"The Lounge Singer"
Audrey chuckled nervously at her scolding mother.
"Audrey, you're supposed to be upstairs doing your homework. You have to go bed soon, you have-"
"School tomorrow. Yes, mom, I know but I just wanted to see you sing. You know I love to watch."
"I also know it's a drag getting you to wake up in the morning," her mother retorts.
Audrey clasped her hands together, begging. "Mom, please. I practically bribed Grandma to let down here."
"Yeah, okay, well, you've seen me sing, time to get back to homework."
Audrey groaned, getting out of her seat. "Mom!"
"Go," her mother turns her around and takes her seat. "And tell your grandmother we will have a talk about these bribes."
"Nice meeting you, Scott," a pouting Audrey waved to him.
Scott smiled, waving back. You too, Audrey."
All while her mother was checking out the handsome stranger.
"Smart girl," he complimented.
"To smart for her own good," the mother shook her head.
Scott smiled, and her heart leaped.
He held out a hand, "I'm-"
"Scott," she shook his hand, taking in his features.
She loved his eyes. They were almost translucent, glossy, like the palest blue glass, too soft to be turquoise, too bright to be baby blue. They were amazingly breathing taking.
"I'm Ivy," she introduced herself.
"Well, Ivy, you're an amazing singer."
Ivy looks away, blushing. She hated being complimented at times. She was just doing what she loved, and sometimes she forgets how her gift influenced and affected people.
"Thank you," she looks back at Scott. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I've never seen you around here."
"Yeah, Audrey said the same thing. Apparently, white, rich guys don't come to the club very often."
Ivy chuckled - that sounded just like her fifteen-year-old daughter.
"True, but all are welcome at Issac's Blues. It's a place where music is for anyone and everything."
Scott looks around, rubbing his chin in thought. "Perfect slogan for a place like this."
Ivy nods, noticing the wedding band on his ring finger. "Are you waiting for your wife?"
"My wife?" Scott frowned as if he didn't know who she was talking about. Like he didn't have a wife at all.
"Your ring," she pointed.
"Oh," Scott looked at his finger disappointedly, "that."
His thoughts were going all over the place.
"Complicated story?" Ivy questioned curiously.
"Yes," He answered unsurely. He cleared his throat, trying to sound more confident. "Very complicated."
"It's okay. I get it," Ivy looks at her bare ring finger. "It took me a while to take off the ring of my ex-husband. Try explaining that one to everyone."
"Divorced?"
"He died," Ivy sighed sadly and looked up at him. "You?"
Scott paused for a moment before speaking.
"Divorced," he twisted his ring sadly. "It's been hard to get over. But I've been thinking it's time for me to let go."
Ivy swallowed hard, getting lost in his eyes again. She reluctantly looked away, feeling her cheeks burn.
She realized she still didn't why he was there.
"So uh, what brings you by?"
Just as Scott opened his mouth to answer. He was interrupted by a deep voice from behind the bar. "Can I help you?"
Along with Ivy, Scott looked at the stranger wearing a skeptical expression.
Scott gulped, "Uh yeah, I was looking for the owner."
"Well, you found him," the man said bluntly, earning a scold from Ivy.
"Daddy," she tilted her head at him.
Ivy's father didn't like strangers very much. It didn't matter if they looked like him or not. Every customer that came into the club had to pass his BS meter.
Uncomfortable under her father's stare, Scott cleared his throat. "This place use to be a food establishment-"
"Three blocks down, make a left. First place on the corner," her father interrupting rudely.
"Dad!" Ivy snapped.
"What?" he asked with a shrug.
Ivy rolled her eyes as her father went to serve a customer. She looks at Scott as he stood up. "I'm sorry about him. He's bad at socializing."
Scott chuckled, "It's fine. I have to go, anyway. It was really nice meeting you."
Ivy was sad about him leaving but covered it up with a smile. "Feel free to drop by, again. If you ever decide to come back."
Scott smiled again, and her heart did another leap.
"I will."
She watched him leave was a said sigh.
"Seems like a nice guy," her father said, cleaning a glass.
Ivy slowly turns to him, "you could have been nicer."
"He could have stopped drooling over you, but I didn't complain, did I?"
"He wasn't drooling," Ivy scoffed.
"Yeah, you're right, you were. White boy fever is what I'm gonna call it," he joked, smiling a little.
Ivy couldn't stop smiling if she tried. "That's not funny, dad."
"Then why are you laughing?"
Playfully rolling her eyes, Ivy stood up and returned to the stage for the next song.
<><><><><><>
I lied, Scott thought, and he hadn't planned to do so.
He thought about it, and before he could do the right thing, the word "divorced" just slipped out of his mouth.
Scott knew that he shouldn't have lied, but when he was sitting there with that gorgeous woman. He wanted to forget about this boring life.
Hearing her sing, talking to her, finding that place.
Everything that happened tonight is the most excitement he's had in years. And for once, he didn't get treated special because he was rich.
He got treated like an average person. No one had any expectations for him.
Scott got to be himself and enjoy music that he hadn't realized he missed so much till today.
Music was his passion growing up. He could never get enough of it. He was always singing or listening to music. After all, it was his escape from his parents.
All they wanted to do was get richer, and all I wanted was to sing, and because of being afraid to fail them, he didn't accomplish his dream.
And seeing Ivy up on that stage awakened the guy inside of him whose passion and love was music. That guy was also attracted to Ivy. A woman who had a passion for music just as much as he did.
Scott could see it in her eyes when she was on stage. She was comfortable and free up there. For a moment, he envied Ivy and wanted to go up there himself.
"Babe," Scott felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Celia standing beside him at the bathroom sink. "You okay?" she asked, picking up her toothbrush. "You seemed absent-minded at dinner."
Scott had been thinking about Ivy so much that he didn't remember anything that happened at dinner.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"You sure?" She brushed her teeth with her hand on her hip. "You seem different since this morning."
Scott kisses her on the cheek. "I'm good."
He goes into their room and plops on the bed.
Scott knew that it was bad to be thinking about another woman, but he couldn't help it.
He couldn't get Ivy's beautiful brown eyes out of his head.