Fine Lines

2 ✰ Blues and Booze

An hour and forty five minutes of navigating the grungy subway and bustling through the busy New York streets, you finally make it to your destination. The place is called Blues and Booze, a bar that had an open mic. You have never heard of the place, only finding what it was through the emails you've been receiving for the audition.

You obviously did some research into the place when you were given the location, finding it tucked away a few blocks from central park. The place was open from 5PM to 3AM and had fairly good reviews on Google. The architecture had a rustic brick on the outside, with big, black modern windows hugging the walls. A large sign hung atop the matching modern door, welcoming you inside.

You adjust your tote bag on your arm and mentally prepare yourself for your audition. You recognize that you may fail before you begin because of your forgotten artistic beauty. Wiping your hands on your pants and nervously chewing on your lip, you reach towards the modernised metal, black door. As you reach forward the grey clouds that followed you start to cry. Rain falls from the sky, giving you a bad feeling about what's to come. You rush inside while letting out a quiet squeal. A few cold raindrops had fallen onto your face, so you reach up and wipe them away as you start to walk towards the noise.

You glance around yourself and take notice of the chic modern vibe of the place. The bar was a midnight blue with metal stools sat in front of it. The floors are black wood with a gloss over top, probably for if anyone spills their drinks. Many famous band posters hang on the walls, ranging from Metallica all the way to Fleetwood Mac. You take notice of the plants that are scattered around, giving a cosy, home feeling to the room.

You glance to the other side of the room and see an abundance of people scattered about. There are over a dozen metal tables and chairs placed in the open area, as well as sleek black couches. At the very back of the room holds a fairly large stage with a lot of music equipment placed on top. More band posters line the walls and a bunch more plants are placed around the area. A soft smell of vanilla and smoke hits your nose the further you walk into the establishment. Your eyes catch a glowing light to the right of the stage, it being a fireplace that was tucked away with armchairs placed around it. You notice that a small hallway is to the side of the fireplace, probably leading to the washrooms and storage areas.

As you walk further, you notice a bunch of people nervously conversing on the couches and a few people who look like the staff running about. You slowly approach the people who look as anxious as you, stopping when you see the pink haired girl you had seen earlier. You wonder how she got here quicker than you, but brush it off and make your way towards her.

"Hey, you!" Bubblegum locks smiles as she greets you. You wave at her and say a small hello before she begins to talk some more.

"Did you go and tell Verny that you're here? He's been writin' our names down as we come." She exclaims as she moves her knee up and down.

You shake your head saying no and she points you into "Vernys" direction. You're guessing that she is referring to the manager of the band, Vern, but decide to leave your questioning for later. Turning around, you make your way to the man holding a clipboard. He's very tall, standing a ways above you. No hair is on his head, instead it is littered with stress wrinkles. He has a dark blue eye colour and very thin, greying eyebrows. He lifts his head as he sees you coming, releasing some built up tension that was between his eyebrows.

"I'm Vern. Are you here for the auditions?" He lowers his clipboard and raises his almost non existent eyebrows.

You nod your head and quickly tell him your name, too nervous for small talk. He nods his head and tells you to take a seat before the band comes out. You turn around and rush back to the pink haired girl, taking a seat on the couch next to her.