. Come on out here, Drake."He pointed and waved, but Drake refused, rooted in the shadows.
"He's shy," Chad teased with a laugh. "Well, Drake over there met a girl at the diner today, only, pussy that he is, he walked away without her number – didn't even say a word."
The crowd booed.
"What I need from you is her number. If anyone here knows the evening waitress over at Mickey's, I want to talk to you."The crowd exploded as people screamed and waved their arms, all vying for Chad's attention. The mass of bodies pushed forward, crushing toward the stage.
Chad handed the microphone back to Glenn while Drake seethed backstage. He stormed out the back door, kicking aside Chad's guitar case as he went. The frigid air stopped him in his tracks, but he sucked in a bracing breath and paced along the back wall of the building.
"Stupid fucker."His breath froze before it left his mouth, hanging in the air like a frosted cloud. "Fucking stupid fucker."He kicked an empty bottle, sending it skittering across the parking lot. "Stupid, fucking, fucking, fucker. God damn fucking stupid fucker."
"That's quite the vocabulary."He hadn't heard the door open, but leaning against the door was the waitress – his Other.
"I ... Hi, I'm Drake."He held out a hand, which she shook tentatively.
"Penelope – Penny. Nice to meet you."Her deep brown hair slung over her shoulder in a thick braid. Her eyes locked on his, intense icy blue.
He felt her Otherness in his bones.
"You too. Were you in there?Did you hear him?"Drake nodded his head toward the club
"Yeah," she chewed her lip. "Heard the whole thing."
"Sorry about Chad – he's got a big mouth."
Penny laughed. "Actually, it saved me from wondering if you felt it too or if this was a one-sided thing. Saved me lots of agonizing." She winked. "Plus, it was cute. I could see you off stage, cussing him out. He's a good friend."
"He is. I'll be sad to leave him." Drake mirrored her posture, leaning against the side of the building, arms crossed over his chest.
"You're leaving him?"Her eyebrows rose.
"No!" Drake bolted upright. "We're not together –not that I'm against that – but I'm straight. I'm leaving the band."He was rambling, but damned if he could stop running his mouth. "I'm very straight. Definitely interested in women, particularly women with long brown hair and blue eyes."He bit his bottom lip, clamping his mouth shut. "So, yeah, straight."One last verbal slip.
"And?"Penny leaned forward, closing the small distance between them.
"And ... wondering if you wanna have breakfast with me when I'm done here."
"I'd like that." Penny nodded.
"Anywhere special in mind?I'm not local – don't really know the good places to eat."Drake shrugged.
"Anywhere but work. The food is great, but I just worked an eight-hour shift. I don't really want to go back in my free time. There's a place off 36." She pointed in the general direction of the freeway.
"Can we cab it?I don't have a car here."
"I'll drive." Her head rested against the brick façade of the bar.
"Oh, all right. I'm usually done about three. That okay?"
Penny smiled. "Sure, I'm a night owl anyway. I'll pick you up."
"You could hang out backstage if you
Two thirds of the way through the set, between songs, Chad set his guitar down and said something quietly to Glenn. Glenn smiled stupidly at Drake and handed Chad the microphone.
"How're you folks tonight?" Chad poured on the charm. "You doin' all right?"He paused while the crowd cheered. "Now folks, I got a problem, maybe you can help me with it. You think you can help?"He winked at Drake and turned back to the crowd. "I ate breakfast tonight at Mickey's Diner – you been there?"
The audience erupted again and he tapped his foot while he waited for relative quiet. "So tonight, I ate breakfast with one of the roadies, Drake. Come on out here, Drake."He pointed and waved, but Drake refused, rooted in the shadows.
"He's shy," Chad teased with a laugh. "Well, Drake over there met a girl at the diner today, only, pussy that he is, he walked away without her number – didn't even say a word."
The crowd booed.
"What I need from you is her number. If anyone here knows the evening waitress over at Mickey's, I want to talk to you."The crowd exploded as people screamed and waved their arms, all vying for Chad's attention. The mass of bodies pushed forward, crushing toward the stage.
Chad handed the microphone back to Glenn while Drake seethed backstage. He stormed out the back door, kicking aside Chad's guitar case as he went. The frigid air stopped him in his tracks, but he sucked in a bracing breath and paced along the back wall of the building.
"Stupid fucker."His breath froze before it left his mouth, hanging in the air like a frosted cloud. "Fucking stupid fucker."He kicked an empty bottle, sending it skittering across the parking lot. "Stupid, fucking, fucking, fucker. God damn fucking stupid fucker."
"That's quite the vocabulary."He hadn't heard the door open, but leaning against the door was the waitress – his Other.
"I ... Hi, I'm Drake."He held out a hand, which she shook tentatively.
"Penelope – Penny. Nice to meet you."Her deep brown hair slung over her shoulder in a thick braid. Her eyes locked on his, intense icy blue.
He felt her Otherness in his bones.
"You too. Were you in there?Did you hear him?"Drake nodded his head toward the club
"Yeah," she chewed her lip. "Heard the whole thing."
"Sorry about Chad – he's got a big mouth."
Penny laughed. "Actually, it saved me from wondering if you felt it too or if this was a one-sided thing. Saved me lots of agonizing." She winked. "Plus, it was cute. I could see you off stage, cussing him out. He's a good friend."
"He is. I'll be sad to leave him." Drake mirrored her posture, leaning against the side of the building, arms crossed over his chest.
"You're leaving him?"Her eyebrows rose.
"No!" Drake bolted upright. "We're not together –not that I'm against that – but I'm straight. I'm leaving the band."He was rambling, but damned if he could stop running his mouth. "I'm very straight. Definitely interested in women, particularly women with long brown hair and blue eyes."He bit his bottom lip, clamping his mouth shut. "So, yeah, straight."One last verbal slip.
"And?"Penny leaned forward, closing the small distance between them.
"And ... wondering if you wanna have breakfast with me when I'm done here."
"I'd like that." Penny nodded.
"Anywhere special in mind?I'm not local – don't really know the good places to eat."Drake shrugged.
"Anywhere but work. The food is great, but I just worked an eight-hour shift. I don't really want to go back in my free time. There's a place off 36." She pointed in the general direction of the freeway.
"Can we cab it?I don't have a car here."
"I'll drive." Her head rested against the brick façade of the bar.
"Oh, all right. I'm usually done about three. That okay?"
Penny smiled. "Sure, I'm a night owl anyway. I'll pick you up."
"You could hang out backstage if you
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