Love Bites *Sequel to Insanity Bites*

Z

Within the span of a season Immortals had become one of the most popular bars in the small bustling city of New Orleans. Day after day, people filled the bar and danced till the sun came up.

I performed on a regular basis now, every Friday night was reserved specially for my act and it was always a fully booked night. At first I found it unnerving to sing in front of such big crowds but then I realized how much I enjoyed it. It didn't hurt that my pay had tripled ever since and I got tips from the numerous donations that were sent after my performances.

Soon it became an addiction.

With my growing amount of money, I was able to buy myself a nice small flat nearby the bar and I never had to worry about food ever again. I could afford the meat in the markets, food in restaurants but that wasn't the only thing that changed drastically for me.

Women, both young and old, married and unmarried came almost every week just to hear me sing. I received countless of gifts from most of them each time and there was always a look of adoration in their eyes when they watched me on the stage. It was something I had never felt before in my life and I had to admit I had grown to like it.

Unlike the women in Seville, the women here were so brazen and forward. They bought me drinks and approached me whenever I finished my shifts.

Naturally, Josephine and I stopped seeing each other even though she still came for my performances every week.

Without even realizing it I became lost in the glamour of it all. The drinks, the girls, the money.

That was when the problems started.

One day Ali and I went to a local bar that housed underground gambling sessions to spend our year-end bonus.

I had just gotten another huge tip from our regular mysterious donor who donated a huge sum of money to our bar after every performance of mine. I had never tried gambling before but we both heard it was fun so we decided to try tonight.

The only bar that held gambling sessions exclusively in our city was an old bar that had apparently been around for decades called Lavender. The owner, a rich aristocrat had handed it over to his lovely daughter Lavender before he died and she had turned the place into a small gambling den.

Due to her powerful connections, Lavender had dominated the gambling industry by not allowing it anywhere else in the city. Every other bar that attempted to compete with Lavender had either mysteriously closed down or burned to the ground.

Ali and I had won our first few games but by the end of the night we had lost all our earnings. Feeling unsatisfied I went there every night of the week to win some money back but ended up losing most of it. I stupidly gambled half of my savings and now I was desperate for more money.

Tonight was Friday night and I was ready to perform a whole new set of songs and receive more tips. I was reading through my opening number's lyrics when our manager, Mr Jensen burst into my dressing room without warning. 

"Zayn, my superstar! Are you ready for tonight?" He asked apprehensively. 

I simply nodded my head and stared at him curiously. He usually never came into my dressing room unless it was after the show to give me tips. 

"Great. Good," He mumbled nervously. 

"Is everything okay, Mr Jensen? You're acting strange," I remarked. 

"No, no everything's great. It's just that we have a very important guest here tonight who has come to hear you perform. Our regular donor."