One Hundred Sleepless Nights

4

I find myself living the same day over again, waking up in Sam's bed after too many drinks. I'm late for work again, in last nights clothes and makeup. My hair hasn't been brushed in two days now, I haven't been home in that long either. Its a good thing I don't have any animals otherwise they'd be hungrier than I am right now.

"Alia?" Noel says , pulling me from my not so deep thoughts.

"Yes, Noel?" I ask.

He gives me a look thats a cross of 'not now' and 'please now'.

"I'm headed out. You good alone?" he says gesturing to the guy that's coming through the door.

"Yeah, I'm chill." I say.

I really thought he was going to ask me to go home with him. We haven't slept together in awhile now, I actually thought he was dating someone for awhile, thats how long its been. ...Okay its been a month but still. We used to end every other night together for awhile. But thats a thought for me to have later tonight when I'm alone in my bed.

"Hey, can I get you a drink?" I ask, wiping the counter in front of me down.

"Five shots of of Patron please."

The voice registers in my brain as familiar, but I can't place the face. Short-ish dark hair, dark eyes, tattoos. Come on, brain. Think.

"Tony!" I exclaim. "What are the odds of seeing you here?"

"Not a groupie." he says. "I'm sure you have a formal name?"

"No, actually Not A Groupie is my formal name." I say with a smile.

I turn and grab the bottle of Patron off the shelf, looking in the mirror to see if Tony looks at me as I grab it. He does.

"What brings you here?" I ask him. "I thought our meeting was a one off."

"I'm in town for a bit." he says. "I used to come here all the time when we weren't on tour."

"Oh, really?" I say, putting my hands on my hips. "I've been here for awhile and I haven't seen you here ever. You would've recognized me the other night if you really came here that often."

"Speaking of, how did you get backstage the other day?"

I wave him off with a hand. "If I tell you, how would I be mysterious?"

"You still haven't told me your name." he points out.

"You still haven't earned it." I say as I place his shots in front of him.

"How do I earn it?"

His eagerness is a turn on, I'll be honest. How much he wants to know me, how much he'll want to touch me. I just need to play my cards right, need to seduce him in the right ways. I wonder if I could have him at my place by tonight. I usually don't like to over believe in myself, but theres no way its a coincidence that he's here tonight. Its almost like he came looking for me.

"You're a guitar player, right?" I ask him. He nods. "So you're good with your fingers?"

Even in the dim lighting of the bar I can see his cheeks flush. Its a sight I'm growing to love. It lets me know I'm doing a good job.

"Do you have plans tonight, Tony?"

"I don't." he says before he downs three of his five shots.

"Would you like to?" I ask, cocking my head to the side.

His eyes glance around the bar as if this is a top secret conversation we're having. If he were behind the bar for even half a night he would know that for some reason people don't believe in private conversations at a bar. The amount of conversations I've overheard here that I shouldn't have is astronomical. People think because the bar is crowded and music is playing that nobody but the person they're talking to can hear them. Its ridiculous. But in this case its genuinely just him and I so theres really no threat of anyone else listening in.

"I don't think thats a great idea." Tony says after careful consideration.

I don't get turned down often, but when I do I try not to take it to heart. Some people take awhile to get used to the idea of sleeping with someone they don't really know. In Tony's case he doesn't even know my name, so I really can't blame him here at all.

"You're not that guy?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "I'm not. I need to know the person I'm getting into bed with."

"Ask me anything then." I say with a grin. I hold a finger up to him before he can say anything. "Just wait."

I run to the bar's door and lock it, then turn off our Open sign. Instead of starting my cleaning like I should, I walk and sit on the stool next to Tony, grabbing the bottle of Patron before I fully sit down. I pour two shots out for each of us and we instantly down them, no questions asked.

"Go ahead." I say, the taste of alcohol still stinging my throat. "We have to do one shot for every question."

"Knowing your name would be a good start." he says, not seeming to mind my new rule.

"You're right, it would be." I say then pause for dramatics. "Its Alia."

"Last name?"

"Oh come on, can't I have some mystery?" I ask with a laugh.

"Fair enough." Tony says, joining my laughter. "Did you grow up around here?"

I nod. "I was born here. You?"

"Not born here but grew up here yeah." he answers. "Do you have any siblings?"

"A brother." I answer. "You? Any siblings?"

"None." he says. "Are you close with your family?"

I give a little shrug, trying not to think of it too much. "Not as close as I want to be."

His brow furrows. "How come?"

My eyes fall away from his, my shame probably very clear on my face. My family has been a touchy subject for me for the last couple of years. Its honestly probably a big reason why I don't like being close to people now. I've learned to just be on my own and do my own thing. Nobody to disappoint when you only have yourself. But I don't tell Tony this. I don't tell anyone this ever.

I muster up the politest smile I can. "Its complicated. And I think we're both in shot debt."

"Shot debt?" he says, his eyes glimmering with laughter.

I nod solemnly. "Its a real thing and you know that as a bartender I take that very seriously."

"I guess we should get to it then." he says.

And we do.