1991

1991 Part 19

"H..hi Beth, I'm Sam," I reach out and shake Beth's hand still not entirely sure why everyone is looking at me. She's pretty, really pretty with big brown eyes and long glossy hair. She smiles at me and turns away to walk over to where Eddie is. I watch her go hoping to catch Eddie's eye but he doesn't look at me, he's got his head down like he's busy reading his song notes. 

"Sam, can I get you another drink?" Mike is at my side.

"Er...sure thanks Mike, that would be great," I reply, an uneasy feeling growing in my chest.

"Um..do you want to come with me?" he asks quietly, "there's a...er....an interesting thing in the...er..the back." Mike indicates the tiny room over his left shoulder where the fridge is.

"Er..I sure," I answer warily, wondering why Mike wants me to go with him but I stand up to follow anyway. I turn my head and look at Eddie as I leave and see he's sitting with Beth talking, his head's down. Chris carries two beers over to them.

"Great idea Mike, I'll help," says Jeff and comes too, wrapping his arm around my back to guide me away.

"Great...help with what?" I ask confused.

"Oh...whatever," he smiles distractedly.

In the back room an old strip light blinks on, casting an unhealthy glow around the room. It looks like every break room at every job I've ever had, but a little bit worse as it's in a dingy basement. In the corner there's a mountain of beer, stacked high next to a fridge that sounds like it's seeing out it's final days. Mike opens the door, I notice the light doesn't work and I glimpse every shelf piled with every kind of beer.

"What can I get you Sam? Michelob, Miller, Bud? Sol, but we don't have little wedges sorry," Mike shrugs, "er...Corona.."

"Corona's fine thanks," I reply impatiently feeling more and more tense as time passes, "so what did you want to show me? Or was it something you wanted help with?" I look between Jeff and Mike waiting for an explanation. Mike hands me a Corona and I open it on the edge of the grimy looking counter with my palm. 

"Oh, just the um...the..." Mike looks lost.

"The tour schedule," Jeff offers suddenly.

"Yes, that's what I was going to say," Mike agrees quickly. 

"Okaaay, show me then," I smile patiently and hold out my hands.

"Oh well, I don't have it here," Jeff explains, "but you should see it...er...later?" he says looking at Mike.

"Right, right...that's it," Mike nods.

"Ok great, well in that case I'll go back out and.." but before I can leave Jeff puts a hand on my arm.

"Don't go yet Sam...we're just getting to know you" Jeff looks at me and I swear I can see beads of sweat breaking out in his goatee, "do you...er...do you have any....um..pets?"

"Yeah, pets because I do, I have a cat," Mike interrupts, "I fucking love my cat." 

"Exactly Mike's cat is something that we haven't discussed...recently," Jeff agrees.