Fractured [SHAWN MENDES]

~57~

The Good Luck Lounge was closed the day of New Year's Eve so that the staff could prepare for the party that night. All of the tables were pushed to the sides of the room so that that there would be space for people to dance. Silver and gold decorations were hung from the ceiling, and the LED lights they'd put up for the holidays were switched from being multicolored to twinkling white. There were baskets of hats, headdresses, masks, and noisemakers on the bar, all in the same metallic theme. They'd rented champagne flutes to supplement what the bar already had, since using plastic would be wasteful. At the back of the bar, several tables were pushed together against a wall for the buffet, which would consist of an assortment of hot and cold finger foods. At midnight, a dessert buffet would replace the savory one.

It was a lot of work for such a small party, but it had potential to be very lucrative. They'd sold seventy tickets, because capacity for the bar was eighty, and there would be ten people working. Each person had a specific job. Reagan and Zack would be cooking, while Betsy had the task of monitoring the buffet and running the food out to replace things as they got low. Earl was working the door and would also be acting as a bouncer if anyone started acting up. Shawn was the DJ for the night, and he'd spent weeks coming up with playlists full of danceable songs and remixes. Everyone else would be working the bar while making sure that the dishes and glasses were being cleaned to keep up with the crowd. Each person would work for an hour and then get a break to enjoy themselves, though it was understood that none of the staff would drink until the guests left. At that point, they were having a small party of their own.

Taryn and Shawn went back to his place to get ready once everything was set up. They took a shower together to save time, but every minute they hoped to save ended up being doubled. When they were naked and wet, it tended to lead to sex, and since he'd been in New York the previous two days it was inevitable.

"We need to hurry," she said after she'd blown her long red hair dry. She was planning on wearing it down, but putting it up in a messy bun would be faster and more convenient.

Shawn emerged from his walk-in closet shirtless, wearing black dress pants that weren't buttoned. The way they hung on his hips made Taryn quiver. "Black or white shirt?" he asked. "I'm wearing the silver tie, since you're insisting, but I don't know which will look better."

The bar staff were wearing traditional black and white clothing with either silver or gold accents. Taryn had a shimmery gold tank top which she was pairing with a gauzy black shirt and tight black jeans. Shawn didn't love wearing ties, but the only other option was a vest, and he'd balked at that. As a compromise, he was wearing the tie halfway undone so that his shirt could be unbuttoned.

"Black for sure," she said. "I think some people are going to be in for quite a surprise when they see you working. Be prepared to be all over social media." No one ever really paid any attention to him when he showed up late at night to pick her up, but that was because the regulars weren't the types to give a fuck about him. A lot of the tickets had been purchased by younger people, and there was no way Shawn could fly under the radar with them.

He shrugged. "It's positive PR, and that's what I need right now. You're the one who needs to be ready to be outed as my girlfriend, though I don't think my fans will care like they used to."

Once Taryn finished doing her make-up and they were both dressed, they walked to the bar where Patricia and Earl were waiting. Patricia had on a gold sweater, and Earl wore a silky black shirt with silvery strands running through it. It was such a departure from his usual style that Taryn had to suppress a giggle when she saw him. Before long, everyone else arrived, looking wonderful, though Zack and Reagan opted for comfortable black cotton shirts and jeans since they'd be working in the kitchen.