After Midnight (a.i.)

31

A/N start the audio at the asterisk!!

Flashing lights and thick smoke cloud my senses.  My vision was a blur with every movement, I could barely focus on the task at hand without the overwhelming atmosphere taking over my being with paralysis.  I felt like I was in the middle of a horror-themed hurricane unable to escape for a breath of air.  But even with the vibration at my feet and the electricity coursing through my veins, I felt so alive.

The bar was packed tonight.  Everyone was swarming in to be entertained by the infamous After Midnight. They caught traction after their last show, with Ari's help of promoting the underground struggling band.  He's always had a soft spot for the underdog, wanting every musician to get a fair share of the pot.  Since the boys started playing for him and tripling profits at the bar, he wanted to repay them in anyway he could.  Sans their checks, he wanted to show off their talent, that he was a helping hand in their discovery. 

He reached out to a bunch of his connections scattered across the state with their information and an amateur mixtape he made from one of their past shows, and apparently they came off as promising up and comers.  Nothing has been set in stone, but Ari is extremely optimistic about the results.  If Ari loved anything in this world, it was giving those the chance he wasn't lucky enough to get.

The boys were in the 'green room' for the next couple of minutes until showtime. They hid out in the back since they got here, sending Nova out as their personal waitress to retrieve their various drink orders for their pre-show party.  It was nice to see her so frequently.  I was even able to take a minute from the chaos to admire her costume adaptation of Freddie Mercury, clearly a nod to her obnoxious nickname from the boys.  More power to her, she embraced their annoying nickname with grace and, with that leather corset and feather boa wrapped around her neck, she practically outdid the legend himself. 

As far as my costume attire went, I had a last minute realization that I had absolutely nothing to wear with no time to run to a costume shop.  I wasn't too big on dressing up anymore, especially taking into consideration that I had to man the bar the entire night, so I had to find something practical.  Jess went with a fallen angel, with black feathered wings and a tight latex leotard that made me feel bad for her ribcage.  I admired her effort, and she looked fucking amazing, but I didn't have the capacity nor time to throw something that elaborate together.  Instead, I went shopping in Jess' closet and found a funky tiger print dress that screamed Halloween.  I didn't have an inspiration behind it, but the vibrant dress paired with graphic eyeliner, I hoped people would just assume I was supposed to be Pat Benatar.

"Table seven!" Jess shouts beside me, directing one of our newbies with a tray full of drinks she's finished. Usually she was barking orders at Alex, but Alex was on shot and beer duty tonight. It was fairly easy and didn't require thinking under extreme pressure, which she was unfortunately unskilled with.

It was overwhelmingly hectic tonight, with a new order and customer every second.  I felt like I was on autopilot.  I was sending out drinks in record time, every concoction flying out across the bar within minutes of their order time.  I could barely think with how busy it was, serving drinks to miscellaneous pop culture characters and people in obscure costumes no one would understand.  My fingers were practically frozen from the countless scoops of ice and chilled glasses that claimed my touch, but I couldn't focus on that.  All I had to do was grind out this pre-show rush until I had time to take a breath.

Luckily for my lungs, the large clock behind me signaled five minutes to showtime.  It was a matter of time until I could take a step back and let the music soothe me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," As if on cue, Ari jumps up on the stage to gather the crowds attention with his usual greeting.  Within a couple of minutes, our last few drinks were sent out and the horde gravitated toward the back of the venue, awaiting the announcements from the bright stage.