Walking into Darlene's was a little like walking a few decades into the past.
It was in the back corner of an old strip mall downtown, and with the mall closed at nine, after-hours they'd use what was meant to be the back entrance as the main. This was generally not a problem, since newcomers were uncommon and loyal customers arrived early.
The bar was dark and dingy with decor that hadn't been updated since the eighties, and saw regular use since then. It's carpeting was worn down to nonexistence, the barstools had once been upholstered in what looked like velvet but was barely recognizable as more than burlap now, and there was peeling paint on the walls, along with holes and cracks that developed over the years, mended with white spackle but never painted over to match.
It smelled of cigarette smoke— despite the indoor smoking ban — and liquor. No, not liquor. It was how someone smelled after drinking a lot of liquor. A lot if cheap liquor. And under the sharp high notes lingered a sour stench that Desi didn't really want to consider what it could be from.
If he was anyone else, the pungent reminder of just how low brow Darlene's was would have probably put a damper on Desi's positive mood, but he wasn't just anyone. He'd already decided that they were going to make the most of the night, and was excited to do so, despite Nic's growing complaints to cover his nerves and Ashley's first response to arriving being a simple "ew".
"Consider it practice for when we get a real gig." Desi offered to the group while unloading equipment from Nic's truck to bring inside.
Wyatt quite nearly growled in response, protesting on his family's behalf. "This is a real gig. Or would you like me to let my dad know how you feel about it? I'm sure he wouldn't mind saving his money if it's just practice."
Desi exchanged an eye roll with Nic as he handed off a speaker before elaborating. "I just meant, there's no reason to be nervous. If we fuck up it's not like anyone is going to see it."
Ashley interjected with a scoff from her spot lounging in the passenger seat. "Sorry, but if you guys embarrass yourselves I'm socially obligated to upload the video."
Nic's reply was an actual growl, stopping as he passed her to bark, "what the fuck social obligation is that?"
She grinned under his glare, popping her gum and shrugging. "Humanitarian obligations. Lots of people will be entertained by your suffering. The net value of wellbeing will go up."
Desi waved off her teasing, giving Nic a reassuring nudge into the bar. "Doesn't matter. We're not going to embarrass ourselves, right?"
Nic looked skeptical, and after thinking about it he groaned and muttered, "I need a drink. Where are those beers your dad promised, Wyatt?"
Abandoned by his bandmates as they went to search for alcohol, Desi grabbed the last of their gear, motioning with a head tilt for Ashley's help. "Can you take our cable bag, babe?"
"I came here to look hot and film you guys, not to do manual labor." Her words were flat but she delivered them with a teasing smirk on her fire red lips.
"Come on, don't be a brat. Give me a hand and let the babies get a little buzzed to loosen their nerves." Desi responded over his shoulder, motioning her to follow. She mocked a exasperated groan before getting out of the truck, shutting the passenger door, and then the trunk after collecting the duffle bag of cords.
They criss-crossed together through an arrangement of old, worn tables and their loudly conversing occupants over to the small corner stage in the back. Desi discarded his load with the rest of the gear, then turned to deliver a suggestive addition to Ashley's ear. "Besides, if you help, I'll show you my appreciation tonight."
She reacted with a lifted eyebrow, and Desi offered a cheeky smile in response. Playful skepticism danced in her gaze as she tilted her head sweetly. "If you're under the impression that sex with you is some sort of reward for good behavior, I have some sorry news for you, pal."
Desi sucked in sharp breath through his teeth, as if he'd been stabbed. "Ouch. Cut a little deeper next time, why don't you? Maybe that's not what I meant." It had been what he meant, but to be fair, he should have expected that comeback. When she shrugged with lack of sympathy Desi rolled his eyes and chuckled, unable to keep up the faux offensive for too long.
He answered with a peace offering instead. Dug out of his pocket, Desi held up a small plastic baggie discreetly between them for Ashley to see the contents: two small heart-shaped pills the color of cherry SweetTarts. "Got a small batch to sell tonight. Reward enough for you, Miss Molly?"
Instantly, Ashley's eyes widened with eagerness, pulling her reaction under control again with a purse-lipped grin as she side-eyed the people around them. When she replied, her voice was a fraction lower. "Not really your usual flavor. I thought you were staying... organic."
"It's a special occasion." Desi answered with a suppressed smile and a shrug, then snatched the bag away from her reaching hand. "Not so fast! It's for us. After the party. Understood?"
She looked up at him through her long, dark lashes, biting her lip to conceal a sugar sweet smirk. "Of course. I was just gonna hold onto them for safe keepings." Adding to her words with an intentionally teasing kiss, she weaselled the baggie out of his fingers and tucked it away into her own pocket, then continued past Desi, up the steps and onto the stage. "Come on then. We have work to do, Rockstar."
Set up took a lot longer than acceptable since Ashley didn't really know what she was doing. After a while, Wyatt and Nic came back to help, but they'd never really moved their gear from Nic's garage before so it still took forever. It would be something they'd need to work on and streamline for the future. Messily shoving their many cords into a duffle bag was probably the biggest mistake; untangling them had clearly been a test of Ashley's patience.
Eventually though, they had things sorted and managed a quick rundown to make sure everything was good to go. Or, as good as they could get things in the cramped corner of the bar they were afforded. The acoustics in the room were not ideal, and Desi had to set up his mic way too close to the amps, but it also wasn't a big space so they wouldn't need to blast them. He prayed for no feedback, and the sound check blessed him with clear air.
"All set?" Ashley asked, after returning from setting out scans of Casper's design onto each table and in front of every stool at the bar.
Desi gave a weighted sigh, then nodded, taking a last look around. "Think so."
"Nervous?" She added, a teasing inflection.
"Nah." He shrugged, and then covered his mic with his palm. "Although I am kinda feeling the burn with all the stink eyes I'm already getting from these drunken geezers."
Ashley stifled a laugh. "To be fair, you are playing for a demographic that thinks wearing straight leg jeans makes you a homosexual." She thickened her accent to stereotypical rural southern with the last word, sharing another snicker with Desi, before reaching into her purse and pulling out her heart-shaped sunglasses. "Here, wear these."
"Ah, yes. This will convince the white folk of my hetrosexuality," Desi teased, putting them on and sweeping his fried fringe to the side, modeling a serious expression before breaking to a laugh when Ashley shoved him playfully.
"No, but if you start seeing them sneering you can just close your eyes, and they won't know you're actually ignoring them," she explained, then gave him a once over and added, "Besides, they're a good look."
Desi grinned, shifting his guitar's neck away from in between them to give her an appreciative kiss, but the unusual sweetness of the moment was cut short by Nic discarding his bass and announcing he was going to be sick, fast walking off the stage to the exit.
"I'll get him," Wyatt groaned, moving to get up from the drums, but Ashley motioned for him to sit again.
"It's ok, let me." Another kiss to Desi's cheek, and she was hurrying out after Nic.
Desi took the moment to let out a sigh, inhaling deep again to reset his lungs. He hadn't noticed that he'd been tense until then, and was surprised by the sudden heaviness of his anticipation.
It wasn't nervousness; he didn't really care what the drunk, electronic poker addicts at Darlene's thought of him or his music. It was more like the twisted gut feeling of starting something new. A beginning. Walking through an open door without knowing what's on the other side. It wasn't nervousness; it was excitement to embrace the unknown.
Ok, maybe it was a little nervousness; now that he was there, in front of a crowd of small town nobodies with nothing better to do than judge, left to think and overthink about it...
He should expect a mouthful from his mother the next time he went home. This was her crowd, so it was only a matter of time before she got wind of this show. She didn't know he'd gone and started a band over the summer. He always told her he was working, because she wasn't really very supportive of any of Desi's creative pursuits.
Creativity didn't get her money to spend on booze and cigarettes, after all.
Not the time, Desi, he reminded himself, forcing the apprehension out of his gut as he saw Nic re-enter the bar and hurry back to the stage. Before Nic had the chance to run off again or Desi could find his own excuse to bail, he forced himself forward to speak into the mic.
"Evening, everybody. We're Night Creatures. Working name. And we're kinda shit, but I'm sure none of you can do any better so just shut up and enjoy it."
The few people paying attention responded with snarky jeers, but Wyatt had already drummed out an intro and Desi's fingers followed instinctually, nearly effortless now, since they'd decided to start with their most practiced song. They extended the opening slightly to allow Nic to join in, who had lagged a little behind while joining them on the stage, but once Desi watched the other boy strum out the first sequence of his bass line, they dove into the song with an ease that only came to them on the best of jam sessions.
Desi turned back to the crowd to prepare for the opening vocals, trying to search for Ashley through the dark filter of her sunglasses and the already dimly lit bar. When he finally found her strawberry-red hair over near the bar, he realized she wasn't alone.